For the last 38 years, Tanya Rennie and her husband Jim Jaeger have owned Vienna Farm. In 1984, Vienna Farm started out as 20 acres that were in rough shape.
“It needed a lot of work.” said Jim as he showed me around the farm, but now you would never guess it.
Since purchasing the farm they have worked continuously to improve, grow, and steward the land that is now a home to the people and horses that live there. It also houses a training center for horses and their riders in the sport of dressage. Now, having grown to 82 acres, the farm has both indoor and outdoor training arenas, beautiful trails that wind through the woods and pastures, horse paddocks, pastures for summer turn out and grazing, and indoor stalls in the barn.
Photo credit: Kerry ConstantinoTanya and Jim in front of their outdoor arena. The arena was recently upgraded and designed to provide the most optimal footing for the horses. It has an advanced drainage system and is continually maintained to provide a soft, supportive surface that is friendly to the horses’ joints and hooves.
Dressage is a sport steeped in tradition and training, with a horse learning in an ongoing process. Students are taught to train as a team with their horse, building a relationship that relies on communication and trust. Dressage competitions can range from regional events, all the way to the Olympics. Tanya and her team of instructors are dedicated to creating a training environment that is fun, friendly, and safe no matter the level of the horse and rider.
No detail is overlooked when it comes to the training and caretaking of the horses. Attention to detail is applied to every aspect of the horse’s health and well-being. Everything from the careful planning of each individual horses’ nutritional requirements, to the environmental impact of the bedding used in their stalls, has been carefully considered so that the farm’s inhabitants and the land it rests on thrive.
Photo credit: Kerry ConstantinoTanya, left, took a moment to say hello to Poppy, one of the horses who lives at Vienna Farm.
People of all ages and levels have studied at Vienna Farm, using dressage training practices to build their relationship with their horses and learn about the care of these beautiful animals.
The best way for people who have never experienced dressage and want to know more is to contact the farm and plan a visit. There are observation decks where you can watch horses and riders train. Shows and events are also a great way to introduce yourself to the world of traditional horsemanship.
For more information: email learnmore@viennafarm.com or visit Vienna Farm on the web at: viennafarm.com.
Photo credit: Kerry Constantino