This place is the perfect option to introduce young children to horses and horseback riding. The…read morepony that they have is older, so she is well accustomed to toddlers and children. She has a calm and sweet temperament and with her being a pony, she's at just the right height where even timid kids aren't intimidated by her. The instructor is great as well. She's super good with the kids and includes activities such as story time, singing, games, and crafts. The lessons all follow a routine which is helpful with this age group of 2.5-5 year olds. The kids get to learn about horses, groom and feed the pony and of course ride! Each child had a good amount of time in the paddock every lesson with one-on-one time with the instructor and pony. The children learned how to go and stop, sit correctly and hold the reins, turn and steer the pony independently, and lean and reach while sitting in the saddle and maintaining balance. This was over one four-week session. We were extremely satisfied with our experience and recommend Miss Shelley wholeheartedly to introduce your child(ren) to the world of equines.

Miss Shelley is as good as it gets when it comes to kids and horseback riding. My daughter has…read moregone to pony school and private lessons with Shelley and loved every minute. Shelley is patient and knowledgeable. I would recommend her program for all the little girls and boys who love horses and want to learn all about them!

My daughter has been going there for 3 weeks now for summer camp and loves it. Watching her talk…read moreabout her riding sessions after camp is always enjoyable for me as I grew up riding horses. It's a little on the pricey side but so far I think it's been worth it.

We LOVE this place - terrific for lessons and great summer camp!!…read more Lots of horses, great instructors and very very friendly people. . My daughter has been riding here for years. It is reasonably priced. We live in Germantown, so it is a bit of a drive but it is worth it! It is located on a large beautiful property, like a mountain top resort. I enjoy hanging out and watching her lessons through the year. The lessons take place in a heated indoor ring in the winter and 2 large beautiful rings outside for nicer weather. they are located in a sparsely populated area so occasionally they can go for trail rides As for the summer camp, Great prices and my daughter looks forward to it all year. There is a bus from Germantown, MD that is no extra charge. there are lots of games, horses, small pool for swimming, slip and slide, small zip line.... This was cheaper than sending her to the indoor pool in Germantown (plus they hit you with extra fees for early and late care) With the bus ride she is gone 10 hours enough for me to drop her off, work a full day, and pick back up.

Had such a great time horseback riding and touring the vineyard! Louisa was wonderful, and the…read morehorses were so well-trained, sweet, and clearly well cared for. My horse (Duck) was lovely, and I honestly didn't want the ride to end! My only callout would be that I wish we got a little more time riding the horses, especially given the price. That said, it was still such a beautiful experience from start to finish. Definitely coming back!

ALERT: Please use the bathroom before coming here. When arriving to the farm I asked to use the…read morerestroom and she offered me a roll of toilet paper and directed me to a literal barn stall where there were horses and cows in there (not toilet seat, not even a porta-potty) . Personally I was not comfortable exposing my lady parts to a pile of hay/dirt/mud with animals looking at me . I held it for an hour. Yesterday my good friend and I went horseback riding with who I'm assuming to be Louisa Rice. We did the Ice cream trail at 03:30pm today and let me just humbly share, unfortunately the 3 stars are for the 3 horses and not Louisa. Firstly, I'm only assuming the horse riding instructor's name was Louisa because she didn't introduce herself as the instructor upon my friend and I's arrival . I'm assuming it was her name because, that was the name listed in the booking confirmation via email. Upon our arrival she was clearly very annoyed and didn't want to be there. I am assuming this because she didn't introduce herself, she gave us little to no instruction before getting on the horses, she never asked if we had any prior experience with horseback riding and remained with a passive aggressive/rude disposition for the majority of the session. The instructor today had us immediately hop on the horses without a demonstration first even though we quite literally have no experience with horseback riding lol . I know super safe ... Once we actually got on the horses with some help and guidance, she gave us what I would describe as a 60 second crash course... This was not enough time for us to properly learn how to steer/guide the horses in different directions or know what to do in case of an emergency. The three horses she chose was Juno (normal/mild) temperament, Duck (Very sensitive to touch and hyperactive) and Oden. She made us aware that Oden was old (20 years old), had a history of abuse and that he had an attitude today. Just the fact that she mentioned he had an attitude and had to pop the his butt with her hand to get him to move closer to me....Immediately, why would she give me that horse to ride??? Oden should have been specifically Louisa's horse to ride for the session today in my opinion. Given that I have no experience with horses, let alone experience with horses who have attitudes, are stubborn and in an elderly state, to me, this was already neglectful on Louisa's part. As we rode the trail, there were multiple times that I remained 6 + feet behind Louisa, my friend and their horses while riding Oden. At this point Louisa was doing what I believe to be yelling instructions, but how was I supposed to hear any of what she was saying being 6+feet behind??I did my best to keep Oden safe given her poor instructions or lack thereof. The most terrifying portion is when we had to make a sharp right turn at the cross walk. At this time, Oden was not as receptive to the pulling of the reigns and ended up scratching his leg on the pillar . It was very scary and he was bleeding . Louisa's response during this time was to ask me "why do you have your hands up to you boobs?" And to "look where I'm going" I don't know if she was trying to guide me, but I am not sure what she was talking about at this time. She also asked me to "fix myself" when getting off of Oden referring to my breasts again . This was very strange . I am not sure why she kept making references to my breasts ??? At the point where I was off the horse we made it to the ice cream stop (By the way, the Ice cream is not included in the $165 you pay, you have to buy the ice cream yourself). Louisa remained with the horses while she let my friend and I purchase ice cream and then shortly after, left me and my friend Shakila unsupervised with all 3 horses at least 3 times. She left us with the horses while she left to gather napkins and water to clean Oden. Her instruction was to hold the rubber rope while she left, that's it. Oden looked to be actively in distress, walking in circles, moving around constantly and even tried to back away from me a couple of times while I held the rubber rope as instructed. I was very afraid and I expressed this concern to Louisa several times. Unfortunately she was very dismissive and communicated with me that she would let me know if there was something to be worried about. How could she do this if she had been walking away multiple times for minutes while oden was in distress?? We also did not get to brush the horses as per the ice cream trail package . Overall the horses were not to blame for Louisa's unsafe conduct . One good thing is that there is a very sweet farm dog here !

such a warm, fabulous farm! Heather and her helpers were amazing, and our trail ride was one of…read moreour vacation highlights! And the horses are so sweet and full of personality!

