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December 2025 | SIDELINESMAGAZINE
ustin Haefner believes that being a trainer
also means being a lifelong student. Growing
up around horses in his childhood Northern
Virginia home, Justin developed a strong ethos
around education and horsemanship. He studied
equine osteopathy, Vaquero-style horsemanship,
the principles of French dressage and even
gathered from the expertise of his father’s
background in psychology.
“My career is focused on building Riding Far,
LLC with my dad, Paul Haefner. We put our
Justin Haefner
Photo by Susan McClafferty
2025 Hot Horsemen
efforts into integrating our varying expertise to
benefit the well-being of horses and riders. The
focus of my barn is on young and developing
dressage and working equitation horses, with a
competitive focus in working equitation. I love
developing horses to their full potential in ways
that best suit them as individuals. I have always
been most excited about seeing positive change
happen for both horses and riders.”
The implications of Justin’s mindful training
methods go far beyond his business, but ultimately
toward creating a better world of equestrian
sport for everyone. “My main goal is to elevate
horsemanship and training methods used in the
equestrian industry,” Justin said. “I believe that in
order to create real change, our main focus must
be on developing community and relationships
across disciplines.”
Justin currently resides in Charles Town, West
Virginia. In his free time, he enjoys playing the
guitar and spending quality time with his wife
and family.
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