Flying Change Farms, LLC

10/22/2026

In my career, many of the horses I’ve had the privilege of learning on have been donated, Reese Gallagher writes. This has created a productive learning environment for me and has created a more accessible way of learning for me as someone who is not financially able to have a horse of my own. As a result, I’m spreading education and awareness and becoming an advocate for donating horses as a form of rehoming; I want it to be an option that comes to people’s minds before they try to sell their outgrown horses.

The benefits of donated horses in collegiate equestrian programs span far and wide, like acting as athletes in IHSA and NCEA horse shows, but one that is overlooked is the part they play in shaping our industry’s future professionals outside of the competitive aspect.

Many collegiate programs do not have the funds or resources to purchase reliable teaching horses, which is what causes them to rely on donors in the community. More and more, professionals in our industry are choosing to donate their horses after they have had a successful career, paid their dues, and are ready to step down. Someone may choose to donate a young horse that has not shown an aptitude for horse showing, or an older horse that requires maintenance and cannot hold up to the job being asked of them.

Without the quality donated horses at my school, I would not be able to ride and learn to the level that I do today. It is likely that college, which is already financially draining for many people, would become more inaccessible for people who wish to take equine classes and/or compete on a team.

Keeping equine education affordable is crucial to the development of our whole industry–riding, horse care, and more. Without those programs, there would be a shortage of qualified, college-educated individuals. While a portion of today’s professionals may not have been college educated in equine studies specifically, it is becoming an increasingly popular route in our profession, in part thanks to the opportunities that donated horses open up. Some colleges have upwards of 50 animals in their program, and having so many different horses to ride and work on creates diversely experienced and well-rounded equestrians–both of which are traits that are sought after in our sport.

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2024/10/23/the-importance-of-donated-horses-in-our-industry/
📸 © Heather N. Photography

10/21/2026

10/21/2026

Trainer, Jessica McKendree-Johnson organized a Fall Sunday Funday with her clients last weekend! They decorated pumpkins, let their horses bob for apples and then did an in-hand obstacle course, with snacks and refreshments on the party patio! 🍂🎃🐴

10/21/2026

It’s time to recognize the youngest member of Team Kristie, Ella Roberts! The Autumn Classic was her first show on her new pony Jersey! On Sunday she WON the 2’3” Jr/Am Hunter Classic! 👏🏻 As you can see here, she also collected lots of top honors in her other classes during the week! Congratulations to Ella!! 🎈👏🏻🍂

10/17/2026

HUGE congratulations to Nayeli Cerna and Nugat on their big win today in the Autumn Classic 2’6” Jr/Am Hunter Derby!!! She did all the 2’9” high options and just nailed it! Nayeli just purchased Nugat this year and the two have both had to work on their confidence. Thanks to the steady weekly guidance of FCF trainer, Kristie LaFreniere, and a great clinic this summer with Hope Glynn, these two have learned to trust one another. Today was a testament to all that dedication and effort! 🙌🏻👏🏻🤩

10/15/2026

I have certainly watched the hunters evolve over the last 50 years, and it hasn’t necessarily been for the better. Read this insightful article and comment below!

Hunters were designed to mimic the challenges of the hunt field, testing style, brilliance, and natural ability. But according to Geoff Case, USEF R Judge, trainer, and clinician, today’s hunter ring has strayed far from those origins.

“Every time you change something and it makes something more difficult, it makes it harder for the horses to go around like that,” he said. “I feel like the hunters were creating dressage with jumps in the way. Essentially it’s the same eight-jump pattern everywhere you go.”

The result? A discipline that increasingly looks like performance art, polished, robotic, and predictable, rather than a sport designed to test horse and rider.

Case believes hunters have become overly rigid in penalizing anything that deviates from a narrow picture of perfection. Cross-cantering, missed lead changes, even headshaking are all faults that weigh heavily on a score. “It was supposed to mimic the hunt field,” he noted. “And now it’s something else entirely.”

That rigidity discourages brilliance. Horses are worked until they are flat and expressionless, their personality stripped away to avoid deductions. “To be crisp and jump their best, they need to be a bit fresh,” Case explained. “But we’ve worked the brilliance out of them. You take the personality out.”

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/10/01/art-or-sport-has-hunters-drifted-away-from-its-roots/
📸 © The Plaid Horse

10/12/2026

Catch up post number 2! Week two of Sacramento International included Micha McAllister, Emerson Marone, Kiera Samaan, Peggy Fong and Charley O’Toole! It was another exciting week of great rides and great fun!

10/12/2026

Catching up at last on show updates from two great weeks of showing at our biggest area show of the year, Sacramento International, Hosted by West Palms! Week 1 featured Elise Taylor, Quinn McAllister, Taryn Joyce, Emerson Marone, Bella Lam, Sandie Allen, Kiera Samaan and Nayeli Cerna! Congratulations to everyone on some great rides and thank you to Kristie LaFreniere and Ali Turner for excellent coaching!