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Producing young horses is one of the toughest jobs in the sport. It’s expensive, time-consuming, and often unpredictable. But for Maggie Jayne and her family at Our Day Farm, it’s also one of the most rewarding.
Maggie has been deeply involved with her family’s breeding and young horse program, bringing along homebreds from foals to the five-year-old jumpers. Along the way, she’s developed a clear philosophy: start with quality, train with practicality, and always keep the horses moving forward.
A Romantic Start
Maggie credits her father, Alex Jayne, with launching the family’s breeding venture. “He had a very romantic idea about breeding top, top bloodlines,” she recalled. “We were lucky enough to have access to top stallions and top mares and I think that has been key, to start with quality.”
That foundation has paid off. By riding both the stallions and mares, Maggie has been able to see their best qualities carried into the next generation. “It’s extremely fun to see the qualities pop out that I knew because I’ve ridden all their parents,” she said. “A lot of times if you have a good horse, you’re gonna see the same top qualities in them that you saw in their parents.”
Practical Training in a U.S. System
Raising young horses in the United States has its challenges. Unlike Europe, where inexpensive local shows give youngsters mileage in low-pressure settings, American horses often face a choice between staying home or showing at top venues with expensive fees.
The Jaynes have created their own system. At home, the horses learn by exposure to everything—trails, derby fields, even trips to Lamplight just to see the horse show environment. By the time they head to Florida as five-year-olds, they’ve already learned their job.
“We get them going at home very strong and very solid,” Maggie explained. “Then we just kind of hit the ground running when they’re five at WEF. It’s a little sink or swim, but knock on wood, it always works and they always rise to the occasion.”
Forward Is the Goal
If there’s one theme in Maggie’s approach, it’s forward motion.
“I think it’s very important just to get them going forward,” she said. “That’s the top goal. Once they get going, they forget about bucking, they learn their job, and then you can decide if they’re going to be a hunter or a jumper.”
At the beginning, the babies often follow other horses in the ring, since as herd animals they learn more easily that way. From there, Maggie looks to see what kind of talent each one has and lets them grow into their strengths.
No Coddling, Just Confidence
Some people coddle their young horses, but Maggie believes in setting expectations early. “There’s always one way, and it’s always over,” she said.
That doesn’t mean pushing beyond their ability. If a horse isn’t suited for the top levels, they find a different path. But every horse learns to do its job with confidence. “We try to teach them to love their job,” Maggie explained. “If they’re not going to be a 1.40m horse, we’ll sell them to the right level. They still end up wonderful horses because we’ve started them to be friendly to any job they end up doing.”
From Chaos to Confidence
Handling groups of young horses is never easy, but the Jaynes make it a family effort. “It can be very chaotic,” Maggie admitted. “But they get the hang of it once they get in the barn and see the other horses.”
The results speak for themselves. Maggie frequently hears from buyers whose horses have gone on to shine in new jobs, whether in the show ring, in eventing, or in dressage. “I’ll get amazing messages like, ‘Hey, I bought a horse three years ago and he’s our horse of a lifetime,’” she said. “That’s incredibly rewarding.”
Building for the Future
The Jaynes are now slowing down their breeding program, focusing more on sales, imports, and their clients’ horses. But the lessons learned from breeding and producing remain central to how Maggie trains.
By combining her father’s “romantic” vision with a practical, forward-focused program, she’s developed a system that produces confident, adaptable horses ready for any job.
“It’s very satisfying,” she reflected. “Seeing the babies grow up, seeing their parents’ qualities come through, and then watching them go on to new homes. It makes all the hard work worth it.”
Want more insight from Maggie Jayne? Hear her full interview on The Plaidcast. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform for conversations with riders and trainers shaping the sport.
