We moved into our farm in September of 2002. The house and farm sit on 41.5 acres in beautiful southern Dane County, Wisconsin. The previous owners had used it strictly for cash cropping. There is an existing, old diary barn, circa 1900s. It was at one time a 16 stanchion dairy barn, that the previous owners renovated to a spacious 2 stall garage. Also on the property is a workshop and machine storage area. We took the machine storage area and put in two large foaling stalls. This is the barn I call the "Foaling Barn" as it has the camera system set up for easy foal watch. We have installed an infra-red heater above one of the foaling stalls, for late winter foaling, as well as use for a sick or injured horse during winter.

When we moved in, there was 5 acres of planted, mowed grass available for pasture fencing when we moved in, which I took advantage of.  That first fall I couldn't plant any new acreage as the soybeans didn't come off the field until late fall. The following spring in 2003 we planted about 8 acres of extra pasture, with a cover crop of oats.  That pasture became available for use the spring of 2004, when I fenced in approximately 3 additional acres for the horses.  The remaining 5 acres of planted pasture will be cut for hay until we decide to fence it for the horses. In the spring of 2009 we planted an additional 3.5 acres of pasture for our horses which we plan to install fence in the spring of 2010.  The remaining 15 acres of tillable land is rented to neighbors for crops.

In fall of 2003 we contacted several building manufacturers to determine who we would use to build our new horse barn. We decided on Wick Buildings out of Mazomanie WI. We love their attention to detail and they were very easy to work with!   Our building was ordered in December and delivered in late January.  The actual construction process took  several months due to the weather (wet!!), but it was up and ready to go, and we were able to get 4 stalls put in by early May, just in time for the arriving foals! We finished adding the remaining stalls throughout that year.

In Summer of 2008 we graded, installed, and fenced our new outdoor arena. The arena is 80' x 175' and is fenced with Triple Crown 3-rail fencing.

We are currently feeding a nice alfalfa-grass mix, probably around 30-50% alfalfa in most bales.  The horses are out grazing on grass for about 12-14 hours per day.  For grain the horses are fed recleaned oats, daily Gro n Win, with access to Buckeye Mineral and a salt block in each pasture.

Meet some of our resident security personnel. Photos by Shorthorse Studios.
Zep the Rottweiler


Otto and Ernie, the Attack Kittens

Several of these were taken with a panoramic camera, the first fall we were on the farm.
There's an additional 15+ acres, to the east, but they are just
boring old bean field. Photos of the new barn down the page.

The pastures just before we moved the horses in

Pastures

The front field,which will become a hay field, then pasture.

View looking West from the pastures to the house, hay barn on the right.  The big Burr Oak tree between the garage barn  and the Foaling barn is the second oldest Burr Oak tree recorded in our county. They estimate the age of the tree at 300 - 400+ years. The circumference of the trunk is over 15 feet.

View looking Southeast from the back 8 acres, which will be planted as pasture.

This will be the front pasture, 5 acres.  Looking southeast

Looking across the stallion/quarantine pasture (and that's Remarkable)

The lane between the stallion pasture and the mares. He's a good boy, a few strands of electric HorseGuard tape keep him in his field.

The New Barn In Progress

These photos were taken during the entire building process
Barn specs:
Main barn: 42' x 112'
South-side Lean-to: 16' x 112'
North Side garage: 16' x 56'

Boarding Information

I do on occasion have openings for board for young stock or mares in foal. We have 11 stalls. Stalls are approximately 11' x 14' or 12'6" x 14' and all fully matted. Our foaling barn is equipped with a camera system to monitor mares in privacy.  Board is due by the first day of the month, or we access a late fee of $25.

I have a working relationship with both Country View Veterinary Hospital, and Lodi Veterinary Hospital. Other vet clinics are welcomed.

I have a farrier who regularly comes to the farm. Outside farriers are welcome.  Farrier and necessary vet work is also the horse owners responsibility, but must be kept up to date as long as horse is at our farm.

All horse must be be current on ALL vaccinations (EEE, WEE, Rabies, Tetanus, PHF, WNV, IN Strangles, and Flu/Rhino), dewormings and annual coggins, before coming onto our property and again, must be kept current as long as at our farm.

