Soft Landing Stables
Alexandria & D.C.'s closest A1 Stable for hunter/jumper/equitation horse lessons, horse boarding, horse leases and horse training
H/J /E lessons offered by Wendy Powers of Capitol Stables: only trainer this close to downtown DC and Alexandria with experience at two Olympic barns and decades on the AA circuit
Aerial of Soft Landing Stables taken by Sid Hatcher, father of Olivia, a star student trained by Wendy Powers and earlier by Allie Allen.
In the bottom left corner you can see the northern end of Piscataway National Park, 5,000 miles of trails. On the top left you see Piscataway Creek, a tributary of the Potomac River, both of which are accessible through Piscataway Park.
Great facility for the rider, unequaled care for the horse.
Hunter and Dressage
Lessons, Stable Board and Leases
for the DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia
Equestrian Community
Lessons, Stable Board and Leases
for the DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia
Equestrian Community
Horses are our passion. Horse boarding, horse leasing, lessons and horse training are what we do and we love it all!
Soft Landing Stables is a hunter and dressage training facility offering full-care stall board and field board, horseback riding lessons to boarders and to people who lease one of our horses. If you want to join a lesson program and meet a like-minded community of sociable riders. SLS is for you. This stable provides pleasure hunter and dressage riders and their private horses top of the line care and support. Soft Landing Stables has excellent trainers to help you from beginner to advanced levels. One of our visiting trainers was short-listed for the 1980 Olympics.
Soft Landing Stables is a hunter and dressage training facility offering full-care stall board and field board, horseback riding lessons to boarders and to people who lease one of our horses. If you want to join a lesson program and meet a like-minded community of sociable riders. SLS is for you. This stable provides pleasure hunter and dressage riders and their private horses top of the line care and support. Soft Landing Stables has excellent trainers to help you from beginner to advanced levels. One of our visiting trainers was short-listed for the 1980 Olympics.
Soft Landing Stables is conveniently located just 20 minutes from Capitol Hill, 25 minutes from downtown DC, and 15 minutes from Old Town Alexandria. The 40 acre facility offers 25 acres of well maintained pastures and three-board oak fencing. The horses are kept in large pastures (up to 10 acres in size) and have plenty of room to run and play.
We only have 14 stalls, so we are unable to accommodate any boarders except hunter/jumper/equitation or dressage riders.
We only have 14 stalls, so we are unable to accommodate any boarders except hunter/jumper/equitation or dressage riders.
We don't offer trail rides or lessons to people who don't lease one of our horses. We are a haven for serious riders, but unfortunately cannot cater to anyone but serious riders.
If you have not experienced the beauty of our farm, please take this flyover tour. This aerial tour takes you over our 10-acre pasture, then our 9-acre pasture, the 220 x 175 outdoor grass ring with jump course, our 150 x 80 indoor ring, our 9-stall upper barn, trailer parking, 5 stall lower barn and out beyond our 4.5 acre pasture onto the Potomac River that is 300 feet back from the back of the farm.
2020
We are getting ready to show at the BEST series at the Prince George's Equestrian Center and at Swan Lake's AA and C Shows.
We have three boys available for half-lease. Two are for petite adults (up to 150 LBS) who want to work on the flat and over cross-rails. One of them is the 16'1.5 palomino shown below, Flair. He is one of the sweetest horses with the kindest attitude you will ever find.
We also have 16'2" Que, a care-giver and a saint. And we have 16'1" Stan for an advanced rider. The half-leases range from $400-500/mo. and the rider must be in a lesson program with our trainer, Wendy Powers. Please call 703 944-9456
for further info and thanks!
We are getting ready to show at the BEST series at the Prince George's Equestrian Center and at Swan Lake's AA and C Shows.
We have three boys available for half-lease. Two are for petite adults (up to 150 LBS) who want to work on the flat and over cross-rails. One of them is the 16'1.5 palomino shown below, Flair. He is one of the sweetest horses with the kindest attitude you will ever find.
We also have 16'2" Que, a care-giver and a saint. And we have 16'1" Stan for an advanced rider. The half-leases range from $400-500/mo. and the rider must be in a lesson program with our trainer, Wendy Powers. Please call 703 944-9456
for further info and thanks!
A 16' 1.5" Palomino/TB Hunter who tucks, at 2'6" yet. What more could you want? Thank you Wendy Powers of Capitol Stables for the superb training and riding and Allie Taisey for this perfect ride.
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Spring, 2019
Spring, 2019
Bring on the warmer, dryer (but not too dry) weather!
We have one availability at the moment and a couple of new people to introduce. Our love-bug, adorable "ho-ny" (horse/pony), Lucky Day, is available for half-lease to a child rider or petite (<140 lbs.) adult.
