Is Virginia’s Piedmont horse country? You bet! With five active hunts, Olympic caliber trainers, some of the best equine vets in the country and all the assets any breeder, trainer or hobbyist could ask for, this is natural horse country.

It’s no wonder that the Charlottesville countryside is well known throughout the world as one of the finest places to raise horses. The fertile fields and healthy climate have been home to generations of fat ponies and Derby winners. That said, all land is not equal when it comes to keeping horses. It is possible to find land in the Charlottesville area that is absolutely perfect for horses. It would consist of a nice deep soil with few if any rocks. It would be gently rolling and well drained and it would already be in good grass, your horse’s favorite food.

This is horse country and a horse can thrive here and live entirely off the land for most of the year. It’s not all horse country though so do your homework. Up close to the mountains the pasture will be rockier and harder on your horse’s feet. That beautiful flat bottomland along the creek looks great when dry but will often be a wet soil that can be unhealthy for hooves. Clearing woodland to make pasture can be done but it takes years to build up the grass to compare with established pasture.

If you want to breed horses you’ll want to look at the type of grass growing in your fields. The fescue grass found in much of this area needs to managed if broodmares are grazing on it. Finding a place that is already fenced and has existing stabling is usually the best buy and finding a place that allows riding off the property can be a huge benefit in how you can enjoy your horses without trailering.

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I’d actually be a pretty good person to ask. I’ve lived in Orange County since 1983. I was a transplant from Sonoma County CA and never imagined I’d live here the rest of my life. But, here I am 40 years later having raised a family, grown a career and roots in one of America’s most beautiful terroirs. Horses are what brought me here. (Want a horse.docx) and a love and understanding of the land is what is what made me stay and be successful in country property brokerage in this area.

Orange county was settled early in America’s history (1734) due to the high quality of the soils
for agriculture, the amenable climate and overall beauty of the this rich land in the piedmont of
the Blue Ridge mountains. In the 1820’s Orange County was home to President James
Madison at Montpelier, Supreme Court Justice Phillip Barbour at Frascati, Virginia Governor
James Barbour at his home designed by Thomas Jefferson (https://www.monticello.org/
research-education/thomas-jefferson-encyclopedia/barboursville/) who along with James Monroe lived just 20 miles distant in Albemarle County. It is likely that each of these statesmen would have enjoyed each other’s company at Frascati, a remarkable home in Somerset which is listed for sale for the first time in 45 years. Frascati (Somerset, Virginia) – Wikipedia.pdf.zip)

Orange County also played a pivotal role in the Civil War with the full armies of both the north
and south encamped in Gordonsville and Rapidan then culminating in the terrible battle at
Wilderness. Artifact hunting for civil war relics with metal detectors is a popular past time here.
It is said that any large shade tree extant during the Civil War in the vicinity between Somerset
and Gordonsville was a confederate encampment and and old horseshoes, buckles and bullets
are still found regularly.

Today Orange County is much quieter but still sublime with a character that draws those
looking for a simpler, small town lifestyle. There are two small towns in Orange County, Orange,
the county, seat with a population of around 5000 and Gordonsville with around 1500 residents. There are groceries, pharmacies and fast food if you are just passing through and a cornucopia of antique shops, taverns and fabulous old neighborhoods if you slow down and
have a real look.

I live in Somerset just 15 minutes from either Orange or Gordonsville and we do most of our
shopping locally. We can expect to see folks we know at the grocery store and walking down
Main Street. It feels friendly and inclusive. It’s also nice to know that Charlottesville and all it
offers; UVA, two major hospitals, hundreds of amazing restaurants and entertainment venues is
less than 30 minutes away.

For us, the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful, affordable life in the country and the small town
experience or Orange and Gordonsville coupled with access to one of the most exciting
university towns in America is the best of both worlds.

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United States history pretty much begins in Virginia with the founding of Jamestown in 1607.
As the colonization of Virginia moved westward, the Piedmont Valley, bounded by the Blue
Ridge mountains to the west and sloping eastward to the Tidewater became recognized for its
fine soils for agriculture, a “delicious” climate with four distinct seasons and an abundance of
natural resources. Thus, were many fine plantations created in the early 19th century including the homes of three of our first five presidents within an easy carriage ride of Charlottesville.

Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, James Madison’s Montpelier and James Monroe’s Ashlawn are
all historic landmarks near Charlottesville and open to the public. Virginia’s piedmont is also
home to many private properties that date from the late 18th century through the early 20th
century some of which occasionally come up for sale. Lovers of old homes appreciate the
history that took place within those walls and love the patina of the old floors, the worn
thresholds, horsehair plaster walls and timber peg joinery.

Great care is taken to preserve theold hand blown glass window panes, hinges and hardware that make maintaining such a homea lifestyle choice rather than merely shelter. Despite the inevitable inefficiency and compromises one makes in caring for a classic old home, aficionados are many as evidenced by the scores of publications, clubs and social media groups dedicated to owning, restoring and living in historic properties:

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/index.htm
https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-register/
https://savingplaces.org/preservation-magazine#.Y1_3NS2B2L0
https://www.thisoldhouse.com
https://www.oldhouseonline.com
https://yourhistorichouse.com/product/house-restorers-combo-pack/
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/how-to-bring-an-old-home-into-the-modern-world

Orange County, Virginia located just north of Charlottesville is drenched in American history
from its founding in 1734 with important sites from the revolutionary war and as a hub of the confederacy during the Civil War. Many significant homes still exist from that period with at least 175 antebellum homes and buildings listed in Ann Miller’s fine book, Antebellum Orange.

Among the finest examples of Jeffersonian inspired architecture would be Frascati, c. 1823,
built for Phillip Barbour, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court by John Perry known for his
work Thomas Jefferson on the University of Virginia. Frascati is in good company in Orange
County with several prominent estates owned at that time by Virginia’s statesmen including
Governor Barbour and President James Madison each within a pleasant hour’s ride.

Another way to enjoy the rich character of an old home is the increasingly popular practice of
repurposing old materials, often logs, floors and doors from a disassembled home are used in
the construction of an otherwise newer home. A great example is Dutchmont, also in Orange
County that was built using materials from an old mill in the Shenandoah Valley. One feels like
they are walking into an 1850’s log home with wide plank flooring, hand hewn beams and
timber peg joinery while enjoying a fabulous chef’s kitchen, luxurious baths and geothermal
HVAC.

Dutchmont is currently offered for sale on 100 acres in Orange County https://forsale.
charlottesvillecountry.com/idx/featured
Whether and old clapboard farmhouse on a gravel road, a fanciful Victorian in town or a
National Landmark like Frascati, if the idea of an older home tugs at your heart.

Charlottesville Real Estate

Call John Ince for information on new listings, price reductions and properties coming soon in the Charlottesville, VA area.

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Market update for the Charlottesville real estate market including:  Albemarle County, VA, Orange County, VA, Madison County, VA, Greene County, VA, Nelson County, VA, Fluvanna County, VA, Louisa County, VA real estate.

Before we talk about your dream horse farm, I want to give you a bit of insight into my own personal journey and experiences with horses and horse farms.

In my younger days I managed horse farms in Northern California, Southern California and deep east Texas. My vagabond days ended when I took a job as trainer for a superb Egyptian Arabian breeding farm in Afton, Virginia about 25 minutes west of Charlottesville, Virginia. I remember arriving for my first day in 1982. It was my birthday, May 21 and the soft green fields smelled earthy and rich. There were dogwood trees blooming at the edge of the woods. The morning air was cool and moist.  The horses in their pastures all had their heads down grazing on the new grass.  What a contrast from the dry, pipe fenced paddocks of Santa Barbara and the shallow, rocky soils of the Texas piney woods. Here was country made for horses with deep rich soils, ideal forage and a history and culture where fine horses have always played a central role.

It wasn’t long before I knew I had found my home. I opened my own training stable at Waverley Farm in Orange County and got my real estate license in 1983. In 1985 I decided to dedicate all of my energies toward real estate and my horses happily moved to hobby status where they remain even today. I have specialized in all types of country property for nearly forty years but particularly enjoy working with horse owners helping them find that ideal horse property in the seven county area surrounding Charlottesville, Virginia.

• Farms and Estates
• Horse Farms for Sale in Charlottesville, VA

Charlottesville Real Estate

Call John Ince for information on new listings, price reductions and properties coming soon in the Charlottesville, VA area.

Sign up here to receive a customized Charlottesville Real Estate Market Report.

Market update for the Charlottesville real estate market including:  Albemarle County, VA, Orange County, VA, Madison County, VA, Greene County, VA, Nelson County, VA, Fluvanna County, VA, Louisa County, VA real estate.