June's Update

Well, it's been a while since I've been on this thing and it's high time for an update!!

It has been a very BUSY last few months, with the Open House, training horses, handling the mares and stallions, dealing with all the buildings and upgrades to the place, running the place, etc, etc!! Never a dull moment around here!!

We've had a very successful Open House! Many braved the downpour and came out so that was wonderful to see. Reuben worked with an unstarted 5 year old Appaloosa mare, who recently came from out West when her previous owner passed away and now lives on the other side of Ottawa in the beautiful "mountains" of Quebec. Mind you, I come from the area of Rocky Mountains so it's nothing compared to that majestic beauty but it still reminds me of the foothills of the Rockies. It actually makes me feel like I'm making a trip to Rocky Mountain House or to Sundre except the air's a lot more humid and thicker than the drier air of out West. Anyway, I'm getting a little carried away so back to the Open House! Pheonix is the mare's name and she went from being an unbroke mare to trotting under saddle and yielding to Reuben's aids. Her owner has ridden her a few times already and has expressed her gratitude for starting Pheonix so that was great!! You can check out the owner's website as she raises Appaloosas. I have a feeling that we haven't seen the last of her! smile.

A HUGE thanks goes to our sponsors; Purina, H&I Country Supply, Cando Colour Farms, New Creation Art Studio, and all the volunteers, family, friends and neighbors who helped out with every thing!! I doubt we could have done it without them! We most likely will continue to host demonstrations here at Saddle Ridge Stable in the future.

Our new indoor riding arena is now up. I'm still trying to absorb that yes, there is an indoor riding arena right down from our house - a place that is guaranteed DRY all year round to ride in. Just might have to take a few rides in there before it'd all sink in right now. It's still being worked on but I'm just blown away at the efficiency and speed and work ethic of Simon and his crew!

I should share a few things about some of the horses who have been here and/or are currently in training with Reuben...

Chase, a 3 year old Appaloosa gelding. He's a very quiet guy, already going under saddle - he should be ready by the end of this month when his month is up.
Pumpkin, a 11yr old Danish Warmblood stallion - he's been here to relearn some respect for his handlers on the ground as he's a huge 16.3hh boy who has used his body to get what he wants. I don't think I've ever seen a horse so excited by his food like this fella is!
Alamo, a 6 yr old black Arab/QH gelding - he came to us with major fear issues and have overcome a lot of it and no longer bolts or runs away when being mounted - much to the joy of his owner!
Decadence, a 9yr old black Arab gelding - he's back with us for more training under saddle and he has some fear issues that he's learning to deal with. He is a real pleasure to ride when he's quiet and relaxed and unafraid. Otherwise, he would've been a great candidate as a stand in for some of those racing scenes of the Black Stallion movies!
Yasmin, grey Canadian/Arab mare. Yasmin has been written off as "untrainable" or "hopeless cause" by several trainers. She is a simply misunderstood mare with some deeply rooted fear and phobia issues. Yasmin is going under saddle and most likely will always have issues but with patience and understanding, she can work through them. She is a beautiful girl and a very smooth ride under saddle.
Bo, a grey Dutch Warmblood cross gelding. Boy, this fella is mellow as they come! He's such a quiet ride with a lot more "whoa" than "go" and his owners are very pleased with how far he's come under saddle in just 4 weeks. Walks, trots, canters, turns, stops, backs up, etc. He has gone back home to be a hack horse as he is still very young at 3. He is by Diamond K and is actually for sale. He'd be an awesome amateur mount as nothing seems to faze him at all.
Zipaway, the bay TB filly by Cando Colour - is still here with us. I've been riding her working on teaching her the English contact, coming onto the bit, etc. Her owner came out the other day and after I rode her, I offered her the opportunity to ride Zipaway. The smile on her face when riding was absolutely priceless!!

There are horses who have already left and more horses to come as we carry on with this business. I'm just so happy to have an indoor now so we can continue to offer the services throughout winter. We are getting requests and bookings regularly so that's really good to have! The clients are doing all the word of mouth advertising for us so it's paying off!! yeah! I hope to set up a Facebook for Saddle Ridge where owners can post pictures, ask questions, etc and I can post updates with the different things happening, openings for training, prices, clinics and workshops happening, etc, etc!

Well, I will sign off for now as it's a beautiful afternoon out there and I'm itching to head back outside instead of in front of the computer!!

Pictures to come...!

Couple pictures!!

Here's Reuben with "Pumpkin" - boy, I gotta tell you, he has this really cool metallic sheen to his buckskin coat which just adds to his 16.3hh beauty! Just took this picture last night. Gotta note the greenery in the background - spring is here!! Yay!

