Willow Grove Ranch

10/09/2026

If I am trying to help a horse and rider/driver out, I have quite a bit of work to do to gather datapoints: observe the horses baseline (if they’re off, the go to a vet and body work), tack fit (I can do a basic fit but I work with a saddle maker for tricky backs) bitting issues (physical-does the horse need dental? Does he have a unique mouth structure? Mental-does the horse understand? Emotional-do they have baggage from bit experiences?) I observe how the horse and rider learn and what they already know. I observe the basic emotional systems of both horse and rider, check for hangovers from misunderstanding or mistreatment in the past, check through the basic education of the pair, the quality and clarity of the aids and if they are used consistently and logically, and then create a program for the pair.

If they go taking surveys of all kinds of trainers to widen their experience and go to all kinds of clinics I’m not going to be able to do my job very well.

Excellence in guidance for horse and rider does take the past into play…I grew up in buckaroo country and after studying with reiners, cutters, stock horse pleasure/all around (deciding that was not where I wanted to be) I took the plunge studying primarily the French tradition with a French instructor for 6 years. I added the study of horse behavior, educational methods, emotional systems, etc to create a very detailed, horse healthy/human healthy approach.

So, unless it’s new research, there is nothing new under the sun as you say. BUT there are more educated approaches and unique combinations of techniques that can give a trainer more efficiency and clarity for more horses. That may look really different to a lot of people, but it’s not a gimmick. It’s years of hard work, study and experience.

And it may take the pair some time to upload and utilize that much information.

10/09/2026

Educated breeding matters

Recent genomic research is providing new insight into the genetic factors that influence long-term health, population sustainability, and responsible breeding in Baroque horse breeds.

A study of 1,160 horses from 15 Baroque populations used more than 34,000 genetic markers to assess genetic diversity, genomic inbreeding, effective population size, population structure, historical admixture, and recent gene flow.

The study identified two broad historical bottlenecks in genetic diversity. The first occurred approximately 19 to 24 generations ago, corresponding roughly to the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

This pattern was particularly evident in several Lipizzan populations, Friesians, Lusitanos, and Cartujanos.

The second occurred approximately 8 to 13 generations ago, corresponding broadly to the period from the late nineteenth century through the aftermath of the World Wars.

This later decline affected Kladrubys and several Iberian and South American populations.

The findings showed genomic inbreeding in every population, but the levels varied considerably.

Criollo and Peruvian Paso horses had the lowest genomic inbreeding estimates and relatively high measures of genetic diversity.

Lusitanos and the broader Pura Raza Española population also showed comparatively favourable results.

By contrast, the Friesian sample had the lowest heterozygosity and haplotype richness, together with the highest genomic inbreeding in the study.

The Carthusian strain of the Pura Raza Española also showed a higher level of genomic inbreeding than the broader PRE population.

These findings do not mean that every Friesian or Carthusian horse will experience health problems, but they do indicate a greater population-level risk associated with reduced genetic variation and recent common ancestry.

For individual horses, a favourable genetic profile would generally include lower individual genomic inbreeding, fewer long runs of homozygosity, limited relatedness to a proposed mate, and negative results for known inherited conditions.

Genetics however, also interact with nutrition, management, infection, injury, conformation, workload, and environmental conditions.

Vostra-Vydrova et al. (2026), “Genomic diversity and historical legacy of Baroque horses: a living cultural heritage.” Animal, 20(8), 101897. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2026.101897

10/09/2026

Every horse needs to learn to both relax AND move freely forward. Without these critical elements, you have nothing to work with to create balance, strength, power, and ultimately, collection. That is what we worked on with Jelle today.

He even cantered for the first time under saddle!

10/08/2026

Jelle, 5 year old Friesian....we have spent hours upon hours with this lovely soul, earning more trust and increasing his confidence. It could be considered "slow going" or "patience testing," but what it truly is: giving this Jelle fella the opportunity to live with less anxiety, tension, and fear. Then learn to do things WITH people, without force or fear.

And to look fabulous doing it!

10/06/2026

Couldn’t agree more.

💯

10/06/2026

Shelby and I got all our work done and the trailer was hooked up so….

10/05/2026

Welcome the newest additions to the Willow Grove staff! Six months old and ready to create mayhem!

10/05/2026

Welcome the newest members of the Willow Grove staff! Six months old and ready to mayhem!

10/05/2026

Magnificent highland pony carrying a stag 🦌🐴

I took this photo a few years ago, when I was up in the Scottish Highlands. I was invited to accompany some working Highland ponies (often known as garrons) and their handlers (known as ghillies) to document them collecting red deer stags from the hill. This is a very traditional job, and it was very interesting to see the pony not only in its natural surroundings, but also doing a job it was bred for. The UK has no natural predators for Red deer, and as a result the deer numbers need to be managed to prevent overgrazing (and ecological damage) across the Scottish Highlands. One of the traditional roles the Highland pony developed was to carry deer back off the hill - even today, the terrain is so steep and uneven that machinery cannot always be used. The ponies are also quieter so the deer don’t hear them, and they also leave a much smaller impact on the landscape. Their job is to go out onto the hill where they are loaded up with the carcass, and they then bring it home for processing (where the venison goes into the food chain). These ponies can access places where modern ATVs cannot, and they still have a valuable role across Scotland carrying these deer. The ponies have to be highly trained to do this work, and the highland pony is perfect for the role - it is valued for its strength and courage, which allows them to physically do this very demanding job. Some stags can weigh over 20 stone and the pony has to keep its balance as it picks its way across the hill - when you seem them moving, you soon see that it is not like carrying a rider. It was quite something to witness, and very interesting to see first hand. Highland ponies are categorised as “At Risk” by Rare Breeds Survival Trust 🐴🌄 ___________________________________________