The Buildings
The original barn was built in 1984 and the barn addition and indoor arena were completed in 2016. The barn was designed with ease of movement and traffic flow in mind, there are 4 large entrances, 3 with double hung screen doors for the summer months. We have 20 stalls, 2 grooming stalls, wash stall, heated tack, bath and laundry/utility rooms in addition to a feed room and a tool room. Our fully matted stalls are well ventilated with windows and 3/4 bars with privacy around feed tubs. Each stall is equipped with an individual outlet for fans or heated water buckets. The indoor arena is 200' by 70' with windows on both long and short sides which allows ample light and air circulation. Both the barn and indoor also have multiple cupolas. Our footing is Martin Collins CLOPF fiber which provides a stable, low impact working surface. The surface is groomed daily, is well irrigated and maintained with Mag Chloride in the winter. (The pictures on this page are all slide shows)
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The Land
Labyrinth Farm is situated in Essex county 30 miles north of Boston and 8 miles from Crane Beach. The 23 acre property consists of 10 acres of pasture and paddocks and abuts conservation land which allows hacking directly off the farm. The pastures slope gently down from old growth forest where you can find gracious oak and pine trees along with abundant indigenous plants, ferns and even lady slippers. You can ride down to the Egypt river and view the marshes as well. We have deer, turkey, coyote, hawk, fox, fisher cat, barred owl in addition to many species of wild birds. Horses adjust nicely to our farm setting and enjoy 1/2 day turnout on grass most of the year.
The Horses
Most of the horses at Labyrinth Farm take part in our Dressage training program. We believe horses do best with a routine that stays similar each day and supports physical health and mental well being. Diets are individualized. We feed hay as often as the horse's physique allows, also at night check and we live on site. We care for client's horses as we do our own. Management practices include a clear, sympathetic approach to any behavioral issues with basic natural horsemanship techniques. From a close attention to how each horse reacts and learns on the ground, the harmony and connection we want to develop in the saddle begins to emerge. We focus on creating a complete partnership between horse and rider.
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"No one is watching, it's just the horse and you. For some this is not enough and the ride of dreams is further away than ever. At this crossroads many turn back and a horseman forges on" Leslie Desmond
