Exceptional teaching, training and horses to learn on. Mychelle DeWoolfson has been teaching my…read moredaughter and training my horses for several years. She is well respected in the NoVA horse community and taken riders from leadline at local shows to A/AA shows like Harrisburg, Washington International, Upperville, US Pony Finals.... She operates with integrity and with an unmatched commitment to your childs progress and well being. I highly recommend her!

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.

Highly recommend If…read moreyou're an adult rider looking for a lesson barn that supports growth without pressure, develops true understanding, and meets you where you are in your journey ~ POM is that place. The coaching is thoughtful, systematic, and grounded in correct horsemanship, not shortcuts or trends. If you're a parent searching for a safe, nurturing program for your child, with instructors who genuinely understand how to teach, horses who are educated, well-managed, and happy in their work, and a client community that is warm and welcoming, POM is that place too. There's a clear philosophy here: sound training principles, horse welfare first, and riders developed with patience and integrity. It has that "like attracts like" feel ~ kind people, well-cared-for horses, and a culture that values correct horsemanship over ego. It's rare. And it's something truly special to be part of.

jaclyn Sicoli and the entire crew at of dressage top-notch!! my experience with and the horse…read morecommunity goes back 20 years and it has been a pleasure to watch her knowledge her skills and her business model grow year after two year. Always putting our first and we as the right there beside them. For someone looking to get started in the equestrian community piece of mind. Massage is an absolute top-notch opportunity. You will find Jacki and her whole community welcoming and supportive. If you're already started, or you're just getting started in a lifetime of equestrian adventures, provide you with all of the opportunities you will ever need.

I have been taking lessons for 6 weeks, and Megan has a measured and sequential training to teach…read moreme how to know the horse and then how to ride. It has been a fantastic experience so far. It is also a wonderful family-owned stable--Tim is around the property all of the time, and clearly loves what he does and loves those horses. The horses get basically free rein and are very well tended to. It is an amazing piece of property nestled in the Mason Neck/Pohick Bay Area of Loudon--beautiful and green, and just a quick drive to get there and home.

I went to Tamarack for a morning trail ride on my birthday and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I…read morehadn't been on a horse in at least 15 years but the instructors there were patient and helpful. I was the only person that morning so it was just me and my guide peacefully riding through the woods. I will say it rained the morning I went and for some reason that equates to spiders coming down from the trees and riding through their webs that you couldn't really see coming.... let's just say my first lesson of 33 was to *breathe*. Luckily, my instructor was in front of me and caught most of the webs before I did. Lol. Afterward, they were okay with me walking the grounds a bit which are beautiful and I watched some of the kids take lessons and chatted with the horses in the barn. It was really enjoyable. I'll be back.

My daughters attended camp at Serene Acres. My daughters experienced light interaction with the…read morehorses but instead they had them locating fly masks in the field, mucking stalls, cleaned feeding dishes and additional barn labor duties. They did do 1 craft and depended on the weather the riding lesson went from 15min. To 1hour. We expected more interaction with the horses however the volunteer kids got those jobs over the paying customers. We will not be returning. The owner blocked me on Facebook from writing a review on The Serene Acres page. We followed the next week with camp at Red Gate and they had an amazing time with lots of interaction.

My girlfriend and I went here for a beginner trail ride having been referred here by a local bed…read moreand breakfast. They mainly offer boarding and lessons, but also offer short trail rides for novices. We had minimal prior horse experience. The staff at Serene Acres were very helpful and informative in getting us up and on two horses. The horses were good older horses with a little bit of personality. In no time we were walking around on the horses. The only downside was that we were mostly walking on country roads without much of a trail. The area is beautiful in rural Virginia, but not quite the trail we expected. Apparently they normally take people a different way but it was too flooded to pass even by horse. Overall great service and horses, thou the "trail ride" may be more of a quiet country road ride.

Top notch training and boarding! Jane and her team work tirelessly to make sure her students…read morereceive the best personalized training while her ponies and horses receive the best care! My daughter has been riding with Jane for 2 years and has become a confident, beautiful rider who is now going to A rated shows and placing in the top of her division. Best program in northern VA!

Broken lease agreement by giving away a horse without informing the owner. This ultimately led to…read morethe death of the horse, with no accountability for their actions from Jane or Meredith.

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.

What a great experience. This was my first time zip lining and Riley and Preston were professional,…read moreengaging, upbeat, and thorough. We went ziplining during their moonlight 9pm tour and it was a great adventure. They went above and beyond to make sure we felt confident and empowered when transitioning to each zip line or bridge. It even rained during our night tour and they remained professional and kept everyone's spirts up. We also heard a bear roar during our tour which was a bit scary, but also cool at the same time. It did help with the fear that we were several feet off the ground. We were provided with gear, glow lights for our helmets and the hands on training exercises before we embarked were priceless. Everyone wore their masks and it was a nice outing to experience durning COVID-19. Heads up this activity is hosted by a third party on the Salamander resort (which is a beautiful property) but is pretty deep in the woods.

My wife's sister got us two tickets to this as a Christmas present. We took off for a day in June…read more2022 and did the Treetop Zip Line adventure. We were on time and got carted to the course but they were expecting three people to join us. As it turns out, those three people thought they had signed up for a different time so my wife and I got to do this with just us and our two guides. Our guides were Tim N. and Gwen. We had done a Zip Line adventure with our kids in Williamsburg but this was completely different than that. After a very brief training and test on how to stop yourself on the zip line, we headed for the course. In total, there were five zip lines on the course and the guides gave us some history and fun facts between each zip line. After going down the first two, I was very confident in my braking and making sure I got to the platform at the end. My wife had some issues braking throughout all five zip lines. Since there were only two of us doing the adventure, the owner said we could go through the course again. Our guides said this does not normally happen. I was excited to go through the course a second time and my wife got way more comfortable braking during this second trip through. Our guides were friendly and very helpful. They had to pull my wife in a couple of times and they were great at walking her through it and were very patient. Based on this experience, we will definitely come back when the kids are old enough to join us.