About

Meet the Owner

Courtney Trares is the proud owner of Full Circle Farm: Equestrian Learning Center. She is the farm’s manager and trainer.

As manager and trainer, Courtney’s desire is to offer you and your horse a premier experience whether it be caring for or training your horse or supporting you and your horsemanship goals. She utilizes a combination of horsemanship, classical dressage, and biomechanics instructional techniques which provide strong foundation training. Students, in addition to riding instruction, learn groundwork and in-hand exercises to train and engage their horse to get the horse “ride-ready.” Liberty training is another passion that she loves to share with students. She has a lot of experience with people who are first time horse owners, getting back into horses, or needing to build back confidence. Her instructional methods are complimentary to all riding disciplines. 

Like many of you, Courtney has a lifelong love of horses. She began studying natural horsemanship in 2003 at which time she successfully trained her first horse. He was an unruly yearling who transformed into a polite, trustworthy horse. She has competed in western classes, studied hunter/jumper and is currently focused on learning and competing in dressage. Her goal is for Full Circle Farm is to be a safe, comfortable, and fun learning environment for horses and for the people who love them.

Courtney lives on-site and personally oversees all activities at the farm. Full Circle Farm is a no-drama barn with a limited number of boarders to maintain healthy horses and a community atmosphere. Please contact Courtney to visit Full Circle Farm to see if this is the right community for you and your horse. Responses are generally within 24 hours.

Contact

You can reach Courtney by:

Text or call: (989)225-1702

Email: info@full360.horse

You can follow us on Facebook too!

Courtney’s Career Summary

Courtney is actively engaged in ongoing self-improvement. She continually works on her own education by attending lectures, workshops, and university classes on many horse-related topics.

• Clinics & Lessons with Nahshon Cook, Karin Miles, Dr. Susan Fay & Amy Skinner 2022

• Champion First Level, Training Level & Intro Level; Reserve Champion WD Intro Level, 3rd place WD Basic Level for CMHA Dressage 2021

• International Liberty Horse Association competition class winner 2021  

• Lesson Intensive completed with Nahshon Cook 2021

• Clinic & lessons with Dr. Susan Fay 2021

• Clinics & lessons with Karin Miles, Jillian Kreinberg & Patrick King 2019, 2020 & 2021

• Multiple placings in CMHA Virtual Show Series Traditional & Western Dressage 2020.

• Top 10 competitor in the 2020 Ohio Equine Affaire Mustang Challenge December-April 2020

• CMHA Dressage Show Training Level 3rd overall June-August 2019.

• Top 10 competitor in the 2019 Midwest Horse Fair Mustang Challenge. January - April 2019

• Attended Mustang Taming Course taught by Ryan Rose and adopted one of the mustangs, Marilyn Monroe, to further her learning of taming and training at home. August 2018

• Opened Full Circle Farm offering stall and pasture boarding, horse training, lessons, clinics and workshops. September 2017

• Studied with Ryan Rose improving colt starting, problem solving and foundation training skills. January 2017

• Taught private and group lessons and offered clinics and workshops on a variety of topics and levels at a local equestrian center. Arranged for other clinicians to present clinics and workshops at this same facility. 2014 - May 2017

• Worked for 5 years as a licensed 2-star Parelli Natural Horsemanship instructor offering private lessons, group lessons, and workshops focused on groundwork, liberty and freestyle riding. Trained young horses who have never been ridden and advanced older horses. 2012 - 2017

• Participated in a 2-week Masterclass with Linda Parelli and later assisted teaching a 4-week Foundation of Horsemanship course in Ocala, Florida with Kristi Smith. 2015

• Attended a 6-week Colt Start Program taught by Pat Parelli at the Circle Bar Ranch in Truscott, Texas. Learned techniques for starting and taming horses. Handled several colts per day to provide foundational training. Progressed colts from having never been touched to riding in a cattle drive. 2014

• Worked as a part of the Parelli Road Crew at tour stops and events. Completed instructor course at the Parelli Center in Pagosa Springs, Colorado with 6-Star master instructor Carol Coppinger. Passed level 4 under the Parelli Natural Horsemanship Program. 2013

• Completed a 3-month Externship at Parelli Center in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. 2012

• Trained for 2 months in the Masterclass with 5-star Parelli instructor John Baar, Pagosa Springs, CO. 2009

• Began the Parelli Natural Horsemanship home study program and successfully trained first horse transforming an unruly yearling into a polite mannered, trustworthy horse. 2003

Directions

Full Circle Farm is located at 5180 Grange Hall Road, Holly, MI 48442. Here is a map to help you plan your route.