Brian Huis joined us late in 2006. Brian grew up on a farm just outside of Newbury and is educated in Forest Recreation and Environmental Studies. He is currently based in London as a Parks Planning Specialist for the Southwest Zone of Ontario Parks, his employer for more than 25 years now.
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Click here for more wedding pictures
Click here for pictures from Brian and Barb's "Colt & Filly" in July 2007
Silky Talk is a registered Quarter Horse gelding born in 1984. I bought Silk in January 1990. We enjoyed a very successful career training and showing up to medium levels (third level) in dressage. Silk was fully retired in 2001. A neurectomy was performed after Silk showed sudden and severe lameness behind. X-rays revealed disintegration of either a bone or ligament in the navicular area in his left hind foot. Silk is now living pain free and very happily in the field, babysitting the young guys.
Fugue in D (aka Spider) was born April 29, 2003. I purchased his mom, Toccata, as a yearling. She was born in 1994 out of the Dutch Warmblood stallion Formaat and the Thoroughbred mare Ward Talk whose pedigree includes such notables as Man O'War, Princequillo and Nearco. Toccata is a registered Canadian Warmblood and has also been approved by the Canadian Sport Horse Association for inclusion in their mare book. I started Toccata under saddle in the summer 1998, just after her 4th birthday. She was bred for the first time in 2002 to the Gold Premium Canadian Sport Horse approved Thoroughbred stallion A Fine Romance. Spider was the result. Toccata was purchased by Tracy Synnott of Palgrave in August 2003. You can see more of Toccata by clicking here. You can see more of Fugue in D by clicking here.
Silky Talk, Toccata and Fugue in D
Colourful Heritage joined us in April 2004. "Clark" is a 3 year old (2001) registered thoroughbred gelding. I am looking forward to schooling Clark ... hacking and showing in dressage.
I love my boys!
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| Nina named after Egon von Neindorff's dog came to live with me in the fall of 1999 |
Luke adopted us in November 2002 |
Earl joined us in the spring of 2006 |
Bulldog showed up during the summer of 2007 complete with a purple collar AND bell! |
Razor and Emma
born September 25, 2007, joined our family in December 2007
"the logical, natural, and sequential exercising of the horse to improve his natural physical and mental activities" -- Charles de Kunffy (c. 1984)
"the fundamental obedience training .... for the rider!" --Erik F. Herbermann (c. 1980)
I have been involved with horses all of my life but my equine related education really began when Silk came into my life in 1989. Silk made me aware of the need for a simpler, more compassionate, more consistent and more thoughtful approach to my relationship with horses. My formal equestrian training, therefore, really commenced in 1991, when I discovered Chris Todd, BHSI, at Kilbyrne Farm. I spent 2 years studying classical dressage and stable management under Chris. Even though I had been sitting on horses for years, my first 6 weeks with Mr. Todd were spent at the end of a lunge getting my seat reasonably under control, somewhat elegant and basically effective. That process never ends, so I have discovered. The remainder of my time at Kilbyrne was spent with my time divided between reschooling my own horse, Silk, and lessons on school horses varying in experience from basic level to Grand Prix.
Kilbyrne Farm also hosted many shows (much to the chagrin of its' very classical Head Trainer) including at FEI level so I was lucky enough to supplement my education by scribing for many judges at all levels of experience, from introductory all the way up to FEI levels, and at events ranging from schooling level shows to World Cup and Olympic selection trials.
I also enjoy learning from and working with Paul Belasik and Charles de Kunffy whenever I can, and with Walter Zettl and John Lassetter.
In 1998 I took over as the National dressage Show Organizer at Eastwood in London. To learn more about the shows at Eastwood you can visit the Eastwood Web site.
"Does the musician work the violin? Of course not! We too should always endeavour to play the horse, then it will work for us." -- Erik F. Herbermann (c. 1980)
In the fall of 1999 I visited Europe for the first time including the The Spanish Riding School in Vienna, the Lipizzaner stud in Piber, Austria, I was also fortunate to be able to spend a couple of days riding at Reitinstitut E. von Neindorff in Karlsruhe, Germany and, finally, with John Lassetter in England. I went to France in September 2000 and spent a week riding with Michel and Catherine Henriquet. I am so excited about what the Henriquets have to teach me that I returned to university part-time to study French. I spent another week with the Henriquets in September 2001. Click any of the previous underlined parts to jump to detailed pages about those places.
"Nature can inspire the horse to perform most of the required movements within days of being born. You do not have to teach him to do anything he cannot do naturally. The rider's job is to learn how to direct his energies and to give him the freedom he needs to express himself as nature intended." -- Michael J. Stevens (c. 1994)
"If the horse has a high opinion of the rider, he will let himself be guided, if not, he will resist." Oliveira (c.1990)
Silk at canter
"What the horse does under compulsion is done without understanding; and there is no beauty in it, any more than if one should whip and spur a dancer." -- Xenophon (c.~400 BC)
"Study the past. The past is prologue." -- Plato
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My trip to Europe in the fall of 1999 .... the Spanish Riding School in Vienna .... the Lipizzaner stud farm in Piber, Austria .... riding at Reitinstitut E. von Neindorff in Karlsruhe, Germany .... riding with John Lassetter at Goodwood in the south of England |
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A week with Michel and Catherine Henriquet in France
(September 2000) Another week with Michel and Catherine Henriquet in France (September 2001) |
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| Toccata's page Fugue in D's page  |
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go to Dodington & Dodington Pipe Organ Services Inc. home page |
| copyright (images and text) Barbara Dodington-Huis 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 |
last revision January 28, 2008 by Barb Dodington-Huis |