Willow & Withers Stables

Willow & Withers Stables A boarding barn located in Sheffield Mills, Nova Scotia.

Beautiful, well-cared-for facilities include a small indoor arena, large outdoor arena, endless nearby trails — and home to Will-oh!, Nova Scotia’s first Riding Simulator.

✨ Coming Soon: A New Kind of Dressage Clinic ✨What if you could improve your riding before you even got on your horse?We...
06/18/2026

✨ Coming Soon: A New Kind of Dressage Clinic ✨

What if you could improve your riding before you even got on your horse?

We're exploring an exciting new half-day clinic concept at Willow & Withers that combines the power of the Racewood Dressage Simulator with mounted coaching and dressage instruction—all designed to help riders bridge the gap between understanding and application.

Here's the idea:
🐴 Begin on Will-oh! with EC Coach and SIM instructor Julia Young
👀 Learn alongside a small group and observe each other's sessions
🏇 Transfer those insights directly to your horse during a mounted warm-up with Julia
⭐ Finish with a lesson in our outdoor arena with FEI dressage rider and coach Ariel Boesener

Ariel's Connection-Based Training approach emphasizes building confidence, communication, and strong mental and physical foundations for both horse and rider. Combined with the immediate feedback of the SIM, we're excited by the possibilities of helping riders not only understand what to change—but actually feel it and apply it in the saddle.

We're envisioning a very limited enrollment pilot clinic in late July, with either a morning or afternoon session.

Before we finalize the details, we'd love to hear from you:
❓ Would this be something you'd enjoy?
❓ Weekday or weekend?
❓ Morning or afternoon?

Drop a comment below or send us a message if you'd like to be among the first to hear when registration opens.

Learn it. Feel it. Ride it.

🎧 What are you listening to these days?I realized recently that I had been stuck in the same rotation of a few favourite...
06/17/2026

🎧 What are you listening to these days?

I realized recently that I had been stuck in the same rotation of a few favourite podcasts and was craving something fresh. So I recently tuned into the Good Life Project podcast with Jonathan Fields—and I'm wondering why it took me so long.

One episode in particular really resonated with me. The conversation explored how our modern, technology-saturated lives are affecting the brain chemicals that govern how we feel, connect, focus, and recover from stress. It was a timely reminder that while technology can be amazing (and as a marketer and tech enthusiast, I genuinely love it), balance matters too.

The podcast highlighted the importance of activities that fill our "vitality bucket"—those experiences that support both physical and mental well-being. Research increasingly shows that our physical and emotional health are deeply connected.

As I listened, I couldn't help but think about horses.
I've always known that I feel better after spending time at the barn.

Calmer. More grounded. More present.

This podcast helped me understand why.

Time with horses naturally encourages many of the things our brains and bodies need more of: movement, time outdoors, focused attention, connection, and a break from screens. It turns out there may be some real science behind that feeling horse people know so well.

This is what fills my vitality bucket: horses, fresh air, movement, and a little distance from screens.

So now I'm curious:
👉 What podcasts are you listening to these days?
👉 Any favourites I should add to my queue?



Photo Credit to Melanie Sewing Rodabaugh who captured this shot without me even knowing... a true sign I was present with Maisie as we cooled out after our ride, we are even matching our strides.

Do you have a horse-crazy kid counting down the days until riding camp? 🐴☀️A session on Will-oh!, our Racewood Horse Sim...
06/15/2026

Do you have a horse-crazy kid counting down the days until riding camp? 🐴☀️
A session on Will-oh!, our Racewood Horse Simulator, can be a great way to help young riders build confidence before camp begins.

They can:
✨ Get comfortable with horse movement
✨ Learn basic riding skills
✨ Practice balance and position
✨ Build confidence in a safe, controlled environment

Whether your young rider is brand new to horses or looking to get the most out of their summer riding experience, a simulator session can help them arrive at camp feeling prepared and excited.

Because confident riders have more fun.
📍 Willow & Withers Stables
🐴 No horse experience required
Send us a message to learn more! or learn more here https://hubs.ly/Q04kXdpd0

I was excited to come across this recent article featuring RooElla, the Racewood Dressage Simulator owned by Dell Cruick...
06/14/2026

I was excited to come across this recent article featuring RooElla, the Racewood Dressage Simulator owned by Dell Cruickshank Susan Cruickshank of Oakwood, Ontario. RooElla has been helping riders develop feel, position, and understanding in a way that beautifully complements traditional riding.

I had the pleasure of working with Susan last year and was inspired by her thoughtful approach and passion for helping riders become the best they can be for their horses. She has been a true pioneer in bringing simulator-based training to Canada, and it's wonderful to see her work highlighted in Horse Journals.

