Manor Hill Farm

11/11/2025

I would say it is our birthday.
Four years ago today our design and dream was being assembled. (The barn was born) How time flies. Even then, I knew exactly what it would look like today.
Now, we are on phase two of construction- clearing another 2 acres. Crazy ideas and designs while seeing past the eye sores is what I excel at.
There is nothing more pleasing than seeing the vision come alive. Trust the process and soon you will see, the crazy lady had an idea and made it into something real. Oh boy oh boy- whatever will that dirt lot someday be? Time will tell. We have all winter and then I will let you see.

11/10/2025

Fun facts of the day: grey horses are the worst.
Did you know? That if a horse has white markings or is a flea bitten grey or a dapple grey color they most likely will always use poop as a pillow or a mattress. This is a fact. They dont like standing out against the colors of nature or looking clean and beautiful. They are embarrassed by their striking good looks.

Another fact- if you give them a bath or try to get the stains out- they will find this to be disrespectful and will try their hardest to turn back into a “green goblin bay”. That is their preferred look. It’s their way of blending in with the herd.

I believe they feel a great urgency to fit in and will camouflage themselves with the manure pit. Perhaps they have chameleon dna. They both can quickly change their appearance.

In no way do greys enjoy feeling clean- or looking clean- or smelling like a horse. They enjoy the repulsed look on their owners faces- that’s how they know they are in fact… back to being a green goblin. They laugh while you scrub them, knowing full well- that you are an idiot who is wasting your time.

My advice to anyone that doesn’t like to inhale urine or poop dust, or scrub a 1200lb animal on a daily basis. Buy a bay or a black horse. Their coats don’t stain green and yellow.
You’re welcome.

11/06/2025

Rant: behind the scenes
We have been so incredibly busy. Not only are we riding our own horses we are learning to ride the neighbors pony club ponies. Huge shout out to Debbie for giving us an amazing opportunity.

Ava is competing at Fair Hill on Saturday and it has taken a great deal of effort and determination to learn the ropes on a new to her pony. Grace has earned her stripes and gets a mini break from competing this one.

We have learned so many new things working out of a different barn. This private barn has all the bells and whistles. Everything is neat and organized, labeled, the stalls are prestine, the horses are pampered, the washing machine is running constantly with boots, saddle pads and towels. We get one on one lessons on horsmanship and learning something new each day.

It has been a wonderful experience to be held to this level of care, cleanliness and organization. The tack is prestine and cleaned after every ride. The bridles are wrapped and hung. There is even a gourmet hot chocolate bar which Ava has become slightly addicted to. The floors get swept into a vacuum system. There is an entire other room with labeled tupper wear containers filled with clean labeled blankets. Everything is clean, scrubbed and organized.

When everyone is trained to clean up and take pride in their belongings it shows.
There is something about the little things.

I am sensitive to mess. I notice cobwebs growing in the corners, or dirt on floors, muddy wash stalls. I notice muddy horses that havent been groomed, tails with dread locks, goopy eyes, and chipped feet.
Im not perfect but am a bit OCD. The best barns notice all the little things. They dont have to be pretty or have all the best gadgets. I mostly always look at water tubs, if a barn has gross water or moldy hay thats a huge red flag for me.

The things that really matter is being aware and noticing. Notice injuries, water, hay and feed intake, lameness, weight loss, respiration, sweating, a loose shoe, a missing shoe, swelling, temperment, attitude, general well being, or any sort of change to the horse. Those are the best barns- if they dont care I dont want to be there. (Of course, I have missed a few of these things over the years and then beat myself up for days afterwards. Nobody is perfect but Im trying to train my brain to see all of it on inspection)

Running a barn seems dreamy and romantic. You can have the prettiest barn but all that really matters is the health and well being of the horse.

Everything can change in an instant and some days you kind of wish your hot chocolate bar was a martini bar. Nothing is perfect and something always happens no matter how hard you tried to bubble wrap your horse. It’s all about how fast you noticed.

Design matters. Safe fencing, good footing, places to store your hay and feed without mold, ventilation in stalls, back up electricity and water in case of emergency, fire extinguishers and an exit stategy… these are all things that prevent future problems. It’s constant upkeep and maintenance.

The list is endless. Having all those things plus a beautiful, peaceful barn is epic.
We are constantly upgrading and taking notes from some of the best pony club barns in the area. The bar is high!
We have been so busy raising the bar so the things we see… others can enjoy too.

The future looks fun- we are looking forward to one day being able to give back all the things we learned along the way.
If you aren’t learning you aren’t growing.

At this barn we do everything with a purpose and a reason. So much thought has gone into this journey and now we are on our next leg of the journey. Stay tuned to see what our next big reveal will be!

