Help with Indianapolis and NoVa/DC things--boarding, lessons.

[roomoosan]

Thank you for all the help!

[GotSpots]

There are a more than a few lawyers-with-insane-billables in DC who post here! In short, for lessons/riding during the week, he'll likely do better in MD than in VA. Waredaca does lessons, I believe, and I think Reddemeade has some school horses, plus you can avoid the horror that is 66. Some folks I know have horses in Centerville/Fairfax station, but I'm not familiar with any decent lesson barns down there. There is a lesson barn in Rock Creek Park which is super convenient, but I think it's pretty kid-focused. If it's a weekend only thing, for sheer, basic beginner stuff, I think some of the H/J barns in VA are very good - there's been a number of threads on them in the H/J forum - and much more focused on a good learning experience. Downtown DC to Middleburg (which is one of the proverbial centers of the horse world) is about an hour without traffic - and just-don't-try-it with. It's quite a pretty drive though, once you're past Route 28, and there's cell coverage about 3/4 of the way.

[LAZ]

I think I've already talked with you via email, but I'm on the northside of Indy in Sheridan. I do not have lesson horses, though I may have a horse or two available for partial lease soon.

Kate Gress with Penny Oaks Stable is in Noblesville, and I believe she has some lesson horses.

That's all the strictly eventing barns I know of on the north side, though there is also Swingin' M stable on 216th Street, Westwind Stables (Westfield, on 169th), Ceilo (Cielo?) Stables on 161st (Westfield), Stephanie Collier has just opened a new hunter barn on Lamong Road in Sheridan and Brian Leach (also H/J) has a place on Spring Mill Road that I think is called Sport Horses, Inc. There are a couple of boarding places in Noblesville that I have not personally been to, IB Stables and Room To Ride. Zionsville has Canterbury Manor and Deb Danner has a nice new place over at Traders Point. You can PM me if you have any questions on anything northside Indy and I'll try to lend you a hand.

Lee Ann Zobbe

[roomoosan]

GotSpots - thank you for the info/suggestions. I am searching through the h/j forum to get some leads--should have realized there was a strong h/j element out there. He currently lives in Capitol Hill area so I think we may have to wait untill he moves into NoVA when his lease is up in December for him to ride out there. Since odds are we will end up setting up home out there eventually, I keep urging at least moving out to Vienna on him! But as he is out here part-time, even if he could make it out once a month on a weekend in addition to what he does in Indy it would really help his riding.

LAZ - nope, wasn't me who emailed. I crossed off all the barns w/o a string of lesson horses. Having ridden in large lesson barns as a kid, it was a surprise to realize most barns don't operate that way!

[bambam]

As a lawyer who works in DC- I find the commute to MD barns easier than to VA (well to be honest you could not pay me to have to drive Rt 66 every day ;-)
I board basically across the street from Waredaca and I think it takes about 40 minutes outside of rush hour to get there from Capitol Hill- I know a couple of people who board at Waredaca and live in Capitol Hill and I think that is how long it takes them- one of them posts here so maybe she will pipe up if I am wrong. Waredaca has a good lesson program.
Reddemeade also has a lesson program- I would say it is not as good as Waredaca's but fine for a beginner and lots of adults and it is closer to Capitol Hill than Waredaca- maybe 30 minutes outside of rush hour
I know there are h/j places that do lessons but no idea which are good and adult oriented

[asterix]

That's me she's talking about! I live on Capitol Hill and board at Waredaca. It's 45-50 mins non rush hour, probably an hour rush hour, but really not bad compared to other directions (VA!). On the weekends it's an EASY 45 min drive -- you hop on the BW Parkway and it's highway/scenic roads all the way.

Reddemeade is 10+ minutes closer and slightly less picturesque/easy drive.

Both barns would be fine for beginner lessons. Reddemeade is a very busy lesson barn with lots going on all the time. Waredaca is more laid back and there is (at least based on when I was at Reddemeade a while ago) more emphasis on riding out and about -- in the fields, etc. It's definitely sort of an eventing feeder program. We've got several husbands who ride and they are always scheming to do trail rides and eventually hunter pace together. Waredaca has a rental program for students (I assume once you can be out and about on your own) on the weekends where he could maybe get a horse and go out with some of us on a hack...

From Capitol Hill you could also easily do east -- PG County, upper marlborough. Traffic's not bad that direction either. THere are other posters who know more about that area than I do.

Don't be so quick to move to Vienna!!! From Cap Hill I am out to the barn easily, can get anywhere in DC either by metro or very easily up Rock Creek Park, 5 (non rush hour) minutes to National Airport, 30 mins to BWI, 5 mins to Union Station, walk to the mall, etc etc. My impression is that going anywhere from Vienna is a pain the rear. :D

[Invested1]

it's not the ONLY way to get out west. I board in Centreville and live in VA about 5 minutes south of the DC border. On weekends/non-traffic times, it takes about 40 minutes to get to my barn. On lesson nights (read: leaving in rush hour) it takes me, generally, about 55 minutes. The shortest time I ever got there in rush hour was about 45 and the longest was about an hour and 5 minutes.

Though I agree with Gotspots that I don't think there are many lesson barns out in the Centreville area....

