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Trail riding business to opens in spring
By MARK THOMAS/Star-Tribune Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 7, 2007 9:26 AM EST
SANDY LEVEL - Steve and Carol Miller have brought their "tried and true" business model to Pittsylvania County.
And after almost a year of getting ready, Smith Mountain Farm & Stables is about to open.
Starting April 1, the Millers will offer guided horseback trail rides, complete with colorful stories and history, for people who have never been on a horse, those who are experienced riders and everyone between.
"We want them to feel like they're our friends, and we're taking them for a ride," Carol Miller said recently while sitting at the kitchen table in the couple's renovated farmhouse on Grassland Drive.
The Millers, who have been married 12 years, operated the same business in Loudoun County in Northern Virginia. After eight years, development changed the flavor of the business. Views of mountains became views of mansions. Traffic made it unsafe for Steve Miller to drive a piece of farm equipment on the road.
So the Millers, who have known each other since childhood, looked west, east and south. For four years, they searched Virginia for a new location. They visited Giles, Tazewell, Appomattox and other counties. The looked at the Eastern Shore.
Feeling frustrated with their search, they saw Aaron Johnson's three-line ad in The Washington Post for a piece of farm property in Pittsylvania County. With Johnson, a Gretna real estate agent, they looked at the farm.
It was love at first sight.
Along with 11-year-old son Steve, they moved to the 300-acre farm in May 2006. The tract had formerly been home to the Edwards family. Last summer, they told the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors about their plans for a trail riding business.
Now, the Millers are making final plans to put visitors on horses for relaxing walks around the farm. The rides, at $65 a person, will last 90 minutes to two hours.
After getting to know their guest riders, the Millers will match them with one of their 11 seasoned horses. The horses average 16 years old. The Millers will give a few pointers about riding horses, how to stop, how to turn and other basics. Steve Miller said safety is top priority.
With a guide, the guests will hit the trail, going up and down hills, through creeks, and into and out of woods. There will be stops by a tobacco barn and cabin. The guide will tell something about the area's history, and toss in some interesting and entertaining bits of information. There will be time for questions and photographs.
"It's more than just coming out and riding horses," Carol Miller said. "It's out being on a farm."
The Millers said in Loudoun County, about 20 prospective grooms proposed marriage to their intended brides while on trail rides. One proposal stands out.
Steve Miller said one man wanted to propose in a suit of armor while riding a white horse. This 'knight in shining armor' read a poem to his intended. There was a squire, and Steve Miller played a jester, both in costume. Someone filmed the event.
The girlfriend said yes.
"We had 100 percent success rate on that," Steve Miller said of the wedding proposals. "There were no no's."
"We're flexible. If there's something special you want to do, we'll work with you," Carol Miller said.
Besides trail riding, Carol Miller plans to do day camps and give beginner lessons.
Since locating in Sandy Level, the Millers have taken down several buildings on the farm, renovated the white farmhouse, built barns and buildings, put up fences and cleaned up the land. A cabin is under construction.
It's been a lot of work getting ready to open.
"We have a vision, and I think we're going to make it happen," Carol Miller said.
Smith Mountain Farm & Stables will be open year-round and offer rides seven days a week, weather-permitting. Reservations are needed for rides. Call 434-927-5199 for more information and to make reservations.
The business is located five miles from the Smith Mountain Lake Dam off Route 40, and 20 miles from Chatham.
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