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Breeding Program -  17 years strong in 2010

I bought the first stud fee to a warmblood stallion in 1993, to breed to my saddlebred dressage mare for a horse for myself. Despite her breeding she was schooling Second and Third levels before her retirement, and could put together a respectable Sec. Level test. I chose the Grand Prix Hanoverian stallion Domingo. Unfortunately, we never saw a foal from ES Domingo, and my mare was deemed as unfit for breeding. She became a super schoolmaster.

We purchased our foundation broodmare, Action Battle, or "April," in July 1994, and our first foal "Daxx" was by Domingo's 3/4 brother, ES Diamant, owned by Glenwood Farms,  out of "April," born in 1995.

photo by Shorthorse Studios
Since then I've raised a small number of exceptional foals.  Some I've kept, some I've sold. I've added some nice broodmares to our 'herd,' some I've raised as foals, and some I've purchased. We imported the premium mare I Must Fly who gave us 3 fantastic foals.  In 1999 our colt Remarkable was named the ISR/Oldenburg Grand Champion Colt - Midwest, and was a premium with 8.5 on type, and our mare La Championita was the Reserve Champion Mare - Midwest.  In 2000 we were honored to have our foal Lizette named ISR/Oldenburgs Champion Filly - Midwest earning a rare '9' on type, our filly Coeur de Championne HF was also a Premium foal, and her mother La Championita HF was Premium with RPSI and was the highest scored premium mare in North America that year.  2001 brought the licensing of my young stallion Remarkable HF with the RPSI and AWR the following year.

In 2000 I began my association with the German registry Rheinland Pfalz-Saar.  Our foals that are registered & branded through this registry receive German registration paperwork (the "passport"). I have hosted 8 RPSI inspections and in 2010 will host our nineth. I've also hosted in years past, KWPN-NA, ISR/OLNA, and Westfalen inspections. Our Westfalen horses also receive German registration and passports. Unlike many of the North American Registries, our horses are entered directly into the German studbooks and and inspected and graded by the same German inspectors. In 2005 I had my first foal registered with the German Oldenburg Verband/Oldenburg Horse Breeders Society (now separate and no longer affiliated with the ISR/Oldenburg NA), also my first foal premium award from the GOV. It is important to note that the German Oldenburg Verband/Oldenburg Horse Breeders Society is the original and official registry of the Oldenburg Horse in Germany and world-wide.

In the fall of 2002 we acquired the farm above, and we now feel we can expand our breeding operation. I have bred or acquired several lovely warmblood broodmares in our program.  Stallions are selected individually for each mare, with important emphasis put on temperament, conformation, and overall athletic ability.

More recently I have begun to include more and more frozen semen breedings into our program. In 1999 I first used frozen semen with the stallions CORIANDER and LINARO. Those breedings were very successful, and I continue to utilize the best Warmblood stallions in the world for our breeding program. More recently, I had foals by Royal Diamond, Stedinger, Royal Dance, Sempatico, Sir Donnerhall, Balou de Rouet and others!

I have helped several small breeders begin their successful breeding programs as well, and I continue to be available for consultations for match making. We are proud of our offspring and hope their new owners will keep in touch with us over the years.  Check our News Page for updates on the horses, or see our Sold Page for horses we've sold.

In my spare time I sit on the Board of Directors for Midwest Breeders Group, which I co-founded; and until recently, Warmblood Breeders North America. I organize and head the Annual Stallion Service Auction for Midwest Breeders Group, which is the largest fund raising effort for that group and also the largest warmblood Stallion Service Auction run in the US, held annually each winter.

Since 2009 I have held a seat on the Board of Directors for the Southwest Chapter of the Wisconsin Dressage and Combined Training Association. as the Alternate State Representative. In 2010 I was nominated and appointed to the State Board of Directors to serve as Member-at-Large and the Website Coordinator. The Wisconsin Dressage and Combined Training Association is a Charter Group member of the United States Dressage Federation.

Consider purchasing one of our well-bred youngsters for your next horse!  The experience of bonding with, and raising your horse, from a young foal to a mature horse, is worth more than words can describe!

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