For riders, breeders and spectators, it’s the mane attraction.
For golfers, this is it, of course – heaven on earth. But this is serious horse country too, a premier equestrian community thanks to the sandy soil and mild climate that combine to create one of the best places to raise, keep and ride horses. And folks have been doing just that for more than a century. It’s a world of farriers and farms, riders and drivers, stables and saddleries, first-rate equestrian events and the simple elation of the wind through your hair.
Some of the most beautiful rides can be enjoyed on the more than 4,000 acres set aside by the Walthour-Moss Foundation just a mile outside Southern Pines. Essentially a vast nature preserve and wildlife sanctuary bordered by horse farms and laced with sandy lanes and trails, the area is open daily from sunrise to sunset.
If you don’t ride, that doesn’t mean you can’t also enjoy equestrian life from other perspectives. Carolina Horse Park, between Aberdeen and Raeford, annually dressage and other national and international competitions, which draw huge crowds of spectators. The Moore County Driving Club hosts an annual Christmas carriage parade through downtown Southern Pines that’s one of the highlights of the holiday season.
And in the Village of Pinehurst, you can’t overlook the historic Pinehurst Harness Track, a 111-acre equestrian center that opened in 1915. At this major winter training facility for Standardbreds between October and May, you can watch horses being put through their paces in the early morning while enjoying a hearty breakfast at the Pinehurst Track Restaurant.
