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Last Update: 07 Jan 2011

Riding Holidays | Virginia

Virginia is one of the top horse riding destinations in the eastern USA and is located between Maryland, West Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina. Virginia has a huge horse industry representing everything from Thoroughbred racing, top dressage and eventing stables, to western ranches.

The Blue Ridge Mountains in the west of the State are the best area to visit for a Virginia guest ranch vacation. Have western riding through magnificent mountain wilderness, guided by experienced wranglers. Some ranches provide overnight pack trips, wagon rides and campfire cook-outs. Learn about the cowboy way of life and try traditional ranch cuisine. Stay at a Virginia Dude ranch in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley and combine horseback trail riding with the comfort of a luxury ranch. Working ranch vacations are also available where guests can join in with cattle work, horse round-ups and cattle drives. The Shenandoah Valley is known as ‘Real Horse Country’. Apart from ranches the valley is also home to horse studs facilities, boarding farms and local equestrian centres offering horse riding lessons and short day treks.

Travel eastwards out of the mountains into central Virginia for English style horse riding holidays. Have a horse riding vacation at a dressage training facility and combine classical riding tuition with cross country riding treks. English style equestrian holidays are also available in northern Virginia near to Washington D.C. The Virginia Horse Center at Lexington is the State’s main competition facility. The centre has nineteen showing rings, three indoor arenas, an international standard cross country course and a driving course. Throughout the year it hosts all sorts of equestrian activities from Three day events, to showing classes, horse auctions and rodeos.

We are always looking for new riding destinations and regularly update the information on this site. If you have information about horse riding or trail rides in Virginia please do contact us.

Did you know that Virginia has wild pony herds living on Assateague Island on the Delmarva Peninsula? The State was also the birthplace of eight USA presidents including the likes of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and is home to the famous Pentagon building.