My family boards our horse at this beautiful 50 acre facility that has all of the amenities and…read moregreat customer service! We often bring friends and our extended family with us and they ALWAYS comment how nice it is. It is truly our home away from home. The facility is very clean, has a large outdoor and indoor lighted arena (great riding in the winter, rainy days or evening riding.) We love the picnic benches and having lunch with other boarders, or just relaxing after a ride or we can ride to the nice on-site pond and have a packed lunch. There is even a nice boarders indoor lounge with a full kitchen, lounge area, bathroom and shower. And very clean!! The owner takes great pride in the facility and ensures the boarders and the horses care is number one priority. There is always someone available 24-7. I'm not sure what the people who gave negative reviews were looking for; staff turnover is kind of inevitable in the horse world. And it is not our concern why someone left, or what that person did or did not do for the reason they are no longer there. But I am sure that a GOOD owner wants to make sure they have the right person there to take the best care of the horses and boarders. And this is why we board our horse here because the owner cares about the boarders and their horses. I would highly recommend this facility to anyone who is looking to board at a facility that takes pride in customer service and the care of your horse(s) this is the place! We are thankful to have found such a wonderful place to board our horse and so is he! **It is also VERY comforting to know that when the State performed their normal periodic mandated State Board of Inspection of Licensed Horse Facilities in the winter during the freezing temps. the facility passed with flying colors!!

This is a first rate facility and my horse has never been healthier or happier. Me too! I travel a…read morelot for work and never worry about the care of my horse. Deb is a first rate barn manager and I know she will call me if there is any concern. As I prefer, the horses spend most of their time in turnout except for inclement weather. The barns are well kept and the other boarders are all friendly despite being a diverse and eclectic group of horse owners. I'm a western trail rider, but we also have competitive jumping and dressage horses. Check it out for yourself and also see the the Facebook page.

They have not offered trail rides since the pandemic, yet appear as they do. Great facility but…read moreinaccurate information.

Metropolitan eq is unprofessional and irresponsible and the staff they hire are unprofessional and…read moreuneducated. Their entire program is built on the backs of the overworked and under cared for horses in their barn. Plus their therapeutic riding program is non existent and the idea that this organization does good for the world is just untrue. They take donations claiming to better the care for the horses and fix the facility, and then use the most minimal amount of money for the actual horses. Since they took over the horse center, they have done almost nothing besides block off the entrance to a national park trail and kick the public out. They claimed they would redo the entire facility and have taken donations for it and done next to nothing. Plus, they don't actually care about their students and will put them on unsafe, unsound, and ill fitting horses just to cram more people into a lesson. Also, just for good measure they have nothing against using 30+ year old horses in their program. Their entirely prioritize profit over everything else. Go anywhere else to see horses in or around DC

In brief: Best, most professional training and instruction in the DMV area…read more The owners live on the property and are completely devoted to the horses. Lots of individual attention and customized care. If you're at the barn in the late evening... you might notice Jen or Sam coming out to check on the horses, tuck them in, and give them a flake or two of hay for "midnight snack." The lessons are simply THE BEST. Thoughtful goal-setting... specific feedback and exercises aligned to your goals... and a totally positive, encouraging, yet demanding atmosphere. No matter your level, you WILL become a better rider and you WILL feel better about your riding. Lots of opportunities to compete, but no pressure if you're not interested. Barns are notorious for drama and craziness... so much so that a certain degree of barn drama comes to seem inevitable. Not so at ACSH. The vibe is professional and friendly. In six months, I have heard zero critical comments about anybody else's riding or handling or anything else. You'll get lots of feedback but it will never feel negative. Drawback: The facility is not pretty nor in particularly good repair. The tack room is crowded and poorly lit... but the water buckets are SPOTLESS. It's all about the priorities, right? (: FWIW: I've boarded at four different facilities in the area... ridden at five... and taught at four. ACSH wins the blue ribbon for everything but looks.

The person who leads the trial ride is very friendly. The whole experience is relaxing and fun.read more

I'm a new horse owner and I couldn't have ended up with a better boarding farm. I'm so grateful to…read moreWayne and Beth for (1) taking such good care of my horse, (2) helping me learn how to handle and care for my horse, and (3) providing the facilities I need, PLUS direct access to all 80-some miles of trails in the Patapsco Valley State Park. The cats, rabbits, and chickens keep things fun if you ever get tired of looking at horses (as if!)