His half-lease costs $300/mo. and allows 3 rides per week including one on a weekend day. Lucky is great on trail, safe for re-riders and advanced beginners (although all beginners need to be in a regular lesson program) and may be jumped mildly up to 2'. Pictures and videos may be seen below and on the "Horses for Lease" page. Here is a link to one video of Lucky:
We extend a huge welcome to new boarders Rena, Nicole and Katie. Lena and Nicole are taking stalls vacated after the passing of owner Bonnie Erbe's beloved Geronimo (at the age of 25) and Samantha's decision to move her lovely Aragorn back home to Connecticut. Katie's mare Missy will be occupying the one field board slot we had. Pictures and videos coming soon!
We also extend a hearty congratulations to boarder Megan, whose Mucho by All Time Fancy, lives
with us. Megan has bred to this famous stallion several times and just became a horse mom once again.
We wish you all the best with your new baby!
Winter/Spring 2019
AVAILABILITIES
Soft Landing Stables is perfect for an equestrian returning to college, to grad school or working in downtown DC, or Old Town, Alexandria.
Open stalls are rare, though we do have a wait-list.
News
Owner Bonnie Erbe's 25 year old former show horse, Geronimo, passed away in December, 2018. Bonnie remains bereft by the loss, but was heartened by the fact 200 of her FB friends joined her to celebrate his life and described how he touched their lives, including Samantha Bowers and Miranda Jones. Miranda is now riding the A circuit in Texas, where she lives. She started back to riding on Geronimo more than a decade ago:
Below is owner Bonnie Erbe' showing Geronimo as a jumper:
Capital Improvements:
In July we installed two Big Ass fans in our indoor for comfortable riding in DC's hot, muggy summers. They also warm the indoor in wintertime.
Here is owner Bonnie Erbe' standing under one on her horse, Que:
Please text 703 944-9456 for more info.
LESSONS: Our world-class French Classical dressage trainer has one opening.
We are so excited about our newest team members. We are thrilled to have Allie leasing Flair. Those two were made for each other! Boarder Jessica with her fancy OTTB Riley is extremely knowledgeable as a former pro Cross-Country rider. Nikki has her loveable old man Izzy and Rebecca's Rebound is the handsome young flirt taking care of our two mares.
Olivia and Emily are loving Lucky. Francine is in love with our fancy Stan. Megan and Liz are enjoying our talented Art Deco sporthorse of color, Zack.
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How many barns are lucky enough to have such wonderful peeps?
First, one of our boarders featured the barn in a Discovery Channel program. Then, another boarder brought in a world-class trainer for a clinic. Another former riders' parents featured her jumping Soft Landing Stables' Standout on a California wine label. How cool is this???
Spring 2017announcements
We recently had a Storeo cookie outside the indoor arena. A Storeo cookie is a reverse Oreo with the chocolate on the inside. So, Ghost, Stan & Ross being ridden by three beauties, Katy, Katri & Alex, make up this Storeo:
We were so lucky this May to host an in-house only clinic with top international rider and trainer, Jean Paul Magnen. That is Jean Paul below with Mary on Argos participating in a jumping lesson at the clinic. More on Jean-Paul below the picture.
We were so lucky this May to host an in-house only clinic with top international rider and trainer, Jean Paul Magnen. That is Jean Paul below with Mary on Argos participating in a jumping lesson at the clinic. More on Jean-Paul below the picture.
Many thanks to M. Magnen and to our long time boarder Michel Gauthier, for setting up the clinic. Michel and Jean Paul are close friends. This clinic would not have happened without Michel. Mercí beaucoup! Pictured is Mary A. on her gorgeous, fancy mount, Argos, during their lesson. More pix and videos to come.
"Jean-Paul Magnen is a French "Ecuyer", a professor, an international competitor, and a trainer who spent 28 years of his career with the "Cadre Noir" in Saumur France. The Cadre Noir of Saumur, like the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, teaches the classical art of the "Haute Ecole", and maintains the tradition of academic dressage as defined by Francois Robichon de la Gueriniere.
The Cadre Noir is also the home of the French National Riding School whose mission is to teach and train French and foreign professionals in all equestrian disciplines.
Not only within that prestigious institution but also internationally, Jean-Paul Magnen is know and recognized as an elite horseman, one of those very, very few horseman in the world who competed on the international scene at the Grand Prix/**** level in all three of the Olympic disciplines: eventing (1974 to 1982), jumping (1983 to 1992), and dressage (1995 to 1999).
Magnen's accomplishements in those three Olympic disciplines are not limited to the competition arena. His track record is equally impressive when it comes to the training of horses. During in career, Jean-Paul personally brought more than 50 horses (6 in dressage, 30 in jumping and 15 in eventing) to the Grand Prix/**** level for the Cadre Noir and for private organizations and individuals.
Over his career at the Cadre Noir/ENE, jean-Paul was responsible for:
- training French instructors in eventing,
- Head Coach of the Cadre Noir competition eventing team,
- training French instructors in jumping,
- training international athletes in all three disciplines,
- Head of international relations and international clinics,
- Deputy Chief of Competition Department (all disciplines)
- Head coach of the Olympic team of the Republic of China.
