The Virginia Horse Center

 

There is a Lexington, Kentucky known for its preponderance of horses and horsey activities.

But did you know about Lexington, VIRGINIA?

Virginians love horses!  In fact there is a 1.2 billion dollar equine industry in the state.  And of course there is a  horse center nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Shenandoah Valley – right down the road from my “Old Virginia Home.”

If you find yourself in my neck of the woods and you love horses, The Virginia Horse Center is not to be missed.  It was founded specifically to promote equestrian sport and it boasts 600 acres of rolling picturesque hills.

When you pass through the gates you can feel it – the air of excitement, an expectation of great beauty, the smell of leather, the sound of softly neighing horses.  You are entering another world of tack and training and timeless wonder.

There is a 4,000 seat coliseum.

There are eight barns to accommodate 1,200 horses.

 19 show rings and two large indoor arenas.

Cross-country and combined carriage driving courses.

Camp grounds.

Take heed Kentucky – The Virginia Horse Center is a facility that serves over 500,000 people and 100,000 animals!  There are 115 events annually and most of them are free and open to the public.

There are Arabian horse shows, barrel racing, breed shows, clinics, dressage, hunter/jumper trials, saddlebred shows, western rodeos, and non-equine events like dog shows, agriculture programs and the Rockbridge Regional Fair and Farm Show, all held at the Virginia Horse Center.

Much as New Yorkers overlook the Empire State Building, I sometimes I forget this fantastic place is right down the road.   But there is a Saturday farmer’s market at the Center now and that is where I wound up last weekend.  I wandered into the big coliseum and was reminded of what a fabulous resource we have.

If you love horses, come here for a visit!  You will not be disappointed.

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A Dog and a Horse at Play

This is a fairly long video, but it if you love horses and you love dogs, you will not want to stop watching.

It defines freedom, fun, play, and the sheer joy in living.

Thank you for sharing this lil brother!  You knew how much I would enjoy it.

Horse and Dog Play Together

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Visit Me Please, Visit Me

It was a special time when my grandgirls came to visit this last weekend.

They are practically young women now and each more charming and beautiful than the next.

Mackenzie owns a driver’s permit but doesn’t have much chance to drive, so I gave her the keys to my car and said, “Let’s go!”  How proud and serious she was behind the wheel; how eager to leave childhood and prove what she can do and be.

And off we went down my gravel road.  “Take a sharp right here Macky and let’s go to the old barn so I can see what you can do,” I said.   And then, “Pull in here Mack – at the big barn, and let’s just rest a moment and take a look around. “ And as we climbed out of the car, a lovely palomino horse quickly stuck her head out.  “Visit me please, visit me,” she was clearly saying with the sweetest look of hope in her eyes.

Please Visit Me!

“What a beauty she (the horse) is,” I thought, and “What a beauty she (the girl) is too”.

My Mackenzie and the sweet horse connected and I got a little choked up feeling like I might begin to cry.

“Visit me!  Visit me!” the horse had seemed to say, and Macky’s response was automatic.  She was a little girl once again, with time to be that child.  And I managed to get a picture or two of the fleeting love between a lonely horse and a visiting girl that touched my heart.

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