Since welcoming Will-oh! to Willow & Withers, I've seen firsthand how simulators can help riders build awareness, improve biomechanics, and practice skills in a horse-friendly way. They don't replace horses—they help us become better partners for them.

Congratulations, Susan, on this well-deserved recognition, and thank you for continuing to advance rider education in Canada.

The future of equestrian training is exciting—and it's wonderful to see more conversations happening around the role simulators can play in supporting both horse and rider.
Take a look at the article below! https://hubs.ly/Q04ll-4x0

📣 New Offering: Training Rides on Will-oh!You've completed your assessment.You've had a coached session.Now it's time to...
06/14/2026

📣 New Offering: Training Rides on Will-oh!

You've completed your assessment.

You've had a coached session.

Now it's time to practice.

Training Rides are self-guided simulator sessions designed for riders who have completed an assessment and at least one coached ride on Will-oh!.
Use your ride time to:
🐴 Reinforce what you've learned
🐴 Build muscle memory
🐴 Improve consistency
🐴 Gain confidence
🐴 Practice between coaching sessions

Just like your horse benefits from schooling between lessons, riders benefit from practice too.

Training Rides are available by appointment and are reserved for riders who have already been introduced to Will-oh! through an assessment and coached session.
Because progress doesn't happen in a single lesson—it happens through practice.

📍 Willow & Withers Stables
🐴 Will-oh! Horse Simulator
Send us a message to book your Training Ride. Or learn more here https://hubs.ly/Q04kMd0D0

Sending your horse to training this summer? 🐴Imagine how much stronger your partnership could be if you worked on your r...
06/13/2026

Sending your horse to training this summer? 🐴

Imagine how much stronger your partnership could be if you worked on your riding while your horse worked on theirs.

While your horse is learning balance, responsiveness, and new skills, you can be developing your position, timing, feel, and effectiveness as a rider.

Will-oh!, our Racewood Horse Simulator, offers a unique opportunity to focus entirely on you—without worrying about your horse's fitness, behaviour, or training level.

Because the best results happen when both ends of the partnership are learning together.
📍 Willow & Withers Stables
🐴 No horse required.
✨ Just a willingness to learn.

Send us a message to learn more or visit https://hubs.ly/Q04kVXjt0

There is still time to sign up for this session tomorrow, I will be there ready to learn and draw.
06/12/2026

There is still time to sign up for this session tomorrow, I will be there ready to learn and draw.

"What exactly is a horse simulator?"We get that question all the time.Will-oh! is a Racewood Dressage Simulator designed...
06/12/2026

"What exactly is a horse simulator?"

We get that question all the time.

Will-oh! is a Racewood Dressage Simulator designed to help riders improve balance, position, timing, feel, and effectiveness in the saddle.

She walks, trots, and canters.

She provides real-time rider feedback.

She can perform advanced dressage movements.

She never tires.

Never spooks.

Never has an off day.

And yes... she feels surprisingly like the real thing.

But Will-oh! isn't meant to replace horses.

She's a training tool that helps riders understand what they're doing, develop confidence, and build skills they can take back to their own horse.
Whether you're a beginner, a returning rider, a competitive dressage rider, or simply curious, Will-oh! offers a unique riding experience unlike anything else in Atlantic Canada.

Have questions about the simulator? Ask away in the comments—we love talking about Will-oh! 🐴 Or learn more here https://hubs.ly/Q04kXwtN0

Most riders don't need more information.They already know they should sit taller.Keep their hands steadier.Improve their...
06/11/2026

Most riders don't need more information.

They already know they should sit taller.

Keep their hands steadier.

Improve their balance.

Engage their core.

Ride with more feel.

The challenge isn't knowing.

The challenge is changing.

That's why we created the Ride in Balance: Will-oh! Rider Transformation Journey.
Over three months, you'll work with coach Laura Kelland May and Will-oh! to build awareness, practice new skills, and create lasting change in your riding.

This isn't a one-day clinic where you leave inspired and then try to remember what you learned.
It's a structured journey that includes:
🐴 Individual coaching sessions
🐴 Guided practice rides
🐴 Reflection and goal setting
🐴 Support from a small cohort of fellow riders

Because meaningful improvement happens through consistent practice, not one perfect lesson.
If you've ever felt stuck, plateaued, or unsure how to take your riding to the next level, this program was designed for you.

📍 Willow & Withers Stables
📅 Limited enrollment
Learn more: https://hubs.ly/Q04kL5lK0

Address

1575 MIDDLE DYKE Road
Digby, NS
B0P1J0

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