Canada Larga Stables

while i cant give review information on the actual stables, i did have a "run in" with one of the staff. i have heard about the canada larga road view on a ventura web site. its a great place to see, never knew it existed. I pulled off the road in a nice safe spot to be able to look at the scenery. as i was returning after a little as i notice one of the gates i came through which was open was shut, so i just thought of it naturally as a cattle guard gate, which would be the reason it was shut. as i was opening the gate, a car from the opposite side was pulling up. as i was opening the gate door he comes up and ask me what im doing there. i knew from the start by the way this guy looked what he was going to say, and expected it so i casually explained to him. he replied with a bit of sarcasm and told me "he doesnt want to see me around here at all." wow, what a d**che bag. i understand there is private property owned there, but the road has nothing as far as stating the road it privately owned. and there were many cars on it to begin with which i know were not there for the stables or anything in particular, just sight seeing. usually when i see private roads there are gates in the beginning of the road to keep people out. it has no mention on the ventura website about it being a privately owned road either, just a nice place to see, as many have said. when i found the place being reviewed and see how many are saying its a nice place but the management is horrible and rude, i laughed. seems i had the "pleasure" of finding out for myself. Pros: nice scenic road Cons: a*sholes more

i only liked this place for the facility. the hospitality from the manager was nevertheless rude and inconsiderate. I personally don't approve of a boarding facility manager that yells and screams at their paying customers. Would not recomend to anyone. Pros: very nice facility Cons: the managers are rude and inconsiderate more

Its a nice facility, but the managers are a bit crazy. I am surprised by the super flattering reviews. The facility is really nice, the horses are generally well kept, if you want a review of training just look up recent show records, they speak for themselves. the managers yell alot. The rules go way beyond basic barn safety. And they change all the time. Its not the worst place you could take a horse, but its not a relaxing atmosphere. if you want to see what its really like, visit unannounced and see what happens, that is the real experience. Pros: Covered arenas and nice grounds, very pretty Cons: Loud! more

I returned to riding a couple of years ago, after several non-horse years, and decided to study Dressage. The trainer who was highly recommended to me was Nicole Chastain, at Canada Larga Stables. This wonderful woman's encyclopedic knowledge of all things horses -- from equine anatomy to the most delicate intricacies of Dressage training -- amazed and humbled me. I have ridden off and on for 35 years, but seldom have I met a woman with more knowledge, integrity, experience with different disciplines and uncanny ability to see and encourage the best in both horse and rider. As a trainer, she has superb judgment and intuition about the best approach in each situation. Although I have not personally trained with Austin, her partner, both of them are very generous with their time and counsel. Their boarding facility is immaculate; the stalls and water buckets are kept spotless and the arenas are manicured. They personally know each horse that is boarded there, and if they work with them at all they can pinpoint their talents and needs with unerring accuracy. Nicole works long hours training horses and riders and yet, at the end of a long day, you'll still find her roaming around the property, feeding or blanketing and checking to make sure each horse is sound and happy. Canada Larga is in a beautiful and serene setting with fabulous amenities, and the boarders and students are friendly and very supportive of one another. I recommend this boarding and training facility so highly -- Nicole and Austin are truly dedicated to helping you and your horses thrive and excel. more

Being a horse mom, the #1 priority for me is finding a first rate, professionally run, safe, fun, healthy environment with 24/7 management on the property for my beloved Friesian. I have had and boarded out many horses over the last 45 years, so I know a good find when I see one, and Canada Larga Stables is just that. I have been boarding my horse there for over a year now and before that I was trailering in three times a week for dressage training with Nicole Chastain. Nicole and Austin are two of the nicest, most knowledgeable and sincere horse folks I have ever met. They constantly bend over backwards for their borders. I think there are more than 50 horses boarded there, but somehow Austin and Nicole manage to make everyone feel like family. They genuinely care about you and your horse's welfare and happiness and love what they do, and it shows!! The ranch is always clean, my horse has his water bucket cleaned daily along with his stall, and the best thing is the quality of the hay. Nicole works hard to make sure the horses get the best. What I like the best about the ranch for myself is the quiet, serene feeling I get when I am there. I have boarded places where boarders were permitted to let their children run amuck and there is no supervision, and it made my time there miserable, which is why I no longer board at these places. Nicole is able to mix good management skills with tact when handling situations like this, therefore, avoiding them. I also train and show with Nicole, so I am working closely with her all week long. I think she is great and, more importantly, so does my horse. He loves her like a second mom. Nicole is an accomplished dressage trainer and rider with more integrity than most people. I highly recommend her as a trainer and Canada Larga Stables as a fantastic boarding facility. The covered arenas keep the horses working even in inclement weather, and the trails are endless. It's a top rate facility!!!! AAAAA+++++ Pros: 24 hour management, covered arenas, fun place to be!! Cons: Not much cell phone reception. more

The OP is wrong, I board there and they NEVER EVER let strangers ride your horse. Nicole is a fantastic barn manager and the horses receive the very best of care. Nicole enforces the rules for everyone's safety and if you had a problem it was because you did not like to follow very basic safety rules that all proper boarding barns require. I trust Canada Larga stables completely with the health and welfare of all my show and pleasure horses. The facilities are beautiful, the horses are very happy, the rest of us boarders love it there! I personally drive many miles to get there even though there are other boarding barns closer to home. As to what they offer, they have TWO covered arenas, a dressage arena, the largest jumping arena in the county, cows, miles of gorgeous trails right off the property and the nicest possible boarders. No politics, no drama, this barn is serious fun! They feed quality hay and you have your choice of Timothy, alfalfa, oat or a combination of any. Very hard to find barns in Southern California that offer grass hay! This is the premeire boarding facility in Ventura county. Pros: Too many to list, read my review. Cons: Cell phone coverage is spotty. But Nicole always lets us use the barn phone. more

This stable signs an agreement that all they will do is board and feed your horse. But they also allow total stranger to ride your horse. Don't know what the reason behind it is. Of course out of speculation only, it could be that they charge a fee or lease your horse without permission. But that's just speculation. The people that told me that rode my horse without my knowledge were very appologetic but they thought it was fine since Nicole Chastain allowed them to. When we complained to her, she used the excuse that she was trying to show our horse to people since we were trying to sell our horse. But she was never given permission to allow strangers to ride the horse. Anyway, it does not matter what her excuse is. The fact of the matter is that she allowed it to happen at her place of business without our knowledge. She is also very nice when you are trying to decide where to board your horse. After you move your horse, this evil mean witch comes out of her. She started screaming at our kids. No nice way of asking people and telling people the rules. Just starts screaming, ranting and raving. I've never seen a person run a business this way. Just rude and raised in a barn. The nice review the she fille in before this review was done by her personally. Cons: The owner Nicole Chastain is a very mean and rude raised in a barn woman. more

A beautiful facility where, after 1 year, my horse is in amazing condition after being at facilities who could not keep weight on him. At Canada Larga he is in great shape, happy, enjoys his turnouts and trail riding and I love the great boarders. Everyone is very friendly and Nicole and Austin are the most professional and caring mangagers I have ever experienced. I feel so lucky to have found this peaceful and amazing place where my horse and I can relax and enjoy our time together. more