Willow & Withers Stables

🐴 Welllll… we found a little more room! 👀

After selling out in a wild FOUR HOURS, working our way through the waitlist, a few scratches and a little creative horse-show Tetris… we’ve managed to free up space for a few more horses & riders for September! 🎉

So if you missed the original entry stampede, changed your mind, found another test you want to ride, or just decided you want to come play dressage with us — here’s your chance! 🐴

We’ve got a little wiggle room on both days and would love to squeeze in a few more familiar (or new!) faces before we officially close the books.

Entries are open on Compete Easy — come snag a spot! 💕

Two spots just opened up for Equestrian Physiotherapy on Will-oh! 🐴

On Friday, September 11th, Jessica Bergevin, PT, Registered Physiotherapist with Remedia Health Clinic , will be back in the Will-oh! studio — and we have two appointments available.

These sessions bring together Jessica’s physiotherapy expertise with the unique feedback we can get from Will-oh!.

It’s an opportunity to look at you, the rider — your mobility, symmetry, balance and movement — and then explore how those things may be showing up in the saddle.

What I especially love about these sessions is that we don’t have to guess.

Will-oh! can give us objective feedback on things like seat balance and rein contact, while Jessica can bring the physiotherapist’s eye to what may be contributing to what we’re seeing.

It can be particularly interesting if you’ve ever wondered:
Why do I always feel stronger on one side?
Why does one direction feel easier than the other?
Is something in my own body affecting my position?
What happens to my riding if we make a small change?

And you certainly don’t need to have an injury or a “problem” to benefit. Sometimes the most useful discovery is simply understanding your body — and your riding — a little better.
Friday, September 11th
Two spots available

Book Directly with Remedia https://hubs.ly/Q04vHp170

New around here? Meet Will-oh! 👋🐴

We've welcomed quite a few new faces here since CTV Atlantic came to visit us last December — and if you've been wondering exactly what we mean when we talk about riding a horse simulator, this little story is a great introduction.

Will-oh! lets riders work on things that can be surprisingly difficult to isolate on a live horse — balance, position, rein pressure, leg aids, asymmetries and even confidence — with immediate feedback and without asking a horse to patiently wait while we figure ourselves out.

A lot has happened since CTV filmed this. We've now had riders from different disciplines and experience levels through the studio, and we're discovering more and more ways to use Will-oh! as part of rider development.

If you've been following along and thinking, "Okay... but what is this thing actually like?" — start here. 😊 https://www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/nova-scotia/article/nova-scotias-first-horse-simulator-is-getting-a-lot-of-miles/

🎥 Watch CTV Atlantic's visit to Willow & Withers:

Nova Scotia’s first horse simulator is getting a lot of miles The province’s first horse simulator, “Will-oh!” arrived at Willow and Withers stables around 10 days ago and the owner says she’s been busy.

A quieter seat. A softer hand. A more balanced position. A cue that suddenly takes a little less effort.

Sometimes the smallest changes are the ones that change the ride. ❤️

What can a horse simulator actually tell you about your riding?

Quite a lot, as it turns out.

When you ride Will-oh!, we can look at things that can be surprisingly difficult to feel from the saddle — how your weight is distributed, whether you're sitting more to one side, what your hands are doing, how you're using your legs, and what changes as you move through the different gaits.

But the numbers aren't really the point.

The useful part is being able to see something, experiment with it, and immediately feel what changes.

I’ve written a new post about what Will-oh! can show us about a rider — and, more importantly, how we use that information to help riders.
Curious what Will-oh! might show you?

Read the blog 👇 https://hubs.ly/Q04t7vfy0

Will-oh! isn't just for dressage riders. Not even close. 😉

Western? Absolutely.

Hunter or jumper? Bring your saddle and let's work on your two-point, lower-leg stability and balance.

Dressage? Of course.

One of the things we love about Will-oh! is that the fundamentals we're able to explore — balance, position, symmetry and clear aids — aren't specific to any one discipline.

And yes, you can bring your own saddle.

Your saddle affects where you sit, how your leg falls and how you use your body. Riding Will-oh! in your own tack gives you the chance to explore those things while he maintains a completely consistent rhythm underneath you.
For hunter and jumper riders, that might mean working on your two-point or forward position without having to think about maintaining your horse's pace at the same time.

For Western riders, we can explore your balance, seat and aids in the tack you're accustomed to riding in.

And sometimes it's simply interesting to see what changes — and what doesn't — when you change the saddle.

Don't have your own saddle with you? No problem. We have saddle options here too.

Because better balance, a more stable position and clearer aids aren't dressage skills.

They're riding skills. 🐴

Curious about what you could work on with Will-oh!? Learn more at https://hubs.ly/Q04t7gXb0

You don't need to have a riding “problem” to ride Will-oh!.

In fact, sometimes the most interesting sessions start with:
“I'm not really sure what I want to work on.”

That's completely fine.

We can start by simply watching you ride.

Will-oh! gives us information about things that can be difficult to see — or feel — when you're riding your own horse: how you're distributing your weight, what your reins are doing, how quietly your legs are working and what changes between walk, trot and canter.

Sometimes it confirms something you already suspected.

Sometimes it shows us something completely different.

And sometimes the most useful discovery is that something you thought was a problem really isn't that significant at all.

That's one of my favourite things about having an objective set of eyes — and sensors — in the room.

We don't go looking for faults.

We go looking for information.

Things Will-oh! will never do…

Spook at the corner.
Speed up because another horse passed her.
Decide that that particular puddle is definitely going to kill her. Forget how steering works halfway through a ride. Have strong opinions about the scary end of the arena.

She is, however, absolutely terrible at trailer loading. 😂

Thankfully, she doesn't need to go anywhere.

And that's part of what makes Will-oh! such an interesting horse to ride.
Her pace stays consistent. She doesn't anticipate. She doesn't react to what's happening around her. So for a little while, you can take the horse out of the equation and concentrate entirely on you.

Your balance. Your position. Your aids. Your reactions.

Your real horse can bring the personality.

Will-oh! brings the consistency.

(And remains firmly committed to never getting on a trailer.) 😂

One of the things we hear most often after someone rides Will-oh!?

“That wasn't what I expected.”

And usually, that's a good thing. 😊

Riding a horse simulator isn't really about pretending you're out riding a horse.

What makes Will-oh! interesting is that he takes away a lot of the variables.
The pace stays consistent. He doesn't spook. He doesn't anticipate. He doesn't decide that today is the day we're going to have an argument about the corner. 😂

That leaves you free to pay attention to you.
Are you sitting more heavily to one side?
Is one rein doing more work than the other?
What happens to your position in the transition?
Can you change something — and immediately feel the difference?
It's a little like having a really good lunge-line lesson, where someone else takes care of the horse so you can concentrate completely on your own riding.

And that's where Will-oh! gets pretty interesting.

You don't have to be a dressage rider. You don't have to be an advanced rider. And you definitely don't have to arrive already knowing what you need to work on.

That's what we're here to help you discover.
📍 Willow & Withers Stables | Sheffield Mills, Nova Scotia