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.

Lifestyle – Herd Training at Liberty

by Mary Gallagher, with Jessica Crouch

Among our most popular posts on Facebook are videos of how we exercise and train horses in a herd, which is part of an approach called ‘liberty work’—sans halter, lead rope, or other tack. Most of our horses live in herds and are accustomed to group activity; we find even more benefits from intentionally moving horses together in a focused and organized way.

Natural herd instincts. When new horses arrive for training who have been kept in stalls and other traditional quarters, we introduce them to the activity with a few other horses that know the program. Our experienced horses are emotionally stable and can be very helpful to a newbie. A horse that has never worked in a herd does have natural herd instincts that help them follow the pattern and benefit from more experienced horses.

Equestrian Lifestyle, Feet First, Part Two

by Mary Gallagher

Ben Robertson, 14,  on Joy Ride, Oregon Last of Summer Show, 2017

Our Freedom Farm Hoof Beats Horsemanship Team has competed successfully in a number of
A-rated shows around the Pacific Northwest this year. It has been a pleasure to watch these young people come into their own as competitors, and I am super proud of their horsemanship, sportsmanship, and superior talent. I've also been reflecting on the part that our horses’ herd lifestyle has played in their success.

Equestrian Lifestyle at Freedom Farm: Feet First

By Jerry Schmidt and Mary Gallagher

A natural lifestyle is the foundation of our horses' health at Freedom Farm. Foundational to that is the care of their feet, which are, without exception, barefoot. It's a great first topic of this series on natural equestrian lifestyle. -MG


Our boarding and training business, dedicated to keeping horses in a more natural environment, is a huge undertaking in the horse industry today. The way our horses live – moving barefoot with a herd, enjoying access to natural grasses and hay 24/7 – is not how horses are typically cared for, especially if you have competition aspirations. Yet that is how our horses live and compete: barefoot and in a herd environment.

The Horsemanship Connection and Communication Equation, Part One

by Mary Gallagher

In my experience, you can teach a horse anything if you can understand that his motivation is to stay safe and that his goal is comfort. In this series of articles, I’d like to explore this idea a bit, using a sort of short hand, or equations to express various facets of the human-horse working relationship.

Herd = Safety and (but not always) Comfort

One of the first things we learn in horsemanship is that the horse is a prey animal whose herd is its key source of safety. Let us also understand that horses are super sensitive and perceptive creatures; there are no shortcuts on the journey to trust and communication. As we begin to observe herds, we see a range of behaviors, beyond peaceful grazing, that demonstrate the herd as a safe, but not always comfortable place to be.

The Transformation of Niko, part 3

A Series by Michelle Grimmer

Upon Niko's arrival at Freedom Farm in December of 2013, we got to work. We had a general plan, but time would tell how Niko's transformation would go. The shoes came off (yikes!), we had a look at his teeth, posture, etc., but these particulars were embedded in a deeper process of healing Niko's mind and body through the environment of Freedom Farm.

Lesson Notes: Changes are not problems, and problems are just changes

by Mary Gallagher

Don't be afraid to look at things from another point of view.

Or start over with a different approach.

Here at Freedom Farm, things are very different than they are at most barns.

For instance, take the way our horses live in herds. When I was growing up, all the stables I rode at kept their horses stalled. When I started my own business, all my horses were stalled. It wasn't until I did research on natural living conditions for horses that I considered running my business differently. The changes came slowly and I am grateful for that. There was - and still is - so much to learn (and unlearn).

Lesson Notes: legs and emotion

by Mary Gallagher

Why are horses' legs long?


I know you know the answer to this, but I will spell it out anyway. To fly away from fear. Those long legs on your horse were meant to outrun predators. And linked to those legs are emotions, which are hard-wired in the horse's brain for survival. So, that being said, can we use that natural flight instinct to produce a more emotionally fit horse that can be more comfortable in the human environment?

Lets start by considering two attitudes: