Double H Stable

My 23 year old daughter and I have now been to Double H on two separate occasions (a couple of years apart) and each time we had two rides. I can’t recommend the place highly enough and I look forward to coming back again. Will is a great guy who knows when to let you enjoy the peaceful serenity of the surroundings in quiet, yet he also knows when to stop for a break, talk about the horses, the land or sports.
I love the relaxed atmosphere that he promotes while caring about making sure the riders enjoy their experience in a safe environment.
Major thumbs up.

My wife and I went horseback riding here for our anniversary. We enjoyed ourselves but it was in spite of the trail guide. My wife had only ridden once before and the trail guide showed no interest in doing his job. He didn’t familiarize her with the horse or teach her any riding techniques. He instead just acted irrtated and took off on his horse and chided her for not being fast enough to follow. He came off as being judgemental — resentful of a couple of «city slickers». But we had the last laugh; my wife was an excellent rider. I would like to come again but I’d need a different tour guide. But because the tour guide was also the owner, it’ll also require a change in ownership. So, we will never go back or recommend it to anyone.

I went on a guided trail ride Saturday afternoon with my girlfriend. Neither of us had been on horses some we were really young and those were guided rides as well so we really had no skill leading up to this. There were about 8 people in the group, mostly kids. Everything about the experience was great. The staff was friendly, the horses well behaved and easy to ride, and the trail was pretty diverse (uphill, downhill, rocky, dry, wet, muddy, flat, open, wooded). About halfway through, the guides stopped us and took pictures of us with our cameras. Overall, we were in good hands.
I could probably go on and on about this experience but I’ll keep it short. I had fun and would definitely go back. Since I did the trail ride, I might go again for a private lesson.

I’m thrilled that my 300^th review is for a five-​star place!
Great healthy horses that have some get up and go in them! Best place to go trail riding for anyone who knows how to ride a horse (or willing to learn) — this is not a trail ride for passive riding, as you actually need to, you know, hold on with your body and steer your horse. Yes, you will actually get to trot and canter through fields and forests, so if you’re not up for the ride and speed, I would not recommend going here and would recommend a more laid-​back trail ride at another stable with horses who just follow each other so you don’t have to do anything. We were a small group of five, and my biggest pet peeve was that the woman in front of me didn’t want to go fast, which meant it was a constant pile-​up and waiting for her to catch up. The stop-​and-​go was a bit painful for my patience, though my husband appreciated it so that he could catch his breath a bit. Different strokes, I guess.
Will takes a little while to warm up and seems a bit gruff at first, but by the end of the 90 minute ride he was a darling. Also, a 90 minute ride means a 90 minute ride, not 70 or 80 minutes (in fact, Will will err on the side of keeping you out too long rather than bringing you in early).

I have really really enjoyed the rides I’ve taken at Highlander. I’ve done both trail rides and a lesson now, and each time I leave, it’s always wishing I could come out more often. The business feels completely non-​commercial, which I love– these are true horse people and it shows. I SO appreciate Will’s no-​nonsense, straightforward instructional style. I strongly suggest trying a lesson (or 20 in my case) if you want to build your riding know-​how. In a semi-​private lesson with four of us, we each got individual instruction in the ring along with trail practice. It was great. For those who are strongly averted to the single-​file, follow-​the-​horse-​in-​front-​of-​you ride, simply book a private ride with a smaller group. With larger groups, I can see why there might be less flexibility on the trail and it would harder to hear in the way back. I did a private 1.5 hour ride with just one other girlfriend last year, and Will took us all over the huge property at all speeds… heaven.
Plus, the land is gorgeous. Go.

I’ve been coming here about once a year for 5 years, and I can’t say enough good things about it.
I’ve been riding my entire life, but since moving to DC 8 years ago it’s turned in to almost never. I miss it so much it hurts sometimes. A friend and fellow equine enthusiast found this place online, and it’s been the best part of Spring every year for me ever since. I’ve taken a huge group of coworkers here, friends, and boyfriend, and I will continue to sing its praises.
For people who know how to ride, it’s a fantastic trail ride because you can really open up the horse. Group trail rides do vary in speed, though. Walking, trotting, loping, and then waiting for the beginners in the rear to catch up depending on how big the group is. There are private rides offered, so the advanced riders might enjoy those better.
The terrain varies from water, mud, tall grass, steep hills, open fields, and narrow wooded trails. There are fallen trees and branches to duck, but this is what makes it real. Expect to get a little dirty. And enjoy it!
And really when it comes down to it, who can beat 45 bucks for 90 minutes on a horse? Tell me where you can get as enjoyable of a ride anywhere near DC for that much, I dare ya!

I’m really torn about how to rate this place. On one hand, it was great to finally go on a ride where I could trot and lope, but on the other hand, the way the trail guide went about it was all wrong.
Scenery I didn’t like. We took the horses through the woods which was super lame considering we’re right there at the Shenandoah Valley. Plenty to see and we saw nothing. 90 minutes of just woods got boring quick.
Poorly guided. There were about 12 horses in a line and I was first. The guide in front of me spoke softly and no one else could hear him. Then, we would trot or lope for about 500 yards then stop abruptly. I almost fell off my horse a few times. It’s like when you’re in a car and you go from 60 to 0 in 2 seconds. The impact is rough. I would have preferred to walk continuously for the entire 90 minutes vs a run/​stop/​run/​stop/​run/​stop. I need to add that I have equestrian experience to the tune of 12+ years. I know how to ride both English and Western so I am more than capable of handling the horses. These horses are trained to follow each other and no amount of effort you put in yourself can control them outside of what the horse in front of your is doing.
Overall, not a bad horseback riding experience. Again, it was fun to trot and lope but I would have preferred a more consistent ride. Not recommended for beginners as my boyfriend was a novice and we also watched a young boy fall off his horse as the horse was trotting up the hill.