If you're looking for a riding camp, look elsewhere. I paid the extra fee for an extra hour of…read moreriding per day, for a total of 2 riding hours per day. My son never received 2 riding sessions, only 1 per day and they canceled a day, which equals out to only 3 total hours of riding for the week (no riding Wednesday). I paid for 8. Even with that ripoff, my son said he only got to ride 10 minutes each day because the time is split between the kids. I asked them for an explanation and refund for the riding lessons that were not provided and they never responded to my email or voicemail. The kids all describe it as a swimming camp that dumps the kids at the pool all day. They didn't even ask if my son could swim. It is run by foreigners with thick accents that are very difficult for children to understand. Some kids like it because there are tons of kids going here, but if you're looking for a riding camp, this is the worst one. Don't let the nicer facilities deceive you, your kid will not learn to ride, and will not enjoy riding after this experience.

My daughter stopped in for a horseback riding lesson with her daisy toop and I went along to…read morefulfill my inner horse girl dreams. Camp Olympia is a horseback riding center, nursery school, and summer camp located only a few minutes outside the District. There is lots of parking and tons of green space to run around. It's an absolute beautiful space to send your children to. Our instructor greeted us and introduced us to the horses. The girls were able to learn different horse facts and were taught how to properly groom the horses and spend quality 1:1 time with them. All the horses were well cared for and were super sweet with the children. Afterwards, each child was taught how to mount and dismount a horse and was led around the track. It was such a special experience and we are already so excited to go back!

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.

So this barn is many peoples first introduction to horse care, and it was mine, so I only later…read morerealized that this facility isn't the best. two years ago I was a working student here, I was excited because they said on their website that for every eight hours you work, you get a free lesson. I figured that meant my weekly lesson paid itself right? wrong, it was such a hassle I didn't get any extra lessons. Anyways I have since found a private barn and am a non formal 'working student', since then, I have learned way more about horse care and realized how low Talbots bar was. Things I never realized until later included horses being left with tack on for over an hour, very basic feed, most horses we're just fed sweet feed(that I saw). I was also occasionally asked to dump a horses feed straight onto the ground (stall and field). And don't get me started on the rats, everywhere, it was perfectly normal to see like three rats in the corner of a stall. Horses are also very hard to get going, most needed to be harshly kicked to simply trot. And extreme girthiness was present. I would also like to mention I posted a three star review on Google (being generous) and the owner Emailed my mother, Trying to get me to take it down. Stating that she dosen't think minors shouldn't be posting reviews, and that I didn't see the full extent of their feeding program. No I was not included in the feeding program, but from what I saw in the nasty fly swarmed, rat filled feed room, It wasn't that extensive.

My daughter has gone to summer camp here for the past several years. She also rides at another…read morebarn. Ann and Robin (the owners) are a delight to deal with and they have plenty of student helpers on hand for the newer riders. My daughter has really wanted to learn to canter and they worked one on one with her (even as part of a larger group) to achieve her goals. My daughter's smile at the end of the week during their "show" was totally worth it. They are conveniently located between Carroll and Frederick counties. Excellent value for your time and money!!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 !