Thanks to mile after mile of scenic trail and seemingly limitless open pasture, horseback riding at Brays Island is a treat indeed. Our equestrian facilities have been meticulously designed, expertly maintained and passionately operated since our community was formed in 1988 and they only get better and better as the years go by. The result is a space that’s beloved by both enthusiastic equestrians and their four-hooved friends.

Whether you’re a classically trained equestrian or a recreational rider who loves to lap up the fresh air on horseback, Brays Island has just what you need to enjoy riding to the fullest throughout the year. Here are some of the things our residents and visitors love about ambling around our landscape in the saddle.

1. Our Horses (And Residents) Have Room to Roam—With 5,500 acres, including 104 acres of paddock and 60 miles of well-maintained riding trails at your disposal, riding at Brays Island is a treat for serious equestrians and novices alike. You and your pony are invited to trot through woodlands, open fields, marshes and rivers for a ride like no other when you’re a property owner.

2. We Treat Every Horse Like Royalty—Horses who live at Brays Equestrian Center are treated like members of the family. With 51 stalls and over 100 acres of pasture to roam, these very fortunate horses have everything they need to be healthy and happy when they’re staying on our grounds. In fact, some of our horses enjoy massages, acupuncture and custom diet plans.

3. We Have Something for Everyone—Take a stroll through the plantation and you’ll see a wide variety of equestrian amenities. Within our Equestrian Center, we have stalls, a training-level dressage arena, a standard-size round pen and large and small arenas. There’s even something for the kids or grandkids, who will appreciate getting up-close and personal with ponies and even going for a ride or two.

4. Horses Enjoy Generous Stalls—With the royal treatment comes royal dwellings at Brays. Horses who call the plantation home enjoy comfortable, spacious stalls in charming old buildings that have been transformed to accommodate our equine family members. Each horse barn at Brays has an overhead fly spray system to keep the horses free of flies and gnats. Plus, our stalls feature fans, rubber mats and fresh shavings to keep horses happy and comfortable.

5. We Host Special Events and Activities—Brays Island Owners and their families are invited to partake in a myriad of fun, equestrian-focused activities throughout the year. Whether it’s indulging the kids with trail rides, lessons and our popular paint-the-pony event or getting to know fellow residents and visitors on group trail rides, there’s no shortage of goings-on at the Brays Island Equestrian Center.

6. They’re Run by the Best of the Best—When you engage with equines on our grounds, you’ll be working with some of the best trainers, coaches and caretakers in the business. You’ll likely meet Equestrian Director Nicole Palazzo, a lifelong rider who manages the entire center—from the stalls in the Equestrian Center to the 35-paddocks—and as many as 85 horses at a time. Palazzo has a major in animal science and a minor in equine science from Berry College, where she earned many awards with the equestrian team.

7. The Paddocks Are Unrivaled—Have we mentioned our roomy community paddocks? No cramped quarters here! Horses at Brays often live in one of 104 fenced-in acres spread across the property, with each paddock averaging between one and two acres each. Every stall-boarded horse on the plantation enjoys 17 hours of pasture time per day, much of that spent with specific pasture mates to provide the horse with proper stimulation.

Join Us for a Ride at Brays

Our goal is to create a well-preserved, natural landscape just for riders and their horses, and we always do whatever we can to ensure that both two- and four-legged residents are well cared for at Brays Island. If you’re interested in enjoying riding life in our charming sporting community, we invite you to come for a visit or consider making our historic plantation your permanent home.