Faraway Farm LLC

06/22/2026

We asked equine professionals, “What is one thing you wish clients understood?” Their answers are important for riders of all ages to read and understand.

“That “just one thing ” I do for you that takes me 5 minutes? Yeah, that actually adds an hour to my day. And if I don’t charge for doing the “little” extra things, then I can’t get to the big things”

“How hard it is to go 24/7 365 days of the year. And the money/time/mental facilities it takes to run the farm…”

“The tremendous amount of responsibility we carry on our shoulders. For the client, as well as the horse.”

“That horses aren’t vehicles that anyone can drive. You can’t just buy a 3’6″ horse and do the 3’6″ any more than you can just buy a grand prix horse and do the grand prix.”

“Organizing turnout is way harder than you expect. Who goes where, for how long, with a buddy or not. It is way more thoughtful than just putting a horse in a field.”

“The most expensive ponies are the old ones stepping down. If you want a deal, ask for a green or quirky one.”

“Just because I’m available to the horse 24/7 doesn’t mean I need to be available to the humans 24/7! Clients understand that we drop everything for the horses at all hours, and they expect the same for them which is really unfair. Clients who respect boundaries and our ability to have free time or a day off are worth their weight in gold.”

“There is no guarantee that your horse will stay sound.”

Next time you head to the barn or chat with your trainer, try keeping these things in mind. While questions are always welcome, the timing and the way that you ask them can be key. Remember, your trainer wants you and your horse to succeed, so there is almost always a reason for everything they do!

02/18/2026

01/30/2026

Cure the winter blues with some Mr Jingles on your video feed 😍

10/17/2025

A light round canter is all about encouraging that inside hind strike!

To prevent losing engagement and impulsion in the canter after your transition, imagine asking for the transition again on the second and third stride.

Avoid pushing into canter and think about lifting your horse into canter whilst maintaining a good balance that allows and encourages them to keep the weight on their outside hind leg.

A common mistake is for people to drop their weight forwards and to the inside, particularly if swinging their outside leg back for the transition, this kill the quality and can throw the horses balance out causing them to pick up the wrong lead.

Picture by Sandy Rambinowitz for Dressage Today

09/22/2025

There is a reason behind repetition!

HEAVY IN THE HAND?

The unschooled or young horse initially uses his head and neck (and the reins) to balance himself, and it is only through systematic, thoughtful schooling that he will become sufficiently strong and confident enough to transfer the balance back onto his hindquarters.

To do this, you need to work on a combination of correctly ridden transitions, circles, and lateral exercises, all while making use of the half-halt.

These exercises help to encourage the horse’s hind legs to step further forward underneath his body and to carry more weight on his hindquarters rather than on his shoulders, relative to his level of training.

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NOTE: We would also like to add that this has nothing to do with the horse's head position. Trying to artificially raise the horse's head will not fix anything. It's the hind legs engaging and stepping under that lift the horse's forehand.

A horse can still work in a long, low frame and not be heavy in the hand, as long as the hind legs are still pushing and engaging.

Illustrations created and copyrighted by HowToDressage.

09/18/2025

Making the most of fall sunshine!

09/08/2025

I interviewed Geoff YEARS ago for a senior college class (Judging, maybe? I honestly don't remember!) and he is seriously just the most down to earth person!!

It's easy to get caught up in the details and endless schedules of lessons and shows. But Geoff Teall cautions against forgetting the most basic truth: horses are still horses. He reminds riders that giving horses real downtime is just as important as training them in the ring.

Teall believes riders too often project human preferences onto their horses. We may love a hot shower at the end of the day, but horses don’t. We may value polished manes and tails, but horses don’t. “I’m quite sure that they don’t like braiding and pulling and twitching and trimming and all of the nonsense,” he says.

Instead, horses thrive when they can live more naturally with turnout, room to move, grass to graze, and other horses to socialize with. Allowing them this downtime is not indulgent; it’s a crucial part of keeping them sound in both body and mind.

One of Teall’s strongest pieces of advice is simply to stop. “Stop picking at him. Stop clutching the reins. Stop smothering him. Stop fussing. Just stop.” Horses don’t need to be micromanaged every second. Constant fussing creates tension, not progress.

Instead, Teall urges riders to make time in the saddle count. Be clear, specific, and fair when you ride, then reward the horse with release, rest, and time off. A horse learns far more from short, focused training sessions followed by downtime than from endless drilling.

