No. 01 · Dressage
Dressage
Schooling through the FEI levels in a full-size arena with mirrors. Melissa trains to Grand Prix and rides with Scott Hassler.
Aiken's elite boarding & training facility
A 26-stall courtyard barn on 70 acres of high grass, gated directly into the 2,000-acre Hitchcock Woods. Home to trainers Darrell & Melissa Vaughn — dressage, eventing, hunters, jumpers and the foxhunt.
A note from the Vaughns · 01
The Stable on the Woods sits in the heart of Aiken's horse country — a courtyard barn renovated in 2004, full of light and air, opening straight onto high grass pastures and the sand of the Hitchcock Woods. Riders come here from every discipline, but the brief never changes: keep the horse sound, happy and improving.
Darrell and Melissa run it the way they ride — quietly, attentively, and with a deep respect for the animal. Whether you're chasing FEI dressage scores, a hunter championship, or your first hour in the woods, you'll be coached by professionals who put the horse first.
— Darrell & Melissa Vaughn Owners & head trainers · The Stable on the WoodsDisciplines · 02
Schooling through the FEI levels in a full-size arena with mirrors. Melissa trains to Grand Prix and rides with Scott Hassler.
A-circuit experience over fences — Darrell campaigned hunters and jumpers for a decade under Ralph Caristo and Buddy Brown.
Dressage, show jumping and conditioning in one yard, with miles of woods footing to build a bold, fit cross-country horse.
Gated straight into the Hitchcock Woods — hack out, leg up and ride to hounds in one of America's great hunt countries.
The Facility · 03
Light, airy, courtyard-style and renovated in 2004 — generous matted stalls and immaculate aisles.
A full-size dressage arena with mirrors and a dedicated show-jumping arena, both maintained daily.
High-quality grass turnout and a private gate into the 2,000-acre Hitchcock Woods trail system.
Hitchcock Woods · gated access
Few barns in the country can hack straight off the property into a protected forest. From The Stable on the Woods you can — 2,000 acres of groomed sand trails, hills and hunt country wait directly through the gate. It is what makes a sound, brave, happy horse.
Conditioning · hacking · foxhunting — minutes from the barn aisle
See the property04 · In the words of a client
"Melissa and Darrell are two of the finest horse professionals in Aiken."
— A boarder & client
Now accepting select boarders & training horses
The best way to know a barn is to stand in it. Call or write, and Darrell or Melissa will show you the stalls, the rings and the gate to the woods.
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