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The Dancing Horse Farm’s mission is to provide an environment of learning, health, and happiness to our equine and human clients.
“We are horse people. We live, breathe, eat and sleep for our horses. Our lives completely revolve around our horses.” If this describes you, then you are just like us…horse crazy! Here is more about us:
The Owners
Lenny and Jennifer are animal lovers, boasting a menagerie of several horses, house, and barn cats. Jennifer has no memories without horses. She was in her first horse show at 6 months of age (as soon as she could sit up well) and grew up showing Quarter Horses, then moved over to a Thoroughbred and Evented for several years until finding her heart’s desire in dressage. She competes extensively in USDF-recognized competitions around the Region.
Jennifer fulfilled a dream when she represented her USDF Region and the United States in dressage at the North American Young Rider’s Championships in the mid-90s. She followed up that lifetime high with buying a youngster and having to wait three years to ride her own horse again. That baby was a little bay 7 month old Andalusian/Holsteiner cross named Nachtwind (Breezy) and she was to become Jennifer’s next dressage mount. Breezy is not only a talented dressage horse, but she also loves to strut harnessed to her elegant antique village cart. Breezy, just recently found a new owner and is enjoying being the “only child” once again. Jen is now working with Lydia, a grey Trakehner/Hanoverian cross mare purchased from Hilda Gurney in 2002, and Lydia’s little half-sister Lisalotte, who is also a grey Trakehner/Hanoverian cross mare purchased from Hilda.
The solid foundation of this busy family and farm is Lenny. An aerospace engineer (a real-life rocket scientist) by trade, he enjoys constantly improving the farm. He is always on the lookout for something to invent, design or build, including building potato guns and cannons. When he finds free time (free time seems be lost and in need of being found), he also loves to fly his fleet of radio-controlled airplanes, play foosball, softball and basketball (really anything with a ball will do—wanna come over and play?). He also finds great joy in doing anything that involves his big toy-the tractor. Even though he is relatively new to the horse world, he has become a very gifted ground coach for Jennifer as she trains their youngsters up the levels. He also excels in his role as the best horse show husband on the planet.
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The Staff and Volunteers:
Running such a successful farm could not be accomplished without a dedicated crew! Here we are:
- Beth Leshner – Barn Manager
- Sheila Wilson – Riding School Manager and Young Horse and Problem Horse Trainer
- Megan Sweeney – Paper shuffler
- Doug Thompson – Master of the Web
- David Booren – Handyman Extraordinaire
- Team of Working Students – Dedicated young horse enthusiasts working to ride
- Lynda Sappington – Director of Public Relations and Jennifer’s Mom
- John Sappington – Occasional Builder of Things, Except Plumbing, and Jennifer’s Dad
- Sheila Truett – Occasional Tile Floor Installer and Lenny’s Mom
- Len Truett – Occasional Tile Floor Installer’s Assistant and Lenny’s Dad
- Lenny Truett – Builder, Lifter of all Things Heavy, and Bill-Payer
- Jennifer Truett – Most Thankful Person in the World for Having Such a Great Crew!
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The Business
Dancing Horse Farm, Inc. (DHF) is a successful horse boarding business that has been steadily growing since its inception in 2001. The first home of DHF was a five-acre farm in Xenia, Ohio. The business is owned and operated by Dr. Leonard and Jennifer Truett, two graduate school educated professional business people. Jennifer has been managing horse farms for more than 15 years and has been actively competing horses for 25 years. She is a very successful dressage rider, instructor, and trainer, evidenced by her sponsors.
Job changes required a move to Maryland, so a larger farm was purchased and DHF-MD was extremely successful in every way. DHF-MD developed a stellar reputation as a place for educating the mind and body in the art of classical dressage through proper position and body awareness. Weeklong clinics and seminars were held with experts in different equine educational areas on a regular basis and frequently required a waiting list because of the participation demand. Jennifer and Lenny always wanted to open up their educational offerings to people from further away who would need housing for their horses, and to host horse shows. Unfortunately, the MD location of DHF was not large enough to allow for either.
The move to the equestrian facility on Wiesenberger Road in Lebanon, Ohio, represented the logical next step for the expansion of DHF’s business. This facility housed several horse boarding and training businesses over the years, and was in need of a lot of TLC. The Truetts purchased the property at Christmas in 2006 and along with their hard-working staff, have made many improvements to upgrade the rather run-down facility.
Jennifer and Lenny are excited to finally have a facility perfectly suited for hosting large-scale clinics, seminars, and schooling shows. They plan to maintain an active calendar of clinics, seminars, and fun shows.
Browse through our pages to meet the DHF Instructors and our Herd of Dancing Lesson Horses & Ponies!
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Client Incentive Program
Another way DHF stands apart is our incentive program, available only to our valued clients: DHF Bucks. There are two ways a DHF client can earn DHF Bucks—used like real cash at DHF*! Once earned, just drop the “DHF Bucks Certificate” in the payment box to pay for any DHF service like lessons, board, show coaching, clinic fees, etc.
Previous recipients brought forth “Vet Boards” and a “Suggestion Box”. Vet Boards enable clients and staff to document nursing care needs of horses and provide a place to leave notes for vets in a central location. The DHF Suggestion Box gives clients a way of communicating with management both personally and anonymously.
* Note: Not redeemable on DHF Logo Gear.
- Client Growth Program:
- If a current DHF client (lesson or boarder client) sends a friend who decides to join our lesson program and takes at least 6 lessons, the client will get $25 DHF Bucks per new lesson student.
- If a current DHF client (lesson or boarder client) sends a friend who decides to move their horse in to board and stays for at least six months, the client will get $300 DHF Bucks per new boarded horse!
- Bright Ideas Program: We are always looking for ways to improve our farm’s efficiency and effectiveness and invite our clients to join in. If you have a good idea for improving DHF or something that would help you or your horse, drop your idea off in the white Payment/Suggestion Box. If we implement your idea, you will earn $25-100 in DHF Bucks depending on our perception of the value of your idea.
Have you shared your ideas?
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DHF in the News
More about DHF in the following articles:
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