We exclusively board horses for students who are studying French classical equitation with us and who want to train their horses this way.

French Classical work is not only for ‘performance’ horses. It’s wonderful for rehabbing injured horses, connecting with rescued ones, or maintaining health in older horses. It helps your horse be as healthy and comfortable in their body as they can be. It’s deeply beneficial to the horse! That’s what it was invented for.

Barn Culture:

Classical work is about calm, honest, peaceful connection. Our barn’s culture reflects this. Boarders typically share a kind, connected mindset, and it feels good here. Our riders come from all sorts of backgrounds, all levels of income, all cultural norms… and the constant is kindness and curiosity and a generous compassionate mind.  Boarders become part of a barn family here and we like to offer lots of opportunity for social time together— but it’s not compulsory! We have riders who’ve just started their stay at Blue River Farm, and others who’ve been here 10 or 20 years. And everyone is welcome and everyone feels a sense of home here.

Boarding at Blue River is complete care.

Whether you board with us at the lowest rate and come in regularly to provide your own training, or you simply come for lessons and let us manage all of your horse’s daily training and care, your horse will be in good hands here.

• Horses have 6 hours of turnout daily and are fed high quality timothy, low-calorie local, or protein rich alfalfa hay, as well as supplements to replace minerals not found in our Pacific Northwest soils.

• Older horses or those on special diets are catered to as well, with special mashes and hays purchased just for your horse’s unique dietary needs.

• The stalls in the smaller barn are 11 by 12, the larger barn’s stalls 12 by 12.  The stalls are cleaned everyday and the cleaning staff is trained to pay attention to the norms in the stalls and alert the trainer immediately if any concerning changes occur.

• All of the horses are groomed carefully before every ride/training session. We are sure to monitor any behavioral or physical changes and act fast to notify you if anything seems off. Your horse will be cared for and become like a member of our family.

This is home for our horses and home for the trainer and teachers as well. The staff and clients form a community here. We all like our home to be safe, comfortable and joyful: for horses and riders alike.

Riding areas

A lovely indoor arena with great footing is open from 9 to 9 daily. There is an outdoor dressage arena as well. Outdoor working areas are available, and while our local trails have been overtaken by “progress”, we’re within easy hauling of some of the best riding trails in the Puget Sound area. Lord Hill Park and Paradise Valley Conservation Area are just minutes away.

Training

Horses at Blue River Farm are expected to be in work, whether in hand or under saddle, a minimum of 4 days per week. Mary Anne Campbell and her staff provide training services all year round to keep them tuned and in conversation with their riders. If you won’t be on site 4 days a week, training packages include 3, 4 or 5 day a week options, depending on your ability to fill in the missing days. And we can adjust the packages to cover you if you’re traveling or otherwise indisposed. We’re here to keep your horse healthy and connected to the conversation with the rider.

Body Work

We have a visit weekly from an equine body worker available to gently check in, helping with your horse’s well-being. We also have regular visits from a master massage therapist, an Acupuncturist and Chiropractor for deeper level work. 

Other Services

We set up twice a year visits with a local veterinarian, Evergreen Equine, to attend to vaccinations and dental work. You can choose to work with your own veterinarian or share the barn call with the rest of us!

We have a great farrier who comes every 6 weeks, we’re working with Noble Farriery. And you can work with ours or bring your own.

Boarding is expensive as staffing and supplies have gone up so much, but we try to give you real value for your investment and we provide a range of options for our riders. And we know you’re working hard to afford this wonderful activity, so we offer lots of support for our busy clients! From cleaning your tack to organizing your locker, between the various board packages available we’ve got you covered.

We can provide medical treatments if they’re prescribed, and offer full ‘in loco parentis care’ for when you can’t come to the barn for extended periods…. and more!

We work with our boarders to create the best facility for their equine partners, and the best riding environment for the community that calls Blue River Farm “home.”