Today was Woody’s first training camp of 2016! Selena started training with Jonathon Millar last fall as he and his dad Ian are conveniently based just an hour north of Balsam Hall and today the whole team was able to benefit from his show jumping expertise. As Monday is our horses’ day off, we were […]

After just eight rides over three weekends, Sheikh Sultan Al Nahyan has achieved significant improvements – well documented on this blog and elsewhere.

The last day of the month. I count the days and tick off the months in the winter. It has not been quite so bad this winter, but I really do hate the cold. I hate the worry of whether or not they are cold at night. I hate the worry of too many/not enough […]

There is lots going on both sides of the border. The mild weather in Canada is giving us a lot more freedom in our riding and training program than is usually available to us at this time of the year. Normally we can only walk for very short periods of time to ensure that the […]

Today was a gallop day for Woody. His next outing is the Wellington Eventing Showcase in February 5-6. He is in great form. The two photos are of him enjoying his pipe opener this afternoon. The new boy on the block, King Brian, worked on the flat. Selena and he have some bonding to do. […]

I know it’s nothing compared to the snow and ice at home, but the last two days have been a bit grey here in Ocala so we brightened things up with a bit of jumping today. We reset the jump field as the footing was getting a bit worn around the previous track and it […]

I’m super excited to introduce you to King Brian an Irish gelding belonging to a great friend of mine Megan Woods. This winter he will stay with us at Chesterland South and join in all our fun at the 2* level. I hope to have him in a few team training sessions as well as […]

As we head into spring, it’s time to put our thoughts into ensuring that all of our tack and equipment will work for the upcoming training months, and for the shows we intend to compete in. Especially if your horse has been ‘laid off’ for the winter months you will need to ensure that the […]

Hay in Florida is always expensive. It is mostly trucked in from quite a distance, some from Canada and some from the mid-west. Usually the quality is excellent, but it is not unusual to pay $17 – $20 U.S. per 60lb bale. It’s, therefore, rather important that every scrap gets eaten and there is absolutely […]

Today was quiet both north and south of the border. We felt lucky this past weekend that we are all either far enough south or far enough north to have missed the full wrath of Jonas. Many of our friends in Pennsylvania and Virginia are digging out after record snowfalls. I am still barely hobbling […]