Riding Facilities

Since the purchase of the Towson property in the 1920’s, the Goucher College Equestrian facility has grown into one of the premier collegiate equestrian locations in the nation. The facility now features two full-care barns, 10 turnout paddocks, indoor and outdoor riding rings, multiple rolling riding fields and acres of trails.

Development of these extensive facilities began in 1958 with the design and construction of the “Main Barn.”  Six horses were purchased by the college from a summer camp in Vermont, and the building was funded by a generous gift from Ethel Haebler, a member of the Board of Trustees.

The stable was constructed of cinderblock and redwood siding, with windows and louvered shutters which initially, were painted in primary colors. Consisting of 13 box stalls, a tack room and an equipment room, the stable won an architectural award of merit from the Baltimore Association of Commerce.

In subsequent years, the stable facility continued to expand to accommodate the escalating popularity of the program.  In 1977, a concrete block stable with six standing stalls was added, lovingly dubbed “The Pony Barn,” followed in 1985 by another 8-stall stable, “The Boarder Barn.”

In 1993, the 100x175-foot indoor riding arena was built. The existing outdoor arena was divided in half, with the new indoor facility occupying one side of the space.  In June 2010, Dr. Suzanne Buckner Knoebel, ’48 bequeathed funding for an addition to the indoor, called the Team and Clinic Pavilion. The Pavilion will occupy the space between the outdoor and indoor riding arenas and feature a spectator gallery, office space, and a large glass-enclosed meeting room, overlooking the indoor.  This addition represents the largest individual gift in the Equestrian Program’s history and would help ensure the continued excellence of Goucher’s equestrian teams, facilities, and initiatives.