Our dream and our intention has always been to preserve this land as a wildlife sanctuary and as a refuge from the stresses of everyday life that time in nature can so uniquely provide. This has never changed.
Now, with the steady loss of open land available for riding and the scarcity of places to school cross country, we also want to make Ashland available as a place to ride in the open, to condition and to school. At the same time, to take care of the farm, the land and the wildlife, we need to open it in a way that preserves Ashland's sense of tranquility and protects it from the effects of careless use and overuse.
Our solution is to open the farm through a membership program. Through membership we hope to attract a community of riders for whom Ashland becomes a kind of home, a refuge to protect as well as enjoy.
Initially membership was offered to those who already knew Ashland, who had schooled or shown here. Over time membership is becoming more widely available, primarily through word of mouth, to others who, we hope, will both appreciate and help protect what is here.