Falling Star Ranch Academy of Foundational Horsemanship
General Delivery V0J1J0 Dunster, BC, Canada

This week Birgit introduced this training horse to wearing a bridle and bit. For a video on introducing a horse to a bridle, check out this video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5dMv-Pu2WIo

Breakfast time at Falling Star Ranch.

Birgit is lunging this 6-year-old quarter horse/draft cross mare with a Vienna rein, which goes from the handler’s hand through the halter ring on the side (or the bit ring if wearing a bridle) to the surcingle, as well as an outside siderein. The siderein is adjusted so it is fairly loose and only kicks in when the mare wants to overbend through her neck.

I am looking for a solid, reliable trail horse for a client of mine (novice horse person). Breed doesn’t really matter, but nothing hot/sensitive/spooky. Should be at least 15 hh. Gelding preferred. Age at least 10 years old, but older ok (just not on the verge of dropping dead the next day). No buck/bolt/rear, as bombproof as they come, been there done that kind of horse that can sit in the pasture for a couple of months and be ok with being ridden down the trail without fuss. Budget up to $5000.

Alberta and Cody are wondering if it's supper time yet.

Birgit and Skidboot are bringing one of the horses in from pasture for his schooling session. The days are getting a bit longer every day, but the shadows are still quite long.

Yesterday was snow day at Falling Star Ranch. We received about 25 cm, more in one night than we received all winter so far.

Please submit your questions directly to the SaddleUp Magazine Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SaddleUpmagazineCanada

Windy, snowy day yesterday. The herd was venturing out into the field a few times, but kept coming back into the pen where it is sheltered. We still have very little snow and lots of ice everywhere. What's the weather like at your place?

Alberta, one of our lesson horses, ready for her schooling session.

Twister, one of the Falling Star Ranch horses, is getting a light lunge session after having a few days off. He is a quarter horse/Arabian cross.

This is how I teach shoulder-in to both riders and horses.

Very sad to read this. Jane Savoie was not only an amazing rider, but also a great teacher who knew how to break things down for every level of rider. I love her books and videos. http://dressage-news.com//jane-savoie-usa-dressage-team-/

This looks like a great exercise for any level of rider!

Miho tacked up for his schooling session. He's sporting a pad that Birgit bought in Switzerland last year. Doesn't it look great on him?

Ride Interrupted: Staying Sane 'Til You're Back in the Saddle By April Clay, M.Ed., Registered Psychologist https://www.horsejournals.com/ride-interrupted-staying-sane

https://fallingstarranch.wordpress.com//simple-lead-chang/

Beautiful day today! Nice to see some sun after all the rain and snow. The horses were sure enjoying it!

Most of our horses are registered, so we know their exact birth dates. The only two who aren't registered are two of our oldest horses, Bandit and Gem. So here's a very happy birthday to Bandit and Gem!

Happy New Year to all our clients, friends, family and neighbours! 2020 was a challenging year for many of us, but we nevertheless have so many things to be grateful for. It has also created new opportunities! Stay tuned for more info soon! All the best for a happy, healthy 2021 from all of us at Falling Star Ranch!

Don’t have access to a regular coach? Don’t have a trailer to haul your horse to a lesson or clinic? Would you like to learn a different approach to horsemanship? Video lessons with Birgit Stutz, Irwin Insights Level 6 Master Certified Trainer and Coach, allow you to improve your skills, position and confidence and find answers to questions on all aspects of horse care and behaviour. For more information visit https://fallingstarranch.ca/video-lessons/.

Some of our horses were pretty interested in what was going on in the barn yesterday.

Catching instead of capturing your horse: https://vimeo.com/454784406 Would you like to learn more about the Irwin Insights methodology? Send us a pm!

I think winter is here to stay. We received another nine centimetres of snow overnight and more is in the forecast. Unfortunately there is also some rain in the forecast for today. Temps are currently above zero. How much snow do you have in your area?

The full moon last night was just incredible! It was so bright out, I didn't even need a headlamp to do night check. This was at 10 p.m. Some of the horses were resting while our farm dog Skidboot was playing with his ball.

Our neighbour put up more lights in our indoor arena today so we can ride in the late afternoons and evenings as well.

