HAZELWILD FARM EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
Hazelwild Farm is located on the 600 acre ancestral homestead of Anna Elizabeth Morrison. Miss Morrison was a dairy farmer, public teach & coach. She established the foundation to continue her life-long career of education & care for children. As a non-profit organization, we are dedicated to the academic & physical development of children & adults, in honor of Miss Morrison.
We have proudly provided the Fredericksburg area with various educational program experiences for 45+ years. Children who attend today have grandparents & parents who have also attended our school & camps or have ridden in our equestrian center. On the farm, children have an opportunity to observe farm life & to learn in a unique operating horse farm environment.
Lessons & Training | Boarding | Shows | Therapeutic Riding
Interscholastic Equestrian Association | Equine for the Front Lines
Hazelwild Farm is a full service equine facility dedicated in having knowledgable staff ready for farm visitors.
Whether you're a beginner or seasoned rider, Hazelwild Farm has a place here for you.
Our Facilities Include:
30 Stall Border Barn
32 Stall School Barn
250' X 150' Indoor Riding Arena
300' X 150' Outdoor Riding Arena
250' X 150' Outdoor Riding Arena
Hazelwild Farm riders also have access to miles of trails through our 500 acre facility. Our indoor riding arena has Perma Flex footing, which offers horses a soft, cushioned ride. The outdoor riding rings are composed of sand footing.
OUTDOOR RING FUNDRAISER PROJECT
This project is made possible by a grant from Fredericksburg Charitable Foundation of The Community Foundation.
Appointment Lessons
(please call for availability & pricing)
1-hour Group Lessons that allow students to ride either their own horse or a school horse. Lessons are organized by riding level (beginner to advanced).
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Beginner levels focus on the fundamentals of riding. Volunteers are there to assist in the learning process.
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Advanced levels focus on the technical elements of horse showing & is therefore set at a faster pace.
Riding Programs
HAZELWILD HEROES THERAPEUTIC RIDING PROGRAM
Hazelwild Farm's Therapeutic Riding Program offers specialized horseback riding lessons for all ages of riders with a wide range of physical, cognitive & emotional disabilities. The lessons serve therapeutic purposes by increasing stability, flexibility, strength, motor skills, cognitive ability & confidence for the riders, along with providing many other physical & emotional benefits.
Shows, Clinics & Special Events
With both our large outdoor & indoor riding arenas, we are proud to be able to host shows year round! We are always trying to enhance our riders' experiences. We welcome both clients & community members to participate in our hosted clinics!
Our Monthly Horse Shows Include:
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Virginia Horse Show Association (VHSA)
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Battlefield Horse Show Association (BHSA)
Our Staff
Hazelwild Farm management oversees the care of over 60 horses on a daily basis. Michelle Mardeusz manages our school barn and Teresa Seay manages the boarder barn. We have someone on property 24 hours a day to attend to any emergency needs. Because management is hands on, there is not always someone in the office but phone calls and emails are answered as needed. We have excellent veterinary care and the farrier service provided to our clients is top notch. Our barn staff is caring and attentive to every horse.
Horse Show Forms
*Pre-entries are due 5 days prior to the show date and must be emailed to the farm. Completed entries must have entry form, waiver release form, and negative coggins for each show.
Meet Our Hazelwild Trainers
Teresa Seay
Equine Director
Teresa has been an integral part of Hazelwild Farm since she first started attending preschool at the farm. She grew up riding in lessons, and as time passed, she transitioned from student to barn staff, camp counselor, and eventually, a riding instructor.
She attended Mary Washington College and graduated in 1999. She successfully competed on the school’s IHSA team, qualifying and successfully competing at Nationals.
After graduation, Teresa worked as a barn manager and instructor at Hazelwild, teaching beginners, coaching the interschool team, and preparing riders for shows. From 2009 to 2021 Teresa was the head coach of the UMW IHSA team. During that time she led the team to multiple Regional Championships, many individual Nationals competitors, and a National Champion. She served as the IHSA Region President from 2013 to 2021. In 2021 Teresa became the head coach for the IEA high school and middle school team, in 2022 she became an IEA Region president. Teresa has been a USHJA certified trainer since 2012, and has held multiple leadership positions within the IHSA, IEA, BHSA, and VHSA.
Teresa believes in and fosters the sense of family that Hazelwild Farm was started with and is so well known for today. Her lessons are fun, challenging and confidence building. She has a fun, unique and creative approach to excellence that inspires and an unflappable nature that is calming to all of her students. In 2015, Teresa was awarded the VHSA Sportsmanship award. She is always the first one to lend a helping hand and is truly invested in the success of her students, her clients, and her friends. Teresa is always pleased and proud of all her students’ successes, whether it is finally mastering a gymnastics drill, riding a horse that they found intimidating, or winning a ribbon at a show.
