Willow Rock Farm

01/04/2024

01/03/2024

12/31/2023

Searching for something...

That feels like this.

The more I practice this art, the more the desire of schooling "display skills" fades away. The focus is pointing towards the potent quality those skills bring out. The gift they bring to the horse, used in the right way at the right time.

That is my thought this morning 🌱

12/29/2023

Mama- this lovely mare was digitally painted and then canvas print has been done, a gift to Lucy Rudolfer’s mother of her favorite horse called Mama.
I was told Christmas gift was a success and brought a lot of joy.
I will post digital version in comments section.
Lucy printed art via Snapshot.
Thank you for sharing photo and info! ❤️🎄❤️
It is very helpful

12/29/2023

When there’s juicy barn drama going on …

12/25/2023

Johnny & Stella enjoying their snowbird Christmas. We hope all of our friends near and far are enjoying their day 💓🎄🐴

12/22/2023

Extra large stalls available!

12/21/2023

Happy Winter Solstice - it gets brighter from here ❄️ 🌅

By Tina Osbourne

12/20/2023

12/19/2023

12/17/2023

Lauren discovered the magic of Mama today

12/16/2023

The often seen, frequently experienced, but rarely photographed Dragon Mare!
Thank you Sh*teventer!

12/15/2023

Willow Rock Solutions- the only ones installing frost free hydrants on the island.
Get in touch if you need your hydrant fixed or replaced.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C04wwhwunyO/?igshid=NTYzOWQzNmJjMA==

12/12/2023

Oh those naughty little ponies...

Hold on a second.

I think we do these guys a great disservice and we need to think about that.

First off, it is very rare for a smaller pony to receive the type of quality training that a bigger horse does. In fact, the only time I have ever witnessed it in person was in an Amish trainer's place where he guided his 7 kids into bringing ponies along.

People somewhere do train quality Shetland or mini ponies but to do that you've got to have good people little enough to do good developing of the itty bitty from it's back.

Many people just get a pony for their child, thinking that it is small enough the kid can just learn to wrangle it (or not get hurt falling off) and this is really not very fair to the pony. Or they do acquire a well trained one but there is no one to do some tuning off and on, and it becomes soured by the ineptitude of its tiny rider.

Secondly-and this may be the greatest mean thing we do to these ponies-we buy a saddle the kid can fit in, but So Many of those are craptacular pieces of junk that don't fit the pony anywhere. At All

But we think the kid is so light what does it matter? And the pony goes around with pinched withers or shoulder bones that are being remodeled by that garbage wreck. It starts bolting, or bucking or refusing to be mounted. And then, either it gets sold as a naughty pony or the horror show of a bigger bit begins.

Ponies Need their saddles to fit too.

Period.

The other thing we have seen is someone puts an adult's saddle on a pony, with buddy stirrups.

Yeah, that's not gonna fit either. Now it's too long for the ponies back, sitting on the kidneys, rubbing the spine, creating a hunter's bump. Cranked down with a tight as heck girth so it doesn't slip all over the place.

And we are just talking about riding issues here. Feeding these ponies is a whole nother ball game that people do not understand how to get right.

Ponies deserve all the kindnesses and courtesy that we ought to be affording our big horses. Maybe more since we expect them to babysit our kids.