I’d love to offer suggestions in the northern VA area… what level, budget, etc?
I also know Kiki with Dappir Ridge, she is fantastic if you end up near Charlottesville.
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Following as we will be heading to the Quantico area this summer!
I think living in Loudoun and going into DC is doable. Living in Charlottesville area and commuting to DC much less so, though it’s possible I suppose. If I were your daughter, I’d live close to the horse in NOVA now, then relocate if she decides to attend UVA later. It’s not worth living there now if her work is in DC area.
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I second this! Facilities are amazing and both Jeff and Emily are great.
Hi All,
This has been so incredibly helpful and I am working to reply to everyone via message!
After looking at everything, I decided that it’s probably best to be more towards the Fairfax area. The two main factors are that I will not have a truck and trailer and that I would like to pay $700 or under a month. I don’t mind helping out around the barn at all or being at a backyard type of thing as long as someone near by has a trailer. My ottb and I are working on Training level and hoping to move up to Prelim in the next year or so. Is this feasible for that area? I have seen a few places, but figured I’d ask here as most of the places you all have suggested are amazing, but more towards $1000/month. – and as my mother says, I still have to pay off my student loans… 
I think that I will shoot to live somewhere within walking distance of the DC metro and then be as close as I can be to the barn. I know that traffic is unbearable, but luckily I will be working from home and can ride in the mornings or lunch if need be.
Thank you so all so much for all of your help so far!!!
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Keep in mind that there aren’t Metro stops within walking distance from Fairfax, but the Vienna stop isn’t too far. We live in Fairfax/Chantilly, and it takes my husband about 30 minutes to get to the Vienna Metro on most mornings (sometimes longer now since he has to walk a few blocks and wait for the bus to the metro stop.)
It takes less time when not in the middle of rush hour, but route 66 and Route 50 can be jammed up any time of the day. 
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Live in South Riding (Chantilly/Aldie). I commute into DC 1 day a week. I can get to where I board my horse in Leesburg or Middleburg in 15-20 minutes even during rush hour traffic taking back roads. When I have to go to the city I use the neighborhood bus to get to the Reston metro and take the metro in. My commute is 1hr 30 minutes but I’m not driving and can get work done. $700 for board isn’t a huge budget for the really “good” places. I pay less but had to seriously downgrade my standards and reconsider what is most important.
Avoid 66 like the plague especially with the new tolls, its crazy. 267 is going up a 1.00 as well.
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OP it’s helpful to know where you will be commuting to for work… and I agree with Yellowbritches comments about trainers in the area. Charlottesville is a good 2 hours from DC without traffic. I also wouldn’t rule out Montgomery Co Maryland as there are plenty of barns that might fall within your budget and may make your commute to/from barn and work easier.
Areas that are within walking distance to the metro are going to be in the more urban areas here - parts of Arlington, Alexandria in VA, - the blue and orange lines, Tysons Corner has some live/play areas now near the Silver line and then areas in Maryland along the Redline particularly Bethesda/Chevy Chase and down into DC would offer some housing within walking distance to metro, but be prepared to pay $ the closer to DC you get.
Its all very doable, if it were this area would not be so full of all these great places to ride and a heck of a lot of us do it !!
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Hey OP, one thing to consider if looking for barns in the Fairfax area of the backyard variety is the challenges you will run into getting a Training/Prelim horse fit. Trails are suburban around here, and though fun, not suitable for legit conditioning. As far as arenas go, finding an affordable place with a good indoor is tough. If you don’t have your own truck and trailer… It’s going to be really tough.
Looking at places to live out in Chantilly so you could board on Aldie might be the best way to minimize commuting and give you better boarding options.
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It will be very hard to have a horse going training/prelim in fairfax county without a trailer. It’s hard WITH a trailer which is why I moved to western Loudoun. In fairfax I was hauling several times a week to rings and places to condition.
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Do you board your horse in the Fairfax area too?
This is super helpful! I will be mainly working from home, but we have an office in Herndon VA and another one in downtown DC. I have decided against Charlottesville in favor of Northern Virginia at this point based on everyone’s feedback. Do you know any of the Montgomery Co Maryland barns? I would definitely be open to exploring that as an option to board, but I will have to live in Virginia as I want to establish residency there for law school
Also, if anyone has any apartments for rent or knows of anyone who needs a roommate, that would be awesome too! I am mindful of getting too close to DC for budget, but want to be in Virginia.
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Thank you so much for that information! Do you know some good barns in Aldie that have open stalls?
That is really helpful! Do you know of some good barns in Loudoun that might be near or in my price range?
I wish! I used to, but those small places are long gone…I board in Upperville, a 50 minute drive each way Luckily I can go during the day, but traffic is still a huge headache and a source of enormous stress. Until I get past Gilbert’s Corner.
