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.

They hold monthly open leadline classes for children up to five years old…read more The leadline class is $5 per child and they take turns being led around the ring on the different horses and ponies. My daughter loved it the first time we went, and I was so happy to get the opportunity to expose her to a new experience and see the transformation from completely hysterical and freaked out to really enjoying herself. Of course for about a week afterwards, I had to endure questions like "Will we see Muffin, Rollo, and Peanut tomorrow?" and "Can you buy me Rollo for my backyard?" and "Why can't I have a horsey that is little just like me?" If you have a pre-schooler- this an hour a month of fun. I can't review the other aspects of the stable- since this is all I've done. PS: If you are going for the first time, you have to take a right at a big green sign into a long hidden driveway. You won't actually see 13431 on the side of the road.

If you're looking for a place to ride, look no further. KVS is the best place to not only learn how…read moreto ride, but learn to be a complete horse person. I grew up riding at barns where the horses were already tacked up and you just hopped on for the lesson. I learned more about horsemanship at KVS in the year I've been riding here than 7 years of riding as a kid, not to mention how fast I improved my riding with Sara, the head trainer, in a year after a 10 year hiatus. KVS offers something for all ages, ability, and ambition. Cannot recommend this barn enough.

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!

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.

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.

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.

This is an excellent place for children and adults alike who want to learn to ride and have the joy…read moreof being around these beautiful animals. The staff is caring, professional, knowledgeable, and down-to-earth. I highly recommend Wulfcrest Stables for anyone who loves or wants to get to know horses!

From the owner: The Stables at Wulf Crest Farm is a premier boarding, training, and lesson facility in Northern…read moreVirginia, located conveniently outside of Leesburg on Route 15. Multiple equine professionals create a welcoming and educational environment. The Stables at Wulf Crest offers unparalleled care for your four-legged animal. We take safety and health as top priority. We have experienced staff, clean facilities, ample amenities catering from the weekend hobbyist to the everyday competitor.

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.

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.

This is my kid's second home. They offer team building programs, after school programs, summer…read morecamps, the famous Markoff Haunted Forrest, the equestrian program, and more. My kids have been involved in the equestrian program for a few years, taking lessons, leasing, building their work ethic and learning some great life skills. Great, caring people, great programs, love this place.