Lantern Lane Farm in Virginia

Lantern Lane Farm in Virginia

The Blue Ridge Mountains rolled like hazy, gray-green ocean waves into the distance. I sat on my horse, a thoroughbred chestnut gelding named "Ben," waiting outside the barn for the other riders and imagined an entire foxhunt galloping by on the undulating hills in front of me.

I could almost see scarlet-clad riders accompanied by a pack of tri-color hounds in full cry pursuing a bushy-tailed red fox.

"Tally Ho!"

The rest of the field, dressed conservatively with the hunt's colors on their collars, their horses shining and braided, but flecked with sweat, passed by in my mind's eye and soon I could only imagine the thundering hoof beats and melodious singing of the hounds.

No wonder the area supports thirteen hunts within an hour and a half of Lantern Lane Farm. The rolling terrain is a perfect playground for the sport of foxhunting.

Debbie Craig with her husband, Walter, are the owners of Lantern Lane Farm in northern Virginia, and our hosts for a 3-day visit last November. They own two parcels of land consisting of 40 acres and 28 acres with a large ring, fields, and barns for the horses, and a hot tub and a pool with screened-in gazebo for the guests.

We drove down the long lane lined on one side by tall, stately lanterns and were greeted by two bouncing, friendly Springer spaniels who escorted us to the door of the historic 1840 farmhouse.

The Bed & Breakfast Farm offers inviting bedrooms with cozy decor -- colorful quilts, sitting areas, spacious private bathrooms and, if your room doubles as the library, too, shelves upon shelves of reading materials and a romantic fireplace. My favorite room was the great room, a long sunroom that doubles as the dining area at one end and as a comfortable viewing/sitting room at the other end. Large windows on three sides overlook a pond, one of the barns, the ring, and open, sweeping pastures where horses graze and a deer might meander.

We filled out a breakfast request form for the next morning with choices that ranged from oatmeal to omelets or your choice of eggs with bacon, sausage, ham or scrapple to pancakes and French toast. Breakfast is served in the cheerful great room and juice and cookies are available anytime in the kitchen for snacks.

"Our main goal is to offer guests a place to stay where they can be comfortable, relax, and just work on their riding," Debbie explained. "They can get away from home and just engage in horsey bliss."

"We encourage the guests to go out to the barn and meet the horses, groom them and just get to know them. It's not required. We just make this opportunity available."

The usual routine is to have a lesson in the ring in the morning and, if the riders are capable of controlling a horse cross-country, they will go for a guided trail ride in the afternoon and practice what was learned in the ring out on the trails. We rode through a Christmas tree farm and practiced various dressage movements -- shoulder in, haunches in, and leg yields up and down between the rows of young pine trees. We also cantered and trotted around fields and up and down the rolling hills.

Lantern Lane Farm is a working horse farm specializing in the boarding and training of dressage horses, as well as dressage and jumping instruction for beginners through advanced riders. All equestrian programs offer the use of quality school horses or guests may bring their own horses. To fox hunt, guests must bring their own horses or rent one from a nearby stable.

There are eleven horses on the farm and, usually, a couple are in training. Debbie rode "Habana," a handsome, dark bay Holsteiner mare who she often uses to demonstrate to students how to execute various movements.

Those involved in the equestrian program are asked to revisit their goals -- long, medium and short range goals - so Debbie can structure their individualized lessons, according to what they want to learn. In the evening, they discuss their feelings about the day's lessons so Debbie has feedback in order to plan the next day's program.

"I emphasize weight, seat, leg, and rein aids with the students because this knowledge can help in any discipline -- dressage, jumping, fox hunting, trail riding," Debbie explained.

Unmounted lessons or workshops are conducted in the great room with the use of videos to help explain the Training Tree or Scale that encompasses lunging, rhythm, impulsion, suppleness, elastic contact, and acceptance of the bit, among other things.

For those guests who are interested in area attractions, Lantern Lane Farm is located in a charming rural community fifteen minutes from historic, quaint Warrenton and sixty miles southwest of Washington, DC, but conveniently located to restaurants, shopping and other attractions.

We enjoyed local restaurants in nearby Flint Hill for dinner in the evenings, and there is a variety of activities in the area during the day - the Skyline Drive, a serpentine highway that provides outstanding vistas of the Shenandoah Valley below; Luray Caverns, one of the world's most spectacular natural wonders with enormous underground chambers that fascinate visitors with their sculpted stalagmites and stalactites; White Oak Canyon Falls; Civil War museums and landmarks, such as Manasas Battlefield; a nine-hole golf course; area tack shops; hiking, canoeing and biking; and sampling wines at local Virginia wineries.

This area of Virginia is beautiful any time of the year and will enchant you with its spring and summer flowers, colorful fall foliage, or snowy winter panoramas. Pick a convenient time and plan to immerse yourself in horses and equestrian endeavors at Lantern Lane Farm - with all the comforts of home!

To contact Debbie Craig at Lantern Lane Farm, please see our Riding Vacation Directory under the state of Virginia.

4799 Lower Mountain Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Tel: (215) 794-5878 • Fax: (215) 794-5878
E-mail: info@horseclassics.com
Web: www.horseclassics.com

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