Horsin' Around

One of the most memorable parts of my childhood was riding horses. I rode hunter/jumpers and competed locally for many years. It was such a wonderful extra curricular activity. It taught me a lot of life lessons and bonded me with girls that enjoyed riding as well.

"In The Nick of Time" (aka Nick) showing at Fox Lake Farms - circa high school! ;-)

I've always had it in the back of my mind that one day maybe, just maybe, my kids would enjoy riding. Especially if I could do it with them! Knowing how costly it can be I assumed it would be way too expensive for our family to start that at this point in our lives.

Recently I got the chance to visit Windwood Equestrian, a place I didn't know existed - until now. I was floored by the beauty of Windwood and surprised that I had never heard of the place. I took my cousin Abby, who grew up riding with me and also a former collegiate rider, and she agreed that she'd seen nothing like it. The horses were beautiful, the landscape was immaculate and the facilities were incredible. Olivia and Abby's daughter Sophie even got to ride a horse and meet the School Program Trainer, Caroline. The kids got to see grooms in action, horses being trained - just a glimpse of what it would be like to take up this hobby.

The main barn.

Another barn with private stalls and the owner's residence above.

One of three riding rings on the property - one being a dressage ring.

Inside the main barn. The attention to detail is amazing.

The horses were super friendly and just wanted to be petted!

We even got to meet one of Windwood's newest residents - Andy. The 25 lb miniature horse that was recently rescued! He was so cuddly!




Here is where it got fun. We were shown the School Barn.



And the girls were lucky enough to get to ride a horse - "Freedom".



But first you had to care for the horse and prepare her for riding. Which meant cleaning out her feet!


Brushing her down.


And...achem....yes, dealing with that. Poop that is. And scooping it. Hey, it's all part of the hobby.



And scoop they did!! :-)


Once Freedom was saddled up and the girls had their gear on it was time to learn the correct way to sit on a horse and hold the reins.

Paying close attention to the correct grip!

Windwood offers boarding for horses as well horses for sale. Whether you're just starting out or have been riding for a while, their School Program offers several training and lesson packages that can potentially take you from "the beginner" to the "very serious" rider. The horses are well taken care of...pampered to say the least. Everything out there was top of the line. While Robert and I can't afford a horse, I was surprised at the affordability of a top quality riding education you can receive from the Windwood School Program. I can't wait to start Olivia in the School Program!! It will certainly be a dream come true as well as "deja vu" for me! Check out www.windwoodequestrian.com for more pics, horses and information.