Beautiful morning! If you look hard, you can see the horses eating their breakfast!

The Falling Star Ranch main herd enjoying the sunshine.This was a few days ago. Today it's snowing.

Are you looking for a place to ride your horse this winter? Falling Star Ranch in Dunster welcomes haul-ins. $15 per horse per hour. Please contact us for health requirements and/or to book a time. Also limited boarding spots available. Visit https://fallingstarranch.ca/facility-boarding/ for more information.

Miho is watching us closely while we are checking the fences.

The horses hanging out in the field. It's a gloomy Boxing Day.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas Day!

Beautiful Christmas Eve morning in the Robson Valley! Wishing you all a peaceful Christmas during these challenging times!

12 years ago today the two pack horses, Belle and Sundance, were finally freed from their snowy prison and led down from Mount Renshaw to the valley bottom after volunteers spent over a week digging a six-foot deep, one kilometre long trench in deep snow and frigid temperatures.

Gem and Cody, two of our older lesson horses, are eagerly coming in for their extra feed rations.

https://fallingstarranch.wordpress.com//flying-lead-chang/ For the past five years, Lisa and Birgit have been writing monthly articles for Saddle Up magazine on various topics related to Western dressage. For the coming year, Lisa and Birgit are encouraging readers to submit training questions to SaddleUp. Each month Lisa and Birgit will pick a question and write an article based on it.

Quite foggy this morning after last night's blizzard. The wind has thankfully stopped again. We were out checking fence lines right after feeding the horses to make sure no tree had fallen on any fence.

Falling Star Ranch Academy of Foundational Horsemanship in Dunster/McBride, B.C. has a couple of training spots open starting in January. Also taking bookings for spring. Do you have a youngster that needs to be started? A horse that needs a tune-up/conditioning? Or do you have an issue with a horse that you can’t resolve on your own? Birgit Stutz, Irwin Insights Level 6 Master Certified Trainer, offers empathetic, horse friendly training. Specializing in colt starting and p...roblem horses. Also offering tune-ups/refreshers, advanced training (English and Western), conditioning, basic handling for foals, ground work training/preparation for under saddle training. Western and English. Coaching available as well. Fully insured and certified (Irwin Insights Level 6 Master Certified Trainer). Experienced with all types of breeds, from ponies, Arabians, quarter horses, to Warmbloods, thoroughbreds, and drafts. We value the health and well-being of your horse. All training sessions are designed to suit your horse’s current fitness level. 30 days (30 sessions) for $1050 (not including board). Minimum of 60 days for horses to be started under saddle. Horses are generally worked 5 days a week. Board not included in training fee ($350/month). Lots of references available. Contact Birgit for more information or visit www.fallingstarranch.ca #fallingstarranch #dunsterbc #mcbridebc #valemountbc #robsonvalley #britishcolumbia #canada #horsetraining #equinetraining #coltstarting #traininghorse #restartinghorses #horsemanship #nonresistancetraining #naturalhorsemanship #irwininsights #chrisirwin #bethebetterhorse #thehorsealwayscomesfirst #trainingbarn #lessonbarn #horses #horsemanshipacademy #ridingacademy #horsetrainingfacility

Some of the Falling Star Ranch horses pawing for grass. Not much left at this time of year, but it keeps them entertained. They've been on full feed of hay for quite a while now.

Our beautiful farm dog Skidboot has his own 2021 calendar! The calendars are printed on heavy-weight paper and hang as 11x 17, coil-bound at the top. Cost is $30 per calendar and includes shipping within Canada. Please send us a pm if you'd like to order one!

Thank you Juliana for all your help with the horses last week! Always great to have some company while schooling horses. Juliana is a wonderful young dressage rider who grew up in the Robson Valley and has trained with and worked for top riders in Alberta, British Columbia, and Germany as well as competed in Florida. If you are in the Lower Mainland and need some training done with your horse, send her a pm! https://www.facebook.com/annalice.cooper

12 years ago already! Time sure flies!

Here's a great blog on arena maintenance by WHOA Dust. We've been using WHOA Dust in our indoor arena since 2013 and love the product and great customer service! Whoa Dust https://www.whoadust.com/horse-arena-maintenance

Farrier day at Falling Star Ranch. Half of the herd got a pedicure from our long-time farrier Gary Schwartz of Gary Schwartz Farrier Services today. Thank you Gary!

