FORT WAYNE, Ind. – When she was in high school, Bella Stanchin helped neighborhood kids learn to ride horses. Little did she know that what she started doing for fun 11 years ago would turn into a full-time role on her family’s horse farm in northern Allen County.

“It was not intentional (to begin offering formal riding lessons),” she explained. “I found my passion in teaching others to ride. Little by little, others started asking me to schedule them in and I found myself at the barn teaching lessons after school.”

In addition to riding lessons, Stanchin offers horse camps over summer and winter breaks. During the summer, weekly sessions of Monday-Thursday camps are offered, she said. Kids come out for half of the day either in the morning or evening. Over winter break, they have about two weeks of camps, Stanchin said.

She’s done horse camps for 10 years. They consist of horse care, feeding horses and doing chores, riding lessons, outdoor games and crafts, and fishing/canoeing.

“Camps are a great time for kids to make friends, spend time outside in the fresh air and off of screens, and bond with the horses,” Stanchin said. “It is so rewarding to see how much the kids enjoy time at the farm and they count down to camp from year to year. These could not happen without the help of some really great friends who help run these farm camps all summer. Our camp helpers are amazing at working with both horses and kids.”

Stanchin’s family has owned Blue Willow Farm since 2017. Her family has been involved with horses for five generations, working in such areas as breeding, training, racing, shoeing, barrel racing and lessons. Stanchin is a barrel racer. Her father, Jason Wiseman, is a professional farrier. One of her brothers, Isaiah Wiseman, is a professional jockey. Her mother, Jennifer Wiseman, is a schoolteacher. Her husband, Jay Stanchin, also works off farm.

Horses have been a great way for her family to bond, Bella Stanchin said.

“To me, working with horses is rewarding in every way,” she noted. “Not only do they depend on us 24/7 for care, but they also really enjoy having a job and a purpose. They enjoy being rode and mine specifically love barrel racing.

“It makes me proud to take in horses that are not trained or broke yet, teach them how to move and listen correctly, and then watch them go run barrels or lead kids around. It is no small task as it takes working with them and riding them every single day to develop them into nice horses, but I put in that work to see the results.”

The farm has 20-25 horses consisting of boarded horses, horses in training, Stanchin’s personal barrel horses, lesson horses and ponies, and a few thoroughbred racehorses. The farm has riding arenas and stables. She said they also try to raise a few animals to supply pork, beef, chicken and eggs for the family.

Stanchin will often work with training horses one to six months and then they go back to their owners. The horses in their barn range from ages 3-35.

“For the boarded horses, we do all of the daily care and maintenance, then owners come ride their horses when they would like,” she said. “For the horses I own, I am responsible for everything including things such as all of the care, monitoring their health, cleaning them, exercising them, and keeping up with their tack and equipment.”

Though Stanchin has given riding lessons to people ages 3-80, elementary- and middle-school kids make up a large part of the riding program. She does provide horses to those seeking lessons, but will also help horse owners work with their personal horses, either at the family farm or at their farms.

Stanchin said she helps many teens work on such things as overall horsemanship, finding the best way to communicate with horses, horse fitness, skills for barrel racing, and preparing for 4-H fairs.

“The training all depends on the level of the rider, level and age of the horse, and the type of riding or showing they are pursuing,” she pointed out. “Horses all have their own personality, temperament, and quirks, so we find the best way to ride and handle each specific horse.”

Stanchin had her first son in April 2024 and put him on a horse the minute they got to the farm. She said she loves that she gets to share the lifestyle with another generation of her family.

“To me, being at the farm and around horses takes the hustle out of our busy world and lets time slow down,” Stanchin said. “Horses have a calming nature to them and they respond best when you are nurturing and calm toward them, too. Visitors often appreciate the beauty of the horses and enjoy petting them and watching people ride in our arenas.

“Some visitors come out already loving horses, but it is normal to be a little intimidated at first due to the size of horses. An average horse is 1,200 pounds. However, once people realize how gentle they are, it is usually reassuring and they start creating bonds from there.”