This was a wonderful equine facility that had fallen into disrepair but is now under new, young…read moreowners. Repairs so far made significant improvement in its' facilities safety and appearance. More work is presently underway. The current crew are very knowledgeable and hard working. We feel that both our horses and ourselves are well cared for here. We originally boarded here for 3 1/2 years and enjoyed riding over its' ample trails and using the formal arenas. We have happily come back to ride here once again. This is a complete equestrian center no matter what type of riding you do.

As a horse owner and boarder, I feel like it's my responsibility to educate others in the horse…read morecommunity on how terrible this facility really is. I moved there originally because I needed a fast, short-term solution. However, in the short 3 months it was never ending care problems, stealing, lawsuits/scandals, and I learned that borders do not have a voice about their own horses. Recently, Potomac Riverside was taken over by new "management" and I use that term loosely. Rebekah and James's knowledge of horses and care is below zero - in the sense that boarders had to step up to teach them what a halter was, how to clean a stall, fill water buckets, feed grain, and lead horses. That does not even cover lameness or any medical issues. They wouldn't know what to look for if a horse were to colic or even know what colic is. A couple of other issues that I would like to also share. The first being that they ignorantly ordered oak shavings instead of pine. Oak shavings are toxic to all livestock and can cause colic, liver and kidney failure, and even death. When multiple boarders tried to educate them about this, they decided they were going to use the oak shavings anyway. Several vets had to be involved in order to correct this detrimental mistake. James and Rebekah also decided (without informing any horse owners) that they would be corralling the horses in from the fields instead of leading them. They refer to it as their "gate system", but it's corralling. This was tried a couple of years ago, by the owner of the farm herself. A horses ended up breaking its leg because it was trying to run to keep up with the mixed heard. It was euthanized the next day. Again, when boarders voiced their concerns about this system being implemented, they were either kicked off the property or asked to move their horses. I would go every single day to see my horses to make sure they had enough food and water, to clean my own stalls, and bought my own shavings because I had to make sure they were safe. I also moved out two days early and never received my money back for those two extra days I paid. James and Rebekah are unethical in more ways than one. I am sure this barn will try marketing tactics such as rebranding, but do not let a new farm name, low-level trainers, and other tactics fool you.

Seems like they're on Groupon all the time. Our horseback ride started about 1.5hours late. I…read morewasn't happy about this at all. Not simply because he was running late, but because the house (castle/waiting room/party room) was absolutely filthy. I was really taken aback by a business looking like this, even if it's a business that works w/ animals. When we got there, the owner and assistant were on a ride w/ another group. Then the group we were supposed to be riding with were an hour late, so we had to wait for them. It was just annoying, although Steven (owner) was friendly. When we walked into the empty house it looked like a construction space, a hen was walking around the inside and I even saw it poop IN THE KITCHEN! Things finally turned around when I hopped on Sherman (my white horse w/ black spots). He was a greedy little thing and ate up all the grass but he was a great horse. Steven immediately put ppl on the horses and taught us while we were riding. He was a straight to it teacher and I liked that. He definitely knows what he's doing when it comes to animals. He took a bunch of pictures and videos and sent them to everyone in the group. I'm thankful to have such awesome pictures that didn't cost us extra. I'm giving 4 stars despite the filth because Steven was friendly, welcoming, and I enjoyed the experience. Tip: -don't eat there if germs bug u -don't arrive early, there's no point -yes, you're in the right spot, even though it looks a little funky on the outside

It's funny this guy is trying to say we never went when we did - I'd love to see what evidence he…read morehas considering during our entire time there he never once asked for our names or checked that we even had a reservation. He also never redeemed our Groupon. He has repeatedly messaged me and begged me to remove this review and has even reported it to Yelp to try to get it removed. Not only do I stand by my review but this Steven Strasburg owner has proved himself to not only be completely unprofessional but also desperate and dishonest. My advice: TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY for your business instead of accusing people of posting fake reviews or saying "it must've been another place". This is the ONLY time where an owner has not only not apologized but tried to say I'm posting for the wrong Castle Strasburg. How many Castle Strasburg horseriding places are there in Midland, VA? SHAME ON YOU!

I have had a few lessons with Kelsey and am already seeing progress (I am a beginner). Kelsey is…read morevery knowledgeable and can relay that knowledge in ways that are easy to understand. She is patient and encouraging. The facility is beautiful and well-maintained as are all the horses. If you *really* want to learn to ride, including biomechanics and all the hows and the whys, then you should consider Willow Mist.

Great instruction, great facilities, excellent fellow students and families. So happy we found…read moreAdrian and BEF.