We had a wonderful ride with Heather and June yesterday!! We hadn't ridden in many, many years and…read morethey were so kind and made us feel so comfortable. Our horses, Boris and Smoothie, were so patient and well behaved. Heather is a true horse whisperer and a pro. We were able to observe Heather providing jump lessons to a teen and Heather was incredibly skilled, patient, and encouraging. I highly recommend Heather's team if you are considering lessons or just a trail ride.

I found Lucia Farm through Fairfax Parktakes. I always loved horseback riding (trail riding), and…read morehave been doing it on and off for a few years so I decided to get serious. I was looking everywhere for low prices, and for knowledgeable instructors in the area. Everywhere I looked the cost for lessons were extremely high. I looked through my Fairfax Parktakes account, and found lessons that were affordable. They are scheduled on the weekends. I have Sunday classes. I love my experience so much that I plan to continue taking horseback riding lessons here! Here is a picture of my riding horse for training.

Great farm, great owner, great horses. As a "green" rider, I decided to take lessons here to get…read morefamiliar and learn everything my little brain could soak up. My first lesson was with the owner herself, Dru. You couldn't find a nicer person, let alone owner, to give you a private, first lesson. My following lessons were in a group setting with another instructor and were just as helpful and great. I would share her name but I'm afraid everyone will call and steal her from me as she only gives lessons one day of the week! (I know, so not the way of Yelp...shoot me) Not only do they give the attention needed to give proper lessons, but they really reinforce the care, time and attention that's needed to properly care for and bond with a horse. You literally start your lesson by grooming your horse (to bond), tacking your horse (with guidance, of course), and doing a little ground work. Lessons aren't rushed and the instructor always ensures that your safety and comfort level are top priority. Oh, and they teach English riding, not Western! I plan to continue private lessons to advance my skills and overall knowledge of horses and maybe eventually do some more group lessons. If you are interested in horseback riding lessons, I'd say go here. Also, for the work and level of guidance, the prices here are hard to beat. From my understanding, the farm offers additional services but I'm not sure what exactly they are. It is a bit far if you're coming from the city and its surrounding areas but it's totally worth it-- if not just for the lessons then to also get a fresh breath of rural air and to take in the amazing scenery.

I have been horseback riding with Melinda Cohen at Dream Catcher Farm for 15 years. I would…read morerecommend it to anyone looking to learn to ride, as well as those who have ridden for years and want to continue. The farm is about 45 minutes from Chevy Chase/Bethesda, but the drive is very easy - just up 270. It's a quick 15 minutes from the Frederick area. Melinda welcomes students from beginner levels to very advanced. The facilities are top notch and the community is very friendly. Both the horses and the students are happy. There are acres of fields and miles of trails, as well as an indoor arena for rainy days or cooler temperatures. I couldn't ask for a better place to ride or a better place for my horses!!!

Came here for horseback riding lessons for our 6 and 4 year old. Absolutely magical experience for…read morethem. The trainer was great with kids and patient. The grounds are beautiful and there are lots of other animals to see and interact with: chickens, turkeys and two of the happiest resident dogs I've ever met. Thank you for an experience our kids won't soon forget.

I went to a wonderful memorial service for the family of Hugo The horse, It's hard to take a good…read morepicture with the bars in the stall windows. Will NEVER forget this funeral service, The pastor Went to college with Martin Luther King and was of service with mother Theresa. I know this is not the typical review for boarding stables. Some places don't like reviews of rentals which do not reflect their regular operations. For them to go out of their way and allow this service shows were great people they are.

My family has been clients and family at Bascule farm for the last 14 years. The Bascule family is…read morealways growing and progressing, but the core team and values of horsemanship have stayed strong. I loved riding at Bascule as a teenager in the sport of eventing and fulfilled my dream of competing at a CCI* with the help of my family and Bascule's program. Since then, my family has still loved riding casually and also still taking lessons in dressage and show jumping. Highly recommend!

Fantastic horseback riding experience! Top notch operation at reasonable prices. My daughter and…read moreI bought a 1-hour group horse back riding lesson for $25 each from Living Social. Setting the lesson up was a breeze. Owner Kerry is more than accommodating. Facility is beautiful with indoor and outdoor arenas. Everything was clean and organized. Teacher Catie was phenomenal. Had us trotting, cantering and jumping in no time (we both have previous experience, but hadn't ridden in a while). Horses were docile and easy to ride. Tack was very well kept. Really amazing place. Will be setting up regular lessons in the future.

By far best eventing barn you can go to, Kerry and Kate are phenomenal and ensure that the horses…read moreand riders are always happy, healthy and safe. Kerry's extensive upper level experience allows her to teach students of every level, and no detail is being overlooked at MAF! Facility is gorgeous, and the convenience to top notch loch moy is unbeatable. A very friendly, family-like vibe that allows you to feel at home from the second you enter. Whether you want instruction, experience or want a qualified person to help train your horse, miles ahead is the way to go!