Northwestern Stables is such a special place right in chestnut hill. The vibe here is super warm and welcoming with it truly being a second family, everyone's friendly and supportive, whether you're brand new or have been riding for years. Seeing the recent upgrades as a longtime customer brought forth by the newer management and the board has been so special with this once historic stables now being able to upgrade our much needed essentials for the horses and the students. Just an all-around amazing place to ride and connect. The fact that it also happens to be a nonprofit is such an awesome thing to see in the horse community. read more

Enjoyed the ride. Thank you! I can't wait to visit again, with my entire family this time. read more

I signed up for riding lessons here and was shocked by the behavior of the instructor. She complained constantly about how annoying the COVID restrictions were, told us every lesson that "this was ridiculous and COVID was nothing to be afraid of". She never wore a mask and would not stay 6 feet from other staff, parents or students. She spent the lesson complaining about political issues, saying people were misusing unemployment to avoid going back to work, that closing schools and businesses was a terrible idea. On top of unprofessional rants that made the whole class uncomfortable, she instructed students to hit the horses as hard as they could to make them go faster, making jokes about how one horse was "into BDSM" because he "loved to be hit really hard". I really just can't wrap my head around how this seemed okay and professional to bring up during a lesson where people paid hundreds of dollars to learn to ride horses better...Not listen to someone share their political beliefs and speak ill of people who lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Not coming back here read more

I've been riding horses for 15+ years now. I've owned horses, showed horses, ridden in various states, rode on my college team, worked at barns... OK I've seen a lot of barns. I just started riding here and I couldn't be happier. Northwestern Equestrian Facility (also referred to as Northwestern Stables) is a historic barn dating back about a century, previously owned by Philadelphia elite (not the Yelp variety, actual rich people), currently owned by Fairmount Park, operated independently. It's located in beautiful Chestnut Hill, adjacent to the Wissahickon Valley Trail. It's a non-profit, and it houses about 30 (?give or take) horses on about 10 acres. These stables are OLD! There are two main barns, a nicely sized indoor arena, and an outdoor arena, along with various turnout fields for the horses. The history and age of this place gives an absolute charm, but don't expect "luxury" here. It is a working barn. That being said, it is super clean, has really big box stalls, and has tons of people working there that care about the place so, so much. While I ride a privately owned horses there, they have many lesson horses and ponies and offer riding lessons 5-6 days a week for pretty much every level of rider from brand new beginners to people with a lot of experience. They also offer full boarding, and have a number of privately owned horses being boarded there as well. All of the people I've met so far are not only super friendly, but welcoming, warm, funny, and just have huge hearts. They are genuine horse people who are there because they love the horses. They care about the stable, they care about the horses, they care about the history, and they help make this place what it is. So happy I found this place. It improves my life in a way that words cannot express. read more

Northwestern Equestrian Facility - Main barn in the dark - Horse Boarding Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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This is an awesome barn, with such a nice group of people! I 10 out of 10 would recommend it's my favorite place to be. Amazing people, Amazing horses, just the best place ever! read more

As someone who has been riding for over 20 years, I am so glad I found this "home" at Northwestern. Growing up I owned horses in central New Jersey where there are a lot more options for barns, as I soon found out when I looked into going to a barn in Philadelphia. Northwestern does not have huge grassy turnouts or multiple rings, but what they lack in some amenities they make up for in other ways. As an adult rider beginning again after a college related hiatus, I was nervous about finding a program I would feel comfortable in. I started in the advanced adult lesson at Northwestern a few years ago and never looked back. Kathy is a very knowledgable trainer, accomplished rider and skilled barn manager. All of the horses, both lesson and boarder horses, are very well taken care of and loved (many of them being rescues). I am very lucky that they have worked with me to do a lease, since it isn't practical for me currently to own my own horse. There are beautiful trails right at the barn that take you throughout Fairmount Park. The barn is a non-profit organization so they often have great fundraiser that are open to the public, and geared towards the kids that the program is based around! If you are thinking of going to Northwestern, do not wait any longer! You will love it here. read more