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!

One of the best barn out there! Instructors are understanding,firm, and kind. They take such good…read morecare of their horses. So much land, so many opportunities and such a fun barn for shows! Always supporting each other! If your looking for a kid-friendly (and adult) barn this is the place!

Excellent barn that can take riders from a weekly lesson program through horse ownership. Great…read moreplace to get started in our sport and not have the need to immediately outgrow the program. Thumbs up. Good people.

You're absolutely right that I did not check on Khol during his stay with you which is why I am…read moreadvising people to do so. And you're absolutely right that you gave Khol some extra vet care in the beginning which I knew about. It's also true that some horses thrive very nicely at your place. Khol IS in his mid-20s which is a typical age for a retiree. My objection isn't an overpromise of the care I believed I was paying for, and in fact I do appreciate the extra care that you gave Khol when he had a problem in the beginning. My hindsight wish is not only that I would have visited him within the first 4 to 6 months to see with my own eyes, but also that I would have been given a call to say that Khol was not thriving. He was seen by a vet when he arrived at his new farm and was clinically diagnosed with a body condition of 2 on a scale of 1 to 9, where 1 is complete starvation. He weighed 1200 pounds vs his healthy 16.3 warmblood weight of 1600 pounds. His blood work came back fine which indicates that his poor condition was due strictly to starvation. I'll tell you what broke MY heart was your statement when Khol left that you were going to miss "those big sad eyes of his." From the time I had bought him in April 1998 until the day I saw him leave, Khol had not spent one day sad. When he got to where he is currently ---without my even mentioning it --- the caretaker said to me "I don't know how to say this but I have never seen such a sad look on horses face." Khol is where he should be now, and I'm sure many of your herd will live out the rest of their days happy and fat at your place. For those owners whose horses thrive, your farm is the right choice. I would just urge you the next time you have a horse go downhill as drastically as Khol did, that you please alert the owner and give them the opportunity to rethink their choice. And to any owner considering your farm, I will again implore you to do as I say and not as I did, and be sure to visit your horse in the first 4-6 months.

My horse, Sugar, has been living at Welbourne Farm for almost two months. I just visited her,…read moreagain, this past week and she looks great and has become part of a very sweet, small herd of about 10 horses that tend to stay near the main house. She has also found a mate, Cody, and the two of them are inseparable. From the very beginning phone calls, months ago, to Sugar's arrival and since, Josh, Nat, and Amanda have all been very attentive to Sugar's needs and I am happy to say that two months in, she is happy, thriving, and healthy and has taken to living life like a horse in the wild beautifully. These horses sleep under the stars and anyone who knows horses knows that is about as good as it gets for a horse. Josh and his family all take the responsibility of caring for these retired horses very seriously. They really do know every horse by name and all of the horses are checked on daily ... This is the perfect retirement home for a horse ... Lynne

I have been riding with Amanda for almost 4 years now and I couldn't be happier. Amanda knows…read moreexactly how much to push you outside your comfort zone to build confidence without scaring you or making you feel unsafe. She will only push once she knows that you are 100% capable of doing what she is asking, and knows you're capable because she makes sure to instill proper fundamentals and emphasizes a good, secure position over anything else. I found Amanda on Facebook when searching for where to get back in the saddle after an 8 year hiatus. I had never really jumped before, and I'm not sure why I decided that's suddenly what I wanted to do at 30, but in my lessons Amanda made me feel like anything was possible if I'm willing to put in the work. She has the best lesson horses to grow with over time if you stay in her program. She is also great at partnering you with the right horse for clinics, horse shows, etc. Amanda has an adult riding team that is part of the National Capitol Adult Equestrian League, it's run like IHSA in college, and it's a fun, relaxed, way to dip your toe into horse showing. This league is what initially brought me to Amanda and I was so glad I joined! Everyone on the team is so friendly, welcoming, and encouraging. (You are not required to be on the team though). When the time came, of course I purchased my first horse through Amanda. We've been partners for almost 2 years now, and it's been great. Of course it hasn't been without it's ups and downs, no relationship is perfect, but knowing Amanda is there when we need her to help us learn a new skill, or course correct if we get off track, is reassuring. As a barn manager, she has also been a great resource, from feeding questions to make sure Olly is maintaining his weight and staying healthy, to whether he needs supplements, to communicating with the vet and the farrier to make sure he has what he needs. Amenities: *Indoor riding arena *Outdoor riding ring *Cross country field *Trails for hacking *Laundry *Hot and cold wash stall

My daughter has been riding for over 12 years now. She's been with Scattered Acres for over a year…read moreand we cannot imagine a better place for our horse boarding and eventing training! A+++

Summary: an Introduction to Horsemanship lesson for three of my grandkids; it was simply, superbly,…read moreexcellent! In early April l contacted Scattered Acres about getting an introduction to horses lesson for some of my grandkids. Autumn promptly returned my call, asked relevant questions (ages, sizes, personalities) and worked with both myself and the boy's mother to set up a time and plan. The lesson itself lasted over two hours and included both Autumn and Lisa from the farm to guide the boys through a load of great learning; horse safety, riding safety, care of the horse, getting them saddled, mounting, gentleness but presence (confidence); it was just excellent. I was also very impressed with the way Autumn and Lisa divided up the instruction. The youngest boy can be a bit timid and Lisa was great about encouraging him and helping him along while still making sure he was really doing what was needed. It was a great example of nurturing a student along but not just doing it for them. Despite the occasional rain, the time flew by and all 3 kids had a great time and kept talking about how "cool" it was and how nice Autumn and Lisa were. As it happened both the Vet and Farrier were there that day and as a group we also took time to observe what they were doing. I could not have asked for a better introduction to the world of equines than the kids had that day. Just as important, both the boy's mom and myself (who can be adventurous but always extremely safety conscious) felt that everyone (including the animals) were always being handled in a safe manner. Whenever even a potential safety issue was seen the boy(s) were called out and constructively corrected. I had contacted six farms in the area, quickly narrowed it to three, and honestly feel Autumn and Scattered Acres was the ideal choice and stood well above the others. I have no hesitation totally recommending the farm, Autumn and Lisa.

