Bowler Hill Farm

01/22/2023

I have 2 seasoned foxhunters for sale!
9 y.o. partbred gelding 17hh, by Penryhn Bayswater (Cleveland Bay) "Final Edition" aka Big Ed, in his 3rd/4 season. Has lead second and third fields and gone up front. Competed in Hunter paces as shown. Super comfortable, good mover and jumper, very athletic, sounds, hunts drug free (as all of mine do!)
9 y.o. mare 16.1 partbred by Windyday Shakespear ( Penryhn Bayswater X Penryhn Seline) same credentials as above. Very nice mover and jumper, great gate getter as she spent her whole first season doing that. Not keen on ring work so don't think you'll make a show horse out of her, though she is a beauty.
Both horses are keen foxhunters and enjoy a big day. They are not for timid riders or beginner husbands. Each can show a bit of exuberance and enthusiasm at the start of the day but have never come in before hounds. Regularly hunted with OCH, drug free as stated above.
Gelding $45k, mare $20k offers considered to perfect homes. A jobber fee of $250 will be charged when tried in the hunt field, taken off the purchase price.

01/05/2023

Change this to mud!!

😝😝😝

12/11/2022

12.10.2022 Westbourne Farm - MiddleburgPhoto

Alexandra W. Arabak was 'kind" enough😉🐎 to take Late for Church hunting on a huge day out of the Winchesters Westbourne. They had a great time in the second field of 37 horses to start and were one of 4 to finish the day. Late for Church has 4 seasons under her belt in the second field, leading, following, opening gates as well as leading the third on occasion. She is a good jumper and hope to get her in the first,now that I have a good jock who is free to go up there. She is for sale, not a beginner horse, but a keen ride for someone who enjoys a big day out! She is by Windyday Shakespeare(CB) out of Christening (TB),16.1 8y.o.

Photographing life in the Virginia Piedmont, Middleburg Photo specializes in equestrian sports and events.

12/05/2022

Toothless , frosty Gidget enjoying her mush with the cattle in the background 🥶

10/16/2022

September 13, 2018

We don't deal with sweet kids !

Kid horses

10/09/2022

Chilly morning with our first frost here in Virginia! Shakespeare and his bud Curlee Fox ready for breakfast

09/19/2022

First day hunting for Bearpaw Kiowa...representing’ in Virginia ( pardon the bad cell phone photo). He is going to make someone a very nice horse for a lifetime. Level headed, comfortable a good mover and brave

09/11/2022

1st Day of Fall Hunting 9-10-22 at Oakendale - Joanne Maisano Photo

(Walker) Texas Ranger was a champ leading the leading the third field with his first time in Virginia with full company. Seems Erica Picking has a big following ,must be doing a good job of it

equine photography, family and event photography, dog photography

08/27/2022

September 13, 2018

September 13, 2018

Kid horses

08/25/2022

Well we did it! Kiowa first day with hounds ( aunty Seline accompanied for moral support) He was a champion, to be expected ❤️❤️ Bearpaw Bays rock!!

08/10/2022

After only able to speak over the fence since he was a weanling, Curlee can now keep Shakespeare company in the field together. Shakespeare is thrilled to have a paddock mate!

08/09/2022

Love this vintage bridle as much as I’m loving this 3/4 CB Bearpaw Kiowa. Brains is an understatement, you’ll be seeing him in the hunt field, dressed a bit differently, of course. Making the transition slowly 😉...I did wear my velvet cap today instead 🤠... progress

08/04/2022

Thinking about tweeking my Dailey rider to the shop😎

08/04/2022

Practice run🫣

TWO MORE DAYS.....INDIAN RELAY @ NORTHERN WINZ CASINO ~AUG, 5TH (5pm)
~AUG, 6TH (1pm)
PHOTO CREDIT: SAVAGE IMAGES

07/22/2022

Kiowa aka Mr Montana is getting pretty used to this Virginia pampered life, but has not forgotten any of his training from home. Next week🐶🐶🐶🐶. It will just be like a bunch of little red and white noisy cattle😉💪🏾

07/19/2022

RAPID CITY, South Dakota — A Tale of Two Brothers plays out every summer Wednesday night at the Hart Ranch Roughstock & Barrel Racing Series.

Meet Sizzler & Twizzler, sons of Spud Creek Rodeo’s Bootlicker. Both carefully bred, born and nurtured toward bucking horse careers. Both introduced to the humane piece of working tack, the flank strap, when they were physically, emotionally and mentally mature. Sizzler bucked and loved it — Twizzler declined. Showed no inclination, just loped off and stopped.

