Eventing barns in Maryland

[freyeann]

My husband recently got a job in Silver Spring, Maryland. It looks like we will be moving there early this summer. I am interested in a) boarding barns and b) trainers. If it is all at the same barn, great! But I prefer a low key, relaxed barn to board at and know this isn’t always the case with training facilities. I have a trailer so as long as the trainer is within an hour I can trailer for lessons.

I have a young Irish Draught mare that I plan to do low level eventing with. We’ve just done dressage lessons and trail rides as of now, and popped over a few cross rails. I am an mom with a job so this is a hobby, meaning I would like a trainer that is fun and not one trying to make me cry every week I’m also interested in bringing my mare along slowly and quietly (please don’t beat my horse for refusing a jump). I have some serious show anxiety and as mentioned before this is a ‘fun’ hobby for me, I’d like to keep it that way

As for boarding I need turnout. My mare has lived in North Carolina and now in Missouri. Personally coming from CA I didn’t realize how lovely turn out is and now I would never ask a horse to live without it. She is much more pleasant when roaming several acres.

Right now it looks like we will live somewhere between Silver Spring and Frederick (sorry I cannot be more specific yet). We will be there in March and I’m hoping to visit a few barns and trainers.

If you have any place or person to recommend please do! Or if there is someone to stay away from please message me.

[pologirl27]

I would highly recommend Kelley Williams for lessons! She is very detail oriented about instructing riders and very quick to adapt to what the horse is or is not capable of on a given day. She is at http://abitbetterfarm.com/ which is actually sort of between Silver Spring and Frederick.

What is your boarding budget? You will find Maryland has good quality turnout but of course not every barn has a good turnout to horse ratio. Maryland is a fantastic place to be an English rider, you have no shortage of shows or XC schooling or trails. You will find that there is a lot of traffic around DC, so if you have to ride after work you will need to be conscious of that. If you end up working closer to Frederick- no problem. If you work closer to Silver Spring- prepare to sit!

[freyeann]

Great thanks! I will check her out. I actually lived in Pennsylvania when I started riding lessons in elementary school and remember being surrounded by horses. I’ve lived in the SF Bay Area for most of my life (until recently) and it is stalls with maybe a 12x24 run. Once you get out of the city there is some turnout but nothing like the Midwest and now I feel guilty for my TB I had in high school, I bet he would have been a much easier ride with a pasture! But it was all I knew.

I’m excited to be in such an equestrian rich community. And if I have it my way we will be closer to Frederick and husband can deal with the commute

[mythical84]

Welcome to Maryland! I’ve lived here my whole life and refuse to move! As mentioned, you have a lot of options in the area that you’re moving to. I have a few clients in the area that have great programs. Feel free to PM me with any questions, or you can just reach out to them directly.

Kelley Williams (A Bit Better Farm - Brookeville): http://abitbetterfarm.com/

Natalie Hollis & Suz Cornue (Destination Eventing - Dickerson): http://destinationeventing.com/

Katie Wherley (KWE - Middletown): http://katiewherley.com/

Kerry Blackmer (Miles Ahead Farm - Adamstown): http://milesaheadfarm.net/

Glenda Player (Playland Equestrian Center - Union Bridge): http://playlandequestriancenter.com/

Southwind Farm (Damascus): http://southwindfarminc.com/

[asterix]

I’ll pipe up for Waredaca, which is literally 2 minutes from Kelley Williams (who is indeed a fabulous, upbeat, patient trainer). I board there - if you want to field board we have a 70 acre field with 20 horses on it…heaven for them. In addition to other great local training options, we have Steph Kohr who I think is particularly good with young horses…she is already saddled with plenty of working amateurs as students so knows that drill as well. Lastly, we have access to an insane amount of hacking out…

[gottagrey]

In addition to those barns some others worth considering - these are within 10-30 minute drive of Germantown/Gaithersbug and also convenient to Frederick

A Fine Idea Farm / Abby Gibbon - http://fineideafarm.com New (and old) facility in Mt. Airy/Damascus area - nice barn and really nice indoor.

