Country Side Tack Sale This Weekend!

Country Side Tack is holding their 2nd Tack Sale this weekend. The sale will have all sorts of equestrian items and tack, including saddles, bridles, halters, saddle pads, boots, apparel and more!

When:  Friday-Sunday, July 31st-August 2nd

Where: 25420 Emery Ave., Hampton, MN 55031

The sale starts at 9 am and lasts until 4 pm each day.

Stop by and bring cash to browse new and used horse gear, clothes, and English & Western equipment on sale!

Looking for your own hobby farm or horse property? Browse acreage and equestrian facilities for sale in the Twin Cities Metro area at www.donavin.com.

47th Annual English Horse Show tomorrow

The Olmsted County Fair is this week in Rochester and tomorrow Thursday July 30th is the 47th Annual English Horse Show. This show has a variety of classes, including equitation over fences, hunter over fences, equitation group classes, egg & spoon, bareback equitation, and a costume class.  Classes are split by age and experience of horse and rider.

Here is the full schedule of classes.  The show begins at 11 am and typically completed by mid-afternoon. The superintendent is Leah Allert. 

If you are available tomorrow, come on out and cheer on local riders!

Can't make it there?  While the show won't be live streamed like the World Equestrian Games, you can go online and look at horse properties and hobby farms for sale at www.donavin.com.

Horsemanship Demo & Workshop at Dakota Stables!

"It takes leadership, patience, and consistency to develop a solid horse and that's what I try to offer every horse." - Michael Sparling

Michael Sparling will be providing a demonstration at Dakota Stables in Northfield, Wednesday July 29th, from 6-7 pm.  The cost to attend is $10/person. Dakota Stables is located at 30813 Iran Path, Northfield, MN 55057. 

At the demo, there will be an opportunity to then sign up for a horsemanship workshop next Wednesday, August 5, 6-8 pm.  Participation in the workshop (including bringing your horse) is $70.  

Questions?  Contact Michael.

Michael Sparling, photo from www.michaelsparlinghorsemanship.com

Looking for a horse property of your own?  Browse hobby farms, equestrian facilities, and acreage for sale at www.donavin.com

Clinic with Jane Braddock this weekend!

Jane Braddock
photo from www.focusedridingcenter.com

Local eventing trainer and instructor, Jane Braddock, is offering a clinic this weekend for dressage and eventing riders at her stable, Focused Riding Center in Hager City, WI.  Jane is a USDF Bronze medalist and a USEA certified instructor.

Dressage rides will be 45 minutes of private instruction. Jumping rides will be 1-1.5 hours with 2-3 riders grouped according to level (starter, beginner novice, novice, training, & preliminary). Only $50/ride and stabling is available for $20/day!

Stadium jumps at Focused Riding Center
photo from www.focusedridingcenter.com

Here is the schedule for the weekend:
Saturday AM - Dressage 
Saturday PM - Stadium jumping 
Sunday AM   - Gymnastics jumping
Sunday PM   - Cross-country jumping

Cross country schooling at Focused Riding Center
more photos of the facility go to www.focusedridingcenter.com/facility

Tune up your skills and practice cross-country schooling the weekend before Otter Creek's Horse Trials!

For all the details, check out the entry form. Questions? Contact Jane.

Prefer to stay home and dream about your perfect hobby farm? Browse horse properties for sale at www.donavin.com - new listings!

22775 Blaine Ave., Farmington, MN 55024

This lovely 15-acre horse property just outside Farmington boasts a 5-stall barn with concrete floors, grass pastures and outdoor riding arena, and a fully remodeled 3600 sq. ft. 5-bedroom, 4 bath home.

40 x 70 barn with 5 stunning box stalls with sliding doors, a tack room, and plenty of room for hay and equipment storage. 

Your horses will enjoy these lovely grass pastures with mature trees offering shade on hot days. The pastures even have an automatic watering system to keep them green & growing in the dry months.

The patio in the front yard overlooks the front pastures on either side of the driveway.

The kitchen offers Cambria quartz countertops, wood floors, and a bay window over the sink.

The master bedroom is perfect for any season with large windows, wood floors, and a corner gas fireplace.

Picture yourself on this Trex deck watching your horses on a beautiful day! 

Large windows are in every room of the entire home with views of your horses and local wildlife. 

The master bath has granite countertops and a heated tile floor for those cold winter days.

Check out the aerial video!  For more photos, go to www.donavin.com

Horsemanship Clinic at Eagle Lake this weekend!

Harry Whitney 

Harry Whitney is leading a 4-day horsemanship clinic Saturday July 25-Tuesday July 28 at The Fitz Farm in Eagle Lake, MN near Mankato.

Fitz Farm (photo from www.fitzfarm4.com)

A skilled horseman and a good communicator, Harry Whitney helps people develop their horsemanship skills, including round pen work and ground handling as well as riding.  He has a special gift for understanding how horses think, process, & operate and imparting that knowledge to others.