[KSevnter]

I think his best bet and closest is Meadowbrook in Chevy Chase, Maryland. I work around the corner from there and one of the other attorneys here who did the big time "A" stuff when she was younger started going there weekly. She said it is a lot of fun because there are so many adults and they have plenty of different groups for experience level. They go late into the evening and there are plenty of other professionals taking lessons as well.

Plus the lesson packages include learning how to groom/tack etc. Although it looks like from the website it is mostly kids, my friend says it definitely is not. There are only adults in her sessions.

http://www.meadowbrookstables.com/

[Holly Jeanne]

Might be a bit far but Up N Over stables is in Bloomington. It's not far off 37 so a straight shot from Indy. They do have school horses and provide the lessons for the Indiana team. They also are competitive eventers. Google Up N Over and you'll find them. Got a horse in training there as we speak. :)

[LAZ]

Up N Over (while an excellent place) is a long way from the north side of Indy--there are also a couple other places on the south side of Indy that I didn't mention just because they so far... Dan Hobyn, Tricia Simpson, Linda Copeland, Rachel Skirven are all on the south side (though I'm probably forgetting someone).

Edited to ad--I didn't notice she'd asked about Lebanon, there is also a barn in the Lebanon area called IRUS that is a nice place, though as far as I know they don't have lesson horses either.

[Quartergirl]

Check your PM's.

[roomoosan]

Thank you for all the help!

The DC info is just what I needed. I saw Meadowbrook when I tried googling but it looked really kid-centric. Their rules about breeches may be too much for the husband at this point. I convinced him to get real paddock boots though--baby steps.

Waredaca sounds great and hadn't heard of it. I was really lucky that at his first lesson a married couple was riding afterwards. I think seeing an adult man ride/do lessons was good for him--especially since the guy was in paddocks/half-chaps/breeches! No sign of any other guys since then--mainly lots of little girls--so a farm with adult guy riders would probably be good for him. He doesn't have much ambition other than being able to trail ride comfortably. He once said he'd like to go foxchasing. I told him that would likely involving jumping and that was the last I heard about that.

No rush to go to Vienna. He lived in West Falls Church when he summered in DC and I haven't heard the last of that. I was in downtown DC (U and 13th) when I lived there though so I know how long it takes just to make your way out of the District. So, I think a move to either VA or MD is in order (lower taxes not least of all)...

And yes I am on the northside of Indy. Up N Over would be great--my sister rode there a bit while at IU--but just too far. Even making it up to Westfield/Sheridan/Noblesville area where I ride now is 40 minutes for me during rush hour and 30 on the weekends.

Thanks to everyone again!

[AKB]

For beginner lessons for your husband, try Jane Marinello at Southdown Farms in Great Falls, VA. Great Falls is not too far from DC. Jane teaches a lot of beginner adults, including several men. There are other people available to teach eventing, but they are not so good for the walk trot level.

[KSevnter]

Thank you for all the help!

The DC info is just what I needed. I saw Meadowbrook when I tried googling but it looked really kid-centric. Their rules about breeches may be too much for the husband at this point. I convinced him to get real paddock boots though--baby steps.

Ha ha I understand about that, my husband wears his desert combat boots to ride in. But I do know they don't make adults where breeches, my friend has never schooled a day in her life in a pair of breeches. She wears jeans and half chaps when she rides there, and only owns a pair of half chaps because I gave them to her. The rules are for the kiddies not the adults.

Good luck in your search!

[asterix]

Meadowbrook is definitely convenient!

Waredaca is much further, obviously, but if he gets the bug to go out and about he may really like it. We've got loads of fields and miles of trails. The foxhunt goes through every week and people are always going off to pipeopeners and hunter paces and stuff like that.

If he ever does jump, watch out! Mr. asterix just did his first pipeopener on HIS horse, our 6 year old. 3 years ago he'd never even been near a horse, and now he has his own saddle, britches, paddocks, half chaps, helmet, oh, yeah, the horse. Complains if he goes on a trail ride that does NOT involve cantering and jumping. :lol:

[Speedy]

I'll put it a vote for Vienna if no one else will! FWIW, I am a busy lawyer who moved from Dupont Circle to Vienna specifically to reduce my commute to the barn. It takes 40 minutes door to door, and I am going all the way to Purcellville. I do it 5-6 days a week without any problems at all, so if you happen to find a barn that you like in Virginia (at least in that general area), I would encourage you to visit and give it a try for yourself during rush hour. Falls Church is really a different drive, I probably wouldn't use it as a benchmark.

I will second the vote for Jane in Great Falls. She was my instructor was I was a wee one, and has given my own husband (also in the up-down category) lessons. Her barn in Great Falls is all of about 10 minutes from where we live in Vienna.

If your husband is ever looking for a riding buddy, send me a PM, I would be happy to hook him up with my husband! I am like one of those mothers always setting up play dates for their kids...except I do it for a grown man.

[steves]

I live in a horse community in Vienna where there are 2 rings and lots and lots of trails. We can go to Great Falls or all the way out to Purcellville. There is a group of us (about 15 including 2 lawyers) and all over 35 who regualrly ride the trails. There are a few who don't own their own horse but borrow one on a regular basis. If interested send me a private email and I can give you the next step. We are also only a 15 minute drive to Frying Pan Park with rings and a cross country course open 24/7