Afton Stables

Afton Stables Full service Dressage Facility. Training, Coaching and Boarding available. Open for trailer in lessons now.

🧘What do we do with the horses in this arctic blast?🥶After we collectively spend hours doing the extra chores this weath...
01/09/2025

🧘What do we do with the horses in this arctic blast?🥶After we collectively spend hours doing the extra chores this weather requires we focus on stretching and slow movement.
We are cold and stiff so we know the horses are as well.

Horses are challenged by balancing on the snow and ice in turnout and they are spending a little extra time indoors overnight. It’s a great time to focus on free walk and stretchy trot and plenty of on the ground stretches as well!

If you don’t have an indoor ring, it’s a great time to take the pressure off of you and your horse and focus on stable manners, grooming, and stretching. Thankfully, we have an in-house stretching expert - Anesia!

01/09/2025

This is the right idea!

Feels like 22° 🥶Horses have been {lightly} worked ❄️ and enjoyed some cold daytime turnout. We are absolutely frozen, b...
01/08/2025

Feels like 22° 🥶

Horses have been {lightly} worked ❄️ and enjoyed some cold daytime turnout.

We are absolutely frozen, but grateful for automatic waterers and good equipment. Stay warm and sane and safe horse friends.

☃️We are grateful for our hardworking staff that helped get everyone out for a bit today while the weather allowed, and ...
01/06/2025

☃️We are grateful for our hardworking staff that helped get everyone out for a bit today while the weather allowed, and grateful that we didn’t get the 15” predicted 😅❄️

Stay safe out there friends!

01/05/2025

Great points, and I would add to build up to riding in wind slowly. Set your horse up for success.

01/03/2025

I try and explain to everyone this is what it’s like training a horse. There is no straight route to success, we must have ups and downs, backwards and forward progress, it’s normal and should be expected.

A note from our trainer - Navigating new horses with my clients reminds me of the importance of ground manners. My clien...
12/31/2024

A note from our trainer -

Navigating new horses with my clients reminds me of the importance of ground manners. My clients don’t want to get hurt by their horses and it’s my job to set them up for success. I want them to enjoy handling and riding their horses, and that begins with solid boundaries on the ground.

One of the first things I teach a new or nervous horse is how to drop their head and stand in a stressful environment. I use to help with this as well, since the balance pads really help horses relax. I want the horses I work with to have the confidence to absorb a new environment in their own “bubble”. Like a small child, they will need to check in with you, their leader, at first. With time they will gain confidence and be able to respond to your aids when challenged by new surroundings.

I know plenty of horses that are quieter under saddle than on the ground. Particularly OTTB’s. I have no problem with this in an older horse, but given the opportunity to start fresh I will always emphasize communication on the ground before under saddle. My students aren’t jockeys, or kids for that matter, and their safety is my priority. Additionally, I strongly believe in quality over quantity under saddle. If your horse is attentive on the ground you have a greater chance of producing quality work under saddle.

Merry Christmas from the always enthusiastic Bob and Giuseppe 🧑‍🎄🎅🎄🎄🎄🎄
12/25/2024

Merry Christmas from the always enthusiastic Bob and Giuseppe 🧑‍🎄🎅🎄🎄🎄🎄

Leaping towards 2025 with Koko-loco 🐴 🤸‍♂️
12/18/2024

Leaping towards 2025 with Koko-loco 🐴 🤸‍♂️


Anesia wears many hats… she is both Assistant Trainer and Groom! She helps with stretching and bodywork and does medica...
12/10/2024

Anesia wears many hats… she is both Assistant Trainer and Groom! She helps with stretching and bodywork and does medication and feeding management. Her new favorite horse on the farm is Braeden owned from .p.dressage 🐴

We appreciate you, Anesia!

We are obsessed with this pair 🤩 and Braeden 🦄p.dressage they’re perfect together 💕
12/07/2024

We are obsessed with this pair 🤩 and Braeden 🦄p.dressage they’re perfect together 💕

Happy Thanksgiving 🦃🍁🍽 from our furry friends to you and yours. We are grateful for our Afton Stables family, and this ...
11/28/2024

Happy Thanksgiving 🦃🍁🍽 from our furry friends to you and yours.

We are grateful for our Afton Stables family, and this safe, beautiful place we call home. What are you thankful for?

✨What a month we have had at Afton Stables! In the last 30 days we have welcomed three new horses to our farm. 😯Rio is ...
11/23/2024

✨What a month we have had at Afton Stables! In the last 30 days we have welcomed three new horses to our farm. 😯

Rio is Mary’s new squeeze, a beautiful who perfectly matches his elegant and talented owner.

Farm owner is delighted with her new dance partner, Nino. A kind young from with tons of potential and a calm demeanor.

Lastly client makes the perfect match with her new dressage horse Braeden from .p.dressage in Pennsylvania. This is flashy, hardy, and incredibly well-behaved.

We love seeing the right horses and owners come together 🦄🎉❤️🥹

Sweet faces 🦄 📸
11/21/2024

Sweet faces 🦄
📸

Address

7451 Dick Woods Road
Afton, VA
22920

Telephone

+12027705697

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Videos

Join us Saturday, 11/2 for a clinic with USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medalist Bruno Greber. Before his success in the US, Bruno was a Master Instructor in Switzerland as well as Assistant Trainer to Arthur Kottas-Heldenburg. Using his classical credentials and modern success, Bruno is a warm and engaging instructor capable of bringing out the best in both horse and rider. He is mentor to our Trainer @madelinepiplico and an important part of our program. Join us to watch him coach riders on day two of our “Form and Function” series! #dressage #aftonstables #horseriding #dressageforall WENDY MURDOCH & BRUNO GREBER

💀It’s Spooky Season and we’ve got bones on the brain! Come audit our clinic with Murdoch Method on Friday, November 1st! Your skeleton 🩻 ☠️ and your horse’s skeleton will thank you. Also learn about the witchy 🧙magic of SURE FOOT Equine. Friday, 11/1 is the first day of our Wendy Murdoch and Bruno Greber Clinic focusing on form and function. Riding spots are full but we are accepting auditors and riders for our waitlist! We hope to see you there 🎉 ... #aftonstables #albemarlecounty #crozetva #cville #charlottesville #crozet #albemarleva #horse #horse #equine #horses #PRE #dutchwarmblood #horsebackriding #hunterjumper #eventing #dressage #dressagehorse #equestrian #equestrians

Teddy
Teddy

Rosevelt aka “Teddy” is a lightly started 3 year old gelding out of Geneva (Soprano x Ode Aan Liris) and by Gaudi SSF. He has been in training with farm friend Kerry Decker and is available at her farm in Louisa. #dutchwarmblood #kwpn #dressage #dressagehorse

A Day in the Life of an Afton Stables Horse
A Day in the Life of an Afton Stables Horse

We live to serve them 🫡 … and the cats 🐈🐈‍⬛

Pre-Ride Surefoot time
Pre-Ride Surefoot time

AftonStables Angela Doolan and Gerry enjoy a bit of SURE FOOT Equine pad time before their ride. Our horses thrive on the love they receive from their riders 🩷🩷🩷

🐴 Quique is practicing his counter-canter to make his true canter stronger 🩷
🐴 Quique is practicing his counter-canter to make his true canter stronger 🩷

🍂Woodland Bob🍁 We are taking advantage of these warm days, and getting the horses out of the ring as much as possible.

#mudseason in Virginia 🌦️😬

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