“So often, we focus on what the horse is doing, and miss the fact that the horse’s mind

will affect what he does and how he does it. If we give attention to the horse - how he is

feeling in the moment, where his thought is and offer him the help he is looking for - many of

the things we thought were problems will be cleared up.”

- Harry Whitney

Auditing is $20/day. Bring your own chair, shade it available. Questions?  Contact the clinic host, Susy.

Harry Whitney (from http://www.harrywhitney.com/)

Looking for a hobby farm where you can work on your own horsemanship?  Check out www.donavin.com

Fitz Farm (photo from www.fitzfarm4.com)

Otter Creek Dressage Fest this weekend!

Elena de la Vega, the author's Friesian Sport Horse,
who will be competing at Otter Creek Dressage Fest

Otter Creek Farm in Wheeler, WI, is hosting their second USDF recognized dressage of the year, Otter Creek Dressage Fest, this weekend.  Over 100 horse and rider teams will be competing in the show in classes ranging from Introductory level to FEI.

Classes begin at 8 am both Saturday and Sunday July 25-26 and last until 5 pm.  Here is the complete schedule by class. Come on by and cheer on local dressage riders!

Otter Creek Farm is a beautiful facility and all 3 sand/limestone arenas will be running. Enjoy the view of the cross country course surrounded by mature evergreens and deciduous trees as well as the braided gleaming show horses!

Janna Kysilko, USDF bronze and silver medalist dressage trainer,
competing at Otter Creek Mayflower Dressage show

Prefer to stay home and look at hobby farms and horse properties for sale?  Browse www.donavin.com for acreage and equestrian facilities for sale in the Twin Cities metro area.

22707 Panama Ave., Prior Lake, MN 55372

If you're looking for a custom-built country style home with a heated stall barn located close to town, check out this property in Prior Lake!  

On 10 acres and across from a 1100 acre park, this 3390 sq. ft. home has 14' ceilings, mahogany floors, huge windows overlooking the horse fields, a wet bar, a fireplace, and a 5-car garage!

Huge fenced sand arena

5-stall barn has vaulted ceilings and concrete floors and can be heated in the winter.

The barn has split doors so horses can stick their heads out and one stall has a little pen for horses on stall rest to get a chance to be outside.

Backyard fire pit with swing, showing the expansive porch and many windows overlooking the horse pastures.

Just imagine yourself lounging or reading a book on this hammock on a lovely evening.

Or if you prefer, this inviting hot tub would be a wonderful place to for a soothing soak after a long day.

This pristine sauna offers another option for relaxation!

The master bedroom has a bay window and french doors to the master bath.

Master bath includes whirlpool tub and separate tile shower.

Take a look at this stunning kitchen with all of the amenities!

This home looks like a designer celebrity home, it is truly unique with an elegant yet country style all its own.  For more photos of the home and property, go to www.donavin.com/panama

I can't believe this home is for sale at only $519 K! Someone will snatch it up quickly and get their own piece of horse-lover's paradise.

Jennifer Truett is Back!

Minnesota welcomes back Jennifer Truett of Dancing Horse Farm this weekend for yet another clinic at the U of M Leatherdale Equine Center. Jennifer Truett, as one of only four Ride With Your Mind trainers in the US, is especially skilled in recognizing rider and horse biomechanics and helping riders develop feel and better communication with their horse.  

Jennifer Truett is upbeat and positive and provides visual imagery and exercises to assist riders in finding correct balance and effectiveness. Rider spots may be filled but there is plenty of room for auditors.

Clinic details are available on the CSDEA website. CSDEA members get a discount ($40 for both days, $25), non-CSDEA members pay $50 for both days, $30 for one day. The clinic starts at 9 am. 

Questions about the clinic?  Contact Kelly.

Go to www.donavin.com to look at horse properties, hobby farms, and acreage for sale in the greater Twin Cities metro area.

Lisa Fergusson clinic next weekend!

Lisa Fergusson, photo from
 http://eventingnation.com/lisa-marie-fergusson-the-next-step/

Lisa Fergusson, of Canada, has competed and trained eventing horses up through the Advanced level.  She is giving a clinic at Schweiss' Magister Equitum Stables in Hector, MN July 25-26.  The facility is the home of Roebke's Run horse trials and their cross country course is one of the best in the midwest. For more photos of the cross country course, go here. For more about Lisa Fergusson, see my previous blog post here.

The clinic will be for eventing riders and will focus on all 3 phases: dressage, stadium jumping, and cross country. Each horse/rider get a private dressage lesson and are paired with 1-2 others for stadium jumping lessons. Cross-country groups are comprised of 3-4 horse/rider teams.

There may even be clinic openings left (last I heard, there were open spots for one strong Beginner Novice horse/rider and one Training/Preliminary horse/rider)! Contact Jean to inquire.  

