Looking for advice - moving from Boston to VA/MD/DC area!

[Jumper_Princess1988]

The hubs has an amazing job offer that would relocate us from Boston to the MD/VA/DC area…being a life-long New England girl, I know absolutely NOTHING about the area in question, so I’m throwing myself at your mercy (no easy feat for a Type A+++ personality):

1. Where are all the good h/j barns located? Right now, I have a 40 min drive to my current barn, which is more like 1.5 hrs with rush hour traffic. Ideally, we’d find a house somewhere near work/new barn so I could ride more than three times a week (if I’m lucky). His job will be in Alexandria, VA and since I’m in biotech, I’ll likely end up working somewhere near Gaithersburg, MD. A friend of a friend mentioned Poolesville, MD?

2. Are indoor arenas required to ride year round, or are they a “nice to have” option when you’re looking for a barn in this area?

3. What should I expect to pay for board? Right now, I pay $1K a month for full board plus lessons (mane pulling, training rides, holding for vet/farrier, etc are additional). I’d like to stay around that amount if I could but I could budget up to $1500/mo if that is what the area requires. We’re currently at a small backyard barn with excellent care and travel to some nice shows in the New England area. I’d be okay with another backyard barn, but I have to admit I’d love to try a big fancy show barn as well!!!

4. Anyone have advice on shipping? I’ve checked out Holly Hill and think they look pretty posh (my gelding was a rescue so I jump at any chance I get to spoil him…he deserves it). He’s also HUGE - 17.2 hh - so I’m guessing I need to go with a box stall vs single stall?

5. We’re probably going to travel to the area in a few weeks, just to check the area out…any recommendations on local tack stores???

Any and all advice is welcome and greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!!!

[M_O_Connor]

Welcome to the area! You will find too many great barns/trainers to list in both NoVA and MD. If you do a search of the forums, both places have been discussed many times, so you shouldn’t have a difficult time coming up with options to explore.

From private barns to fancy full service places, the prices here are probably comparable to the Boston area.

If you want to ride year round, indoor access is a necessity, not a luxury.

All the big shippers run to the general area regularly. Just call for quotes. Only ponies use true ‘single’ stalls for shipping anymore…a double is pretty standard for even big warmbloods, box stalls are a step up from that.

[asterix]

I am an eventer so no help on the barn front but, yes, Poolesville area is a good idea if you are working in Gaithersburg. There are a ton of lovely places west of Alexandria in VA but traffic in that direction is DEADLY and if you are working in MD it’s really not an appealing option.
As for tack stores…at least for visiting go out to Middleburg, which is like a Disney horse village, and hit up the tack stores there…

[wishfulthinking711]

If you work in biotech check out Ft. Detrick! Welcome to the area!

[Darkwave]

@Jumper_Princess1988;8069485

The hubs has an amazing job offer that would relocate us from Boston to the MD/VA/DC area…being a life-long New England girl, I know absolutely NOTHING about the area in question, so I’m throwing myself at your mercy (no easy feat for a Type A+++ personality):

1. Where are all the good h/j barns located? Right now, I have a 40 min drive to my current barn, which is more like 1.5 hrs with rush hour traffic. Ideally, we’d find a house somewhere near work/new barn so I could ride more than three times a week (if I’m lucky). His job will be in Alexandria, VA and since I’m in biotech, I’ll likely end up working somewhere near Gaithersburg, MD. A friend of a friend mentioned Poolesville, MD?

It’s going to be difficult to find a place to live that has a reasonable commute for both of you if he’s working in Alexandria and you’re working in Gaithersburg. From that perspective, I’d recommend living in either DC itself or Arlington - that way you’re equidistant from both places and have a reverse commute (of course, that means you’ll also have to coordinate parking for cars). One option might be to find a place in DC that’s on the blue or yellow line; then he could hopefully take the Metro to work in Alexandria, while you drove (doing a reverse commute) to Gaithersburg.

Once you’re in Gaithersburg, you’re not that far from barns in Brookeville, and Poolesville would also be doable. Another option would be Meadowbrook near the DC line, if you’re not bringing your own horse but rather looking for a lesson program.

