Manor Hill Farm

Manor Hill Farm Manor Hill Farm is a private, family run Horse Boarding Facility located in Chester Springs- Spring City, PA.

Manor Hill Farm is horse boarding facility located in Chester Springs, Pa on 40 acres. Amenities: (10) 12x12 stalls, automatic heated water, fans, infrared heated wash stalls, heated tack room, heated and climate controlled tack room, 5 grooming bays, 2 wash stalls, private turnout, outdoor sand arena with lights, 60' round pen, bathroom with washing machine, personal storage, trailer parking, dre

ssage, mounted games, and jump supplies.
*Boutique boarding available to the seasoned rider.
-accepting wait list boarders March of 2023.

Positive thoughts: By the time my kid gets off the bus and changes into her riding clothes, and starts grooming her pony...
01/06/2026

Positive thoughts:
By the time my kid gets off the bus and changes into her riding clothes, and starts grooming her pony it’s dark and freezing outside.
Im starting the count down to outdoor riding, and being less of a night crawler.
In 64 days I will no longer be trailering in the dark getting blinded by high beams, or be dressed in 4 layers of clothing that smell very strongly of horse urine, and desperation.
One day at a time adds another minute to my sanity.
I would also like to add- I purposely did not write this post 3 days ago for a very good reason. 🫶🏻 (I have learned not to say that number.)
On March 11th many ponies will be ridden after school. It’s as exciting as planning a vacation.

01/04/2026

I just read a post about “showing up” no matter what and how the lack of work ethic in the horse industry is why barns are closing their doors.
Burn out is very real and when you have no choice but to show up because you are the only one doing it. It kills the dream. This is why we need barn workers. We aren’t lazy or can’t do it ourselves, but we need time to actually enjoy what we do and focus on the reason why we opened our doors.

Finding reliable help is hard and the ones that are reliable need to be paid very well to stay. Finding weekend help is almost impossible and those rare gems get paid double.
A little help goes a long way but being able to afford this kind of help will drain your bank account quickly. This is why many barns turn into slums and dont upkeep or feed their animals with quality grain or forage. You either work for free or the horses pay the price for the additional help.

The boarding business makes no profit. It’s a well known fact. This is why over the years the board prices in this area have doubled. Someone needs to pay for the broken fence, land, equipment repairs, diesel, insurance, workmans comp, property taxes, mortgage, electricity, grass seed, feed, hay, along with all the other things a random horse breaks in a given day. It’s really expensive. After all that there isn’t a cent left to pay the barn worker that made it possible to go win a 50 cent ribbon that took an entire day plus years of lessons to win.
It is a really uncomfortable place to be when you realize that you are going to have to squeeze money from somewhere just to make ends meet.
We pay our employees well, our horses get quality in their care, our boarders are like family. We work for free so that our farm doesnt look like a shanty town.

I just wish I could afford or find weekend help. Im sure if I offered top dollar I could find the help. We just had our college student home for the holidays to do an apprenticeship as barn manager. It was eye opening to how our quality of life glowed while she was here helping us.
An extra set of hands is worth its weight in gold. In order to afford her help we had to cut back on two months of lessons and put a big project on hold. I rather pay her than go back to burnout mode. My life has been much happier with her by my side. Sadly, she has to go back to school. Without really good help I can’t continue on this path.

Or… I could always just go back to what worked best. Two horses in my backyard, while teaching lessons in my free time.
Or- Rent out the stalls to a professional trainer.
Or- raise the board and risk losing my barn family to afford the best help and care possible.
Or- offer self care.
Or- fill the barn with lesson horses and make a profit again.

I love what we do, and have become incredibly attached to our horses and barn family. I can’t fully do it without the help. It’s a catch 22.

It’s a really uncomfortable place to be- mainly because nobody will work for less than $20 an hour. In these 15 years I havent ever found someone that will work a full weekend consistently. I have to beg and pull a hat trick for such a luxury. $$$ a day is the new minimum wage and barns are failing everywhere due to the surge in prices. Good barn workers won’t work for less. I don’t blame them, this work is hard and there is a lot of education and experience behind the best barn managers. You are paying for quality. Times have changed and everything has become a money pit.
We have some really difficult decisions to make.

That’s a wrap for our wonderful and fun year! Happy New Year!
01/01/2026

That’s a wrap for our wonderful and fun year! Happy New Year!

It is a snow trax kind of day! If you don’t own a pair of ice picks for your boots- you are missing out. It’s like being...
12/27/2025

It is a snow trax kind of day! If you don’t own a pair of ice picks for your boots- you are missing out. It’s like being able to walk on water! The frozen kind. They work great- just walked no problem uphill on a sheet of ice. No broken hips, concussions or swollen wrists this year. I’m wearing my holy boots. Winning…

12/25/2025

Happy holidays and Merry Christmas from our farm to yours! May all your horses be healthy and well. May you all have gotten new saddles and sleighs. May your goals come true for the year to come and may all this years wishes have been granted and done.
Ask any horse lover what they wanted for Christmas- a pony, a pony, ask any them… it never came.
The pony is too big to fit in the sleigh- but lots of treats this year… the big guy will bring. Lots of love, hope, and a job well done.

