Mad River Valley Icelandic Horses, LLC Mad River Valley Icelandic Horses, LLC

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Iceland-inspired.

Science-informed.

Welcome to Mad River Valley Icelandic Horses, LLC.

Mad River Valley Icelandic Horses, LLC  is an Icelandic horse care and training facility overlooking the Sugarbush ski slopes in Warren, Vermont.  We practice Iceland-inspired, science-informed training, teaching, and husbandry.  We pride ourselves on always putting the horse's needs first, and teaching compassionate, balanced horsemanship and riding methods to our students.

About Us:

We offer lessons to riders of all ages and abilities, full-service boarding, and training for Icelandic horses starting at age 4.  We are proud to specialize in gait training and starting young horses under saddle using gentle, reward-based training methods.  Our head trainer and teacher, Jess Haynsworth, has a diverse equestrian background and extensive experience training, riding, managing, and competing on Icelandic horses in the US and abroad.  She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the United States Icelandic Horse Congress, as the co-chair of the Promotions Committee.  She also serves on the Board of Directors for the  Northeast Icelandic Horse Club as the Youth Director, and is an occasional contributing writer for magazines such as Tölt News, The Icelandic Studbook, and The USIHC Quarterly Magazine.  Jess lived in Iceland for several years, working as a horse trainer for  Efri-Rauðilækur, one of the most successful breeding farms in Iceland.  Through our close friendship with Efri-Rauðilækur, we are thrilled to now offer horse sales and imports, as well as clinics in the US and occasional riding trips in Iceland.

Please contact us for more information, or visit our Blog, Instagram, or Facebook page!

Click through the photos below to see pictures of our team in action:

 

Our family in fall 2012 - Anne Hyde, Bill Haynsworth, and Jess Haynsworth.  Photo by Susan Peters Jess competing on her gelding, Vigri frá Vallanesi, a horse she has trained since starting him under saddle as a 4-year-old.  Photo by Shaila Ann Sigsgaard. Jess Haynsworth and her mare, Glæta frá Brekku, New Years Eve 2015.  Photo by Augustin Demonceaux Jess at Efri-Rauðilækur in 2015.  Photo by Ágústa Baldvinsdóttir Jess teaching two five-year-old students, with help from her niece, Linley.  Photo by Augustin Demonceaux. Anne and Glæta in 2016.  Photo by Jane O'Donnell Jess and a young student enjoying a summer trail ride on Spönn and Thór Cross training is a fun way to keep our horses fit and healthy!  Here, Jess jumps her top competition horse, Vigri frá valence, in preparation for a hunter pace Jess Haynsworth competing on Glæta frá Brekku in 2013.  Photo by Betty Grindrod Jess on a trail lesson with a young student in winter.  Photo by Augustin Demonceaux. Jess and Anne planting trees on Efri-Rauðilækur with the Efri-Rauðilækur family.  Today these trees are taller than us!  Photo by Caroline Allanson Jess riding our gelding, Thór frá Skorrastað, in the Pfizer Fantasia Show at Equine Affaire in Springfield, MA with the Silver Maple Show Team.  Photo by Augustin Demonceaux Jess with our foal, Bogi frá Efri-Rauðalæk.  Photo by Anne Hyde Jess riding the "gait of the gods," otherwise known as flying pace, on our mare Spönn frá Efri-Rauðalæk Anne winning a competition on our Thór frá Skorrastað.  Photo by Jess Haynsworth Jess Haynsworth sharing a quiet moment with Vigri frá Vallanesi Jess teaching one young student how to longe, while another student practices her balance on the horse at our summer camp, 2017 Jess leading students to walk the obstacle course before riding it at one of our fun Mounted Games Day competitions Baldvin ("Baddi") Ari Guðlaugsson of Efri-Rauðilækur, with Jess, Spönn, and a young student during one of our clinics. Jess with campers on a trail ride during our summer camp, summer 2017