High Standards Equestrian Center (formerly Hideaway Horse Center) provides summer camp sessions…read morethrough the Maryland Park and Planning Summer Camp Program for children ages 6-16. The camps are one week sessions (held June-August) for a maximum of six weeks. For Prince George's County residents the cost is $325 per week - non residents pay $390 per week. The summer camp program is advertised as a "horseback riding camp" but the children are only given 15 minutes of actual riding time in the mornings and if time permits, the same in the afternoon. For the cost per camper, I would expect more riding time. The children observe vet and dentist visits once a week and are able to paint the horses and play Jeopardy but again, for the cost of the camp, the stable should provide more hands on riding lesson time. With the lack of riding time that is provided, the Park and Planning Summer Guide should advertise the High Standards Equestrian Center's summer camp program as a, "petting zoo," at best. Another concern that I have is that the campers do the exact same thing every session. There is no advancement for campers that stay longer than one week. In essence, if children stay in the program for the entire 6 weeks, they are repeating the same things that they learned in week one every week - regardless of knowledge gained. The program never changes its weekly routine and doesn't provide advancement opportunities for campers that have mastered what was learned in week one. Lastly, but most important, the stable volunteers don't have the patience and training that is required to be summer camp counselors that represent the Maryland Park and Planning summer camp program. There were several occasions that a stable volunteer/employee used profanity when addressing my child (and at least two other children that I am aware of.) When the stable owner was made aware of the volunteer's verbal tirades, her response was, "Oh, he must be getting tired." That was an extremely unacceptable and unprofessional response. I would expect more from the establishments owner. I don't care how, "tired" your staff is - using profanity is never acceptable when working with young children in a summer camp setting. If the High Standards Equestrian Center volunteers/employees don't have the experience and training to be able to handle the responsibilities that go along with being summer camp counselors that represent the Maryland Park and Planning Summer Camp Program, the stable shouldn't be allowed to have camp sessions at their establishment. I am very disappointed with this particular summer camp program and the staff/volunteers at the High Standards Equestrian Center. I am giving them a below average rating and would not recommend this program to anyone that has expectations of a good, quality horseback riding summer camp program. However, this review does not, in any way, reflect the Maryland Park and Planning Summer Camp Program as a whole, it is specifically and solely directed to the services (or lack thereof) and treatment that my child received directly from the High Standards Equestrian Center staff and volunteers while attending the 2017 summer camp session in Brandywine, Maryland. *Please see the reviews that they received while under the name Hideaway Horse Center. The claims of animal abuse and statements of horses being removed from the stable by the county's animal control office are quite disturbing.

I've been keeping a look out for a new barn for my daughter and I to join since moving to Maryland…read morefrom Virginia. This barn isn't that far from where I currently am and the facility appears very well done. I enjoy riding Western and primarily trail riding, whereas my daughter has enjoyed the show jumping and youth team divisions. This barn looked like it would be a perfect match having both trails and English instructors. However, I'd heard rumors from some horse people in the area about boarding here and then quickly moving on to other boarding barns after getting to know management. Others mentioned riding with April and never seeing progress despite tons of effort being put in. I tried to be indifferent as to what I'd heard but honestly, this barn is not the place for us. Management puts on a good show at first but the barn is very clicky and there's way too much drama and gossip that goes around the barn and its crew. Definitely not the type of crowd that I want my daughter to be around, having someone smile to your face and then immediately talk about you behind your back. Then you find out that while trails are confirmed to exist, it's very rare management will take you out to show them unless you happen to be their BFF. You're on your own with that one, which seems to me like a safety hazard. Overall, it seems to me that you're either in or out with this crowd, meaning that if you're not a teacher's pet, you're a threat. I prefer to have more character in a barn if I am to join one. As an aside, I also wasn't impressed with the main pastures that have the horses as there's no shelter anywhere except for the barn. The gelding field has some trees and isn't as bad when the entire field is opened up, but the mare field is practically a field of dirt under the sun with next to no shade. We were looking here in the fall, so I can't imagine what it must be like in the summer. And as for the 'border paddocks,' a single horse is isolated in a small, narrow paddock on a daily basis. Last I checked, horses are social creatures. I would not board my horse here if I got another one, nor would I recommend this barn for either boarding nor riding with. I will continue my search elsewhere. UPDATE in response to Miss Salta's response: Thank you for taking the time to respond to me as I do appreciate that. However I do not appreciate when people try to put words in my mouth or try to twist around what I've said. I'm not quite sure why you're trying to blame some other people from the past for an experience that I've had with your current facility.

I've been taking lessons here with contract instructor Britton Marcoe for over a month. It's been…read moreincredible. I came to LBF feeling intimidated because, although I've grown up riding Western, I'd never ridden English nor tacked a horse, even though I worked at a horse farm during college. LBF insists you tack your horse, get him or her out of the paddock, etc. It's a real experience that teaches you to respect the animals, the sport and joy of riding. Britton is awesome to work with; she's kind and patient but doesn't let you off the hook. She expertly manages to keep your self esteem afloat while forcing you to improve. The farm is a surprise--it sits at the end of a nicer housing development and you'd never know it was there unless you were looking for it. Mark, the owner, is very cool and laid back, trusting of his riders and instructors. There is one arena, there is no indoor riding. It's not the fanciest of farms but that's just perfect for a novice like me who is already feeling a bit unsure. The last thing I need is a group of prisses casting sideways looks my way because I'm unschooled in picking hooves. I highly recommend this farm and Britton in particular. It's a great addition to your life. While it's a bit expensive, compared to other riding clubs and farms it's a steal.

This is a tough update to post. I like the staff of LBF, I think it was a great place for a…read morebeginner rider, but... the owner recently increased the prices considerably. After a bit of outrage by all he changed his original increase from doubling prices to a $50 a month increase. I still have nothing but respect for the staff there and think it is a great place to learn to ride. As my daughter is getting more skilled, we have moved to an indoor arenas where she can jump snow or sun.

Went to the website for information and it's shut down. No big deal, I'll just call right?…read more The lady that answered could not be bothered and seemed put off by the fact that I had the audacity to call. "As it CLEARLY states on our website, we don't do that." Sorry for checking, miss.

So happy to of found Soft Landing Stables. The property is idyllic and the horses are well loved…read more It's been a wonderful experience riding at this barn, the horse trainer- Wendy Powers, is amazing! Would highly recommend this barn!