Barnstorming Tour: Will Coleman’s Tivoli Farm presented by MD Barnmaster

This new weekly series invites readers to send in photos and a description of your barn (or where you board). What do you like about your setup? What would you change? There are some fabulous barns out there, from big and extravagant to quaint and workmanlike. Tell us about yours! It doesn’t have to be fancy or dressed up, in fact some of the “bare bones” no-frills barns have been my favorite for horsekeeping. Send us an email about your barn, with attached JPEG photo(s), to [email protected] with “Barn” in the title. This week we have the pleasure of touring Will Coleman’s Tivoli Farm in Virginia. 

Tivoli Farm & Will Coleman Equestrian

While out and about on “official EN business”, I get to snoop around some pretty great barns and pretend I have a legitimate reason to be there. Tivoli Farm probably ranks up there with the best of them, and greatest of all, it’s right down the road from me nestled in the rolling foothills of Virginia countryside. Will was kind enough to let me poke around and take pictures one day, and even though it was intermittently raining, I managed to get some shots without soaking my camera.

End of the barn

The first thing you notice about Will’s barn is that everything has it’s place, and it’s just about the tidiest stable I’ve ever been in. There are cupboards in the grooming area, so nothing lies around on the floor, cabinets for helmets, tack trunks lining the aisle and little cupboards in front of each stall holding individual boots or wraps for every horse. The aisle way is interlocking rubber pavers, so its silent, never slippery, and very clean.

Each stall has a yoke and dutch door on the inside as well as the outside, so horses can poke their noses out the back and breathe in the fresh air, or check out what’s going on inside the barn. The barn was surprisingly cool inside, which in Virginia is a really big issue because of our hot, muggy summers that make you feel like you’re walking underwater outside. Will says that it’s really well ventilated, and usually stays pretty cool. It helps that the ceilings are vaulted and the barn is surrounded by old trees with lots of good shade.

Two horse grooming station

The barn boasts a two-horse grooming station in the center of the two aisles, in addition to a tack room, office, laundry, bathroom, and feed room. There is one indoor wash rack with heat fans, and one outdoor wash rack, both with hot and cold water. All rooms are tidy, well organized, and clean.

Also included in the Tivoli Farm package is a 6-horse walker around the back of the barn. The walker is used in addition to hacking prior to exercise or turnout for every horse, to insure that all of them are loosened up and to minimize the potential for stupid injuries caused by galloping around the field like a nut, as some very fit horses are prone to do. It is also key in bringing back horses from injuries.

The main arena

The main ring is a 26,000 square foot multi-purpose arena with a Wordley & Martin surface, which is pretty much dust free, and maintained by daily dragging and occasional watering. This beautiful light sand mixture is used extensively at many World Cup Show Jumping sites throughout Europe and the U.S., and provides a great training surface for the horses both on the flat and over jumps. There is also a newer 15,000 square foot turf dressage arena, complete with an irrigation system for when the summers get hot and dry.

One of the best features of Tivoli are the two 3.5 furlong turf hill gallops that criss-cross up the mountain beyond the turnout. It is carefully maintained with an aerated turf footing, and provides a steep enough incline that it requires less pounding for equivalent fitness, and is used on all of Will’s top level horses.

The Cross Country

But, of course, let’s not forget the cross country schooling area! Ditches, banks, corners, skinnies, and tables of varying size and difficulty provide all that you would need to develop young horses or school experienced campaigners. Constant seeding, fertilizing, and mowing keep this field in pristine condition year-round.

Click to see more pictures of the amazing Tivoli Farm!