Or…if you could find a job in Virginia (Fairfax, Falls Church, Arlington, Alexandria), then that would make things much easier for both of you in terms of finding a convenient place to live. And if you worked in Fairfax, it would be doable to get out to the farms in Middleburg, Leesburg, etc.

Two good rules of thumbs for commuting in the DC area:

1. anytime you have to cross a bridge, the chances of your commute being hellish double.

2. Google maps generally underpredicts the time it will take you to get from point a to point b.

[Fergs]

I agree that those two work locations will make things difficult, although getting to a barn in the Poolesville area during the afternoon rush will probably be easier than going west to Loudoun County.

We lived in Arlington and my husband did the “reverse” commute to Gaithersburg for years. It was pretty nightmarish back then in the early 2000s. Perhaps it’s better with the ICC but, probably much like the Boston area, driving anywhere in the greater metro region at virtually any time sucks. It’s one of the big reasons why we live in Colorado now.

[fordtraktor]

Isn’t there a fair amount of biotech in Reston area? that would be a much better commute if your DH is in Alexandria. Then you could go with one of the many nice NOVA barns.

[GoneAway]

If you search the forums thoroughly, you’ll find LOTS and lots of threads about the DC area. Take a look through those and they’ll help give you an idea of not just what’s available, but also how locations of home/work and traffic flow patterns will affect where you can/should go.

I agree with Darkwave that Alexandria and Gaithersburg are not close and would not be easy (very few things are easy when it comes to commuting here). I think Arlington would be a good suggestion if you do end up working in Gaithersburg, and at least you’d be against the main flow of traffic (though still probably not a great commute). If that’s the case, I also agree that general Poolesville area might be the better place to look for barns, since it’d be easier to get around and to the barn once you’re up there from work. I’m not up to date on what’s up there for H/J barns, but I’m sure there are good options.

NoVA is a horseman’s paradise, but only if you can get out there. If you want to board in NoVA (west of DC Metro), then you really need to find some work out that way so that it helps cut down on the travel time after work. Traveling west away from DC during afternoon rush makes you homicidal. If you’re already in Reston or something in that area, that makes it easier. It’s still a LOT of time in a car, though.

Another option is to live a little further west into NoVA (assuming you could get a job in NoVA), which would make finding barns easier, and let your hubby commute to Alexandria. But then he has to deal with the drive or the train.

Visit Middleburg often, it’s heaven.

[JenEM]

If you’re really planning to try and split the difference between commutes, I second the suggestion of Arlington, or eastern Falls Church, so you can easily get 66/Beltway/270. I do that from EFC some mornings to get to the barn, and traffic isn’t usually too bad (by DC standards…); I board up in Damascus, on the upper edge of Montgomery County, so I’d guess the drive out to Gaithersburg might be 45 minutes in average morning rush, since I can usually get to my barn in about an hour.

You might want to look through The Equiery to see their list of boarding stables in the area; you’ll have to google for websites, or search on here to see what you can find about them. There’s a ton of stuff around the Poolesville/Potomac/Dickerson/Clarksburg area that should work with your budget. What are you looking for as far as riding–more hunters, more jumpers, a mix of boarders from different disciplines (eventers, jumpers, dressage riders)? A barn with a program, or something where lessons are more a la carte? Rated or local shows? (We have a LOT of shows around here, very good rated and locally.) Based on that, people might be able to make some more specific barn recommendations.

[triplethreat]

As a Boston native I just wanted to jump on here and say that you can’t go wrong with either Holly Hill or JR Hudson. Both very professional highly experienced shippers. I’ve used both and HH was a tad more expensive but really comparable. I’m talking like a $75 difference.

[Trixie]

I did the Alexandria to Rockville commute for a year and a half. By a few months in I was ready to strangle someone.

[Sing_Mia_Song]

Welcome! I made the jump from Boston to DC in 1987 and never looked back.

I would say that prices here are a titch lower for boarding than they are in Boston. For one thing, turnout is downright plentiful in comparison, so it’s included, but it is usually in “small group” herds rather than individual. The plus is that horses commonly go out for 12 hours a day in winter, overnight in summer, weather permitting.

Poolesville is definitely good from Gaithersburg (roughly 30 minutes, depending on where you are) and there are plenty of good barns. You can get by without an indoor, IF the barn has good outdoor footing to start with and they use something like mag chloride to keep it soft. That said, if we have a winter like this year, you won’t be riding through it.