Enjoy your day, our horses are, I told their parents to stay away. The horses can frolic or sleep, roll in hay, lots of things to do with their day off to play. They will get their dinner, and a special treat, lots of love, nuzzles and whispers… Im sure tomorrow the parents are coming to make sure they are ok!
They are- don’t worry. Liz wanted the farm to herself today. My one gift I enjoy the most on Christmas Day. Peace, wellness and happiness is my wish for all. From our farm to yours, I hope you have a merry day.

Our first real snow! A winter wonderland. Needless to say- we are closed today while we plow the driveways.
12/14/2025

Our first real snow! A winter wonderland. Needless to say- we are closed today while we plow the driveways.

Parenting: Today, I gave up my one free moment to take my daughter Christmas shopping so that two horses got done by the...
12/13/2025

Parenting:
Today, I gave up my one free moment to take my daughter Christmas shopping so that two horses got done by the farrier.

She is super angry at me because I told her that it would have to be another day. It was my fun idea to go. I had a free moment and it quickly got cancelled with a last minute text. What a mistake it was to bring up a cute idea the day before.

I dont go out at night, and I… just don’t want to do it now. I have rules in winter. My window closed of happy times which is normally during my energy time of early morning- mid afternoon. I have zero mental energy left after a day with horses in winter. I’m left with no fun. I’m cold, tired, hungry, and just… burnt out. The last thing I want to do is go shopping. I get the winter blues, and the minute the sun leaves I feel like death. Im barely alive- add on the holiday seasons and you might as well just kill me. Im running on fumes.

I get blamed a lot- I have no free time for my kids or family. We never spend time together unless it’s driving to sports. The last time we had a vacation was last january. Not complaining thats just how our life has always been with this business, the minute you get a break you run for time with family. Finding help is hard.

The farmer/ trade life- this is normal. They dont have luxuries either. When I sit in the barn waiting for most of our proffesionals to be done, often times they bring their own kids with them just to spend time with them, help and work. Or…because they dont have a caregiver. These kids work hard, they move the minute their parent says to get something, they are polite and courteous and often times they just watch without speaking unless spoken to.

It’s part of the trade. Working kids are different from the others. The odd part I noticed is that the working kids don’t talk to each other. They just go about focusing on their parents and trades.

It’s a hard way of living. Those kids give up a lot to follow in their parents footsteps. Mine rode her pony today ba****ck, helped bring in horses, fed the horses and blanketed and groomed, cleaned tack and cleaned up. She is still sad she didn’t get to be a real kid that gets to shop. I don’t blame her. I hate me too.

Some days are hard. Is the sacrifice worth it? These kids are wired different, because their parents work 7 days a week without a day off. How many of them will be just like us, or get fed up and hate us one day for it?
I’m tired and hungry… with a grouchy kid.

Some days- I really wish things were different. Maybe tomorrow instead… is what they hear everyday.
These kids are living the dream. Are they? I guess it depends on who their parents are.

It’s the little moments in winter that make you feel like a winner. It turns out my winter boots are too small and with ...
12/09/2025

It’s the little moments in winter that make you feel like a winner. It turns out my winter boots are too small and with the additional socks my toes were rubbing and I had blisters. I have been wearing my husbands boots instead which are huge! My toes stay warm and I don’t have blisters anymore. Do I look like a clown? You betcha but this simple hack of wearing things that are a few sizes larger actually work.

Wearing rubber latex gloves under my gloves also help, especially when cleaning out the water buckets. Plastic bags in boots make it easy to get them on and off and also help insulate. Hand warmers in pockets for when your finger tips get too cold also a win.

Frozen buckets? Leave them upside down in the sun while mucking and the ice will pop out leaving a beautiful ice sculpture.

Afraid that your horses don’t love you anymore? Make them some hot tea with beet pulp and alfalfa pellets. They drink it faster than you can shot gun a beer. It’s like a frat party for horses.

It’s the little things. Clean unfrozen running water, horses munching on hay, watching them sleep in the fields warming themselves up in the sun, no wind, no ice, arenas that arent frozen, and air that smells like snow and campfire from all the homes nearby. These are my favorite winter days. Soon we can add to it with ba****ck rides in fresh snow.
Stay positive!
Im ok with winter as long as the sun is out, and nothing is broken or injured.
It’s going to be a great day.

12/05/2025

The cool part about having a horse barn and caring for animals is it makes you mentally, emotionally and physically strong. It changes you.

Winters are tough and frustrating. You battle extreme cold, ice, frozen hoses, broken heaters, frozen arenas, dead truck batteries, dirty or destroyed blankets, increasing hay, feed, electricity prices, sore aching muscles and joints, frozen fingers, and sometimes bored and ferrel horses. No matter how you feel the work must get done.

You may have spent everyday in the saddle, working to compete each month and have to come to terms that the only option is to go south to continue on your dream or find an indoor arena. The overwhelming frustration of going 60 miles an hour to being parked in a frozen tundra is agonizing.

There are so many options to continue but they all have hurdles and expenses. How do you keep up with all the birds that flew south?