Barbwire (a sorrel) foaled a beautiful dun colt in the wee hours of April 19th. This is Rio's first Canadian born foal. Next year will mark some of his first Canadian bred foals on the ground. So far, I know of a dun colt foaled in the Washington state to a dun mare; a dark brown filly to a dark brown mare in Ohio and I think that is all for this year. This colt is still name-less... Kind of hard to come up with a good one for a good looking guy like this one! Regardless, Reuben was pretty pleased with him as he had been hoping for a dun colt like Rio! And, he sure has the moves on his back end. Looks like he'll be light on his front end and just melt into the ground cutting a cow someday...

Reuben is busy starting and training horses. It is great! Here, is a 3 year old Thoroughbred filly by the rare colored Single Remarque (aka Cando) of Cando Colour Farm. She has taken it all in stride with the gusto of a true thoroughbred but has a very level head. Zip seems to enjoy the new "job" of becoming a lovely riding mount for her owner.

This is Lexi. A black and white paint mare who's never been away from the place she was foaled in the entire 6 years of her life. She is turning into a lovely mare for her owner. A testament that a horse who comes in with a "clean slate" definitely is easier to start as there's no re-programming required before continuing on with the training.

The Open House

We've been busy getting things prepared for the upcoming Open House on Saturday, May 16th from 9:30-2:30. Reuben will also be doing a Colt Starting Demonstration at 10am where he will take an unstarted horse through the motions while explaining along the way so folks can get a glimpse of how Reuben starts horses here at Saddle Ridge. There is no admission fee as it's all part of the Open House!

We will be having a Stallion Alley where a few stallions will be on "display" - including our own Rio. This will give folks an opportunity to take a look-see without the need to set up an appointment with the stallion owner(s). Very limited spaces!

I'm pleased to say that Purina, H&I, Derrick's Construction and Cando Colour Farm are sponsors for this Open House. If you wish to sponsor, drop me an email as soon as possible!

Other news

~Our fees are going to be increasing shortly.

~Rio will be available for shipped semen - so if you are further away and have had your eye on our boy, let us know so we can plan for that.

~We have a breeding to Poco Gato for sale.

~Farrah, Cisco, Nell, Stasi and Max are all up for sale.

~The buckskin boy above is for sale - trained to 3rd Level dressage - imported from Denmark.

~Spring is here!

Snowy "delivery"

Reuben and I just recently shipped "Time" and "Pic" to their new home out by Sarnia. It was snowing when we arrived there and here is Reuben with the little guy, Pic... It was too cute! Just thought this picture was fitting for a typical Canadian winter!

Sunday Feb 1st

Few pictures of what went on around here on the first day of February... Reuben with Max - see he's riding bridleless! This was Max's first ever going bridleless and he sure picked it up quickly!
And, in the second picture is of our 2 Thoroughbred mares, Stasi and Nell.

Inside of barn

Voila! A picture of what it looks like inside the barn! Doesn't it look great?

Ok, an updated post!

Happy Belated New Year, everyone! I've put this picture up to will bring "hope" that we won't have to deal with this deep freeze for much longer! At least, that is what I'm hoping for!! smile. Might as well be of RIO the "King of Saddle Ridge"! smile.

First things first... We are hosting an OPEN HOUSE and will have a round pen demostration on SATURDAY, MAY 16TH! Mark your calendars and tell all your friends! And, yes, we are now taking applications for the "Round Pen Demostration Horse" position... Requirements is that the horse is at least 3 years old, 100% sound and healthy and has had NO previous training experience and is completely unstarted under saddle!! Check our website for more details and an application form!! Deadline is May 1st so get it in!!

We are also looking for sponsors so if you are interested, contact us for a sponsorship package! A great way to promote your business to the local horse folks! We will also be "renting out" tables if you wish to promote your business, charity or simply sell some of your own items... Contact us for more details! We are just hoping, praying and crossing our fingers for a lovely sunny day with no need of a rain date... smile!!

Since we don't have an indoor riding arena (yet!) we are unable to accept any horses for training until April 1st as we feel we would not be able to provide the quality training services you all deserve, with the footing not-so-great... Not worth risking the horse's well being and health and soundness just for the sake of making some money... Right? smile.

However, we are available for doing Demostrations at your stable if you wish to host one! Contact us for more details... We would love to work something out with you!

Rio is also accepting girlfriends for his 2009 "dance card" - you can check our website for more details and a stallion contract. We currently have just 2 mares in foal to him for this year - Barbwire is due April 18th so she'll have a baby by the time we have an Open House for you guys to take a look-see at! Fancy, her 2008 daughter by Rio, is a pretty chunky yearling and definitely has the moves! I think she'd make a lovely cutting/penning mare. Valley has been confirmed in foal for a September 13th foal so yes, a bit late and would be the last one of 2009... I must admit that I am looking forward to seeing the result of this cross - she is such a beautiful mare who outproduces herself and Rio's beautiful head and gorgeous color... Hmmm... I'm already guessing the possible colors of this cross! According to the color calculator, there is a chance of a bay dun, a grullo, a buckskin dun... I noticed that Valley actually has a black line down her back so the chance of having a dun is pretty high. Sweet! I'm kinda hoping for a grullo... Both their temperaments are wonderful with good minds so I expect an outstanding baby from this cross!