11/03/2025

We are at that time of year to protect our ponies and aging horses that have Cushing’s syndrome or insulin resistance from getting laminitis and founder. Here is a great article on that. To sum it up. Keep them off grass when temps dip below 40 when grass is stressed out it produces more sugar. And- feed hay that has a very low nsc. Have your hay tested. Grazing muzzles help but- honestly- why risk it. Dry lots and control on grazing help the best. Tough love. Save the old and tiny from crippled feet. The more you know the better.

Grass and Clover Founder in Horses in Winnsboro, TX. Winnsboro Veterinary Medical Center is your local Veterinarian in Winnsboro serving all of your needs. Call us today at (903) 342-3563 for an appointment.

10/25/2025

Ava and Grace did their first starter level at plantation today. Huge Thankyou to Nancy Ligon for coaching us today!
They aced their dressage, and had a lovely jumping round.
Sadly, Ava got a bit distracted in the starter box for cross country as she watched her teammates horse gallop back to the trailers without her and overheard some scary news while she was being held.
She was let out of the box and went off course while thinking and searching the grounds for her friend and team mate. Rightfully so. Their cross country jumps were perfect… such a shame. They missed one.
Thankfully, horse and pony club friend are ok! But Ava is kicking herself for missing a jump in her state of worry. She walked the course 3 times!
This is why we practice. We walked away knowing that Grace and Ava are definitely ready for this level. Grace gave 200% today and was fit and perfect. She got many treats and as far as Grace is concerned she did exactly what she was asked to do today. She is perfect to us in everyway.
Sometimes- we de- compartmentalize and it takes time to figure that out. We came home with some homework, a kid that is extremely proud of her pony and how far they have come together, and a pony that is 100% a champion. They rocked it today with a last minute blooper. Till next time. Watch out- they are getting better by the minute and learning a ton while doing it. Mistakes make the master of the craft.

10/23/2025

Rant: the working student
I’m currently reading: In the middle are the horsemen by Tim Maynard. It was recommended to me from Avas jumping coach.

It is extremely thought provoking for me as it is jogging many experiences I might have blocked out as a working student. This is one story that I pulled out of my blocked memory while reading this book.

After college I needed a job and went to work for my childhood lesson barn for the winter. It was a 7am-7pm day of feeding, watering, haying, teaching, and exercising a barn of 50 horses. It was also the worst winter ever- below freezing temps, blizzards, ice storms. I had to often wake up at 5am just to shovel my hunk of junk with wheels out of the driveway.

I learned so much about how to run a barn during the winter. It was the backbone in my education to see if I had what it took to care for horses in the winter. Summer came, and I was no longer needed and so I found a job in Connecticut with a Grand Prix dressage rider. My boss gave me a glowing recommendation and I was hired.

I had never taken a real dressage lesson, had never sat in a dressage saddle, and the only thing I knew was hunters. What could possibly go wrong?
Everything. Everything went wrong. The minute I arrived at the barn with $50 to my name I knew I was in the wrong place. I hated it and was immediately turned off.

The 12 horses were pampered pure bred holsteiners and hanorovians. The barn was attached to the boss ladies house, the barn aisles were vacuumed, the horses were fed 3 different types of hay, the horses only went out when the stalls were mucked, and someone was to watch the horses to make sure they didn’t gallop around while wearing shipping wraps. The day started at 5 am and all the horses were to be ridden by 12. Needless to say I lasted 4 days there. I had no idea what I was walking into and it was the extreme opposite of the barns I had worked in.

The boss woman was miserable, mean, treated her staff poorly, and hated her husband. She tried to give me a dressage lesson and was upset that I had never done classical dressage training . She taught me for a half hour while screaming no! Hold! More leg! Wrong leg! Never been so confused and scared in my life. The horses were incredible to ride though, and she fixed my Anne Kursinksy hunter seat in two minutes.

Her horses lived in padded stalls and were full of anxiety, weaving, head shaking, kicking the walls to be let out of their padded prisons. Their eyes were wild and wouldnt calm down till after their 30 minute exercise ride. These weren’t horses they were prisoners wrapped completely in bubble wrap like fragile eggs. She had one pony that had no ground manners. It bit me, and then tried to kick at me. I screamed at the pony “to knock it off” and that was when I discovered the mean boss lady would sit in her kitchen watching her staff on her barn cameras. She came flying out of her kitchen and said “we do not yell at the horses like that- pack your stuff and leave- the trial is over.” I quickly said. “What a relief! Thankyou for your time” I just smiled- handed her hannibal lectir and packed my stuff. As he bit her arm and she swatted him away like a fly.

I cried the entire way home and when I tried to get my old job back they told me no and to not to ever put them down as a reference again. I blew it- the woman called them to say I was an idiot that didnt know anything.
I had to start over- and so I did- in New Jersey while avoiding dressage barns for the next 15 years.

