Dressage
training,
lessons &
private
horse boarding
Ali Calkins, USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold Medalist, Bronze Bar recipient, and owner of Forward Strides, LLC, operates her boarding and training business with her husband Mike, at RF Horse Farm located off route 26 in Mount Airy, Maryland.

all-in-one best care for your horse

Dressage Training
Offering training to horses of all breeds, ages, and levels, and instruction to riders of all ages and levels.

Dressage Lessons
Private dressage lessons catered to each rider’s level to advance and achieve personal goals.

Horse Boarding
Ali believes in offering only the highest quality of care for her clients’ horses, supplying top quality feed, sawdust bedding, free choice high quality hay, ample turnout, and tending to all day to day needs.

Layups
Forward Strides offers layup and short term rehab for injured horses. We can offer a stall in a quiet environment, medical care, hand walking, bodywork from our rehab specialist and chiropractor/acupuncturist, and small paddock turnout.
building the foundation
Training programs catered to every horse’s individualized needs based on their fitness, education, and reasonable goals set by the owner.
Private dressage lessons catered to each rider’s level to advance and achieve personal goals.





private boarding facility
The peaceful 68-acre facility boasts a 25-stall barn with an 80’x 200′ attached indoor arena with sand/fiber footing, a brand new 100’ x 200’ outdoor arena with sand/rubber footing, and great areas for hacking. In the barn we have a state-of-the-art temperature-controlled boarder tack room with lockers and an observation room adjacent to the indoor with heating and AC for your comfort while enjoying lessons and training rides.

why board & train
All barns run differently, but some barns offer only the basic needs for the horse. Anything outside of that such as wound care, vaccinations, farrier, dentist, etc, may be the owner’s responsibility to manage.
At Forward Strides, we believe in the importance of individualized care for our horses. We have a team of vets, farriers, body workers, dentists, and saddle fitters that we have developed a long-term relationship with to offer the best services possible to our clients. Ali oversees everything from the management, care, training, and lessons which creates a much more organized facility. This allows our clients to put everything in our hands and trust that their horse is getting the best possible care and more.
what people say