Greatest Family Adventure! We came up to the area to honor…read moreand celebrate a family member's life. In the process, our family decided to try out the Bear Mountain Ziplines. This became the highlight of our trip. The staff made everyone feel safe with their great instruction, professionalism, and patience with us first-timers. We soared over the tree tops, screaming, cheering and laughing all the way through. The views were incredible, and the course was well maintained. We all loved it. It was the perfect mix of adrenaline and family bonding. I would love to give this 100 stars and highly recommend it to anyone who is in the area, or even to make the trek just to come here, you will not be disappointed.

A fantastic small-business gem! The zip lining experience was both thrilling and welcoming. They…read moreprioritized safety without sacrificing fun, making even first-timers feel comfortable. The views were amazing, and the personal attention really set this apart. My husband and I came to Luray for a quiet weekend away. Katie and Jacob were our treetop guides. To say they were the best would be an understatement. Both of them were well versed in zip lining and made the experience so much fun. It was hard to be uncomfortable for long with them at the helm. Almost polar opposites - Katie was a burst of energy with an infection personality and Jacob was laid back, calming presence with an unexpected jokes that would catch you off guard. The pair made the zip lining experience that much more memorable. Highly recommended if you want a little thrill in the Luray area. If you are going in the summer, I would definitely take the earlier time slots - it gets hot up there.

My daughter had an amazing time at one of Adventure Links' summer day camp weeks. She would get…read morepicked up at a spot in Vienna early in the morning then get outdoors-ed all day long. Sometimes they'd go to the park in Clifton (for a lot of the same team building exercises my wife's company had done there); on another day, the kids went caving; and on another day, they went canoeing and swimming. Every evening, she would come back exhausted and happy. What more can you ask for?

Adventure Links has a talented, experienced crew with innovative ideas and a well-trained staff…read more I'm a fan! Most people know Adventure Links for their popular camp programs for children and teens. However, they also offer stellar corporate team building programs, which is how I got to know them. About five years ago, as the CEO of a growing company of 20 professionals, I was struggling with how to address some growing pains and spice up our upcoming quarterly retreat. A friend recommended Adventure Links, so I scheduled a meeting with Anna, the CEO. Anna came to my office and interviewed me to understand my business, our challenges, and what I hoped to accomplish. She asked many questions, listened, and took notes. The next week, we took our team of 20 to their retreat location. Anna and her team had put together an all-day agenda of activities that went way beyond simple ropes courses. What surprised and "sold" me on them was how she'd managed to incorporate our growing pains into her exercises in meaningful ways. Sure, we had fun and bonded, but more importantly most of us began to see certain everyday problems in meaningful new ways, with fresh solutions. To this day our team references those exercises like old Seinfeld episodes. After each exercise - some physically challenging and all mentally challenging - Anna would bring us together and help us draw correlations to some of our corporate issues. It helped that she has a sharp wit and great sense of humor. She and her team also knew when to push and put us on the spot to drive home a point. Six months later, we wanted to bring Adventure Links back for another quarterly retreat, but this time due to bad weather we had to do the exercises in our office. They totally pulled it off! The indoor exercises were unique and again gave us a fresh perspective on both issues and people. An example - during one intense exercise where we split into two teams, a junior staff person had a "eureka!" moment with a brilliant solution to a problem, and spontaneously took control of our team, which included several executives. I had no idea this young lady was so intellectually gifted and capable of leadership under pressure. How valuable is that information for an employer? My firm has engaged Adventure Links several times since then, all with success. When my children are old enough, I'll be sending them to the Adventure Links camps...I know they'll learn and have fun. Adventure Links rocks!

The glamping was great. Near the highway and the train but amenities were great. Massanutten tent…read morehas amazing views but the blue ridge tent is closer to the parking area and showers. The inside was spacious and fit us 5 comfortably. We did the short rafting trip which was perfect for young kids. Jumped off the raft several times for some swimming. Everything went very smoothly with the staff, and they had a food truck on the property where we enjoyed lunch.

What a good HAWT time!…read more We came on a Saturday, mid August, and had a good, relaxing time. Besides the heat trying to take me out, I had absolutely no complaints. Front Royal Outdoors had their logistics in order from start (parking) to the brief bus ride, all the way to finish (exit). Our party all opted to do the deluxe tube (approximately $41 for the entire experience) that offered more support (a place to hold your beverage of choice) and the possibility to maximize on one's lazy river experience. As an FYI, every "order" of course came with a life jacket. The river itself was calm and effortless, for the most part. I think our experience was a little over 3.5 hours. My only recommendation would be to hydrate and find a time/date where the heat is not doing what it does best.... drains ya.