Enter bronc rider, rancher and pickup man Troy Crowser. From long days in the saddle ranching, he’s developed a preference for strong, resilient draft crosses who will go all day and are ready to work at sunup the next.

He and Twizzler have miles and miles behind them as a day working team and are quickly becoming fancy good as a pickup pair.

Be sure you explain to the people who’ve bought in to the wild lies and misconceptions about bucking horses that ALL horses choose their career paths for themselves and tell us so. They’re smart like that.

Tom Plooster Spud Creek Rodeo Company Troy Crowser Hooey Resistol

07/14/2022

This is a good one! Easy keepers, easy to train, very stylish and a temperament of a puppy dog, Cleveland Bays ❤️ Speak up for this filly!!

I really do not want to sell this filly, but sometimes the universe just doesn't present any other options. If you have any interest in a pure filly, out of Bearpaw Martha Jane and by Bearpaw Waylon- send me a message. I'll get current pictures as soon as I'm able. Preference given to breeding homes.

07/13/2022

Mr Montana, first one at the gate... he’s catching on quickly to the life of ( somewhat) leisure of a Virginia summer in front of a fan... his wake up call is coming shortly 🦊🦊

07/12/2022

This is only the half of it...😳🐎🦊

07/01/2022

The head of farm security and Kailey taking a rest from setting up the fans

06/24/2022

Her picture hangs in the shop!!🤠💃🏼

06/22/2022

The two smartest horses at Bowler Hill! Keep eating boys, let those other 2 fools stomp flys in the hot run in. Bear Paw Kiowa and his mentor and best friend right now, Carr

06/22/2022

From a 45 minute tussle about leading on Sunday to first one to greet me and this. Marsh Run Ponies 🥰

06/20/2022

A barn full of 3 year olds that have a WHOLE lot to learn

06/17/2022

This brave young warrior will be stepping out soon From the open Eastern Montana to ( hopefully) the hunt field of Virginia

06/08/2022

In cooperation with the Williamsburg Rare Breeds foundation Bear Paw Bays and Bowler Hill Farm are continuing their dedication to the endangered breed of Cleveland Bays. With the continuing help of the ERC the mares Tregoyd Victoria and Penryhn Seline are in line for some embryo transfer work. Fingers crossed for some top notch offspring ( hopefully of the female persuasion!) of purebred status

06/05/2022

2 weeks to the day we left for the 406. Johndale had finished mowing right before. This is the effect from how much rain we got while gone😳. Going to be a good summer to fatten up the hunters for winter

06/05/2022

Seems quarantine was not an option for the “Montana Bays” someone knocked down ( a somewhat precarious) gate so they could join the (TB) herd Victoria keeps those boys at a distance as to avoid influencing Kiowa 😉😎

05/04/2022

Hate it when this happens 😳

Questa foto è fantastica ✈️
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📸

04/30/2022

Tidying up 15 years of scrub! It’s a small start😬

04/23/2022

Busy weekend at Bowler Hill in this fine Spring weather wonderful ride with Gilbert and his owner( btw Gilly put in a couple of bucks just to let us know he’s still got it despite his rather advanced age😉) Lesson with the best mini ever, Muffin and her owner. Shakespeare had his first girlfriend arrive today and she’s gorgeous ❤️as well as Sparks compliant ... and the grass is green, the wild flowers and trees are giving off amazing scents and the sun is shining!

04/12/2022

Finally got the hunters ( and prospects) out to grass! But all those idiots were worried about ( I guess after being traumatized by Muffin the mini earlier) were the dairy heifers a field over🤦🏼‍♀️

04/04/2022

Optimum Time over Fences - MiddleburgPhoto

Erica Picking and Final Edition aka Big Ed (full brother to "Little Carter") obviously enjoying their trip around the OCH pairs course. Don't judge Ericas position! This isn't the show ring and Ed has his head! Just pretend YOU'RE sitting on 17hh with 1600# of torque at speed!!

Optimum Time

04/02/2022

The Cleveland Bays showed their worth despite the first fence that got everyone except those that event. Go Final Edition, aka Big Ed and Erica Picking and Fiesta and Abby Curran. Ed was bred and raised at Bowler hill by Bayswater. Fiesta was purchased by me from Hunter Wilson, sired by Richard Lionheart as a yearling and sold to the Curran family after he had hunted for 2 seasons

04/02/2022

Interesting and true, had not considered the uneveness of body whorls, though I have to mark them when registering the Bays

Ancient horse cultures made much of the study of hair whorls and it’s something that’s gaining ground within today’s scientific community. Studies are showing that the old wive's tail—called Whorlology—is grounded in fact. We know now that the patterns of a horse's coat are formed within the womb and follow the neurological pathways that are developed in a growing fetus.