My daughter has been riding with Adrian for 4 years and we can't imagine being anywhere else (wish…read morewe had started here). He is focused on developing strong, confident, safe riders and always provides positive reinforcement. He is incredibly dedicated to his students! We finally made the step towards ownership and could not have done this without Adrian. He guided us through every step of the process and helped us find the perfect horse! The stables are well kept and stalls are large. All the horses are well cared for and I feel that as boarders we get exceptional quality care. There is an indoor and outdoor ring, plus a dressage ring. Beautiful turnout fields and access to miles of trails.

The indoor riding arena is great, the horses are generally well cared for, stalls are fairly clean…read moreand the instructors are nice, but there's a lack of timeliness and supervision that was not ok. The morning crew often showed up very late to bring horses in and feed them which meant we couldn't start tacking on time. In order to avoid this, it was suggested on numerous occasions to send my young child to the field (which is MASSIVE), unsupervised, to catch their horse. I understand this is part of the riding experience, but they were scared, and they said that on multiple occasions, and it was rare that anybody was available to go with them to help. I'm not very familiar with horses so I could only do so much, but it would have made everyone more comfortable if there had been someone on site to help out. Every time I mentioned it, I was met with "your child has to learn to catch their horse." Ok. I agree, but my child also needed help and none was offered. The instructor was very friendly but disorganized and lessons didn't flow well. It felt like there was no plan and the lesson was made up on the fly, with no continuity from one week to the next. When my child was fearful, the instructor was very calm and patient, but eventually that patience turned to anger and we no longer felt welcome. My child rode here for just over a year, but I would not recommend it. There is a lack of safety and supervision that makes me concerned for the young beginner riders. Maybe it's a better fit for older, more experienced boarders, but for a first time riding barn, this was not a good fit. Also, several of the yelp reviews for this barn are written by staff. So, keep that in mind...

A great friendly barn. Has field and stall board. Very large turn out fields with plenty of grass…read more A really nice mix of boarders of all ages. Very kid friendly, from lessons, horse shows and summer camps, there's something for everyone.

Calleva is an awesome adventure-learning organization based out of Poolesville, Maryland, with…read moresites everywhere from the Chesapeake Bay to National Harbor. Their Farm in Dickerson is home to one of the better Ropes courses I've seen (not to mention Markoff's Haunted Forest in season). Somehow I ended up in charge of our annual "outdoor adventure" field trips this year. Instead of our usual outfit, I decided to give Calleva a go with our gang. Some of the great folks working there actually came to our school last spring, taking the time to sit down with us and talk about the programs they offer and how they could best meet the needs of our unique population of kiddos. That they wanted to tailor their programs to our students impressed us right off the bat. Once I started planning our field trips, it was really easy to coordinate with Calleva via e-mail and telephone. They were proactive, responsive, and flexible. I even received e-mails and calls from each day's individual Head Facilitator in order to gather more detailed information about our overall goals, how we envisioned the day would go, and specific activities they had planned. Both days of our field trips, we arrived with busloads of active kids, ready to go. The Calleva facilitators were equally ready: fully prepared, organized, and full of energy. They led our students through a really fun, well-thought-out day of team-building, creative problem solving, and testing personal limits. All the facilitators did a great job of explaining the activities, and then -- more importantly -- debriefing at the end, so the students better understood the point of each. We did both high (Zip Line, Big Swing, Balance Beam) and low (X-Games, Think Tank) elements -- and adults even got to play. I also have to mention that hot coffee was ready for us both mornings; Calleva obviously knows who they're dealing with, and that educators run on little more than coffee and adrenaline. The property itself was worth the extra drive it took to get out to Dickerson. The Ropes course is spread throughout somewhat dense woods, up and down hillsides, and over creeks. Whether it's a field trip, company bonding, or a crew of you and your friends, Calleva Farm is an excellent place to challenge your fears and work up a sweat.

Such a great venue to enlighten young minds. So fun. Interactive staff and animals. What a great…read moreday! Farmer Max,Alexa, and Big Hank (pig) were awesome!

Tamara is the most patient trainer I've ever met. She's kind and thorough with her explanations and…read morecares about teaching her students the "how to" and the "why" behind eq foundational elements. I appreciate the ways she has been patient with, yet challenged, my daughter who is a bit unsure of herself sometimes. I 100% recommend BTO training!

From the owner: We provide private, hands on horseback riding lessons for all ages and levels. Our lessons are from…read morethe ground up, whatever your goals are we can help you!

My favorite barn! Erin is a great trainer and gives the best advice on how to improve your form and…read morealways helps with groundwork! She has amazing horses, some small and slower for the little ones, and some big and energetic for those with more experience. Highly Reccomend for anyone who wants to ride.

We took our 4 kids to an introductory class this past weekend. The kids ages ranged from 5 to 15…read more None if the kids have ever been near a horse. Tammy and Erin did a fabulous job catering to their needs and levels of understanding. We all enjoyed our time at Fitzgerald Stables. The stable was immaculate. Their horses were very calm and patient around the kids. Overall we had a fabulous time and we look forward to our next visit with them.