Hi! I live in Chevy Chase DC - rode competitively as a kid, got back into it a few years ago as an adult. I’m looking for a barn to look for a hunter to buy/lease/board and take lessons. Open to start showing again on a pony or horse. Would love to get barn suggestions from this forum. Thank you!!
Your very first call should be to Meadowbrook, if they have openings and you suit each other.
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Meadowbrook is definitely your best bet. They’re really the only option near the city.
Thank you! Their policies are so restrictive it seems impossible to get in there.
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If you’re willing/able to drive outside of the city, there are a lot of options in VA & MD depending on what length of commute you’re up for.
Thanks! I’m willing to go about 50 mins outside the city - Great Falls-ish in VA and then Poolesville MD area are pretty much outer limits. Curious about barns towards both areas. Found previous threads but they’re a bit old.
Hi! Do you have specific goals about showing, local, regional or more costal-national? Pre-adult, adult eq, 3ft. adult hunter, etc.? A budget for a hunter (good god)? Understandable if not, but this info could help send you in the right direction! Best of luck!
Local shows but open to seeing where it goes! Would like to explore all budgets…thank you!
Rolling Acres?
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Thank you! Giving them a try this Thurs in fact!
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Great program with something for everyone. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
They were going to be my next suggestion if you could manage the drive. Great people.
There’s basically nothing in VA until you get out past Aldie into Middleburg, or up towards Leesburg. There may be someone at Stoneridge in Great Falls but that’s about it.
In Poolesville, Beyond a Bay/Barbie Burns is the closest in to Chevy Chase and will sometimes have a horse they can use for lessons to see if it is a good fit and/or while they find a lease/purchase situation. Alan is great but you basically need to have a horse or be ready to lease and show. There’s another farm by Alan’s, Poplar Hill, that may have some lesson options.
Rolling Acres has a bit of everything, as mentioned. I hated the drive out there - much preferred going out River Rd to Poolesville.
Thank you so much! Hadn’t heard of Beyond a Bay so will check it out. I wish we lived closer to horse land!
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Very welcome! Barbie and Jennie are great and have a very fun group of clients across all ages. And only 30 mins or so from your neck of the woods so not too bad!
Other MD options to look into if Rolling Acres doesn’t work are Walnut Pond and Free Rein. All three are both up in the same area and you should be able to get up there within an hour from Chevy Chase as long as you’re not driving in the middle of rush hour.
I used to work in Chevy Chase and ride up that way. If I left a little before or right at 5 the drive was smooth sailing because you’re up north enough to get a jump on traffic. 5:15-5:30 departure added a bunch of drive time because then I was in with the masses. Granted that was before times when everyone was working in office at normal hours so traffic is provably different now. But it’s totally doable to get to that area of MD from Chevy Chase in about an hour
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Cool thanks! It’s been a challenge. I’ve been riding at Heritage in Great Falls and my kids at reddemeade. It’s pretty up at reddemeade but I don’t see us there long term. Heritage may work out but need to nail down leasing options! Thank you!!
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Hello fellow horsey person! I’m also in Chevy Chase DC, though I event so can’t help you much on the hunter farms, but good to have more horsey people in the neighborhood!
My farm is up in Damascus, I can usually do the drive in 45, peak traffic is usually only 1 hr unless there is an accident on 270 (then all bets are off).
Oh fun!! I kinda wish I grew up doing eventing bc it’s so big in Maryland. We live right near Lafayette Elementary! Thanks for writing here!
You could also try KMH Sporthorses at Centurian Farm and Jet Stone both in Poolesville, Jet Stone might be a little closer. Not sure what the availability of lesson/lease horses is but never hurts to ceck