Those of you who pooh-pooh this notion can chew on that!

Those of us raised among old time horsemen were simply brought up with mystical tales of what to look for and what to avoid when it came to the patterns of the lay on any horse’s hair coat. I admit to looking for matching whorls on each side of the horse’s body, to the point of avoiding horses who are unevenly marked from side to side, particularly along the neck.

We were also taught that the profile of a horse's head, the shape and carriage of its ears and muzzle, will determine the degree to which a horse exhibits its personal quirks. I also pay attention to the mane fall for clues as to a horse's right or left 'handedness' when it comes to schooling.

Here, my gloved finger is pointing towards the spot where I search for my favourite single forehead whorl, when it comes to ease of trainability and uncomplications. Centred directly between the eyes, one clearly defined whorl almost always marks an honest horse with a minimum of surprises or complexities.

Generally, the higher the forehead whorl, the more sensitive the horse. I have found that of my horses, those few with unusually low face whorls are people-oriented to the extreme, almost like dogs.

Rockabilly sports a double whorl, 'the mark of two masters'. While such a horse or pony is absolutely 100% trainable, we know that he will never be the easiest one in the barn. Such horses are always listening to that other little voice inside their head. Those with double whorls stacked one atop the other, often fall under the heading of the lazy/sensitive horse; either sleeping or really riled up, often within the same five seconds.

While ALL horses rise to their best in 'feely', compassionate and educated hands, it is worth noting that double and triple-whorl horses will not tolerate the 'manhandling' that many more stoic single-whorl horses will. These horses seemingly need more mindfulness from us than average, requiring regular riding with one person who is determined, more suggestive than demanding and who is very clear about the rules.

I have found that multiple-whorled horses shine with a rider who knows how to take a joke, one who can smile and calmly continue on without fuss. Those of us who adore working with the more complex, quirky personalities in the equine world, get along like gangbusters with double-whorl horses.

Those among us who don't enjoy or endeavour to understand such horses, will often end up with a worried, unrideable mess.

03/23/2022

Revamped Thomas barn completes 4-for-4 weekend

Have known Jonathan since he was 3 or 4, the cream always rises to the top! Proud he is actually related (in a way) now🥰

Jonathan Thomas isn't perfect. Just look at his NCAA bracket. Thomas was, however, perfect last weekend. His stable went 4 for 4, with three of them winning at Gulfstream (two Saturday, one Sunday) and the other on Saturday at Laurel Park in Maryland.

03/11/2022

Just a reminder😉

This week's mystery breed is the Cleveland Bay from Yorkshire, England!
Did you know that this rare breed is not only England's oldest breed of horse, but also the only remaining purebred warmblood?
No one knows exactly how old the Cleveland Bay is, but the modern-day breed first came into being when the 'Chapmen' horses of Yorkshire were bred to Barb and Spanish stallions in the 17th century, creating a breed so versatile, so refined and so strong that it quickly became one of the most popular carriage horse breeds in Europe. Sadly, it wasn't long after this that the industrial age rendered carriage horses obsolete. The World Wars also took a huge toll on the Cleveland Bay, which was one of the most sought-after cavalry mounts thanks to its strength, bravery and sensible temperament.
Today, Cleveland Bay bloodlines can be found in most warmblood breeds, as well as a number of draught breeds! Part bred Cleveland Bays are immensely successful sport horses, and while purebred Cleveland Bays still number less than a thousand, they have a dedicated following in the UK, the US, Australia and beyond. Learn more about this ancient breed on the blog: https://www.globetrotting.com.au/horse-breed-cleveland-bay/
Image via Cleveland Bay Horse Society of Australasia.

03/06/2022

OCH at Elysium Field 2-5-22 - Joanne Maisano Photo

So glad to finally have Milton and Peter back with me

equine photography, family and event photography, dog photography

03/04/2022

Shenandoah Downs Fall Harness Season to Increase in Length by Three Weeks | Virginia Horse Racing

A super fun, fan friendly thing to do! The 100 year old grandstand and the beautiful setting brings one back to a simpler time when horses were a part of life

Shenandoah Downs Fall Harness Season to Increase in Length by Three Weeks Virginia harness racing is poised to take another step forward this fall when Shenandoah Downs ushers in its seventh season of pari-mutuel harness racing September 16 and continues thru November 6, an increase of three weeks f...