Observe, Observe, Observe! (2026) A working session with a 4-year old mare

by Mary Gallagher

I recently had an opportunity to video for students how I observe a horse in my ground work before I start a teaching session. A promising young mare had arrived at Freedom Farm in need of attention to her behavioral habits. I’ve been taking time here and there to get to know her better. The video captures 9 minutes or so of an early session with her, in which she revealed quite a bit about herself. 

Gratitude for the Little Things That Add Up

by Mary Gallagher

Trainee Lorenzo loves our training walks.

Once again I find that it is little, even unseen things that gift me with the most joy in life. Looking back on 2025, I am once again almost overwhelmed with Gratitude…

First, I give thanks to God for the grand and the meek and all the little wonders tucked in between. So much of what we enjoy about our life on the Farm is unseen—fresh air, well-fed soil that nourishes life, kindness between friends and strangers alike, the connected energy of horses for each other and their people. To me, it’s all an expression of Divine care, and I am profoundly grateful to be here with all of it, and all of you.

Saddling Prep With Jerry Schmidt

 by Mary Gallagher

Jerry Schmidt made a surprise appearance at our Friday ground work class last week, and gave us some really excellent bits of information regarding emotional fitness in saddling your horse. It’s tempting to think, aww, just tie them up and there’s no problem! But what we miss out on when we tie our horses for saddling, is a chance to see where our connection, communication, and cooperation is on that particular day before we ride. On the ground is the place to do that—not when we’re riding! This is particularly crucial with young horses, but any horse can be in a less than ideal state for saddling. If you care about fostering your connection to your horse in your every day activities, you’ll get something out of this short video.

I had one of my current young horses in training, Je te’, with me, and she was a perfect demo horse for Jerry. He showed us how to check the horse’s readiness to stand quietly for saddling. In fact, he made a very interesting point about standing still (that you’ll just have to watch the video to see!). Without that readiness, just a little bumbling on our part, or skittishness on their part, can throw off the process and send us back to square one.

Enjoy.

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!