SPRINGBANK, Alta. — Kestrel Ridge Farm is a private equestrian centre with Olympic sized dreams.
Owned by Julia and Tony Vysniauskas since 2000, the facility is devoted to promoting dressage in Alberta.
The farm is located on a quarter section west of Calgary in the Springbank district where riders of all ages come for training and to participate in horse shows and clinics. There is also a boarding facility.
Their daughter and head trainer is Jewels Vysniauskas, a world class equestrian. She is working with a European import she hopes to take to the 2016 Olympics to compete in dressage, which is based on rhythm and movement like a dance for horse and rider.
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She has competed at the national and international level including the world equestrian games. She holds dual citizenship, and decided in 2005 to represent Lithuania in international competition. A shoulder injury and subsequent recovery encouraged her to bring her horses back home to the site.
“People started to come in for training with Jewels,” said her mother.
Owning an equestrian centre was Julia’s dream. As mother and daughter travelled the world, they saw stables and facilities of every type.
“The things I learned to build this facility were from things I saw when I travelled with my daughter. I saw things that should not be done,” she told a tour group in July.
The facility was a former racehorse operation, and when it came up for sale, the family decided to pursue the dream and build a place centred around the health and safety of horses.
“We don’t push horses here. We want the horses to work with us,” she said.
Everything was designed to pamper the horses they own and board.
“They are spoiled little kids here.”
Among the first jobs was to expand the riding arena to a grand prix sized ring.
The enclosed arena has sand flooring with special buried perforated tubing to control dust and provide comfortable footing for the horses. There is also a large outdoor arena used for large shows and events. Up to 100 horses have competed at their dressage events.
They also run a riding academy mostly attended by local people. Students learn not only how to ride in various disciplines but how to take care of horses and the barns.
The stable floors are made of a special aggregate with in-floor heating to prevent ice from forming and keep horses from slipping.
Large new stalls measuring 3.6 metres square were built with durable hard wood that deters the horses from chewing.
Wood shavings from a local sawmill are used for bedding.
The entire front of each stall is an open grille so horses can see out, and in every other stall, vents were installed to maintain good ventilation.
All electrical wiring is above the horses’ heads.
“There is nothing built on the ground because horses seem to find everything,” she said.
Automatic water bowls are in one corner and special feeders that flip out from the door are used.
The horses are fed four times a day with a final meal at about 4 p.m. and the last night check at 9:30 p.m.
“I don’t use sweet feed. Sweet feed carries way too much molasses. There is a lot of problem with diabetes in horses now that has been attributed to the feed with too much sweetener in them,” she said.
Large paddocks are available and are irrigated so the horses can have grass until the end of October.
“That is the best way to keep a horse healthy is to be grazing naturally,” she said.
All horses are vaccinated and dewormed on a schedule.
The original farm was established by Red Dutton, a former professional hockey player and coach who took up breeding thoroughbreds in the 1950s.
He eventually operated a construction company that built Chinook Centre Mall and McMahon Stadium in Calgary.
He served as president of the Calgary Stampeders football club and was also a president of the Calgary Stampede and Exhibition.