There is a virus going around that is extremely contagious to horses. Shows are being cancelled and public indoors and barns are in quarantine. It’s just one thing after another of life throwing wrenches in the wheels.

At the end of the day it’s grit and determination that divides the warriors from the princesses. Ba****ck blanket trail rides, once a week lessons at a facility with an indoor arena, reading educational books, taking online clinics, listening to podcasts, researching new techniques, and improving no matter what. Saving money for future events, or travel. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Stay warm, and if you are working in the dark, filling water buckets, mucking stalls, caring for your horses even when you cant ride, hauling hay, and still riding in this cold weather. I see you. Welcome to the warrior team.
We just need to conquer another 105 more days till we are back in the fast lane. What doesnt kill us makes us true horseman.

Happy Thanksgiving! The horses get a day off today while the turkeys get wrangled.
11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving! The horses get a day off today while the turkeys get wrangled.

11/24/2025

Morning Coffee and Reflection: Keyboard Warriors, Facts, and Opinions.

Today, at 5 am, I opened my social media page with coffee in hand and came across a thought-provoking post. A big red post asked: seeking suggestions for an alternative professional for my horse, excluding ###, posted by an anonymous user.

As I read through the comments, I found a few suggestions for professionals in that area, but mostly, anonymous users provided hurtful and damaging reviews of the excluded business. I am familiar with the business being reviewed, and I was shocked to see numerous negative opinions. As I read the reviews, it made me question all the times we had used their services. This indeed was detrimental to their reputation. The comments were mostly opinions or situations where the service provided did not yield the desired outcome.

The reviews were one-sided, lacking concrete evidence. What if the person who posted that comment was not telling the whole truth? Often, there are two sides to a story, and without critical information for that diagnosis, it is impossible to determine the validity of the claim. The horse owner is not a professional in that field and may have had multiple variables affecting the outcome, which is sometimes the case. For example, they may not have been able to afford a proper diagnosis and instead relied on an educated guess. Regardless, the damage is done.

People are quick to believe keyboard reviews and will rally in solidarity, especially now that anonymity is an option. When individuals exercise their right to free speech, they should be cautious. If their statement is 100% fact-based with proof, that is acceptable. However, if it is not entirely true and harmful to the business, and the business has evidence that the statement is false, it constitutes online defamation.

The business can take screenshots of the comments made by any user and take them to court.

The moral of the story is to be mindful of what you say on the internet. Do you have evidence that your statement is factual? What is your ultimate goal? Is your comment intended to harm or slander a business, or is it simply an opinion stemming from a negative experience, meant to help others avoid similar situations?

The most constructive comment is a positive one. If you do not have anything nice to say, it is best to keep it private. If you genuinely believe a business has made a mistake or has caused harm, gather evidence and take responsibility for your statement. Be prepared to defend it, especially if you end up in court. It is essential to understand the difference between slander, libel, and defamation before posting any negative comments online.

(Thankfully- The post was removed later this morning seeing as it never should have been posted in that format)

Back in the old days: One saddle went on many horses. Now, we have saddles with wider gullets and flocked panels that fi...
11/21/2025

Back in the old days:
One saddle went on many horses. Now, we have saddles with wider gullets and flocked panels that fit the horses withers and back like a glove. I still cringe at how many narrow saddles I put on wide ponies not realizing that fit matters. Back in the old days saddle sores were common and I just didn’t know about fit. Fast forward to now and we have custom saddles. It improved my kids chair seat, put her in the correct position and our pony can effortlessly jump and has shoulder movement for flying lead changes. Her back is never sore and she never bucks after a jump.
Now, the same is true for bridles. We went to a bridle and bit expert and it was an eye opening experience. We have been trying to find a bridle that fits our large pony. She’s in between pony and cob size. The cheek pieces are usually too small or too big putting the buckle in the wrong spot. The brow band is either too tight or too big. The crown piece pushes against the back of her ears creating poll pressure. We have tried anatomical bridles- with difficulty finding a crown piece with a cut out for the ear in the correct position.
I was telling my friend about this last night and she casually mentions… oh we had the same problem! Try this bridle.
We put the bridle on grace and it fit perfectly. Grace went around without a head tilt. Her head didnt bob, she engaged onto the bit and she was straight coming down the center line.
All that searching and in an instant all of our problems were fixed. It was the bridle and bit the whole time.
She also used the same expert we did. As we wait for our new bridle to come I just thought I would share.
Yes- it might cost a little more. Is it worth it? Absolutely yes. I much rather watch a pony focus on their job instead of thinking… ouch, ouch… ugh.
Imagine if you had to walk around in shoes that were too small or a helmet that was so tight it gave you a headache.
Times have changed and now we have tack that caters to the horse. I guarantee that if you have well fitting tack your horse will thank you.
So many of us learned the slow way. The best results come from a happy comfortable horse.

Address

2966 Flowing Springs Road
Spring City, PA
19475

Opening Hours

Tuesday 8am - 8pm
Wednesday 8am - 8pm
Thursday 8am - 8pm
Friday 8am - 8pm
Saturday 8am - 8pm
Sunday 8am - 8pm

Telephone

+14845743925

Website

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