Farm
In June we started building our covered arena. It is a 62m x 24m indoor arena with one end wall enclosed to accommodate the site's fall. We designed the arena cover to be low laying in the landscape, using 'monument' coloured cladding to minimise the look of the structure and help it blend into the landscape.
The critical part for us was to get the cover on. The weather has been very wet in the region so it has been hard to maintain training with the horses in work.
The space is really comfortable and will shine in the hotter months, for which it was designed. In the colder months it is a little dark but due to insulation (which I insisted on) the temperature is very much warmer than the outside on cold days. This will also lower noise impact when it's raining.
Here you can see the frames are complete. Next stage - cladding!
In August we finally finished and it's ready to use! The arena allows us to run clinics in all weather.
Next stage will be to line the ceiling and put in lighting, as well as expand the kick rail to fill the entire space and line it with timber, put in mirrors at the enclosed end and a gallery at the long side.
We will be running workshops and clinics from this space. Our first one is in October with Dr Raquel Butler , and following on with Nadine O’Sullivan classical dressage.
Well, as you all know, I have my amazing Lola and we have been working together and with the aid of my gorgeous guy dog, Woody. We do quite a lot of training by myself which is coming along nicely! As fun as this is, I would really like to get back in the competition arena. It's something that I dream about but until this weekend I didn’t really think it would happen!
I have talked about it, I have thought about it a lot but now we have goals and we are moving forward and I would love to share with you what has happened this weekend
Firstly one of my friends on Facebook, Catherine Mansfield, was hosting a classical dressage clinic at her property Winterwood Farm.
I love classical dressage and I loved what I did for my beautiful Johno training with José the principles of elegance - the working together, the holistic approach of it - so I contacted Catherine.
Catherine is on a beautiful horse farm in Bathurst and she sent me the information on Nadine O’Sullivan Legerete training.
Well oh my lord, I was so excited my mother-in-law, Lee, was reading me the information and this beautiful lady Catherine McDowell and I have been friends for over 20 years and she has been treating my horses for well in excess of 20 years and I did not realise she was involved in classical dressage so we chatted backwards and forwards I was so happy to have a life changing story like this and two beautiful ladies to meet!
Nadine does classical dressage (the French style) and I am yet to learn all of the right terminologies and get the understanding of the principles but this weekend was life changing for me.
The love and the support turning up at Catherine‘s place and then my first lesson with the beautiful Nadine and my friend Jacqueline was there, who is also one of my coaches and helps when I ride here at home with my orientation and setting up of the lateral movements .
Jac was my eyes in the arena and she explained to Nadine. Jacqueline would let me know when to turn for corners etc and I explain to Nadine the importance of me listening to her voice and I couldn’t use the earpiece because that gives me no orientation so Nadine stood in the middle of the arena and I walked and worked around her on a 20 metre circle - what a beautiful start to everything!!
The training was gentle, it was kind, it was inviting and Nadine created all of this with her instructions. Lola was in heaven! There is small differences to the aids but she listened and she tried so hard and we improved step by step - as our beautiful Johno used to say all it takes is one step at a time.
Nadine trains no fuss - no tension, no jamming. It was such a revelation and all the things that I used to do years ago or came back less is more keep it simple, don’t complicate things, use your body and be aware of what you are doing with your body and how it impacts the horse.
So this weekend has been a game changer on so many levels I love totally love the ask don’t tell and inviting I love the idea of doing less because my beautiful Lola has been put in a pressure cooker at some stage and really push till it really blows her little mind so this training is so good for her it’s not confrontational it is soft it is gentle it is ask don’t tell
And well as you get from my messages I’m a hugger each day I got off my beautiful Lola and gave Nadine the most massive hug I so appreciated being guided one step at a time and it made such a difference
We will also enjoy the journey and I cannot wait for my next lesson. Nadine, you are amazing you have changes my world and you have giving me belief that I can do it I can to get back to Dressage.
So to my beautiful friend Catherine, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for inviting me to be part of this amazing journey but wow wow and wow Nadine O’Sullivan as a coach you totally rock your understanding your empathy and your ability to read a situation is bordering on magical for me a smile has still not moved off my face.
i am so so excited about my next lessons and meet up with you thank you so much to two beautiful ladies that are rebuilding my dressage career believing in me as I have to be honest I do need someone to hold my hand and say it’s okay thank you both from the bottom of my heart
So as you can see I have had the most amazing weekend!!
