Waypoint Farm

07/30/2026

It’s not every day that a horse you personally selected, raised from an unhandled baby to starting under saddle and in harness is selected to represent the United States in a World Championship 💗 🇺🇸💪
Sterling D. B. Graburn and I are so proud of the incredible competitor Loretta has become with her trainer, Andy Marcoux and her owners!
We have several young horses available to choose from who will be stellar athletes in driving or dressage - contact us for more information!

US Equestrian is pleased to announce the Defender U.S. Driving Team for the 2026 FEI Driving World Championship for Single Horses.

🔹 Tracy Bowman (Martinez, Calif.) and Albrecht’s Hoeve’s Lars, her own 2009 Welsh gelding (Orchard Red Prince x Bokkesprong Casjmier)
🔹 Andrew Marcoux (Bellingham, Mass.) and Loretta, a 2014 Dutch Harness Horse mare (Diamant K x Waldemar) owned by Kathy and Tara Devine
🔹 Marianna Yeager (Alachua, Fla.) and M.V.A. Famtijn, a 2015 KWPN gelding (Famous V x Patijn) owned by Kami Landy

Defender | US Equestrian

07/02/2026

Massachusetts-based carriage driving team prepares for the FEI World Driving Championship for Single Horses in Munich, Germany. Follow their journey, share your support, and go along for the ride.A New England horseman, a South Shore business owner, and a remarkable little mare named Loretta are pre...

06/22/2026

June 2026 – For Sale

Under $25k – serious inquiries welcomed and fairly considered 2019 KWPN mare – Olenna WF (Vanando A x Calif First Night Out (SA) x Kalarama’s All Time High) – Olenna is under saddle WTC and done small jumps....

Under $25k – serious inquiries welcomed and fairly considered 2019 KWPN mare – Olenna WF (Vanando A x Calif First Night Out (SA) x Kalarama’s All Time High) – Olenna is under saddle WTC and done sm…

05/18/2026

A horse that is heavy on one rein is rarely just “ignoring the bit.”
Most of the time, the horse is using the rider’s hand to compensate for a balance problem somewhere else in the body.

Let’s use a horse that is heavy on the left rein as an example.

Typically, these horses are not simply “strong on the left side.” Instead, they are often:

▪️carrying too much weight on the left shoulder
▪️collapsing through the left side of the thoracic sling
▪️pushing the ribcage right
▪️stiff through the right side of the body
▪️avoiding equal engagement behind
▪️using the left rein as a balancing aid

This is why pulling on the left rein almost never fixes the problem.

Biomechanically, when the rider increases pressure on a rein the horse is already leaning on, the horse often responds by bracing against it. Horses naturally seek stability against pressure. If the rein becomes a fixed point, the horse learns to organize balance onto the rider’s hand instead of into its own body.

The first thing that usually happens is contraction of the underside of the neck.

Instead of lifting the base of the neck and allowing the topline to lengthen:

▪️the brachiocephalicus and lower neck muscles tighten
▪️the base of the neck drops
▪️the thoracic sling loses lift
▪️the withers lower
▪️the shoulders carry more load

The rider may see “headset,” but the horse is actually becoming more disconnected through the topline.

At the same time, the inside shoulder often falls farther inward.

The horse may flex at the poll to the left while:

▪️the left shoulder drifts inward
▪️the ribcage bulges right
▪️the inside hind leg stops stepping deeply underneath the body

This is where riders can accidentally mistake neck bend for true body bend.

True bend should travel through:

▫️poll
▫️cervical spine
▫️ribcage
▫️thoracic sling
▫️spine
▫️hindquarters

Not just the neck.

As the horse loses balance, the hind legs often disengage further.

Instead of carrying weight and producing uphill balance, the hind legs begin pushing backward rather than stepping underneath the center of gravity. The horse becomes:

▫️heavier in the hand
▫️flatter in the frame
▫️more forehand dominant
▫️more dependent on rein pressure for organization

This becomes a cycle:
the heavier the horse gets, the more the rider pulls.
The more the rider pulls, the more the horse braces and leans.

Over time this can contribute to:

🚫 topline loss
🚫 reduced back swing
🚫 shortened stride
🚫 uneven shoulder loading
🚫 poll and jaw tension
🚫 difficulty with lateral work
🚫 resistance in transitions
🚫 crookedness becoming more established

This is why correct riding addresses the body first, not the mouth first.

If a horse is heavy on the left rein, the answer is usually found in improving:

🔝 ribcage positioning
🔝 thoracic sling stability
🔝 hind leg engagement
🔝 shoulder alignment
🔝 straightness
🔝 balance between both sides of the body

Exercises like:

▪️ shoulder-fore
▪️ leg yield left to right
▪️ spiral circles
▪️ transitions within and between gaits
▪️ renvers and counter positioning
can all help redistribute weight and encourage the horse to carry itself more evenly.

For example, riding the horse from the left leg into the right rein can help move the ribcage away from the left shoulder and prevent the horse from collapsing onto the inside rein.

When the body reorganizes correctly:

🔝 the base of the neck lifts
🔝 the shoulders become lighter
🔝 the back swings more freely
🔝 the hind legs step further underneath
🔝 the contact evens out naturally

This is true self-carriage.

A light rein is not created by the hand.
It is created by correct balance throughout the horse’s entire body.

05/14/2026

“Overcooking” youngsters often happens accidentally.

Not because people are malicious, intentionally trying to do too much, or for too long, but because they underestimate how mentally taxing even small things can be for young horses. (Especially standing around)

We have to remember that even when a young horse is big or mature looking, their brain still only has so much capacity.

I see this a lot at shows in particular. People get a young horse out extremely early, spend a long time waiting around, and by the time the horse actually goes in the ring… they’re losing the plot.

Why?

Because their brain is like an oversaturated sponge. At first, information absorbs. But… eventually the sponge reaches capacity, and instead of soaking anything else in, the water just starts pouring out.

That’s often the moment where people feel like the horse is suddenly “misbehaving,” getting tense, distracted, reactive, or unable to settle.

Usually you also do not see these horses recover in the moment, because the answer often is not more work.

It’s rest, because they’re mentally fried.

Part of producing good young horses is learning to recognize whether the horse needs more education… or whether they need a juice box and a nap.

🐴

04/17/2026

So happy to see well-known horsey influencer, Katie Van Slyke buying an 18 year old horse for herself!

I am constantly having the “too old” conversation with people, and it does my head in.

Here’s the thing; we have ZERO idea how long our horse may live, or be sound enough to do their job.

I see just as many unsound 3, 5, 8, 12, 15 year olds as any older age. To be honest, I have the view that if they’ve been competing and stayed sound into their mid teens.. they’re likely to keep on being sound. Those younger horses may well be a gamble.

I’ve seen horses 💀 at any age, from days old to nearly 40, and from totally unforeseen reasons.

Now I’m not saying don’t buy a young horse, or something around that desired 8-12 year mark.

I AM saying that “old” depends entirely on the horse. And that unless it’s your ambition to be picked for a national team, or to resell the horse horse… maybe let it be a lower priority and choose the horse you fall in love with, that makes you feel safe, that is fun, that is sound and let age just be a number. And hey, it may even save you some money on that sale price for bucking the trend 🤷‍♀️

Picture of my “too old” horse, doing his first Grand Prix at the ripe old age of 20, having finished racing at 8, doing his last CCI5* at 19 and his last CIC4**** at 21 and being sound the entire time. Cause luckily nobody ever told him he was too old for such things!