Back in June, Practical Horseman met up with international show jumper and hunter rider and trainer Jacob Pope to film Practical Horseman+ videos. We went to his and his business partner Nick Pongracz’s summer base in Michigan for Hickory Ridge LLC.

Directly across the street from the Traverse City Horse Shows at Flintfields Horse Park, Pope’s horses and clients enjoy the premier venue and the mild temperatures throughout the summer.

Pope has a fantastic facility with 22 stalls and top-notch amenities for sporthorses and their riders. The entire barn is extremely organized, showcasing the Hickory Ridge LLC’s thorough approach to its horse care program. Here are five things we learned from taking a barn tour with Pope. 

5 Horsemanship Tips

  • Have a Barn That Is a Haven for Your Horses

The barn was bright and airy with horses able to take in the scenic views inside and out.

“They can put their heads out on the front side and the back side [of their stalls], which has great air flow,” Pope said.

The barn had several paddocks and spaces for hand grazing to allow horses to relax outside of their stalls.

Horses can enjoy paddocks on a cool summer morning at Hickory Ridge LLC’s summer base in Traverse City, Michigan. ©Kathleen Landwehr
  • Keep Your Barn Space Tidy

The barn was VERY tidy. The aisles were free of any noticeable dust or debris. Each of Pope’s clients had their own tack trunk for equipment, and saddles and bridles were neatly hung in the tack room. Clean saddle pads were ready to be used in cabinets in the tack room. Extra equipment was available as well.

“I have a lot of extra stuff down here [in the cabinets] that’s in clear plastic bins so that you can see everything perfectly,” Pope said.

The feed room had no loose grain or spilled supplements that could attract pests. Cross-ties in the groom and wash stalls were hooked to one another in the center of the stalls rather than laying on the ground.

  • Labeling Is Your Friend

The clear plastic containers in the tack room that held extra equipment, such as girths, were labeled for quick and easy identification.

“Everything is labeled,” Pope said.

In the feed room, feed bins and supplement containers were clearly labeled with their contents to avoid any confusion, making feeding time a breeze.

  • Use Dry-Erase Boards

Pope had a thorough feed chart created on a large dry-erase board with all the horses’ feed, supplement, and medication details. He also had two dry-erase boards in the center of his barn.

“This is kind of our hub here. We have boards on both sides of the aisle,” Pope said.

One of the dry-erase boards was for the daily training plans for the horses and ponies, and one had any additional daily horse care needs ranging from icing to wrapping legs.

This dry-erase boards was for the daily training plans for the horses and ponies at the barn. ©Kathleen Landwehr
  • Make a Training Plan

While riders should listen to their horses during each ride, having a plan can keep your training productive. With long-term goals and recent performances in mind, Pope makes weekly training plans for the horses and ponies in his barn.

“We do the schedule here [in the barn’s office], usually on Tuesdays,” Pope explained. “Nick and I will come and sit down and discuss what all the horses need.”

With an organized facility and program, Pope can use his time in the saddle and at the barn to the best of his ability.

Watch & Learn on Practical Horseman+

Practical Horseman+ members can watch the full barn tour here. Not a Practical Horseman+ member? Sign up at practicalhorseman.com/plans. 

Stay tuned for more videos with Jacob Pope in the weeks ahead! From behind-the-scenes videos to hunter and jumper training videos, there will be educational content for any rider.

About Jacob Pope

Jacob Pope
©Kathleen Landwehr

International show jumper and hunter rider and trainer Jacob Pope grew up on his family’s small horse farm in Columbia, Maryland. He had a successful junior career, winning three major equitation finals. After graduating from college in 2017, Pope turned professional and now competes in both the hunter and jumper rings. He and his top mount Highway FBH have been on the U.S. Jumping Team at several CSIO3* Nations Cup competitions, helping the team win gold in Uggerhalne, Denmark, in 2022 and at the $75,000 FEI Jumping Nations Cup Traverse City CSIO3* in 2025. They made their FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final debut in 2026 and finished in 12th place.

In addition to his success in the competition ring, Jacob runs Hickory Ridge LLC, a showing, training and sales business based in Wellington, Florida, and Traverse City, Michigan, with his business partner Nick Pongracz.