Dressage in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has been horse country since before it was a state, and it shows. The Allegheny National Forest offers rugged backcountry trail; Lancaster County's farmland still moves to a horse-drawn rhythm; and the network of state park and state forest trails in between covers nearly every kind of terrain a rider could want. The operations reflect that depth: guest ranches, trail-riding stables offering guided rides through big scenery, and everything in between.

The geography sorts the riding neatly. The Pocono Mountains in the northeast are dense forest and demanding ground. Pack-trip and hard-trail territory for riders who want to earn their views. Central Pennsylvania's PA Wilds opens into serious wilderness suited to multi-day excursions. And the gentler, older landscapes of the southeast, along the Susquehanna River, hold the bulk of the riding academies and boarding barns, serving a busy mix of English and Western riders.