As the Equine Director, Teresa is responsible for the care of all of the horses at Hazelwild Farm, as well as teaching her appointment lessons, and her lessons and practices for IEA. She is the lynch pin that holds the Equine side of the farm together.
Teresa is also the owner of Sham (aka Do Your Thing). Sham taught in the program at Hazelwild for many years and was adopted by Teresa when he was ready to retire.
Michelle Mardeusz
Trainer
Michelle Mardeusz began riding horses at the age of four. She continued riding on & off throughout her life & into her high school career. Thanks to the University of Mary Washington, Michelle was introduced to Hazelwild Farm in 2006. She promptly joined the farm & brought her beloved horse with her.
In 2008-09, Michelle became a competitive member of the IHSA team until graduating in 2009. Post-graduation, Michelle continued to ride & competitively horse show at Hazelwild, all while pursuing a career outside of horses. During this time, she assisted in the training of Hazel (one of the few baby horses to be born on the farm at that time).
In July 2010, Michelle returned to Hazelwild Farm to work full-time as the office manager. In 2013, she began teaching lessons & became the assistant coach for the University of Mary Washington (UMW) Equestrian Team. She is proud to have helped lead the IHSA team to multiple Regional Championships & many individual National competitors. Michelle's dedication to both the team & her students has positively impacted both the farm & riding community.
Today, Michelle is proud to teach appointment lessons for riders of varying ages & experience. She provides a safe, fun & challenging lesson-environment for everyone. During lessons, Michelle likes to drill all levels of riders on the basics to push them & make them stronger. She has an eye for detail and enjoys watching her students become better riders. Michelle also does all of our professional rides on a variety of privately owned horses.
Michelle is a proud owner of an off-the-track thoroughbred named Arson which she trained to become a competitive show horse. You can find Michelle at horse shows, either with clients or in the role of horse show mom - for her daughter, Leigha who has started her IEA career.
Kathleen Bonner
Foundation Instructor
Kathleen Bonner has a long history with Hazelwild Farm & the local equestrian community. Kathleen began her riding career at Hillcrest Farms in Virginia Beach. She came to Hazelwild Farm as a college student, riding on the Mary Washington College Riding Team until her graduation in 1987. In addition to riding on the school's IHSA team, Kathleen also completed the three levels of "Teaching Riding" that were offered through MWC's Education Department under Carol Miller Hawley.
Post-graduation, Kathleen maintained her connection with Hazelwild Farm, even renting a room in the big farm house from Aunt Sis, and donating her first horse Sentimental Value (aka "Finny") to MWC & Hazelwild Farm.
Kathleen's professional career in the local horse community includes managing & training at farms such as Beauclaire Stables, Lake of the Woods Stable, and Free Lunch Farm. She has also been the horse show manager extraordinaire for many local show series for the last 20 years, including Hazelwild Farm, Quad J Farm, The Inn at Kelly's Ford, and most recently - Whitestone Farm. After taking a break from a full-time career in horses to raise her three children, Kathleen returned to Hazelwild Farm in 2012 to teach beginners & lower level lesson students.
Kathleen's lessons offer a strong foundation of skills that every equestrian, young & old, need in order to progress in their riding endeavors. Her lessons are fun & informative, and her caring style of teaching instills confidence in all of her students. Kathleen organizes a fun show each spring & fall as an introduction to horse showing for Hazelwild students. She also organizes & runs Pony Week, which is a much-loved annual summer event for horse-loving kids (ages 5-11 years), so that they can experience horses & horsemanship with riding activities, basic horse care & fun crafts.
When not teaching, Kathleen can be found enjoying her perfect equine child, Pleasant Steps (aka "Snappy").
Connor Oakes
Instructor, Therapeutic Riding Program
Connor Oakes has expressed a passion for horses since she could walk and talk. She grew up riding at Fox Ridge Farm in Smithfield, VA and continued her riding career in the IHSA lesson program at Virginia Tech. Connor graduated from Virginia Tech in 2018 with two degrees; one in Agricultural Business and one in Accounting and Information Systems. After college graduation, Connor relocated to Spotsylvania County.
Connor is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and works full-time as a bank audit manager for a public accounting firm. When not at the barn, Connor enjoys hobbies such as tractor pulling, mud bogs, raising pigs, and farming hay.
Connor has ridden in the lesson program at Hazelwild Farm since 2019 and began volunteering with Hazelwild Farm’s Therapeutic Riding program in 2020. Connor has obtained her Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor (CTRI) credentials through PATH International and began as the Therapeutic Riding Instructor in 2023.
The farm’s Therapeutic Riding Program has brought so much joy to Connor’s life. She loves watching the bond the kids form with both the horses and volunteers. She challenges the riders to grow both mentally and physically through a variety of stimulating tasks each lesson. Connor appreciates the dedication of all of the volunteers that help make this program possible and is thankful for the amazing horses that are the foundation of the program.
Connor does not currently have her own horse but some of her favorite school horses include Theo, Stych, and Congo.