That was just the beginning. Getting fired from something I knew nothing about was my second greatest lesson in life. Don’t jump into a pool if you don’t know how to swim.
Now I research everything before jumping into something so I don’t set myself up for failure and after all these years my old lesson barn still stays in touch. I dont think I’m banned any longer.
The end.

10/19/2025

Controversial topic:
If you didn’t catch the fair hill maryland 3 and 5* event today on cross country here is the recap. The 3* looked fairly safe compared to the 5*. Horses and riders were well prepared for that level.
My question is… at 5* how did some of those riders have a fall on one horse and then! Get back on a different horse to try it again. This is what always intrigued me the most. Anytime I had a fall I got a tiny bit of the jitters. The old saying goes- if you fall off- get back on. I have so much admiration for the ones that fell and still go back out to conquer the fear jump. If you watch them closely you can see the apprehension and the decision making is a bit different on the second round.
In any case- you have to be slightly mad to want to give it another crack. It would take nerves of steel. You have to be made of steel to do anything like a 5*. Not to mention that horse has to have an oversized heart and be as fit as a marathon runner that can do it twice.
Good sportsmanship and safety was seen today. If the horse couldnt or wouldnt do it. Retired on course. I saw logs collapse from pins. The sport is getting better on safety but at the same time more difficult. I’m not sure I’m a fan of the extreme. The 5* is too much for everyone and too much to ask of the horses. The price to be paid isn’t worth it. I’m not sure I love this as a sport. It’s like watching a circus act at that level.

10/17/2025

Sigh…deep breath. We have had a crazy month so far. Im not a fan of losing daylight, especially as our busy season of events and extra training sessions is in full swing.

Let me get back to that super weird video I posted without an explanation that should have had some context from last week.

We have brought in two new mares this month and the way we introduce them safely into a new herd is through what I call our “mini lots”. Or “the meet and greet paddocks”.

It is three 30’x30’ pens that overlook the entire farm. When we get a new horse in we put the new horse in the middle lot (as long as it does not need to be quarantined) and put the herd horses on either side of the new horse that will be joining them.

This way the new horse can safely do a meet and greet between the other horses at its own free will. There is no stress to the new horse and the old horses can check out the new horse and decide where it will be in the pecking order.

The following day if all goes well- we will turn out all the horses into their large paddock. This has greatly reduced stress, fear, or proving who will fit in the hierarchy of the herd when introduced to more space. The last thing I want is to see the alpha challenge the new horse, bite, chase it around or spin and kick at it to get it away from their buddy. That is what normally would happen in nature. It’s a fight to see where a new horse belongs to prove their strength and age against the alpha.
This system has worked several times for us. The horses go out calmly, share their hay, space and friends and the new horse is accepted into its herd peacefully without conflict.

These lots are also great for injured horses on rest, a quarantine horse, or a quick place to put them if a field needs to be serviced. They come in handy and it’s just enough space so they can’t pick up speed or hurt themselves. The horses love the mini lots mostly because they can see all the other fields and watch everything that is going on. They can even see our TV in our living room. It’s a great way to watch them while they watch us. They mostly watch to see what the weird humans are doing in their giant stall. It can sometimes be a little creepy… having horses stare at you while you make and eat dinner. They will even nicker to us as we walk through the house alerting us that it’s time for breakfast soon.

Just wanted to share something that has worked really well for all of our horses and how we keep our horses sound, safe and mentally happy and relaxed.

10/11/2025

We ventured to the Radnor Hunt Trials today. Congratulations to Ava on Grace for getting first in Elementary rider! She will be bumping up to starter after this lovely graduation. And! Congratulations to Lisa for getting 3rd in Elementary senior on Dixie. A year ago Lisa had a terrible back injury and now she’s competing again! Very proud of both ladies and amazing ponies today. Well done!
A huge Thankyou to our coaches Nicole and Nancy Ligon for wisdom and a big Thankyou to Radnor Hunt for a lovely show experience. We are so fortunate to have this gem close to home. We all had a great time despite the cold misty rain.

10/06/2025

We went to the FCEA dressage schooling show today. A huge thank you goes to Lynne for coming out and coaching Ava. She was so encouraging and kept Avas head in the game when her pony was just not in a fancy dressage mood. How do you wake up a very sluggish tired and hot pony?
Ava was exhausted and her legs were noodles at the end- but she held it together because we had Lynne there with us. She was an excellent buffer for the both of us. There is no crying in baseball and sometimes you need another mom that can keep the mom and kid as cool as cucumbers. Kids will often vent to their moms but cant do it with their coaches.
We arrived home and all the boarders were there to support, we didn’t beat our last score but we came home to a champion barn filled with family, support and words of wisdom.
As I always say: practice makes perfect, and there is no perfect with horses. You can always get better and learn something new with each ride. All the practice doesnt guarantee it will happen at the show. It takes an army and many moms to help each other figure things out.