Recap on May

Wow where does the time go? I believe May just blew by with barely a whisper that it was even passing through. This has been an incredibly busy month for us here at the farm. Here's hoping we can get most of the important news in this post to help get everybody up on the goings on around here.




Our lesson program has begun with an awesome group of students learning and advancing their skills a little more every time we see them. Kate is offering lessons both on and off premise, and we have found that all the students have been eager to learn all they can.



While our lessons for the first couple of weeks revolve largely around ground skills, we have been working hard to come up with ways to maintain confidence in both our riders and our students once they progress to the saddle. This has resulted in taking some 'normal' techniques and using them with a natural twist. For example, the lead line lesson, we have taken this old traditional trick to improve the seat on students and used it to help one student learn to trot comfortably on a more forward horse then she had previously ridden. Using the Circling Game Kate was able to help both the student and the horse learn to trot together online. This maintained both horse and rider's confidence, and gave the student an idea of what the trot should feel like when she gets it right.

We are looking forward to watching upcoming lessons and the progress that is being made with all of these individuals. Keep up the great effort everyone!




Aside from the lesson program we have had lots going on here at the farm. Around the beginning of May we had the arrival of a beautiful little mare who is in for help with some spooking issues. 'Fancy' is a 4yr old Standardbred mare, who has some amazing potential and we are hoping a few months here will help her mentally and emotionally as well as ongoing trims to assist her being more physically fit. She is an awesome little horse and we are loving having her here! We can totally understand why her family has chosen to seek help rather then send her on, and we are very glad to have such fantastic students.




On May 15th we held Kate's first clinic in Renfrew, ON. The day consisted of three sessions of students advancing their knowledge and improving their communication with their horses. Each session was informative and and personalized with Kate really taking each student's needs into account. We even got an extra session of Kate demonstrating some liberty work with her horse Phoenix.

The clinic was a success and we are looking forward to future events. Thanks again to everyone who came out and supported us that day, participants, auditors, especially Darlene at Stone Hill Stables for hosting and our photographers Keri and Rose for your continued hard work.



Somewhere between lessons, clinic and everything else Kate even managed to ride out for a couple of treks up the roads around us. I even found some photo evidence!! On this particular day Shadow was having some problems excepting the saddle. So Kate took the time to sort out the issue and was able to take Shadow off on their first off premise ride since she has been here.


Shadow did very well and we are looking forward to placing her in the lesson program so our students can start enjoying her willing attitude and gem of a personality.

Our crazy busy month ended up with us heading to the Lindsay area for the FEI International ParaDressage Competition. The Competition was held a completely wheelchair accessible facility, which was incredible. Wind Reach Farm really was impressive. They have thought of everything, from tactile learning stations in all the barns and gardens, to paved paths, to a wheel chair friendly playground. We were blown away by the friendliness of the staff and the positive atmosphere that Wind Reach has.

Part of our purpose for attending the competition was to meet Lauren Barwick, Paralympic Silver and Gold medalist in Beijing 2008 for Canada. Lauren has been a long time hero for us all as she has overcome hardship after hardship, to get to her status as excellent horsewoman and Paralympic athlete. As well Kate wanted to go to visit with Shannon, Lauren's assistant. Kate met Shannon during Kate's time at Larry Stewart's, (Larry happens to be Shannon's step-father)

Well long story shorter, we got our visit with Shannon, and met Lauren and her entourage. This lady is amazing!!! Having now seen her ride in person it is totally understandable that she has been so successful in her time in the competition circuit. She took home gold and bronze both days while we were there, as well as team gold overall. It was a very successful weekend for the entire Canadian paralympic team.

We even got in a couple of photos! Above: Lauren and Maille during their techinical test.

Left to right me, Paul (Lauren's boyfriend), Alison, Kate (on one knee), Andrea, Maille (mmm flowers!!), Lauren, Fawn Anderson 3* Parelli Instructor, and Shannon.






Lauren's horse Maille, (pictured below) is pretty cool, as well as gorgeous.














Watching Lauren and the rest of the competitors is truly inspirational. These people have some very serious handicaps but they persevere and literally ride right through them.

This particular competitor blew our socks off and blew the competition away!! She can barely lift her head but you put her up on that horse and she just lights up. They make an amazing team, that horse will do anything for her. It was awesome to see her smiles as she came out of the ring after an excellent ride and then took home gold in her class.

So thus ends my recap on the month, I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Hopefully we will not be so negligent this next month.

From all of us up here at the farm take care, until next time!!

Normally Natural,

Marie :)