Reflections on Socialization and Variety in Colt Training (…especially when you’ve got great beginnings!)

by Mary Gallagher

4-year old Je te', ponied from Harriet.

Since 2018, we have been privileged to host a number of colts for training from Wensleydale Farms in Oregon. Owner/breeder Wendy Comstock has a herd of beautiful warmblood broodmares, and has put a lot of time into researching bloodlines that would complement their gifts, producing foals that can be developed into top performance horses. Our training philosophies are compatible, and it shows in every nicely socialized colt from Wensleydale that spends time with us, returning home more grown up and ready for life out in the world.

Great beginnings. Like me, Wendy believes in natural beginnings. She spends time with the mare herd, and when the babies arrive, handles them from the beginning. Mothers and babies continue living as a herd. Colts are regularly brought into stalls for grooming and supplements, before returning to pasture for healthy socialization. In my view, this practice is key in developing solid performance horses. When Wendy’s colts arrive at Freedom Farm, they are confident, curious, and ready to learn. Thank you, Wendy for your great work. Starting these fabulous colts is such a pleasure! 

Life and training at Freedom Farm. Newly arrived 2 and 3-year olds have already had a lot of experiences: they’ve been handled, haltered, in and out of stalls and horse trailers, single tied, groomed, hooves trimmed, and spent increasing amounts of time away from the herd. I build on these great beginnings, giving the colts exposure to many experiences, while going about their regular training on the ground and in the saddle. Wendy and I stay in touch often, going over new things to expose the babies to.

Reflections on a Clinic, a Successful Show, and the Barefoot Advantage

This excerpt from our August 2025 newsletter shares a note on our recent Dave Ellis clinic--where Mary rode several of her hunter-jumper trainees, a bit of team pride for our current Hoof Beats Competition team, and also Mary's thoughts on the advantage that barefoot horses have in the show ring. -ed.

...This has been such a full and wonderful summer and there’s so much more to look forward to. 

Hunter-Jumper trainee Marcus rates his cow.

Our clinic with Dave Ellis was the best yet. Like I said last letter, he is so good at finding the little pieces that make the big differences. We started with a general discussion about what we were doing with our horses and what we wanted to improve on. My desire was to improve my trainees’ flying lead changes, and Dave really delivered! His consistent focus on communication and lightness was perfect; both my young horses came away better prepared for their future in the show world. Enjoy the photo album!

We followed Dave’s clinic with the Evergreen Classic Horse Show in Cle Elum, where our Hoofbeats Competition Team dominated their divisions. Lily Robertson, Elly Dam, Hadley Wolslegel, Daniela Dam, and Bella Greimes rode like young professionals, winning champion, reserve champion, and top-ranking slots in nearly every class they entered. In timed events they placed consistently within fractions of a second of each other for those 1st, 2nd, and 3rd slots, and consistently several seconds ahead of other competitors.

Small Steps Forward: How trailer loading training makes everything better for you and your horse

 by Mary Gallagher

I have always invested a great deal of time in training my horses for trailer loading. And I mean investment…a horse that loads and unloads confidently and calmly, ready to travel, is a horse that is a great deal calmer and more confident in general. I use principles I’ve developed over the years in trailer loading training every day in my training sessions, with a wide array of horses, whether they get trailered or not.

The key to successful training for trailer loading (that applies to every interaction with your horse) is remembering and advancing in a positive progression. Before starting your session, remember where you were the last time and advance in some small way from there to end the new session.

Colt Starting for Every Rider

by Mary Gallagher

We've just completed our clinic with Martin Black (March 2025), and I’d like to share some insights and thoughts here, while they are fresh, with thanks and news as well.

Colt starting for every rider. My favorite part of Martin’s clinic each year is the colt start. While we may think of colt starting as a whole other thing, separate from the familiar parts of a clinic, I consider it the most foundational and essential, and not just for the owners of the colts (and the colts themselves)! So much of what we expect from and do with our horses is distilled in every aspect of Martin’s guidance of the young horses, with their raw emotions and fresh view of nearly everything. To watch Martin work with them is to see horsemanship and horse psychology in its simplest and most direct form. You don’t want to miss it!

Happy New Year, with Gratitude for 2024

 

As winter deepens, the days are wetter, colder, and shorter, suggesting a time to pause, reflect and give thanks for all that we have done and learned over the past year. It was such a full and productive year, there is no way to include everyone and everything that made it special. So I’ll start with gratitude for what IS… Martin Black IS with us March 26-29!!! Reserve your spot ASAP. Every year brings new experiences and insights from Martin’s unique perspective on horsemanship. The clinic sessions are fun and engaging, the colt starting session is great to watch, even if you don’t have a colt—there is plenty of horsemanship insight to be gained from watching Martin engage them, setting positive patterns for their future. We also love the daily Q&A with Martin in the comfort of our classroom. I am very grateful that Martin spends time with us every March. And now back to Nature…. For me, I look to the sun, from which we get our life force … and it sure shows up beautifully on the Olympics! When I see the sun ignite the tip of Mount Angeles, I feel new hope. For me, it’s like a prayer warming the heart, sending away the damp and cold. It’s an inspiration to live with this level of beauty every day at Freedom Farm. And here comes 2025, full of possibilities!