Moon Rising/ Boyds, MD - options for field and stall board; huge indoor, lighted outdoor - I think clients are trending more towards dressage… 200 acres, lots of trails

Mountain View Farm - Boyds/Dickerson, boarding facility, outside trainers allowed; both indoor and outside rings

Otasaga Farm/Cindy Lytle - Dickerson, MD - smaller facility, H/J, eventing, lots of turnout, access to trails, on-site trainer. lytleshowhorses.com

[freyeann]

Thank you all SO much! This is a pretty stressful move due to some other circumstances but I am really really excited about the horse community in Maryland. Where I live now is a pretty small and isolated horse community so this sounds all very promising. And sounds like it won’t be a problem making friends to hack out with

We will be there for a week at the end of March so hopefully will get to meet a few people and see some facilities. I had originally thought we were moving back to CA so this was a big shift but I am definitely feeling more positive about this move.

Oh and I bet there are tack shops And saddle fitters… things I don’t have close by right now.

Thanks again!

[pologirl27]

Yes there are tack shops! Stablemates in Mt. Airy is small but mighty, Poolesville has All About Equestrian and Darnestown has The Surrey. Head a little further away from your territory you have a Dover and Maryland Saddlery’s epic consignment shop outside of Baltimore or in Middleburg (aka horsey paradise) you get the Middleburg Tack Exchange, the Tack Box and a modest drive away from a different Dover.

You will have lots of choices of everything!

[gottagrey]

And all within an hour or so away !! Oh and then there’s steeplechases… though it’s a good idea to check out some barns, commuting in this area is pretty bad, so I wouldn’t make any decisions on a barn until you know where you’ll be living…

[Jumping31]

I’m surprised Waredaca hasn’t popped up more. I rode at Waredaca for a while and their program is great. The facilities are incredible, the land is expansive, the staff is amazing, the trails are beautiful, and they have several well-known eventing trainers on their property. Not to mention, Waredaca holds many nationally recognized eventing trials and their renowned cross country course.

[freyeann]

@Jumping31

I’m surprised Waredaca hasn’t popped up more. I rode at Waredaca for a while and their program is great. The facilities are incredible, the land is expansive, the staff is amazing, the trails are beautiful, and they have several well-known eventing trainers on their property. Not to mention, Waredaca holds many nationally recognized eventing trials and their renowned cross country course.

Yep it was mentioned about halfway though the thread, on my list to check out, thanks!

[asterix]

The commute thing is real…so ideally when you come out, you will know where-ish you will be living and working…then be sure to drive during commute times to some of these areas to see what you are looking at.
You have a LOT of nice choices in this area, so definitely block some time to drop in and visit some so you can get a sense of whether they’d be a match…

[freyeann]

@asterix

The commute thing is real…so ideally when you come out, you will know where-ish you will be living and working…then be sure to drive during commute times to some of these areas to see what you are looking at.
You have a LOT of nice choices in this area, so definitely block some time to drop in and visit some so you can get a sense of whether they’d be a match…

My husband is moving in two weeks and living with some family while I let my daughter finish the school year and we sell our house. So for the next few months he’s going to figure out where he can live and tolerate his commute to work. Boarding will need to be close to where we live but if I can trailer to a trainer on the weekends it is okay if they are a bit further out. Hopefully I will get a better idea of where we will live when I am there next month.

[yellowbritches]

Destination Eventing is my typical #1 suggestion for that area. Great trainers and what seems to be a really great group of riders of all levels.

Bennett’s Creek Farm is near there, as well (in Frederick County, very close to the MoCo/Frederick line). I don’t know really what’s going on with training but I KNOW the facilities are nice (I helped get that place up and running, so I have first hand knowledge of the quality of infrastructure that is there). The owner is a nice guy who loves Irish horses.

[jmbaumgardner]

Highly recommend Natalie and Sue at Destination.

[ObligedLimits]

Tara Equestrian Eventing is in Sykesville really close to I-70. Less than 30 horses, laid back atmosphere, LOTS of turnout. www.taraequestrianeventing.com