Lisa Ferguson

Browse www.donavin.com to look at horse properties and hobby farms and acreage for sale in the Twin Cities greater metro area.

Horse Agility Clinic at U of M this weekend!

Palargo, owned by Sheri Pederson competing in Horse Agility

Have you ever heard of Horse Agility?  It is an unmounted series of challenges for horses and their handlers. It is like a combination of Dog Agility and desensitization training and is perfect for horse lovers who can't ride, horses who can't be ridden, or anyone who wants to deepen their bond of trust with their horse!  

Horse Agility, according to the International Horse Agility Club, "is a discipline and internationally competitive sport in which horse and handler, both on foot, navigate a course of obstacles while focusing on clear communication and positive horsemanship." The IHAC tracks competition results, members, events, and more. There are 5 levels: Starter, First, Medium, Advanced, and Advanced *. Each test has 10 obstacles and for each obstacle, 5 points are awarded based on completion of the task (i.e. going through a tunnel or weaving among cones) and 5 points are awarded for good horsemanship.  Horse handlers can submit videos of their courses for grading by qualified judges via monthly On Line Competitions (OHLA).

This Saturday and Sunday July 18-19 from 9 am to 5 pm, instructor Denise Anthony will be offering a clinic at the U of M Equine Center for those interested in learning more about Horse Agility. Denise Anthony and her daughter Adriana (who will be co-teaching the clinic) are rated among the top 100 in the country in the OLHA video league for Horse Agility competitors.  For more details about the event, email the organizer Sheri Pederson (who is ranked 40th!) or go to the Facebook event page.  Auditing is $15 and you might even get to try it out!

Can't attend the clinic but want to learn more?  Check out the website of the International Horse Agility Club and consider investing in their official handbook.

Looking for a hobby farm of your own where you can play with your own horses?  Browse horse properties and acreage for sale at www.donavin.com.

3975 Kenyon Blvd., Faribault, MN 55021

Love horses and dogs? This 10 acre hobby farm just outside Faribault is for you! Check out the grooming area in the basement, a pole shed & separate barn, chicken coop, & multiple fenced areas for training dogs or horses.  

6 fenced dog and horse arenas with hay fields and mature trees.

50' x 72' pole shed can be used for indoor riding or dog training in inclement weather.  Alternately, you could put stalls in or use for storage. 

Walk-out basement is currently set up as a dog grooming business.

Dog bathing station in the basement is all set up for a dog grooming business.

The backyard is a huge fenced area for your dogs to roam.

The 1300 sq. ft. home has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and an open floor plan.

Take a look at the virtual tour and more photos of the interior of the home.

Aerial view of the property

Not quite what you're looking for?  Browse other properties for sale at www.donavin.com.

Ride with Ralph Hill this weekend!

There are a couple of clinic openings to ride with Ralph Hill in the clinic this weekend at Focused Riding Center in Hager City, WI! Ralph Hill is respected and well-known in Minnesota and eventers vie for the opportunity to ride with him. There have been a few late cancellations otherwise there wouldn't still be open riding slots. Riders get a 1-1.5 hour time slot with 1-2 other riders, so you'd be sure to get as much focused attention as you'd want! Ralph Hill has a reputation for seeing straight through to the issue and fearlessly tackling it.  

100 x 200 outdoor jump arena at Focused Riding Center
(photo from  http://www.focusedriding.com/my-blog/facility.html)

Saturday will be gymnastics stadium jumping and Sunday will be cross-country schooling, including solid fences, water jumps, banks, & ditches.  

Cross country schooling
(photo from http://www.focusedriding.com/my-blog/facility.html)

Here is the entry form.  Negative Coggins also required.

Questions? Contact Jane.

Want to school cross country without having to trailer?  Sunborn Stables is for sale and they have a water jump and a small cross country course. OR, build your own at one of these hobby farms or horse properties for sale at www.donavin.com

ReAnna Stables Dressage & Western Dressage Schooling Show!

The author riding in a schooling show at ReAnna Stables

ReAnna Stables in Hampton, MN, is hosting a dressage schooling show this Sunday, July 19th. Classes include lead line, equitation, traditional tests (Intro, Training level, & First level and above), as well as Western dressage tests (Intro, Basic, and Level 1 & above). Jim Hatch will be the judge.

Western Dressage horse and rider

Entries are still being accepted if they receive your entry by Wednesday or Thursday so email Shanna Brack today to get your entry paperwork to complete. Tests are $20 each, there's a $15 office fee, and you can reserve a stall or jump out of a trailer.

ReAnna Stables entrance

ReAnna Stables is a lovely boarding facility with a 29-stall insulated barn, a heated/AC bathroom and lounge, and several pastures for turnout in small groups.  The show will be held in their 60' x 170' indoor arena with skylights, rain or shine.

 
Prefer to look at horse properties and hobby farms for sale to host your own schooling show?  Go to www.donavin.com to browse homes and acreage for sale in the metro area of the Twin Cities of Minnesota.