Chantilly Farms – Horse Rescue, Riding Lessons, Workshops and More

Chantilly Farms Teri Barber
Chantilly Farms is owned and operated by Teri Barber. Photo credit: Kristin Kendle.

Whether you’re looking for a place to take horseback riding lessons or a unique family-friendly experience, Chantilly Farms is just the place. This farm in Graham is at its heart a horse farm, but at the same time, it’s so much more. Led by Teri Barber, Chantilly Farms offers everything from riding lessons and trail rides to live-in internships — and Teri aims to teach others what rural life is all about. And, as it turns out, rural life is pretty sweet.

While Chantilly Farms is a multifaceted farm today, it began and remains a horse farm and horse rescue.

Rescuing Horses  

“I’ve rescued horses for a very long time,” says Teri. “It usually started when I’d see a horse that was skinny and sometimes I’d go up and approach people, let them know I could help them and ask what they needed help with. As time went on, I got involved with the county and the county would actually bring me horses where people moved and left a horse, or if there was a horse that was too fat or too skinny. Other times word got around that we took horses. Rescuing isn’t necessarily taking the horse. It can be helping somebody or educating them because sometimes they don’t know what to do.”

Chantilly Farms horseback riding lesson
The farm is one of the few places near Tacoma that offers horseback lessons. Photo credit: Kristin Kendle.

More than 30 years after Teri rescued her first horse, she continues to take horses in — so long as she has the space — or helps to facilitate getting horses to new homes when she doesn’t have room for them at the farm.

Rescued horses are given a new lease on life. Sometimes all they need is a good brushing and their hooves cleaned up, but other times they need minor or major medical care. No matter what they need, Teri and her team work with the horses to repair their health and wellbeing. The farm figures out what the horses are best at doing — whether that’s trail riding, lessons or none of the above. If the horses enjoy trails and lessons, they may stay on the farm. If not, Teri finds them a forever home after searching, doing background checks and looking into the horse’s new home in every way she can to ensure it’s a good one.

“We keep tabs with everybody and help them with whatever they need,” she says. “We’ve sold horses to Canada and all across the United States. They come here. They ride the horse. I interview them. I check references. I make them come back again and we just really make sure it’s a good fit. And hopefully, we’ve picked the right home in the end.”

Trail Rides and Lessons

While many horses come and go from the farm, there’s a core group of about five or six that live and work there permanently. The horses that enjoy it do trail rides and lessons on the farm, which helps to support the rescue efforts. Trail rides are offered all year round, but obviously, they are more comfortable in warmer months. Still, if you want to go out in the winter, Teri can make that happen. For younger riders, there are trails right off the property, but for adults, Teri takes riders on trails about a half hour from the farm.

Chantilly Farms garden
Chantilly Farms has an organic garden and Teri is happy to talk shop about gardening techniques. Photo credit: Kristin Kendle.

“For guided trail rides, we haul out about a half hour out from here,” says Teri. “So it’s about an hour round trip and about a 2.5- to 3.5-hour trip, depending on the person and how much their butt can take. When we get back, we often sample some wines and cheese. On the trail, we’ll take some water and some snacks. We’ll go see some scenery. If the riders are handling it okay, we’ll do some inclines, but there’s flat course out there too.”

Chantilly is one of the few places to take horseback riding lessons near Tacoma and offers an immersive learning experience. Chantilly is often home to more than 20 horses at a time, including miniature horses, ponies, 13-hand ponies, and large horses as well, meaning people of all different ages, shapes and heights can learn to ride on a horse that suits them.

“We teach total horsemanship from the ground up,” explains Teri. “You learn parts of the saddle and parts of the horse, as well as how to saddle a horse. We teach Western and English. We teach how to have balance and how to ride bareback. Some places don’t teach how to put a bridle on, but we teach you that as well as all the types of brushes and what they do. We also teach groundwork. If you can’t work together as a team on the ground, your horse isn’t going to listen to you when you’re up top.”

The list goes on. Teri teaches braids, leading horses through obstacle courses, and even how to treat basic injuries. Teri and her team ensure that riders don’t get saddled with a horse that’s too easy either. If you learn on a horse that never tries to resist you or always wants to go the same direction you do, you’ll never learn how to truly ride. At the same time, lessons are safe and fun for all ages. Her oldest student was 73, and her youngest started at just 2 (and is still going strong at age 6).

Other Animals and Tours

Chantilly Farms Baby Goats
There’s a small petting zoo at the farm, too, that’s perfect for younger visitors and birthday parties. Photo credit: Kristin Kendle.

What really makes Chantilly Farms a lot of fun to visit or take lessons at is the sheer variety of things going on at the farm, and also Teri’s willingness to share it all with anyone who wants to learn. Along with caring for and rescuing horses, Chantilly Farms is home to a flock of chickens, ducks, a Kunekune pig named Cooper and quite a few goats. Come during the right time of year (ask ahead) and you can meet baby goats in the on-site petting zoo. Hands down, the baby goat brigade is one of the cutest things you’ll ever see. Cooper the pig comes in a close second. He even knows a few tricks, including sitting for a treat.

If you’re curious about life on the farm, want to meet the animals or learn more about rescues, taking a farm tour is a great touchstone for rural life. For just a $3 suggested donation per person, tours get you up close and personal with the daily goings-on at Chantilly. You might see lessons in progress or see workers managing the horses, but Teri will also show you the garden and teach you about how they grow their own food in both the ground and in containers. They milk their goats and make goat cheese, too, and even make their own wine — so if you’re lucky (and if you don’t have kids in tow) you might also get a wine and cheese tasting included.

Teri teaches essential oils classes on how to use essential oils to do everything from clean to cook to use them for colds, and the farm hosts events throughout the year, including private birthday parties (complete with baby goats).

Interns and Volunteers

Of course, it takes a lot of work to run a farm, and Teri doesn’t do it all alone. She takes community volunteers as well as trade labor — she has several kids who trade work time for lessons or trail rides. But most uniquely, she works with interns via World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (or Wwoof).

Chantilly Farms
A visit to Chantilly Farms isn’t complete until you’ve said “hi” to Cooper the pig. Photo credit: Kristin Kendle.

“We take interns from around — some come from Pennsylvania, Maine, Boston, but we have one here now from Korea,” says Teri. “They work the farm, learn how to milk, learn how to make cheese and garden. They don’t have to have any experience. We used to have them come for a week, but most of them now are here for three to six months so they have time to learn.”

Interns live right at the house and take turns cooking dinner, so they also leave with some new culinary skills.

To schedule a visit, you can call Teri at 253-271-1170 or message her on Facebook. The farm is open on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and by appointment only on weekdays.

Chantilly Farms
9215 274th St E
Graham, WA
253-271-1170
www.chantillyfarms.com