In Love
I am totally in love with An Otherwise Perfect Farm (AOPF). I have to pinch myself every time I get on Leo there. It is a dream!
Today, I went on a hack with Courtney and Janet. Now in Charlotte, a hack meant a walk around the property. None of the neighboring farms would allow you to ride on their land. In Pottstown, Flying Horse Farm was in the midst of suburbia and a hack meant a partial trail ride and a walk through some neighborhoods. At AOPF, a hack means prepare to get lost in the rolling hills and woods of Maryland hunt country. All the property owners welcome riders; all the fence lines are dotted with cross country fences to accommodate the 2 local hunts.
We were out for about 1.5 hours and never saw a house. We went through corn fields, up hills, down hills, through creeks, over bridges, through the woods and on and on. Courtney said she does most of her conditioning sets and galloping on the neighboring farms. There is a farm called Jackson Hole next door that used to hold horse trials and has amazing grass lanes for galloping. Courtney rattled off all the names of the farms and their owners that we rode on; but I barely remember a thing. In fact, I wonder if I could even duplicate that hack loop today...
There is more than hacking at AOPF - there are an immense number of cross country jumps from beginner novice thru prelim/intermediate. There is a single bank, double bank and triple bank. There are two sunken roads. There are a multitude of corner fences at varying heights and widths. There are ditches and trakehners; table jumps of all sizes and shapes, skinnies, steeplechase fences, combinations and more! There's also a huge indoor, outdoor dressage ring and outdoor jumping ring. It's unbelievable to have all this in your backyard.
Leo's stall has a dutch door to the outside - great fire safety feature! The stalls are bedded with straw and everything is very clean and orderly. Each horse has their own huge locker which can fit 2 large tack trunks, plus room on top, which can be locked up if desired. The grass pastures feature board fencing and are nice and large. The horses get turned out overnight in the summer.
Board here is $720; which is the most I have ever spent on board but I haven't had this much at my finger tips since Pleasant Hollow Farm. In Charlotte, I was paying $675 for good care and nice pastures but not much in the way of facilities. The barn was old; there was only 1 ring which did not drain well when it rained; the jumps were falling apart; there was very little hacking; and just a handful of beginner novice xc fences. Now for $45 more I get good care AND awesome facilities! Woohoo!
Today, I went on a hack with Courtney and Janet. Now in Charlotte, a hack meant a walk around the property. None of the neighboring farms would allow you to ride on their land. In Pottstown, Flying Horse Farm was in the midst of suburbia and a hack meant a partial trail ride and a walk through some neighborhoods. At AOPF, a hack means prepare to get lost in the rolling hills and woods of Maryland hunt country. All the property owners welcome riders; all the fence lines are dotted with cross country fences to accommodate the 2 local hunts.
We were out for about 1.5 hours and never saw a house. We went through corn fields, up hills, down hills, through creeks, over bridges, through the woods and on and on. Courtney said she does most of her conditioning sets and galloping on the neighboring farms. There is a farm called Jackson Hole next door that used to hold horse trials and has amazing grass lanes for galloping. Courtney rattled off all the names of the farms and their owners that we rode on; but I barely remember a thing. In fact, I wonder if I could even duplicate that hack loop today...
There is more than hacking at AOPF - there are an immense number of cross country jumps from beginner novice thru prelim/intermediate. There is a single bank, double bank and triple bank. There are two sunken roads. There are a multitude of corner fences at varying heights and widths. There are ditches and trakehners; table jumps of all sizes and shapes, skinnies, steeplechase fences, combinations and more! There's also a huge indoor, outdoor dressage ring and outdoor jumping ring. It's unbelievable to have all this in your backyard.
Leo's stall has a dutch door to the outside - great fire safety feature! The stalls are bedded with straw and everything is very clean and orderly. Each horse has their own huge locker which can fit 2 large tack trunks, plus room on top, which can be locked up if desired. The grass pastures feature board fencing and are nice and large. The horses get turned out overnight in the summer.
Board here is $720; which is the most I have ever spent on board but I haven't had this much at my finger tips since Pleasant Hollow Farm. In Charlotte, I was paying $675 for good care and nice pastures but not much in the way of facilities. The barn was old; there was only 1 ring which did not drain well when it rained; the jumps were falling apart; there was very little hacking; and just a handful of beginner novice xc fences. Now for $45 more I get good care AND awesome facilities! Woohoo!
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| Looking over to the barn from the jump ring |
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| View across the pastures (jump ring is at the top of the far hill) |
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| View from the jump ring out to the cross country course |
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