Teall even builds deliberate rest periods into his horses’ lives. He likes to pull shoes, let manes and coats grow, and give his horses time to get dirty and relax. This isn’t laziness; it’s an investment in longevity. Horses that are allowed to recharge come back fresher, happier, and more willing to work.

“No work for a period of time makes the horse more willing the rest of the year,” he writes. That willingness is what sustains long-term performance and prevents burnout.

🔗 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/09/03/downtime-matters-letting-horses-be-horses/

08/28/2025

07/21/2025

Why lessons here... start with walk warm ups!

Warming Up Your Horse Before Exercise and Competition: How To Avoid Injury and Muscle Strain

What is a warm-up? The term 'warm-up' accurately describes what happens when we transition the body from a resting state to a state suitable for activity: the muscles are literally 'warmed up', receive increased blood and oxygen supply, gain flexibility and therefore reduce stress on tendons and ligaments. This also allows time for joint lubrication.

A warm-up will also ensure increased oxygen supply to the blood and the elevation of the heart rate from a resting rate to an activity rate. If you warm up your horse gradually—instead of 'jump-starting' his heart-rate—you will also have a calmer, more relaxed, and more willing horse.

Sufficient warm up before exercise, training, and competition is essential, in order to avoid injury to muscles, ligaments, and tendons. A simple routine can save lots of pain and dollars spent on vet visits.

Why should I warm up my horse before working?
Just like your own muscles after a full day sitting in your cubicle or driving your truck, for example, the horse's muscles are unflexible and his movement will be stiff after a day of lack of activity in his paddock or stall. This even more so in the winter, where movement is even more restricted and the horses cannot kick up their heels on pasture. Many horses spend most of their day in a stall year round, which limits the horses' movements even more warm up your horse

Our bodies-rider's and horse's-are made up of mostly fluids! Warming up body fuids inside muscles reduces the internal friction of a muscle and therefore prevents injury. Mobility and elasticity of muscles is increased, which minimizes the strain on ligaments and tendons.

Avoid muscle spasms, discomfort, stiff gaits and in extreme cases torn muscles or tendons or anxiety and unwillingness to work by warming your horse up properly at the beginning of every ride.

A simple basic warm-up for recreational riders of all levels:
- Warm up your horse on a long rein in the walk
- Alternate the pace of the walk
- Start with straighter lines
- Then continue with large circles, squares, serpentines, & shallow loops (20 meters, through the width of the arena)
- After 10 minutes, make squares, circles and serpentines smaller
- Warm up a total of 15 minutes at the walk for best results

For more advanced warm up exercises for FIT horses at least 8 - 10 minutes into their walk warm up:

Ride Walk Single Ground Poles
Ride Walk Shallow Loops on the Center Line
Ride Walk Shallow Loops Down the Long Side
Ride Walk 4 Loops Down the Center Line
Ride Walk 2 Loops Down the Long Side
Ride Walk Shoulder Fore and Counter Shoulder Fore
Ride Walk Leg Yield Right to Half Pass Right
Ride Walk Leg Yield Left to Half Pass Left
Ride Walk Leg Yield In, Half Pass Back
Ride Walk 10 meter Circles
Ride Walk Shoulder Fore and Counter Shoulder Fore (one of my favorites!)
Ride Smaller Walk Squares (Integrates a Few Steps of Turn on The Haunches)

As a note, in the warm up I usually limit the lateral work to a few “baby steps” as the purpose of these exercises during the warm up phase is to supple and loosen the horse up purely for their benefit. If you feel your horse become more anxious or tight, re-evaluate how you are utilizing the exercise or consider waiting to do the more difficult exercises later on during the work session once they are better warmed up.

I would also encourage you to experiment with a few minutes of in-hand or lunge line walking for a start to the warm up from the ground before adding your weight to the horse’s back. I’ve seen some very positive differences with horses by allowing them a few minutes of walk warm up time without the weight or interference (or micromanaging) of the rider so an option I highly recommend playing with in the warm up phase as well! This also allows you extra time to evaluate from the ground how your horse is doing physically and mentally that day, puts both horse and rider in a more relaxed state of mind instead of rushing to jump on and ride, and allows you to make any tack adjustments, if needed.

05/30/2025