Classical Dressage Art in Motion

This winter has been particularly severe across parts of the U.S. and from our corner of the world in Upstate New York, we can certainly attest to that. Ever since mid-November the snow has covered the fields most days. A few brief breaks from snow cover didn't last long. Additionally the ambient temperatures even without the wind chill factor have been well-below freezing.  Despite horse owners best efforts to stock up for winter with hay and dry forage supplies, many barn owners can already see their supplies diminishing at a faster rate than normal. Horses need hay to keep warm, and grain substitution is simply not a good idea as it increases the risk of colic and does little to help equines stay warm. Though too much grain can make them hot to handle. At Willowview Hill Farm, our organic hay farm in Stamford, New York, we currently have plenty of hay supplies available for sale. In fact, to help horse owners out we've discounted our precious 2nd cut, which will also help u...

  I think by now most of us have heard of Round-Up, and its detrimental nature to human and animal health. It's proper name, often disguised in other producsts, is Glyphosate. It is applied in a variety of forms including isopropylamine salt, ammonium salt, diammonium salt, dimethylammonium salt, and potassium salt. Guidelines for use are often not followed, either in time frame or quantity, due to the resistance in plants/weeds that has increased since its over-abundance of use, and the desire that is quite understandable in farmers to get their hay dried off as fast as possible. It's extremely worrying that states such as North Dakota and Georgia are amending laws to provide a shield for pharmaceutical manufacturers who produce this stuff and all their other concoctions, that protects them from lawsuits by those harmed by the herbicides and pesticides they manufacture. Find more on that topic on Facebook reel here.  This means ever more products will hit our food cha...

Fields of 2nd cut horse hay at Willowview Hill Farm, Stamford, NY     We have been producing organically grown hay for over 22 years, and 2021 has been by far our busiest ever. The hay has been flying out the door like never before. The expression, 'buy now or cry later' has become a regular post on our social media platform. There is simply an unprecedented demand for 1st cut this year, and like many farmers around, the yield this year was not the best. Our fellow farmers in CT and MA, saw a poor 1st cut due to the damage done to the grasses by last year's drought conditions. Meantime further north, NH, VT and ME saw drought conditions this Spring so yields were down there as well.  On our home turf here in the Catskill Mountains in NY, we check multiple weather forecast daily during hay season to hunt down those blocks of 3 good days of sunshine, that will be sufficient to cure our hay to our required 12-14% moisture by Mother Nature. It can be cured faster using applic...