Marlaw farms

08/28/2026

If they can’t walk and steer, they can’t trot and steer.
If they can’t balance at the trot, they aren’t ready to canter.
If they can’t go catch their own horse, groom it, tack it up and take responsibility for it, how are they supposed to lead that horse from the saddle?

Going faster does not equal getting better. Strapping your kid to a horse and sending them into the arena isn’t making them better, it’s setting them up to get hurt.

You might think watching your kid walk circles isn’t exciting. You might think they should be cantering, jumping “doing more.”

But sometimes they’re simply not ready.

And respectfully — that’s why you hired an instructor. Because knowing how and when to progress a rider is our job.

We aren’t holding your kid back. We’re building the foundation that keeps them safe and makes them GOOD.

- Author Unknown

08/01/2026

Whether you’re curious about IEA or ready to join the team, we’d love to meet you!

🎉 IEA Pool Party & Information Day
📅 Sunday
🕐 1:00–3:00 PM
📍 Marlaw Farms

This event is open to everyone—current riders, new riders, friends, and families! Come learn what IEA is all about, meet the team, ask questions, enjoy the pool, and kick off an exciting new season together.

Please let us know if you’ll be joining us. We can’t wait to see everyone Sunday! 🐴☀️💦

07/22/2026

What a fun week representing Zone 3 in the 1.20 championships! Brooklyn and teammates Peyson and Vera ended the week wearing silver 🏅

06/18/2026

Farm updates!

A little overdue (okay, *very* overdue! 🤦‍♀️), but we couldn't let our incredible week at the James River Hunt Club Horse Show back in early May go by without recognition. Horse show season has kept us busy, but this was a week worth celebrating!

🦊 First, a huge shoutout to the James River Hunt Club for hosting such an absolutely incredible horse show. This show is always a highlight of our season, and we are so grateful to everyone whose hard work and dedication make it such a successful and enjoyable event year after year.

As for our team—what an amazing week! We are so incredibly proud of every rider and horse that represented our farm. Beyond the ribbons, each rider showed grit, growth, sportsmanship, and beautiful horsemanship.

⭐ Brooklyn Hawley & Tom Sawyer kicked things off in style, earning 1st place in the Small Junior Hunter 3'3"-3'6" Combined, while Brooklyn & High Tide also brought home 1st in the WEC Premier Equitation Cup—just two of many incredible accomplishments throughout the weekend. Brooklyn had so many standout moments it's impossible to name them all, and we could not be more proud of all she achieved.

⭐ Shelby Floyd & Stedman earned 1st place in the Low Children's Hunter Under Saddle (2'6") and put in beautiful rounds over fences, placing well in very competitive company.

⭐ Lucy Cunningham & Woodland's Summer Rain ("Wally") had a wonderful weekend, earning 2nd in the Children's Hunter Pony Small/Medium Under Saddle and 3rd over fences.
⭐️ Lucy also piloted FC Platinum Edition to 3rd in the Schooling Pony Hunter Under Saddle.
Both ponies had a fantastic week, placing well throughout. This weekend was especially bittersweet as it marked Lucy's final JRHHS@ with Wally—what a lovely way to celebrate a very special partnership. ❤️

⭐ Kaelyn Elliott & Brookhill's Frosted Glass had an exciting and successful debut together at 2', earning 1st in Opportunity SS Hunter Under Saddle, 2nd in Opportunity SS Equitation Under Saddle, and good ribbons over fences. Lots learned, lots accomplished, and lots to look forward to!

⭐ Bristol Hines & Brookhill's Frosted Glass absolutely stole the show in their own way—at just 5 years old, this was Bristol's very first horse show off the lead line, debuting in Walk/Trot, and she was fantastic. So incredibly proud of both kiddo and pony. 🤩

🏆 Special Congratulations 🏆

▪️Congrats to Brooklyn Hawley on qualifying to represent Zone 3 in the 1.25m Junior Jumper Championship! We are excited to see Brooklyn and High Tide (Charlie) compete at this prestigious event and wish them the best of luck.

▪️Congratulations to Brooklyn Hawley and Shelby Floyd on their selection to the 2026 MZ Farms/USHJA Emerging Athletes Program!

06/14/2026

The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association is pleased to announce the more than 160 athletes accepted to participate in the 2026 MZ Farms/USHJA Emerging Athletes Program Regional Training Sessions to be held between June and July. Over five days, these athletes will participate in mounted flatwork, gymnasti...

05/12/2026

03/15/2026

Thank you Aunt Nicole and Uncle Robbins for sponsoring our hunt horse show !!

Sponsor Shoutout

Thank you to Robbins and Nicole Manley for sponsoring our James River Hunt Hunt Teams Class, and our Sunday "Momosas" hospitality event. Both are longtime equestrians, friends to many JRH members, and James River Hunt Horse Show supporters. They have the best interest of our riders and equines at heart. Often from afar, they are checking in on our show, cheering on our exhibitors and wishing everyone all the best. Support comes from all over, in many sizes, and we appreciate and thank each and every sponsor.

02/24/2026

"Leasing a horse is to accept the responsibilities of temporary ownership," Armand Leone writes.

"You are buying the horse for a specific period with all the good and bad, hoped for, and unexpected along the way. Like a purchase, the rider lessee’s trainer plays an important role in the lease venture, perhaps even a more important role than in a purchase. The experience the rider has during the lease depends on the trainer’s skill in finding the right horse to fit the rider’s needs. There are immediate needs and reasonable financial constraints. The horse returned to the owner lessor at the end of the lease depends on the trainer’s keeping the horse in the proper program and with proper care.

In return for using her expertise to find the right horse, the trainer should receive compensation from the rider lessee and only from the rider lessee unless the rider lessee is advised otherwise. The trainer is paid to find a horse that suits. Just as when acting as a trainer agent in a purchase, the trainer is not a guarantor of horse’s performance during the lease. The trainer has a responsibility to work with the rider lessee to achieve a suitable performance with the horse and rider. From that perspective, the trainer’s obligations are no more or less than during a sale.

However, the owner lessor has a vested interest in how the horse is managed during the lease. From tack to turn out to after show care, the trainer is the most important factor in the horse’s well-being. The physical care depends on the right balance between training, showing, and rest. Because an owner can expect a rider lessee to be only concerned about the short term, she must look to the trainer to watch out for the horse’s interests.

The horse’s interests should never be sacrificed for the rider. The horse should be managed the same way as if it were owned. Unfortunately, that may not occur with a lease. While it’s always uncomfortable dealing with a lameness that develops during the lease, the parties should be upfront about it. Both have an interest in healthy horse, it is just the time frames that differ."

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2020/03/09/leases-trainers-more-than-meets-the-eye/
📸 © Laura Brown