Chestnut Ridge Farm | ... a relaxing environment for the recreational horse and rider.

BARN MANAGER

I am Julie Russell, and I am the Manager at Chestnut Ridge Farm. Farming has always been my way of life, my grandparents, aunts and uncles all had dairy cows and horses long before I was born. As a kid, many weekends and summers were spent there, helping out on the farms. When I was 8 and finally old enough, and after watching my older sister take lessons, I started riding at Humber College in Etobicoke. I attended summer camps and the weekend "Jr Horsemanship" program for many years until the College closed its barns in the early 90's. I then went on breifly to Halton School of Equitation and then Hors'n Around in Caledon, a co-operative boarding facility where when I was 14 years old I boarded the family's two horses. During my time at Hors'n Around I learned English and Western riding and showed our horses and horses of others at breed shows and open shows. I was also a member of the Albion Pony Club where I learned Eventing and had an enormous amount of exposure to the stable management side of the horse world. By the time I was too old for Pony Club I had attained my C2 level. The co-op farm saw me doing the full barn chores multiple times a month and I learned much about nutrition and first-aid. I found it a challenge to concurrently learn about the "western" style and the Pony Club style of horsemanship, but enjoyed the diversity and was able to take parts from each, to form my own theories and practices about being a well-rounded horsewoman.

I used my final semester of Highschool for a co-op placement with Quarter horse trainer Lindsay Grice. There, I learned more about training and coaching of horses and riders, and continued working with Lindsay for another six years where I was her office manager and taught lessons on weekends. We attended AQHA/OQHA shows and even traveled to Ohio for the All American Quarter Horse Congress in '98. During this time I also attended many clinics put on by a variety of trainers. Each time, I was able to take the information that seemed important to me, to further my understanding of horses and their psychology. In 2000, I held executive positions with the pony club and showed a Paint gelding on the Ontario Pinto Horse Circuit and took him to the Top Open Horse ranking for the season.

After finishing my highschool diploma and Ontatio Academic Credit (oac) I attended the University of Guelph majoring in Agriculture. This program expanded my knowledge beyond horses and dairy cows to include all aspects of agriculture including animals, crops and business. I continued working for Lindsay while in University, and in the summer of 2000 I also began working for Greenhawk harness and Equestrian Supplies in Mississauga; first in their warehouse, then the retail store where I was Assistant Manager, and then continued on to their Marketing department after I had completed University. I took two hiatuss' from Greenhawk while in University and to work for the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, in '01 and '04.

Also while in University, my mom and I took on the organization of a local schooling shows western division and ran 5 shows each season for three consecutive years. As a kid, I started my showing career with this club and had received numerous year end awards in both Western performance and the Hunter division (with my superstar Princey!). Now as an adult, and a multi-tasker, working in the enrty booth and ring steward, I enjoyed helping other youngsters learn the ropes of a grassroots show.

I worked for a short time at Baker's Harness in Markham where I learned a lot about saddle fitting before going on maternity leave in '05. Upon return to the workforce after maternity leave, I took a part time job at the Ontario Farm Animal Council and AGCARE (Agricultural Groups Concerned About Resources and the Environment). While OFAC and AGCare dealt minimally with the world of horses, it covered all other aspects of agriculture, furthering my knowledge of this great lifestyle. My contract with OFAC and AGCARE was extended until taking maternity leave with my second child in '08.

I first joined the CRF family in 2004 with my long-time wonder horse Princey, his companion Kit, and Daisy, my firey red-headed paint mare. At the time, CRF was home to 7 horses... 3 of them being mine. In the spring of '05 I approached Dave about managing CRF, but wanted to wait until after my first child was born.  I began as manager in Feb of '06.

   Boarding at CRF is about enjoyment of the relationship between human and horse. Lessons and training are available but never mandatory. If you ask, I will help out and share what I know willingly, and while I may make suggestions, but please do not ever feel that you must take them. I respect the fact that there are many theories and opinions and that often, there is not only one correct answer.  I have used my experiences to take what was most important to me from each of my stepping stones along the way to form my riding, training, teaching and even the management of the farm principles. I am always open to learning from others, and asking why, and will always respect others beliefs. I run my farm with an open-door policy and would like to be approachable to everyone to discuss everything. I am always ready to explain the "why" behind my decisions and will always ask the same of those around me. I maintain a laid back, easy going attitude with the intent to make Chestnut Ridge Farm a relaxing environment where people can come to visit their pet and enjoy the time they spend with them.

