City Mouse, Country Mouse: My Visit To Dreamwinds Stables

I’m a big city kind of gal, but there’s something inexplicably refreshing and calming about heading to the countryside. And I had the opportunity to do just that last weekend when the owner of Dreamwinds Stables invited me and my photographer to visit her breathtaking farm in West Gwillimbury (about an hour north of downtown Toronto).

I squealed with excitement as we turned on to the long and winding road leading to the 30-acre private equestrian facility. We were welcomed by beautiful rolling hills and Wilson, the energetic farm dog…

From the instant I met Tracey (the owner of Dreamwinds) and saw the way she looked at her horses, I knew there was a whole lotta love on the farm…

Bringing a lifelong dream to fruition – one her father always knew would be realized – Tracey began construction on her farm in 2011. But she didn’t embark on the journey alone: her partner, Dirk Tews, stood beside her from day one. With a group of Mennonites on board to build the barn structure, Dirk took care of all the rest from getting water to the barn to all the fine finishes like the tackroom, feedroom and classroom.

When Tracey began building her farm, her goal was to have it ready by a very special day: 23/7/12 (add these together = 42 – a number from which all meaning of life could be derived, according to Douglas Adams in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy). For Tracey, Dreamwinds is the meaning of life: it’s her purpose and passion. And you see evidence of this in every nook of her property…

I’ve seen some fine horses around the globe (from Hong Kong to Maui) and I have to say that the ones at Dreamwinds are exceptional. They’re calm, friendly and in great physical condition. We had a chance to interact with them all on our visit. First, we met the ladies…

Then we met the gentlemen…

We learned a lot about these stunning beauties on our visit. Here are a few interesting tidbits:

1.  I knew horses wore shoes, but didn’t realize they got new ones every few weeks. How fashionable! I also didn’t know how expensive the shoes are: at $150/pair I think I’m getting some pretty good deals on my kicks!

2.  Horsies need bug spray too!

3.  Horses are herd animals and when one sleeps, the others usually watch over (cute!).

4.  Some horsies sleep inside while others sleep outside.

5.  Horses eat a lot! Tracey’s graze 24/7 on her paddocks, eat from round hay barrels and get plenty of roughage cubes. They also like carrots (Bradford West Gwillimbury hosts the world’s greatest carrot festival) and mints!

6.  Horses like rolling around in the dirt! At first I thought I killed Whisper after our lovely trail ride…then I was told she likes to get dirty (helps keep her cool and keeps the bugs away).

7.  Horses don’t like to be surprised! They’re sensitve animals and are very aware of their surroundings. They can also quickly tell the difference between a non-threatening approach and a nervous energy – which makes them great teachers in the world of experiental learning.

While we learned a lot about these majestic animals during our visit, I found that I (ironically) learned more about myself. Riding through the trails and interacting with the horses really gave me an opportunity to reflect and learn. This is a principle Tracey understands very well. And one that is woven into her Equine-Assisted Learning (EAL) courses (which I’d highly recommend to businesses looking to build stronger leaders and anyone who wants to help inspire youth).

Sigh, our experience at Dreamwinds was so memorable: from grooming the horses and riding the picturesque trails to touring the grounds and having a nice glass of wine (or two) at the end of the day. We can’t wait to go back!