If you wish to meet Rio in person, we'd be more than happy to introduce you to him! He comes into the barn every night so time (or weather) is not of an issue. He seems to know when he's being considered as a prospective stud for the owner's mare and puts on his best behavior... But then, again, he's always been a gentleman. We are sure looking forward to having him under saddle and introducing him to cattle... Spring, will you puhhh-leeeeze come now!! smile!

I want to mention a belated Thank you to all our 2008 clients who took a "chance" on us as virtually unknown and unproven trainers... It has been such a pleasure to work with you guys! And for those who brought us Tim Horton coffees, treats (that fudge was just sinfully delicious! You know who you are!!), etc!! Sure appreciate 'em!! And, a huge thank you goes out to the vets from Prescott Animal Hospital for all you've done for us this past year! They sure know their stuff and are so willing to share their knowledge with us as well as answer all the endless questions I seem to have!! Thanks!! (By the way, Ken, if you're reading this, Valley is doing very well - she does get in the "feeling good" mode every now and then - sure is nice to see!!)

It is interesting to think that by the time we hit September this year, it will be a whole year since we've started offering our Training services! We expect great things this year and look forward to working with you, too!!

Here's to 2009!!

Happy Holidays!!

Happy Holidays Everyone! To those kind Santas who gave us goodies, gifts, cards, etc over the last while - THANKS!! We sure appreciated your kind thoughts!!

Our barn will be ready for boarders January 15th. Contact us to book/reserve a 12' x 12' stall in a bright, airy Cover All barn.

We also have openings available for training - price is $550/month/horse for outdoor board and $700/month/horse for indoor board & daily turnout. We have our ad on the Ottawa Horse Directory - worth checking out this site!

We also plan to host an Open House/Demostration here at Saddle Ridge Stable sometime in the new year. This will allow folks to come and view a training session with an unstarted colt as well as see the property, meet us, ask us questions, etc, etc! We plan to accept applications for selecting 1 or 2 colts to use in the demostration. Details to come! (Please bear in mind that when I say "colt" it doesn't necessarily mean a young colt - can be a filly or an older horse who's never been started... smile)

Other news on this front: Cricket's owner had her session with Cricket - one interesting thing that we discovered is that Cricket never had been started under saddle (which we had originally thought!) so our appreciation for what Cricket has achieved in her one month's training went up several notches! She got her walk, trot, canter, steering, brakes and reverse down pat so that's good! It was so nice to see her owner be so pleased to actually be able to ride Cricket and Cricket responding to the cues. She is a very smart and quick mare. Cricket's training is over but she is still with us as a boarder now, as are Strawberry and Tanner.

Cisco, Farrah and Rio will be started at some point soon as we hope to have Cisco (the buckskin) and Farrah (the sport pony type) going well under saddle before putting them on the sale page on our website. I actually look forward to working with Farrah - she has a sweet disposition, loves to be around folks and enjoys standing for brushing 'n' pampering.

Rio, obviously, will NOT be for sale! We are appreciating him more and more - we now can see how difficult it was for his previous owners to see him leave... He is such a well mannered stallion and we look forward to having him under saddle. It is going to be a treat to see his new foals arrive in 2009 - here at Saddle Ridge and across the States.

Both Fancy ('08 red dun) and Chumani ('08 buckskin) are weaned from their mamas and are being babysat by Trixie the pony. (Too cute, by the way!!) It is very quiet and laid back in their pasture - they can still see and hear their mamas but now have accepted that they've entered a new phase in their lives. They will soon be starting their groundwork schooling where they'll learn to lead, stand, back up, trailer load, pick up their feet, be brushed, be bathed, etc. This kind of training will continue throughout the next 2-3 years before they'll be ready to be started under saddle. Perhaps we will take them to a few local shows for halter/on line classes for the fun of it and to expose them to life beyond Saddle Ridge.

Someone had asked me how many foals are we expecting in 2009? As of now, we have 3 mares in foal - one is obviously in foal and the other 2 haven't been confirmed to be in foal. Otherwise, it'd be April, June and August. Two would be sired by Rio and one'd be sired by a Hanoverian.

Anyway, I will sign off for now... Have a safe and enjoyable New Years!

Sat Dec 13

Plenty of news.... The official Saddle Ridge Stable website is now up. 'Bout time, eh?

The horse barn is well on its way getting to be completed and we will be accepting indoor boarding January 15th - contact us for details and to book a spot!

I will be putting a sale page on the website where we will list a few of our own horses for sale. If you wish to list your horse(s) on our website, please get in touch with us for more details.

Hope you all are staying warm - I hear it is supposed to go up to +5 tomorrow so that will be a nice break from this sub zero temperatures we've been dealing with!

'Til the next post, hopefully with pictures, take care!