Facility Name: LEAP OF FAITH FARMS – A special Thank You to Leap of Faith Farms for hosting the March East Bay CDS Board Meeting!
Owners/Managers names: JIM AND MARIAH BRADFORD-URBAN
Location: A LITTLE SLICE OF PARADISE JUST 10 MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN WALNUT CREEK AND THE 680 FREEWAY
Approximate number of horses at facility: 130
Website: www.LeapOfFaithFarms.com
Services offered -
We have a full scale English and Western lesson program for beginner through advanced riders, including lease options which allow students to train exclusively with our resident trainers.
Our facilities include two large indoor and one large outdoor arena, a covered and an uncovered 60′ roundpen, a full span of mirrors, multiple turnouts, and phenomenal footing. The footing always absorbs a lot of our attention as we seek to provide world-class footing for all of our boarders, and our current is the best we have ever achieved (a combination of felt and several types of sand, meticulously maintained.) You have to see it for yourself! It’s excellent.
Regarding horse care services we call ourselves “F
ull Service”, which to us means if you can think of it we can provide it ! Including saddling of horses, sheath cleaning, standing wraps with poultice, eye medications, and of course basics like blanketing, fly masks, and turnouts…. No horse care job is too small, too large, or requires too much expertise. This was part of our vision when we started Leap of Faith Farms five years ago; we believed that there were riders who wanted the types of services that a trainer would typically provide, but who did not wish to be in full training to obtain them.
Unique amenities: Direct trail access to hundreds of miles of gorgeous trails. The facility also features extensive drainage systems all over the property, so training is able to continue no matter what the weather. Also, most of the stalls are also grilled to the SIDE, so horses remain content and relaxed with a visible “herd” on all sides. The horses love that!
The mix of disciplines at Leap of Faith also provide for a friendly, down-to-earth atmosphere as Grand Prix dressage horses, beloved ancient trail horses Grand Prix jumpers, little children on ponies, and WCRHA furturity-winning Reiners all rub shoulders and admire the beauty of each others accomplishments. As a specific example, a few weeks ago Mariah was trying out a Grand Prix jumper and the rail was lined with boarders watching and cheering….And then a week later, one of our boarders Linda Stalcup — who trains with Heather Robertson — was practicing her Kur and again there were crowds watching and cheering for her. A healthy, athletic horse performing at the top of its game is a delight to see no matter what kind of saddle is on its back, and at Leap of Faith Farms we are proud to say we have many different ones to watch and enjoy.
Philosophy and horse background of facility/owners/managers:
We strongly believe that horses should be FUN. Remember that this is your RECREATION! We are all spending far too much money every month to be doing this to not enjoy ourselves and laugh a little. While we take the care of the horses very, very seriously it is important to us to not take OURSELVES too seriously. Our boarders here all learn to expect things like entertaining newsletters and e-mails, free BBQ’s and Wine & Cheese parties, Mariah & Jim performing in skits at parties, and the occasional air guitar played while tractor driving. Life’s too short to have it otherwise!
Mariah has been successfully training and competing on the ‘A” Circuit in Hunter/Jumpers for 25 years. Jim has been been doing the same for 5 years. Mariah is currently seeking a Grand Prix prospect with whom she can compete in 2011.
Because we ride and take lessons daily in the same exact environment as all of our boarders, we have a very personal interest in ensuring that all parts of the facility are running smoothly. After all, an issue with feed or footing affects OUR horses too, who receive the same exact care as all of the other LFF boarded horses.
Most challenging management task:
Our most challenging management task is managing the different expectations and desires of our clientele. One person loves alfalfa, another fears enteroliths. One person wants deep dry sand, another wants damp packed footing. It’s a constant balance where we need to use our own best judgment — along with the occasional consultation with professionals — to keep an even keel and make decisions that are for the overall best interests of everyone.
Most rewarding experience being a facility owner/manager:
For most of our clients, their horses are the most important part of their lives. Perhaps they’ve been riding since childhood and are trying to reach a longtime competition goal, or maybe it’s a life dream to have a pleasure horse that they are just finally getting to realize now that the kids are grown. Whatever the different motivations, it is certain that the horses here at Leap of Faith are filling a huge heart need for almost all of our clients, and it’s a pleasure to know that we are providing a safe, beautiful place for their dreams to be lived daily. As far as our personal lives, having Leap of Faith Farms allows us to work together and raise our three young children in a very hands-on way, which for us is a dream come true.
Any future plans for improvements or expansion:
We have always had plans for a Equicizer which I am sure we will still eventually do.
Special events hosted at your facility:
We have the pleasure of hosting events for CDS, for example the Adult Amateur Clinic or Board meetings. We also have occasional clinics from different disciplines.
Additional comments:
One of the most amazing and mysterious things about Leap of Faith Farms is how much ROOM there is; how empty the arenas are, how easy it is to use a hot water wash rack or find a crosstie space. Considering there are usually around 130 horses here, it would seem like things could get “crowded” but they never do. I think in the past five years I have never seen more than four horses in an arena (except for maybe a group lesson.) The clients are so diverse in their needs and times of day that they ride (hours are 6:30 am to 9:30 pm daily with bright exterior and arena lighting for night use) that there are just never too many people here at one time, even on the weekends. It’s remarkable, but I guarantee you that no matter when you swing by Leap of Faith Farms to check it out for yourself, you will see that the arenas are being minimally used, the footing is superb, the horses are shiny and happy, and the clients are all friendly and helpful to you. It is just the way it is around here, and we are continually thankful that we have been blessed with this life through the generosity of our investor Peter T Paul.
