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Do not go where the
path may lead...Go instead where there is no path
and leave a trail. ~~Emerson
Our involvement with curly horses began in 1999 when Brian and I met Bruce
& Marlene Tilson of Tall Trees Curlies while at a fall fair in Bonfield,
Ontario. Already involved with Appaloosas, we were immediately captivated
by the intelligence and quiet sensibility of their curly horses. The year
2000 saw our first 3 curlies purchased! Two of
these three curlies, Ben and Misty, are still with us today. The third
member of the original trio, Sassie, has
since been sold to a wonderful Vermont home and now earns her living as a
therapeutic riding horse.
The curly horse's most renowned trait is their hypoallergenic
qualities. Some of these horses are allergy free to some allergy
sufferers! Though we have met this odd exception to this rule, most
allergic visitors have left our farm after having their first sniffle free visit
to a stable and, in some cases, having experienced their very first ride on a
horse! Sadly not all allergy sufferers can report such successes.
We've had 3 such visitors on our farm and each of them have had a reaction to
our curly cross gelding, Thunder. Our best advice to an allergy sufferer
considering the purchase of a curly, especially one that has only one curly
parent, is to meet the horse in person first
before committing to a purchase agreement.
At this time our main focus is on training and showing our curly-to-curly
bred horses. We are scaling back our breeding operation considerably in 2008 and
instead we are focusing on turning our
horses into useful and productive mounts; those which demonstrate a more
competitive inclination will be given their chance in the show ring. The curlies we have bred and sold have
gone on to a variety of new careers. Some are being used as pleasure
horses, some as lesson horses, some as breeding horses and many are competing
and winning in Western Pleasure, English Pleasure, Hunt Seat, Saddle Seat,
Gaming and Eventing. These are truly versatile curlies! We are very selective about the horses
we purchase, breed and train so, naturally, we are just as selective about the
buyers and homes our horses are sold to. We are *very* concerned at how
frequently and frivolously curlies are bought and sold so are committed to
providing stable and long term homes for our horses and equally committed to
ensuring these horses are adequately prepared for life in their new homes.
Of course life can put big dents into the best laid plans which is why every
horse that leaves our barn goes with a contractual request for first refusal
should the horse need to be re-homed. This means that we are contractually
granted the first opportunity to repurchase our horses which need to be resold and, yes, we have followed through on that
clause in our contract and repurchased horses we have previously owned. If
we aren't in a position to repurchase the horse we will gladly assist in the
marketing and placement of that horse and, in most cases, extend the offer of
first refusal to the new owners. The safety, health & happiness of our
horses and their new owners is the primary focus. Please enjoy your visit to
our website! We also welcome visitors in person but request that guests
make an appointment to see us!        
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