Hidden Horse Farms Found Throughout Area

Friday, 19 February 2010 16:00

Written by Administrator

Loping along green meadows on a well-trained steed under a clear blue sky—it may sound like something out of a fantasy novel, but it’s actually how some local people spend their days. There are a surprising amount of horse farms and riding stables in the Coweta Fayette area; most are tucked away in quiet pockets, however, and can be easily overlooked.

Local riders participate in disciplines such as Hunter/Jumper, Eventing, Dressage, Foxhunting and Western Riding. Some of the stables that represent these disciplines are: Hunter/Jumper—Quail Ridge Farm, Windy Oaks Farm, Meadow Wood Farm, Rock House Riding Center, Elder's Mill Equestrian Center and River Birch. Eventing—Wooden Horse Stables and Wayfarer Eventing. Dressage—Merichase Farm, Echo Lane Farm and Camelot. Foxhunting—Bear Creek and Ramsay Farm. Western—Cedar Ridge.

What makes Coweta and Fayette counties so attractive for owning and riding horses? One reason is location, according to Payne Nash of Quail Ridge Farm in Moreland.

“This area tends to be an undiscovered gem in the metro Atlanta area,” he says. “We still have fairly large tracts of land here, along with easy access to the interstates and close proximity to major equine activity centers—Aiken, SC and Ocala, FL as well as a number of excellent facilities within the metro area. For example, Chateau Elan and the Georgia International Horse Park, both super facilities for showing, are under two hours away.”

Wendy Livingston of Windy Oaks Farm adds that it’s great to be among a large community of horse enthusiasts here. “For those who like to show, we have the newly established Southern Hunter Jumper of Georgia (SHJG) Association that has formed to offer several schooling-level shows yearly all within a very close proximity.”

For Brittany Jones Sommers, the area’s family atmosphere is a major part of the attraction. Brittany and fellow trainers Suzanne Jones and Nancy Greene have been part of Meadow Wood Farm in Sharpsburg for more than 20 years. “One of our goals at Meadow Wood is to have families—parents and children—plan a day together, whether they’re all riding or watching a family member ride.”

Meadow Wood Farm, established by Suzanne over 20 years ago, welcomes riders of all ages and disciplines of the equestrian sport. The facility produces many talented riders and teaches students the fundamentals and responsibilities of being a true equestrian and horse lover.

“The horse community in this area has grown over the past years, which is wonderful to see,” continues Brittany. “My family has been a part of the Fayette and Coweta horse world since the late 1970s when we moved into the Fayette community.”

Windy Oaks Farm welcomed its first horse in 1980, but it wasn’t until 2005 that they opened their doors to the public. In that relatively short time, they’ve built a very successful English-riding program.

“In the early years, we were a breeding farm with only our own, personal horses. Now we have many families who enjoy our 60-acre farm in the middle of Fayette County,” Wendy says. She’s been riding in the area for over 30 years and remembers Glenloch Stables, once located in the middle of Peachtree City where the soccer fields now lie. As development nudges horse farms further out, Windy Oaks Farm, on Ebenezer Road just south of Hwy 54, remains one of the closest farms to Peachtree City.

Payne confirms that many of the stables and farms in the area have been around for a number of years, particularly in the Smokey Road area. Farms such as Rock House Riding Center have been doing business as both a riding center and a boarding barn for 20 years or more.

“Other farms have faced more and more subdivisions encroaching on their farmland,” he continues. “Unfortunately, that’s both a blessing and a curse. If the farm is a boarding/lesson facility, it might get new clients. However, it can also increase liability to both the horses and the individuals living in the subdivisions. Still, for the most part, they seem to coexist well.”

Quail Ridge has been in operation since December 2001, seven years at its present location. Payne explains that their personal farm is over 20 years old and was originally build as a racehorse stable. “When we moved here from Senoia in 2003, our veterinarian told us that a horse belonging to one of our boarders had actually been foaled at our barn and was (unknowingly by us) being boarded in the very stall that she was foaled in several years earlier.”