Where to Take Your Kids for a Horseback or Pony Ride on O‘ahu

Giddy up! Your keiki will love walking, riding, grooming and feeding horses at these six locations.

June 8, 2023

Jasmine Chagnon,

Fancy a horseback or pony ride? For those curious, animal-loving keiki, there are quite a few options on O‘ahu to hop on a horse or pony. Here are six places to take your kids for a horseback or pony ride on O‘ahu.

Photo: Laura Dornbush

North Shore Stables

This stable out in Waialua offers a variety of experiences: ATV ride tours, horseback trail rides and pony rides. The 15-minute daily pony rides are perfect for little riders ages 2 years and up, where a trainer will walk with your child and lead the horse with a rope.

For more confident and older keiki ages 6 years and up, there are horseback trail rides through farm lands and along the coastline with oceanfront views. Kids ages 10 and older are welcome, while those 6 through 9 years old are able to participate with an added $50 per child where a staff member will walk with them.

Also, child care services are available for groups traveling with children under 10 years of age who cannot join a larger group on a trail ride. They will still have fun though—they’ll spend their time exploring the petting zoo under the supervision of a licensed child care professional. Reservations are required.

North Shore Stables, 67-221 Waialua Beach Road, Waialua, (808) 270-025032, northshorestables.com, @north_shore_stables_hawaii

Photo: Karen DB Photography

Pony Rides at Gunstock Ranch

At Gunstock Ranch, parents can walk alongside their child at no charge and take precious photos of their keiki enjoying the ride. A wrangler will lead the horse while the kids sit in the saddle. After the ride, children will have a chance to feed and pet the horses. The entire experience is about half an hour and available for keiki ages 2 through 7 years old at $65.

Older kids (7 years and older) and adults alike can enjoy 1-hour, 1.5-hour and sunset horseback rides and more. The ranch is closed on Sundays. The pony rides are available Monday through Saturday at 10 a.m., 1:15 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Gunstock Ranch, 56-250 Kamehameha Hwy., Kahuku, (808) 341-3995, gunstockranch.com, @gunstockranch

SEE ALSO: We Tried It: Gunstock Ranch

Photo: Danny Gallegos via Unsplash

Stables at Turtle Bay Resort

Keiki 6 years and under can groom, feed and ride a pony along the scenic coastline near Turtle Bay Resort. You can add a second child for $40 to share the same pony. Check-in time is 15 minutes before the start time. Older keiki ages 7 through 18 can also enjoy a two-hour, hands-on experience where they’ll learn basic horsemanship skills and equine care.

Turtle Bay Resort Stables, 57-091 Kamehameha Hwy, Kahuku, 1-866-475-2569, turtlebayresort.com, @turtlebaystables

Photo: Courtesy of Kualoa Ranch

Kualoa Ranch

Check out the two-hour horseback walking tour for keiki 10 years and older, where you’ll walk through forests and dirt trails and the movie-famous scenery of Kualoa and the iconic Ka‘a‘awa Valley ala Jurassic Park. Keiki 10 through 12 years old are priced at $89.95, adults at $144.95. Make advance reservations as tours at the ranch often sell out quickly.

Kualoa Ranch, 49-560 Kamehameha Hwy., Kāne‘ohe, (808) 237-7321, kualoa.com, @kualoaranch

Photo: Courtesy of Nalo Keiki Paniolo

Nalo Keiki Paniolo

Here, kids ages 2 through 7 years can enjoy an introductory pony ride around the 50-foot round pen. An instructor will lead the pony the entire time. The 35-minute experience includes grooming, leading and riding the horse, priced at $50.

There’s an “‘Ohana Pack” option where four littles 80 pounds and under can enjoy the pony ride and a petting zoo. This is a 1-hour experience priced at $275.

Nalo Keiki Paniolo, 41-632 Mokulama St., Waimānalo, (808) 291-6778, nalokeikipaniolo.com, @nalo.keiki.paniolo

Photo: Zaur Giyasov

Palehua Trail Rides

For keiki ages 8 and older, this trail ride is an hour and a half long and perfect for both experienced and novice riders. Plan to arrive 30 minutes prior to the start time for check-in. You can enjoy views of the coastline and see cattle who may be feeding along the trail. It’s $102.40 per person for morning rides and $118.40 for sunset rides. For private rides, prices are $126.80 in the morning and $142.40 for sunset rides.

Palehua Trail Rides, 1 Palehua Rd., (808) 207-4989, palehuatrailrides.com

Every experience is independently selected and curated by our editors. Bookings through our links may earn us commissions.