My young mare (who was raised at this farm from a foal) is VERY happy there, and it’s affordable, decent ring with jumps (no lights, no indoor), LOTS of ride out, huge pastures and plenty of forage, knowledgeable care. It’s not fancy, but I have the basics there - and my mare’s dam is retired there with a big field all to herself. That kind of land (hundreds of acres) is not available for horses unless you head farther out towards Western Loudoun, Faquier Counties, etc.
As other posters have said, there are very few barns left in the Fairfax/Eastern Loudoun County area with all the amenities you’re seeking.
Rampant, unchecked construction by greedy developers in those areas has resulted in loss of land and closing of local barns and horse facilities: there are some smaller barns in close-by Clifton, but no indoor rings there and certainly limited “ride out” - there are also some barns in the Manassas/Centreville/Catharpin area (and in Haymarket), but the consistency of care can be a bit hit or miss. Otherwise I probably would have moved to one of those places already (I have students at a couple of the barns.)
Some of these have the amenities you’re seeking, some do not. Hack out and ride out tends to be at a premium.
If you head to Aldie/Middleburg, there are definitely more barns with most of what you’re seeking - but they are on the pricey side. More like what you’ve been paying, more “full service”, more expectations that you will be training/in a program (though not necessarily); this will vary from barn to barn.
Without a truck or trailer you will have conditioning challenges! Your best bet may be to try to find a place with some kind of eventing program where you can “pay to hitch a ride” when they go for schoolings or competitions.
I wish I could be the bearer of better news!
I’ve lived in the area for 53 years, been in horses on and off during that time - and though it used to be “horse country and farm country” outside the city, ALL of that has changed. Now we are a suburban mess with more and more building and development that keeps spreading westward - mostly off of “cul de sac” roads which were originally two lanes (when all of this was farmland), and which are now clogged and jammed with traffic - even after widening - because “everyone has to live here.” There has been ZERO thought put into the development and construction other than “there are acres and acres fields on either side of the road!!! LET’S BUILD HERE!” So yet MORE side streets, traffic lights, etc. They paved paradise and put up a bunch of McMansions, THs, and apartment complexes.
SIGH :mad:
And this is why I drink…
:lol: (Sorry for the ranting.)
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lucky you for being able to commute… I would steer clear of anything along the I-66 corridor as the wise VA transportation bureaucrats came up with some goofy toll road situation where its based on demand rather than standard X toll. So you never know what the toll is going to be and stories of $30-$40 flooded the news initially - oh and that was one day to DC.! Commuting from Herndon area to MD for riding could be difficult though if you lived up towards Leessburg its doable
For your living, I’d check out the Reston Town Center, Brambleton, and a bit further away is Leesburg…
for barns in Maryland I’d check out
Destination Eventing
Kerry Blackmer /Miles Ahead Farm,
Gina Reidmuller,
Otasaga Farm/Cindy Lytle is another - multi-discipline (hunters, jumpers, lower level eventing, equitation etc)
all are convenient to MD/VA river crossings Leesburg and Point of Rocks, probably a little lower key environment = meaning good for the working adult
there are others but I was trying to stick to those closest to the river.
Another place to check out for boarding/training is Phyllis Dawson and Windchase Farm.
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OP - I don’t know of anything offhand in Aldie. I will second the suggestions of Destination Farm and Windchase. Both are farms where you could do all the conditioning necessary, and hitch a ride to many different competitions and not worry about buying a truck and trailer. If you found a good place to rent in Leesburg, that might be very manageable and a good fit for someone in their twenties into eventing. Yeah… The commute from Leesburg into DC might be a bit daunting to wrap your head around for now… You get used to it though. Life in NOVA.
@Dr. Doolittle - I completely agree with your frustrations and sentiments concerning how irresponsible development has wrecked some special parts of Fairfax. I love the town of Clifton, but it’s not what it used to be. My kid’s schools and friends are the only things keeping us here right now. The worst thing in my area is the cut through traffic going to Prince William county… As much as we complain about the way development in Fairfax and parts of Loudon has been mismanaged… I think Prince William is even worse They just did a study on traffic on secondary and tertiary roads through Clifton during rush hour, and found we often carry a full 30% or more of the load due to people avoiding 28 on their way home to PW county. It’s disastrous for this community, and only going to get worse as more affordable housing gets built in PW without adequate improvements to major roads.
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Your price range is unfortunately on the low side for this area- but if you’re working in Herndon and DC and living in Fairfax, I’d recommend against boarding in MD. Traffic in between VA and MD is horrendous and you’d be better off paying another $200/month and having a better commute.
Check out:
morningside training farm (the plains, Skyeler Voss)
Lynn Symansky (Middleburg)
tiffany catledge (Middleburg)
katie Hasse (Deerfield farm, upperville)
fox chase farm (Middleburg)
ashley trier eventing (the plains)
not sure of prices but all have websites with contact info so doesn’t hurt to reach out.
to find a smaller (hopefully cheaper) operation, boarding at small family barns or options for self care, check out virginiaequestrian.com
good luck!
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Did not have a chance to read the recommendations yet but Skyler Icke-Voss is amazing as is Sharon White.
