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Veteran
Posts: 282
 
Location: southcentral pennsylvania | We just got back from a glorious long weekend with another couple at Fort Valley Horse Camp. Fortunately, it was a idyllic Indian summer weekend. We rented a cabin, and had individual corrals for our horses. We finished the weekend by stopping on the way home at Sky Meadows, near Paris, Va to participate in a judged pleasure ride, with a theme of "You Might Be A Redneck If..." It was alot of fun! I found out I can easily ring a big bell off my horse, and pick clothes out of a basket (male partner had to find the pink bra, I had to find the star and stripes boxer shorts) and use clothes pins to hang on a clothes line, all from a horse, but need to work on the large plastic garbage bag full of tin cans!!! Brenda |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 662
Location: Vanzant, Missouri | I go to Fort Valley quit often. The owners used to live in my area before they bought FV. I always have a good time there and love the riding. Was going down this weekend but my plans changed. Good thing the weather isn't to good right now... |
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Member
Posts: 7
Location: New Hampshire | How are the trails at the camp, we are used to riding in the mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont and prefer challenging secluded trails. We usually go out for 3 to 6 hours and prefer to do large loops instead of backtracking. Is there enough different trails to last a week of riding? I am also thinking of renting a cabin, are they clean and spacious, there might be 6 of us. How would the end of June be weather wise, is it to hot or rainy?
Edited by NHCavalry 2009-11-16 8:12 AM
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Veteran
Posts: 235
Location: Keymar,Maryland | You can get 3-6 hrs. a day easily at Ft. Valley. Some trails can be quite challenging and once away from camp running into others is rare except on holiday weekends. If you are an agressive rider you may have to trailer a little after about 4 days to get new territory. It can be quite humid and hot in June ,July,August, even into September ( it was this year). I never use the cabins we have LQ but never heard complaints. |
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Veteran
Posts: 282
Location: southcentral pennsylvania | There are 3 cabins. If a party of six, you would want cabin one. It is the biggest. It has 3 full rooms, and a porch. Cabin 2 sleeps 4, with bunkbeds and a fold out bed. Cabin 3, our choice for a party of 4(although advertised for 6), has 2 sets of bunk beds, a sofa and a fold out fouton. The cabins have nice kitchens, bath, dining table, small TV with Directv hookup. They provide cooking and eating utensils, you provide bedding and towels. Outside of each cabin is a fire ring and picnic table. The cabins look over a pond...very nice. The covered corrals are right next to the cabins....easy access to tend your horses. The regular corrals are also very close to the cabins and camp sites. The website will also help answer your questions. Enjoy! |
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Member
Posts: 7
Location: New Hampshire | Thanks for the info, sounds like a great place to ride. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 420
Location: Florida | How is the footing at FV? We do prefer trails that are not covered in boney gravel or shale / slate rock formations. It just wears me down after a while. Are the trails always up and down or are there breaks? We have wimpy barefoot flatland horses :) We are certainly long distance riders when given the opportunity 4 - 5 hours in the saddle 15 - 20 miles works well for us for at least a few of the rides. We are trying to plan a 2010 trip out of the New England States.
Edited by BlazingCreekBar 2009-11-25 6:22 AM
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Veteran
Posts: 235
Location: Keymar,Maryland | There are some breaks and ridge riding but you are on some kind of incline usually, though not always steep. Footing varies but generally I would say on the rocky side.Not sharp,up to fist sized and smooth The occasional horse runs barefoot there but that's not the norm. Most go shod all 4 or boot. Be prepared it is "mountain" trail riding.
Edited by Rich M. 2009-11-25 8:14 AM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 420
Location: Florida | We don't mind ups and downs but constant climbs and constant decent gets tough. And we are not shod so our flat land horses are not conditioned for that. What else in the area would you recommend if anything? |
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Veteran
Posts: 282
Location: southcentral pennsylvania | If you are interested in the Southern, PA area, and are historically minded, you could do 3 days of battlefield riding. There is a horse camp at Artillary Ridge camp ground, adjacent to the Gettysburg Battlefield. Gettysburg bridle trails are a little rocky in a few spots, not bad at all. You could then haul to Antietam Battlefield, about a one hour pull from Gettysburg. They have bridle paths, with much of it in the grass along the park roads. You can actually ride over Burnside Bridge,which was a thrill for me, knowing the history. For a long day over mainly MULCHED, yes mulched trails, a 2 hour pull from Gettyburg will get you to Manassas Battlefield. You can easily do 6 hours there if you like, or shorter loops. The historical society that maintains the trails do a remarkable job! You can contact the visitor centers of Antietam & Gettysburg to get maps, with Manassas's being online. A 1 hour haul from Gettyburg will get you to Michaux State forest. There is even primitive camping at the Teaberry lot. You can ride for days in Michaux. There are mark trails and lots of forest roads. The amount of rock varies, but you can certainly find trails that do not have much. Hope this helps! Brenda |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 662
Location: Vanzant, Missouri | Thanks for the info. I have ridden at Micheux, we stopped there after 2 days at Artillery Ridge. We were heading over to Hancock Md to camp for a few more days. It's a 3hr haul just to the Pa line for me. I was looking for more over night camping areas. But the areas you spoke of sound pretty nice.. |
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Fort Valley, VA
