SaddleUp Pony Academy

07/16/2025

Let them be kids — real kids. Farm kids. Dirt-stained, sunburnt, scraped-up, tough-as-nails kids.

Let them climb hay bales like mountains.
Let them build forts out of pallets and baling twine.
Let them fall off ponies and get back on with tears in their eyes and grit in their gut.

We weren’t meant to raise children who are terrified of sweat, dirt, or effort.
We’re supposed to raise humans who can face life head-on — not crumble at the first sign of discomfort.

So stop panicking when they get muddy.
Stop worrying if they’re bored.
Stop hovering every time they try to figure something out on their own.

Let them muck stalls.
Let them chase calves through the pasture in boots two sizes too big.
Let them stack hay until their arms ache and their backs hurt — and let them be proud of it.

You want to talk about life skills?
Farm kids know the value of hard work by age six.
They know that animals eat before you do.
They understand that life and death are both part of the job — and they grow up kinder, tougher, and more grounded because of it.

Meanwhile, too many kids today can’t function without a screen, don’t know how to problem-solve without adult intervention, and panic the moment they’re uncomfortable.

It’s not cruelty to let your kids work, fail, and get dirty.
It’s preparation.
It’s life.

And frankly, I’d rather raise a kid with dirt under their nails and calluses on their hands than one who’s clean, compliant, and completely disconnected from the real world.

So let them be loud.
Let them be messy.
Let them be free.

Farm life raises good humans. Don’t rob your kids of the lessons that only come from real work and wide-open spaces.

07/15/2025

"Aren’t you getting too old for this?" — some ask me. But how can you be too old for something that lives in your soul?..

My knees don’t bend as easily anymore.
The saddle feels heavier than it used to.
The barn gets colder with every passing winter.
And yet, every morning, despite the aches — I go.

When the quiet of dawn turns frost into gold,
I find my truth in a horse’s eyes.
He doesn’t care about years or pride.
He simply waits for a quiet step and a gentle heart.

Yes, my hands tremble. Yes, my back aches.
But still, I go.
Because in that gaze, there’s peace.
In that step — my purpose.
In every breath — freedom.

And though time rushes on and this body grows tired —
I am happy.
Because I have a horse.
Because I have this place
Where I can still be… me.

07/12/2025

07/07/2025

We are “Spot On” with great options for riding lessons this summer !😎🚜

07/06/2025

Managing Manure 😱🤠

06/30/2025

We could not run without our amazing Farm Volunteers, selfless and hard-working . They put the animals first and their hearts are full when they leave. I can not thank you enough 👍🥰🤠

06/27/2025

Horse Camp 2025

05/25/2025

Raise Her in the Barn

Put your daughter in the barn, where the air smells of hay and hard work, where the lessons are unspoken but will be deeply understood.

Let her find her footing in the dust and dirt,
learning that balance isn’t just for the saddle but for life itself.

Watch as she earns trust from something bigger than herself, as she discovers that patience isn’t passive...it’s the quiet persistence of trying again and again.

Let her feel the weight of responsibility
with every flake of hay she tosses, every bucket she fills, every wound she tends with her tiny gentle hands.

Put your daughter in the barn, where she’ll learn that effort matters more than luck, that showing up every day builds more than muscle...it builds character.

Let her see that respect is earned, not demanded, that failure isn’t final, and that sometimes the best lessons come from falling off and getting back on.

Give her a place where she can be strong and soft, bold and kind, independent yet deeply connected.

Let the barn shape her, and when the world calls her forward, you’ll see a woman who knows who she is, because she was raised in the barn.

Credit to ~
💕 Michelle Knutson
Born in the Barn

05/22/2025

Come feel the magic and love at SaddleUp

05/19/2025

Dreams do come true here at Saddleup!Ribbons, Bows and Unicorn Toes