Equestrian areas in Dallas (Plano, Richardson: leases, neighborhoods, buy)

[Onthemove518]

There's a good chance we will be moving to Dallas this summer. My husband's office will be on the north end of downtown. My daughter (12) is an equestrian. Can someone please give me recommendations for barns and neighborhoods with good schools near those barns so we can begin our research? She will be going into 8th grade so both middle school and high school need to be good.

Thank you!

[ChristieP]

There are very, very few equestrian facilities in Dallas proper. Most of them are way out in the suburbs, which will be a long drive from your husband's work. What will your budget be for housing, and how long of a commute is your husband willing to make? And does your daughter already own her own horse, or is she wanting to lease a horse, or just ride lesson horses? What style of riding does she do?

Here are the ones in Dallas proper, all of which are hunter/jumper barns:
White Rock Stables: https://www.whiterockstables.net/
Dallas Equestrian Center: Dallas Equestrian Center
Trinity Forest Equestrian: https://trinityforestequestrian.com/

And a few in the suburbs:
Windmill Stables in Richardson: https://windmillstables.com/ (hunter/jumper)
Mill-Again Stables in Plano: https://www.mill-againstables.com/ (They do saddleseat riding)

[Onthemove518]

We are coming from CA, so our housing budget is pretty high. Anything under a million would easily work given what I've peaked at on realtor.com in the last day. He currently has a two hour commute and again coming from LA, we are used to traffic so keeping his commute to an hour would probably work for us easily.

She is 12, an advanced rider, participates in IEA with her current barn, is also on their drill team. She currently leases a pony but we are 99% sure they won't let us take her with us. We will definitely be looking to lease again. She is an english rider (equitation, hunter, jumper). Where we are now, as a leasee your group lessons are included. She also does a couple private lessons each month. Our barn is not a full service barn so we are used to being at the barn for a few hours each day to care for our pony and this is why we want to live close to where she will ride.

Do you have any personal experience with any of the barns listed above?

[mkx110]

Yu might check out SMU's equestrian program. They may be able to give some recommendations. SMU is just north of downtown. My niece, who lived /lives in Orange county is in the equestrian program at SMU she looked at schools across the country and choose SMU. She liked their program the most. She is also an English rider.
If I remember correctly, the school bought her horse and brought is over.

[keribeth818]

Where did she ride in LA?

Lots of Hunter Jumper options in Argyle/Flowermound area. You could live in Southlake or Coppell in your price range and have a decent commute (by LA standards) to both the barn and Dallas.

MTM Farm, Brawley Farm, Windswept, Foxglen, Flowermound Farm

[ChristieP]

Since she rides H/J, take Mill-Again off the list. Trinity Forest is in south Dallas, and the schools there are awful.

SMU's equestrian program is based at the Dallas Equestrian Center.

Dallas Equestrian, White Rock and Windmill would all have the good commute, good schools, and proximity to the barn. White Rock and Dallas Equestrian are in the Lake Highlands area of Dallas, and if you buy in the area that feeds into Richardson ISD, the schools are very good. Windmill is in Richardson, so it already has the Richardson ISD schools.

I don't have direct personal experience with these barns since I am a western rider, and these are all English barns. I do have several friends who compete in H/J and I often attend shows with them. They mostly ride in the Argyle/Flower Mound area at Bridlewood: Bridlewood Stables and Equestrian Center Bridlewood is a VERY nice H/J barn, and they host A and AA shows! That wouldn't be an ideal commute to downtown Dallas at all, but it would have the combination of barn and good schools for under $1M.

It helps that she won't be bringing a horse and looking for an immediate opening. Many of these barns have waiting lists well over a year long for boarding.

[bigbear63]

Take a look over in the Rockwall area including Heath and McLendon-Chisolm. The direction of traffic will be the same as what your husband would be doing. Lots of land but few roads in and out so the commute is easily 45min-1:15 each way. However, there are horse farms and equestrian riding areas out there. Lots of friends from Dallas that have moved out that way and love it but they don't have to do the daily commute.

[Texan#1]

Just buy in the White Rock Valley neighborhood of Lake Highlands. White rock stables is right there and there are 2 or 3 new builds in the $1M ballpark for you to choose from right now. You can also work with builders that have gotten their hands on a lot, as well. Your husband’s commute will be fine from here, too. It’s the 75238 zip code.

[Onthemove518]

Thank you all for the responses. My husband went to Bridlewood today at 5pm on purpose to see the traffic. It took 40 min which is what almost anything is here in LA. He will look at a different place tomorrow but I'm not sure which one. I've sent him all the information you've given me

[mSooner]

Originally Posted by Onthemove518

Thank you all for the responses. My husband went to Bridlewood today at 5pm on purpose to see the traffic. It took 40 min which is what almost anything is here in LA. He will look at a different place tomorrow but I'm not sure which one. I've sent him all the information you've given me

Just a heads up, he may have caught it on a really good traffic day. My dad did that commute for years (Love to Wellington, next to Bridlewood) and it could vary quite a bit.