Julie

CRF STAFF

My name is Beth Stevenson, and as for my purpose here, I will just say that I seem to pretty much always be here at the barn! I started helping out in January of 2008, to cover a short but much needed maternity leave for Julie, and, to be completely honest, I just never left. I moved my mare Rosie, to CRF in June, and have since added my free leased gelding, Johnny, to the herd here as well.

I grew up just outside Peterborough, and from before I could walk, all I wanted to do was ride. My extended family are all from the Wheatley area, just outside Windsor, and my fondest childhood memories are of visiting my aunt and uncle's farm, with their old Quarter Horse gelding named Whiskey, their standardbred mare named Libby, and a little pony whom I believe was named Dusty, but we just knew him as "don't touch the pony, he bites". I only rode Whiskey once or twice - most of our visits were just for grooming, treat delivering, and mucking stalls. What a life!

When I was 8 years old, my parents decided to send me to Bible camp for a week, where there was daily horseback riding. And so it began - at Crusader's Bible Camp. I rode an old mare named Glory, whom I adored, but one day, the counselors decided I should try Ginger, since I was the tallest kid there, and she was a much bigger horse. So, Ginger ran back to the barn after about 30 seconds of our lesson, she was clearly not my biggest fan. I held on, and dismounted at the barn, and then expressed my desire to ride Glory again if possible. I guess I got my wish.

After two summer sessions at Crusader's, I switched to a new camp called Maple Creek Christian Ranch, in Cavan. Little did I know at this time, that Maple Creek would be my home away from home, for the next ... 12 years. I went to camp every summer until I was 14, when I became a leader in training. During these years, I helped out in the barn by tacking horses for the instructors, mucking stalls, feeding and watering, the usual chores. I learned from the owners of the ranch, Paul and Sharon Shank, much about running a business as well as farming and horse care. I was hired on as full-time staff when I turned 15, and never looked back. I spent every summer there, from the day after school was out, until Labour Day, until the year I got married at 21. I worked year-round on weekends and such through high school, and then once I went away to college, I still came back to MCCR in the summer. I was barn manager, and head riding instructor. I taught the English riding program for two summers, but my true love was the program that I was born to teach - the Horse Whispering Team.

In May of 2000, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Solvang, California to work at Flag is Up Farms, under Monty Roberts, as an intern. In exchange for three weeks of work on the farm (mostly landscaping and maintenance, as well as some grooming and hot-walking), I was registered in a one-week training session with Monty and a dozen other students, all about the concept of Join-Up, and the methods that Monty teaches. I met and groomed Shy Boy, the mustang. I mucked Dually's stall. I learned from Crawford Hall in a classroom for a week. I watched Monty work with Usual Suspect, a Thoroughbred that was sent to Flag is Up for starting gate work, after he'd been refusing to break from the gate due to the fact that he was just too big, and was being injured every time. I know that Monty's methods, and those of many "natural horsemanship trainers" are quite controversial and definitely worth examining closely. I took what I could from Monty's methods and behaviour, as well as learning from others (I was part of a Parelli training seminar at Maple Creek, I have been to a Josh Lyons symposium, and I follow Clinton Anderson's DVDs). I have performed Join-Up. I have played the seven games. I find that methods very much depend on the horse that you are working with, and so you have to be flexible!

Since Maple Creek, I have managed a trail riding stable, I have worked at Lions Bridge Stables for Jen Sweet, whose students clean up in the Central West Trillium Circuit every year. I have been certified as an equine sports massage therapist after attending a course in Round Hill, Virginia, with Mary Schreiber. I am also a registered veterinary technician, having graduated from Ridgetown College in 2001. I have been affiliated with Heaven Can Wait Equine Rescue since 1998, and I help out with their fundraisers and trying to find homes for the horses in their care. No matter where I go and what I do, my Bashkir Curly mare, Rosie, comes along, and provides a wonderful, safe mount for me to teach my students on. She is my saviour, she has taken students to the show circuit and done very well, has educated people about her rare breed, and has helped so many children (and adults!) overcome their fear of horses. Over the years, I have rescued, rehabilitated and rehomed some equine friends - I keep in touch with each and every single adopter. So many horses have taught me so much - I consider myself truly blessed, and I try to share this blessing with my students, and anyone else that would like to see for themselves!

As you can likely tell, I certainly don't have a problem talking! Chances are, if you're around the barn, I will be there looking after either all the critters or just my own, and if you have a minute or an hour, I'd love to chat with you!