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In many barns today, school horses are quietly disappearing. Rising costs, time constraints, and liability concerns have made them feel impractical. Some feel it’s an outdated model in a sport increasingly driven by private ownership and full-service programs. But at Belleame Farm in Ohio, trainer Jennifer Edwards has held on to her lesson horses. And the riders who have come through her program, some of whom have gone on to compete at the highest levels, offer a compelling argument for why.
“We still want that atmosphere in the barn,” Edwards says. “We want the school horses.”
For Edwards, school horses are the foundation of how riders learn, how families enter the sport, and how long-term horsemanship is built.
A Different Starting Line
Edwards and her husband, Rob, have run Belleame Farm together for more than four decades. They teach every lesson themselves. They travel with their students to horse shows. And from the beginning, they have insisted that riders start where learning is clearest and pressure is lowest.
“We never, ever push anybody to buy a horse,” Edwards says. “That’s not our program. That’s not what we want to be.”
Instead, children begin on school horses—good ones. Horses capable of going to horse shows, being competitive, and teaching riders how to ride rather than how to manage an investment. Riders are allowed to progress at their own pace, to decide whether the sport truly speaks to them before families are asked to make major financial commitments.
“We even allow them to go to the horse show on our school horses,” Edwards explains. “They get a taste of it. And then they can pursue farther if they choose.”
From Walk–Trot to Indoors
What makes Edwards’ philosophy especially notable is where it leads. Many of her riders do not leave once they outgrow the school horse stage.
“All my clients that have gone nationally—Devon, indoors, junior hunter finals—I have literally started them from my school horses,” she says. “I didn’t have anybody come in that was already there.”
She describes riders who began at the walk–trot level, moved through ponies, advanced into junior divisions, and later returned as amateurs after college. Others went on to ride in NCAA programs or compete on collegiate teams. The common thread was not early specialization or early ownership, but years spent learning before expectations escalated.
“I’m very proud of that,” Edwards says. “I am the one who started them, and I’m the one who got them to this level.”
Access Without Pressure
School horses also allow Edwards to keep the door open to riders who might otherwise never step inside. Not every family can or should buy a horse. Not every child who loves riding needs to become a national competitor.
“That child that walks in that barn and you know they can’t afford a horse,” Edwards says, “but for two years they’re going to ride and have fun and enjoy it. That’s important.”
Those riders may never move beyond lessons. Or they may become some of the most motivated students in the barn. Either way, Edwards believes the experience matters.
“I see all these articles where people are getting rid of all their school horses,” she says. “I can’t do that.”
In her program, access is not treated as a loss leader or a temporary inconvenience. It is part of the mission.
What School Horses Teach
Beyond access, Edwards believes school horses teach lessons like responsibility patience, feel, and empathy.
Riders at Belleame Farm are expected to groom, tack, untack, and care for their horses at home. They learn how horses move, how they behave, and how they respond to different riders and environments. The relationship develops slowly, without the pressure of ownership or the fear of “ruining” something expensive.
“I really think that’s an important part of connecting with the animal,” Edwards says.
That connection, she believes, carries forward into better decision-making, better riding, and a deeper respect for the horse as a partner rather than a commodity.
In an industry that often equates progress with scale, Edwards’ commitment to school horses requires time and patience. “I would rather not do it if I couldn’t do it my way and be very connected,” Edwards says.
Want more insight from Jennifer Edwards? Listen to episode 469 of The Plaidcast and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform for conversations with the most influential voices in the equestrian world.
