I think some of the state schools you have on your list would be some great sure things, if you would be happy to attend them. Seconding the suggestions of public/land grants schools like Delaware, New Hampshire, etc.
If you decide you end up preferring a small school (or at least having one as a sure thing), below are some other options you may want to consider:
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Drew (NJ): At this school of about 1500 undergrads, students can reach NYC in about 45-50m, but has its own charming downtown to visit as well as its own arboretum & forest preserve. There are a lot of opportunities for research here as well.
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Goucher (MD): There are about 1k undergrads here and it has a strong academic program and even has a minor in equine studies, since you’re a horse person
. There is definitely a green, verdant campus here, and students can participate in the Baltimore Collegetown consortium, including taking classes at area schools like Johns Hopkins, Loyola Maryland, etc. -
Nazareth (NY): If you are thinking about U. of Rochester, I’d also check out Nazareth. There are about 2k undergrads at this green, beautiful campus. Apparently its science labs were rated among the top 20 in the country by Princeton Review (source). There’s also an equestrian team, if that might be something of interest.