I know a lot of people who do Rockville to Alexandria and it is definitely unpredictable. I used to do Poolesville to Alexandria/Landmark, and it was 45 minutes on a very good day, 90 on a bad one. Virginia traffic really bites. Maryland isn’t much better. Avoid I-270 at all costs. You will get lighter traffic if you come from the city to Gaithersburg and back, as it is a partial reverse commute.

When I first got out of school, I lived on Capitol Hill, worked in Alexandria and rode in Poolesville. It was actually easier to go home, change, grab the dog, then sail out to Poolesville than to go directly from work.

If you have pollen allergies, brace yourself. Cherry blossom season here is deadly. Oh, and the summers are MUCH more humid than home. It gets just as cold here, but not for as long, and mid-March in DC is pretty much the equivalent of early-May in Boston. September and October are absolutely fantastic.

The Equiery is a great horse resource. For traffic, WTOP News is the best (traffic and weather on the :08s!). Feel free to PT me if you want more insight as a fellow Boston transplant!

[BostonHJ]

Can I just say how immensely jealous I am?! I live in downtown Boston and am having a hard time finding a barn within 40 miles to meet my admittedly unusual wants/needs. After horse shopping around DC last year, I am convinced the area is horse paradise. I am actually sending my horse there for a few months of very reasonably priced training board after FL. I don’t have location/commute advice but enjoy!

JR Hudson is great, as is Brook Ledge.

[monalisa]

You will need to factor traffic into anything that you do in the area and it is a real nightmare - rush hour is 24 x 7 now. If your husband works in Alexandria you won’t want to work in Gaithersville, that would be a two hour commute each way. You will need to factor location/travel time into every equation - the barns are usually out a bit and if it takes two hours to get there every time you won’t ride much. You will need an indoor if you want to ride all winter. The good news is there are many many barns and trainers to pick from.

[REH]

I’m sorry to be the negative nelly here but I don’t know what people are thinking when they are telling you board is lower in this area.

I can’t tell you of a single competent barn within 50 miles of DC that has an indoor and full training board (lessons, rides, grooming, mane pulling etc) for $1,000 a month. Maybe plain board, but not all the other stuff. Try at least $1,500 assuming you are a hunter or jumper and want a show barn.

Agree with others who are championing for Arlington (north, not south, if you want a metro). We are in Arlington and it’s so convenient to get around from here, relatively speaking.

[BostonHJ]

$1200+ is the norm around Boston for full board with an indoor and no training or lessons included. South of the city is cheaper but also impossible to get to.

[REH]

I may not be reading the OP’s post correctly, but it sounded like she was getting board and lessons for $1000/month. Unclear whether grooming was included as she only called out training rides, mane pulling, holding for vet farrier additional. So it really depends what’s in her $1000/month, but I don’t think you’ll find a show barn down here with board and lessons and an indoor for $1000 a month, which is why I say it’s more…I don’t have other comps, just going off what she said she was paying.

[REH]

Ps-I don’t ride there, but one of the best places in terms of them having economical and more full service options as well as an indoor is Rolling Acres Farm. http://www.rollacresshowstables.com. I know a lot of other lovely farms in the area and lovely trainers, but I’m not aware of them having as many different price points available for standard board v full board etc. Many show barns focus on “full care/full training” boarders because the margins are too low otherwise.

[BostonHJ]

Ah, I read it as her paying $1k for board and additional for everything else. If that includes lessons OP let me know where you are leaving so I can take your spot!

[Jumper_Princess1988]

Hi everyone, thank you SO much for the advice - and please keep it coming!!! I’m totally overwhelmed by the thought of moving…let alone finding a good barn for the pony!

Right now, he’s boarded at a small, no frills backyard barn but we have an indoor and not one but TWO amazing trainers on site (one is part time but she’s around enough to help my guy go from scrawny to Holy Topline in just a few months)…I’m open to another backyard barn or a bigger show barn if the care is top-notch.

I just ordered a giant map of the area…I’m going to start looking up these places and try to get a sense of where everything is located relative to Alexandria. Bear with me, I’m sure I’ll have a million questions for you all in the next few weeks ??

Thank you all again!!!