Barn times are the best times.

Our attentive audience today. Bravi and Skidboot got a bit sleepy after a while though. Such awesome arena dogs!

Today we took a day off from working horses and went snowshoeing on one of the multi-use trails on Belle Mountain near McBride, British Columbia. Our farm dog Skidboot had a lot of fun too! We are so fortunate to be living in such a beautiful area. Our local horse club, the Back Country Horsemen of BC Robson Valley Chapter, has developed many of the trails on Belle Mountain.

Miho didn't want to leave the arena after his liberty session. Isn't he a beautiful boy?

The rain thankfully stopped last night, but then the fog moved in. I couldn't even see the horses with the spotlight when doing night check last night due to the thick fog. So I walked around the pens with only my headlamp turned on to check on each individual horse. This morning at chore time it was very dark and foggy. My phone had a difficult time focusing in on the horses.

Cody and Gem, two of our older lesson horses, coming for some extra feed.

I've posted this one before, but I think it's worth posting it again. Maybe even print it off and hang it up in your barn or arena!

Beautiful morning yesterday and again today. However, it's been quite windy for the past few days, and yesterday afternoon we lost power until about 7.30 this morning. Thankfully it isn't very cold out, only a few degrees below zero, so the horse waterers only had a little bit of ice in them.

The weather in November was very mild, around or just below freezing, and so far December doesn't look to be too cold either. It's been great for working horses! Hope winter isn't too harsh where you are!

Yesterday all the horses at Falling Star Ranch got dewormed. Did you know that our local tack store here in Dunster, Kicking Horse Saddlery, carries dewormer at a good price?

Another great visual from Dressage Today.

Beautiful morning. We were out checking fences after chores after a herd of elk ran across our pastures. The horses weren't fazed much by them and kept eating their breakfast.

Some of our horses enjoying pasture turnout in the snow yesterday. They have been on full feed for a while now as there isn't much grass left in the field.

Riding in the wintertime has its challenges. Here are some tips on how to properly cool out a horse during the colder months of the year. https://www.horsejournals.com//how-cool-out-hot-horse-wint

Beautiful, sunny day yesterday. Today it's overcast and windy. Hope everybody has a great Sunday!

Here are a couple of great exercises that we like to use in our training as well. They are also great exercises during the colder winter months as they are done at a walk and can also be done in-hand. https://www.horsejournals.com//what-are-corrective-exercis

Two of our old lesson horses getting some extra feed.

This is an interesting article on sleep deprivation in horses. When my first horse was older and suffered from arthritis, his ability to lie down was decreased over time. Interestingly enough he would still roll, but he wouldn't lie down to sleep very often. Over time he became sleep deprived. https://equusmagazine.com//horse_sleep_deprived_092308-106

Yesterday was spa day at Falling Star Ranch for Cody, one of our lesson horses, as well as one of our boarders. Thank you Emelia Cinnamon! The horses and I appreciate you very much!

I always spend a part of each training and schooling session at the walk, and even more so during the winter or when it's very hot out. There's a lot of value to a good walk workout. Here are some great workouts at the walk from Jec A. Ballou. https://www.horsejournals.com//engl/dressage/workouts-walk

This was on the same day, a couple of hours apart. The weather sure changes a lot around here, and quickly too!

All our lesson horses are ridden by Birgit on a regular basis. Here Birgit is doing a schooling session with Gem. Gem is a 23-year-old thoroughbred/warmblood mare who has been living at Falling Star Ranch for almost 10 years. Interested in lessons with Birgit? We have some openings this winter. Send us a pm for more info.

Wondering what working equitation is all about? Here's a great collage of WE obstacles (some from Ease Of Handling and some from Speed trials). https://youtu.be/rchle0zq5Ec

Pretty warm today, but the wind is cold. Might get some snow blowing in.

Pretty nice day today. We even got some sunshine! What's the weather like in your neck of the woods?

https://fallingstarranch.wordpress.com//developing-the-co/

Morning feeding at the ranch. The grass in the pastures is running low, so we are supplementing with hay. Our farm dog Skidboot is supervising.