Love Lola and the Blind Chick!!
You can follow their story here
Read more: Lola, Woody & The Blind Chick - a story from Winterwood
Spring at Winterwood Farm has bought some lovely warm weather and quite a few babies! We've had foals, puppies and human babies and our hands and hearts are certainly full!
Another new member of the family arrived this morning - Adsila - (Cherokee) blossom!
Blossom is a gorgeous filly foal ( WB/Clydie/SH) born this morning to our wonderful mare Ivy. Just so special!
Our other foals are growing out beautifully and developing friendships with each other.
Our two pups, Penny Lane and Hey Jude (Beatles fans, what can we say!) arrived and have been gorgeous balls of joy.
We also welcomed our Grandson, Stephan, a few months ago now too!
Read more: Celebrating Spring at Winterwood Farm with babies!
Winter can be a challenge and this winter is proving to be a cold, wet and miserable one!
Bathurst located in the Central Tablelands in NSW Australia, is generally dry in winter, has crisp sunny days and clear skies – one of the reason the season don’t tend to bother us too much.
However, the wet and cold this year is limiting our ability to do much with our horses other than feed, maintain and fence. We were going to wean foals soon but that has proven to be difficult simply because it is so wet and miserable it limits our paddock choices. At this stage foals will not be weaned until the weather fines up.
We have had three new mares arrive;
Penny a WB who is in foal to Picaro (Diosa’s sire) – a PRE due October 2021.
Kismet, PB Friesian in foal to Dirk (IMP) . Due January 2022 I have high expectations for this foal and am hoping for colt and a potential future sire.
Kismet in her purple rug!
Ebony - Friesian warmblood who will be my new riding mare.
Ebony a, friesian warmblood
FOAL UPDATES
Foals due this season are:
Dam Penny – October 2021- WB x PRE
Penton Repotoire ( Penny) from Majestic Andalusians. Penny is in foal to Picaro (PRE) . Penny is a reg WB by Regardez-Moi (IMP)
JLo- September 20221 75% WB x 25 % PRE
Ivy – September 20221 Clydesdale x WB
Diosa and Ellie May will be put back to the stallions in September.
Ellie May and Sir Byron
Byron of Winterwood, a grey colt out of Ellie May, is expected to mature 16-17hh ( by Remi of Winterwood)
This leggy colt is a gorgeous friendly boy and is 25% Andalusian. He is going to be HUGE boy and takes after his Sire Remi. He will be a good cross-country horse or dressage prospect. Ground covering movement with a scopey balanced canter.
A very young Sir Byron
Adele of Winterwood - A black/ buckskin filly – 25% WB 75% PRE mature 15.3-16 HH ( by Remi of Winterwood)
This cheeky and exquisite filly is growing up well – she is curious, calm, bold and balanced and has a lovey cadenced movement . She will be a perfect horse for working equitation, classical dressage or as a show filly. Her nature is impeccable.
Giselle of Winterwood. She is out of Ivy, a Clydesdale x expected to mature 16hh+
This gorgeous filly has look at me presence in every way- she is curious, calm, bold and pretty! She has a light way of going and is super balanced. I look forward to seeing her grow out!
Building updates
You know when you have booked the painter, the tiles and the kitchen are booked for delivery things are starting to finalise!!
The stable block is making good progress with a focus on finishing the 4 stables and the 2 bedroom studio apartment. The feed shed and vet room will be last stage.
YOU CAN FOLLOW WINTERWOOD FARM ON FACEBOOK HERE
Hilwert L. Ster the Friesian stallion has arrived at Winterwood Farm! He is a seventeen year old pure Friesian stallion and one of the first to be imported in to Australia.
Hilwert has come from the South Coast and he wasnt handling the environment on the south coast.
He's come to the Central West to rehabilitate his whole system!
We will work with him on his structure, diet and herbs, wellbeing, dental health and give him a little holiday at Winterwood Farm!
He has a Paspalum allergy and we will treat this using Infect-A-Clear and dietary changes.
He has an eye condition and is partially blind and we will also treat that.
Stay posted as we see how this gorgeous old fellow turns a new page!
Thank you to Debra Strachan for delivering him safe and sound from your stud, The Dark Side Friesians.
Read more: Rehabilitating Hilwert - Follow his transformation!
In August we laid the cement slab for the stable block.
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