𝙼𝚎𝚍𝚕𝚎𝚢 𝙵𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚍

03/25/2025

⛈️ WEDNESDAY THUNDERSTORMS⛈️

We will be watching the weather on Wednesday as the opportunity for thunderstorms is forecasted primarily for the afternoon and evening hours. If the weather is too stormy for safe riding, we will work on other horsemanship related learning during lessons. 🐴💗

03/24/2025

Our Summer Camps are now full, but you can get a similar weekly experience via our Monthly Horse Clubs! April has two spots left 🌷 https://m.signupgenius.com/ #!/showSignUp/10C0E4DA9AC2BA6FBC16-55255728-april

03/19/2025

Thankfully the weather gave us a break & we got to spend the entire Horse Club hour with Prince Phillip💗 then Abby got to experience being the ‘teacher in the middle’ after her private lesson!

03/18/2025

Sun!!! We took the opportunity to do a little yard-work on the farm today! See you tomorrow!! Morning Horse Club kids, wear something weather-proof, we will be doing a group riding lesson rain or shine (as long as it’s not pouring/windy like last week) 💗🎠

03/17/2025

Bring Back Horsemanship

Once upon a time, before TikTok and matchy-matchy saddle pads, people actually put effort into learning how to take care of horses. Kids didn’t just pull into the farm, hop on, and swan off afterwards like an equestrian diva. No, they earned time in the saddle by mucking out stalls so smelly you could barely breathe, filling haynets that covered you in itchy bits of hay, and lugging heavy splashing water buckets.

And Friday nights? That was Pony Club night in Ireland, an unmissable ritual. First, the riding lesson, where we pushed ourselves to perfect our position or attempted (and often failed) to keep our ponies from launching us into orbit over a cross-pole. Then the real fun, stable management. If you thought you were leaving without knowing how to spot colic, wrap a bandage properly, or pick out hooves without losing a finger, you were mistaken.

But now? Horsemanship is disappearing faster than your horse’s dignity when it spots a plastic bag.

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐌𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐮𝐭

These days, many young riders don’t spend hours at the barn learning the ins and outs of horse care. When they arrive, their pony is miraculously tacked up and ready, they ride for an hour, and off they go -probably to post a reel of their perfect canter transition. …

But here’s the problem: a horse isn’t an Instagram prop. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙖 1,000-𝙥𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙞𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚. And without that old-school, hands-on education, we’re seeing the consequences. Horses suffering from preventable colic, riders unable to recognize when their tack doesn’t fit, people feeding their cob the same as a Thoroughbred and wondering why it’s suddenly the size of a small elephant. …

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐧d

…When we skip learning horsemanship we don’t have the valuable knowledge & skills necessary for our horse’s well-being. People who have spent years on riding school horses, never mucked out a stable, never helped bandage a leg, never helped to nurse a horse through an illness, suddenly finding themselves with their first horse and lack the knowledge/skills to keep their horse well.

…. Owning a horse should come with more than just a financial commitment, it should come with a commitment to education....

𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬, 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬

So, what’s the solution? We need to bring back the GRIT. Horse clubs, riding lessons, livery yards, everyone involved with horses needs to make stable management a non-negotiable part of equestrian life again. Not a boring add-on. Not an optional extra. An essential, just as important to horse ownership (if not more), than being a skilled rider.

And for those of us who lived through the ‘earn your saddle time’ era? It’s on us to pass that knowledge down. Teach the young ones how to tell the difference between a horse that’s playing up and a horse that’s in pain. Show them that grooming is not just a way to make your horse shiny for pictures it’s how you check for cuts, lumps, or signs of discomfort. Explain why turnout isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.

𝐀 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞
…
If we don’t bring back the grit, we’re going to end up with a generation of riders who can execute a perfect flying change, but don’t know what to do when their horse colics at 2 in the morning. And, horses deserve so much more. We owe it to the next generation to make horsemanship/barn management a required part of their equestrian education.

-Adaptation of an original post by
Riverstown Farm Stables

03/16/2025

2025 hatch 💗🐣

03/13/2025

There is so much that goes into horse-keeping: grooming, medical problem-shooting, watering/feeding, leading out and back in, grazing, quiet time spent simply building a relationship with a horse, and countless hours spent cleaning stalls & taking care of tack and equipment. Some days the wind/rain turns riding-lessons into horse-keeping-lessons and though not glamorous it can still be fun & fulfilling 💗 Our first hour (horse club) was very wet/breezy, but we had fun choosing bingo prizes & starting our new packets and spending time together learning & laughing. After that we had 3 riding-lessons & were thankful that it dried out for the rest of the day! Great job everyone 😍

03/09/2025

FOR THE HORSEGIRLS: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY.
“On the 8th of March, we celebrate all that our wild and wonderful horsewomen have done and are yet to do!

May we know them, may we be them, may we raise them.

What originated as a protest has now become a globally recognized day that raises awareness for equality and action for women's rights.

While it is a day to celebrate, we should also reflect on aspects that still need some work like gender equity, pay gap, and equal opportunities in leadership.

International Women's day is very important and it is great to see real change, especially regarding the stigmas surrounding jobs and women's roles in workplaces and their businesses.

We will forever advocate for an equal society, where women are given the same opportunities as their male counter-parts. It's fair to say that over the years, we've seen an amazing amount of growth in this space - however, on a global scale we still have a long way to go.

So, this 8th of March, take your hats off to the all the strong, independent ladies - may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them.”

03/05/2025

What a great group in our March Horse Club! Today we started filling in horse bingo cards. Some of the chips were: hug a horse, brush a horse, pick out a hoof & braid a mane/tail. We also learned about morning feeding & paddock cleaning along with mounting/dismounting ba****ck! Lots to pack into one hour 🙂 see you next week (remember to bring your bingo sheet)! 🏆

03/04/2025

We are looking forward to March Horse Club that starts tomorrow! JUST TWO SPOTS LEFT FOR APRIL! Sign up for April here: https://m.signupgenius.com/ #!/showSignUp/10C0E4DA9AC2BA6FBC16-55255728-april

03/03/2025

Ms. Raquel got to take a lesson on Mara today! Such a sweet momma mare 😻

02/28/2025

JUST TWO SPOTS LEFT FOR APRIL HORSE CLUB! Register now & take advantage of our family discount of $20 off per child! Link to sign up here:
https://tothebarn.wixsite.com/medleyfarmstead/camps

We know how hard it can be to find the right beginner riding program. That’s why we've made it our mission to work with new riders and provide dependable and affordable beginning riding lessons. We believe that small home barns like ours provide the best introduction into the horse world. We striv...

02/27/2025

We topped 60 degrees! What a lovely way to end February lessons & our PM Horsemanship group class! 🙂 see you in MARCH! 🐸🌷

02/25/2025

February seems to be ‘going out like a lion’ but the good news is (knock on wood), Wednesday is looking dry & 60 degrees! Let’s hope our luck holds out, but rain or shine, we are looking forward to seeing everyone soon!! Stay safe & charge your phones 💗🌬️

02/20/2025

T’was quite a day! Blustery, cold but not too wet. Things were learned, friends were made, secrets were shared 💗 all because… horses. 😘

02/20/2025

TWO SPOTS LEFT! Sign up Link for April Horse Club : https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4DA9AC2BA6FBC16-55255728-april

02/16/2025

Sign up for Camp 2 … our last Summer Camp with Openings!