One of his students received a bronze medal in individual jumping at the Sydney Olympic games in 2000. Jean-Paul is also the official coach of the Algerian jumping team and is involved in the training
of the Japanese, Turkish and Saudi Arabian national jumping teams.
He is also a tutor for the FEI, the international Federation for Equestrian Sports, governing body for all Olympic equestrian disciplines. He teaches the courses for coaches that the FEI organizes worldwide. As part of his teaching and clinic activities, Jean-Paul Magnen started to come to the United States on a regular basis."
We had a Storeo cookie outside our indoor arena today. Trainer Lyndi says that's the opposite of an Oreo cookie---two greys on each side of a black horse.
Random Farm Pictures:"Jean-Paul Magnen is a French "Ecuyer", a professor, an international competitor, and a trainer who spent 28 years of his career with the "Cadre Noir" in Saumur France. The Cadre Noir of Saumur, like the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, teaches the classical art of the "Haute Ecole", and maintains the tradition of academic dressage as defined by Francois Robichon de la Gueriniere.
The Cadre Noir is also the home of the French National Riding School whose mission is to teach and train French and foreign professionals in all equestrian disciplines.
Not only within that prestigious institution but also internationally, Jean-Paul Magnen is know and recognized as an elite horseman, one of those very, very few horseman in the world who competed on the international scene at the Grand Prix/**** level in all three of the Olympic disciplines: eventing (1974 to 1982), jumping (1983 to 1992), and dressage (1995 to 1999).
Magnen's accomplishements in those three Olympic disciplines are not limited to the competition arena. His track record is equally impressive when it comes to the training of horses. During in career, Jean-Paul personally brought more than 50 horses (6 in dressage, 30 in jumping and 15 in eventing) to the Grand Prix/**** level for the Cadre Noir and for private organizations and individuals.
Over his career at the Cadre Noir/ENE, jean-Paul was responsible for:
- training French instructors in eventing,
- Head Coach of the Cadre Noir competition eventing team,
- training French instructors in jumping,
- training international athletes in all three disciplines,
- Head of international relations and international clinics,
- Deputy Chief of Competition Department (all disciplines)
- Head coach of the Olympic team of the Republic of China.
One of his students received a bronze medal in individual jumping at the Sydney Olympic games in 2000. Jean-Paul is also the official coach of the Algerian jumping team and is involved in the training
of the Japanese, Turkish and Saudi Arabian national jumping teams.
He is also a tutor for the FEI, the international Federation for Equestrian Sports, governing body for all Olympic equestrian disciplines. He teaches the courses for coaches that the FEI organizes worldwide. As part of his teaching and clinic activities, Jean-Paul Magnen started to come to the United States on a regular basis."
We had a Storeo cookie outside our indoor arena today. Trainer Lyndi says that's the opposite of an Oreo cookie---two greys on each side of a black horse.
Good-bye Tommy & Julia: In November Tommy & Julia returned to their native Germany. We miss them! They were everything a BO could want in a pair of boarders. They are wicked smart, accomplished horsemen, fun to be around and great people. But now we have friends to visit in Germany!
View of indoor arena from 10-acre pasture.
NEWS
February, 2018
Stopping by the farm on a snowy evening. The horses loved it. And the farm looked like a magic factory....glistening, shivering, sparkling!
January, 2019
February, 2018
Stopping by the farm on a snowy evening. The horses loved it. And the farm looked like a magic factory....glistening, shivering, sparkling!
January, 2019
Katie & Lucky: Katie is one of the newest members of our SLS family. We welcome her family, (Mom Tracy and brother Patrick) into ours. She came to us a couple of months ago as a beginner rider. She half-leases and takes lessons on SLS's Lucky Day. She trains with Allie R., shown here teaching her how to ride bareback. Lucky is such a good pony, she is riding him bareback in no time, building a perfect seat and achieving steady balance.
We have so many wonderful new people who have recently joined the SLS family.
We have Nikki who brought her sweet, entertaining horse Izzy, whom we adore.
Rebecca brought Rebound who is a strong, talented, handsome guy.
And Megan brought Mucho, a big, tall All Time Fancy baby (now 11 years old) who is gorgeous and fancy in the hunter pleasure show ring!!
Nicole and her mare will be joining us in March.
More pictures coming soon!!!
2018
Lovely h/j lessons by Ky Foster
March 2018Allie walks up to Flair in the pasture.
Flair is lying in the hay
Allie lies down with him and the above happens.
Isn't that beautiful?
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Here they are below, together riding. True Love!!!!
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Watch our incredibly pony, Lucky Day, receive a "jumping lesson" from Olivia, who has loved and learned from him for several years:
If there has ever been a hoh-knee (horse/pony) who is more fun to ride than this guy, please tell us who? Lucky is available for half-lease to a child or petite adult rider who wants a mount/partner who can jump small fences, go out on trail, love you blindly and follow you around as per the above video. This boy is sweeter than sweet. Please see our Horses for Lease page for more info on Lucky's half-lease.
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Horse boarding stable dressage indoor arena turnout D.C. Maryland Northern Virginia
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