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thedrifter
11-24-09, 02:57 PM
Riding club offers home for horse enthusiasts

11/23/2009 By Lance Cpl. Jahn R. Kuiper , Marine Corps Base Quantico

Tucked away in the forest of mainside, off Purvis Road by the front gate, resides a place that few people know about, the stables that belong to the Quantico Riding Club.

The stables used to be run by the base and horses were rented to the public. President Ronald Reagan would often come to Quantico’s trails for a ride. Due to lack of funding, since 2004, the base has leased the stables to the club, which is a co-op where all the members are equal and officers are elected. Currently, 33 horses are housed in the stables which can hold up to 40 horses.

The stables, which are open to any Department of Defense employee or family member of DOD personnel, offers a close-knit community.

“One of our great strengths is that our riders are all different experience levels,” said Chuck Nail, the president of the Quantico Riding Club. “Anyone from a novice to an expert of 20-plus years can be found here. We are all willing to help each other out. We will feed someone else’s horses if they can’t make it. Also, other riders might see some problem with your horse that you don’t see. We are willing to share our skills and experiences. This really helps the horses grow and mature.”

“While nonmembers can visit the stables, there are no pony rides given by the club,” Nail said. “If you want to use the facilities you must become a member. To do so you must call Debby Smith, the stable officer, at 703-221-3377. Then you come to a board meeting, which takes place the second Thursday of each month, where you are interviewed and voted on to become a member."

“There are two kinds of membership,” Nail said. “A regular membership consists of owning a horse and a stall. You pay a one-time membership fee of $100 and pay $135 for monthly board. The fee also includes use of the stalls, paddocks, riding rings and grain storage. An associate membership is when you don’t own a horse, but you can you can use the facilities and take riding lessons that some of the members provide. This membership costs $60 dollars a year. The lessons average $30 dollars.”

The club provides a home, but the work is left up to the owners.

“Owners must do their own horse care such as grooming the horse, feeding the horse twice a day, cleaning the hooves and judging if the horse is healthy by looking to see if the horses’ manure is the normal size,” said Nicole Suthard, a horse owner.

The club does offer some events to the public.

“We do different shows throughout the year,” said Don Balch, the finance officer for the Quantico Riding Club. “The public is invited to watch the members participate in horse games such as a rescue ride where participants ride to a tied-up victim, untie them and ride back to the finish. Music and food are also available. The next show will be in April.”

Also every six to eight weeks a search and rescue class is held by Nail.

- Correspondent: jahn.kuiper@usmc.mil

Ellie