Dream Hayven Farm, LLC Fe l l Ponies

Volume 1 , Issue 2

CH A N GE IS GO O D

December, 2008

From the Editor:

• Our second newsletter– grown to an amazing size! I hope you enjoy reading it, and your comments are welcome.

• Do you know anyone else who may enjoy reading our newsletter? Email us at: info@dreamhayven.com to sign up for the newslet-ter.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Bit of Wales 2

A Dedication 2

Rare Breeds Festivale 3

Upcoming Events 3

Showing True Brit 4-5

IL Horse Fest 6

Two New Fillies 7

Sales List 7

FARM N’FELL NEWS

D R E A M H A Y V E N ’ S O W N R E S I D E N T F A R R I E R

Others thought we were crazy. I thought we were crazy! Be-cause for the entire month of July, George left the farm to complete an intensive course of instruction in hopes of passing his farrier certifica-tion. So, I ran the farm (barely), and George studied

harder than he has since high school. In the end, it was all worth it, as he is now an offi-cially certified BWFA farrier (Brotherhood of Working Farri-ers). I’m sure with 14 ani-mals here on our own farm, George is sure to never run out of work!

• All information and pictures within the Farm N’ Fell including the title are copy-righted Dream Hayven Farm, LLC as of date of publication.

As I look back at this year, I sometimes wonder at how fast things can change. I have been waiting for a quiet moment to get this next newsletter published and out, and after my trip to Maryland, I realized if I keep waiting for that moment nothing will ever get done! Sometimes I joke that we could have named the farm “Change Hayven”! Yet in truth, dreams are not real-ized without some sort of change, so once again Dream Hayven is completely appropriate. We had a lot of change at the farm this past six months: Bodini finally came home to our farm in June; we finished installing five stalls in our new barn and completed construction on Bodini’s very own “luxury stall”, 16x12 with a NASA memory foam mattress (we do like to spoil him!). We also sold a few ponies, and added two stellar fillies to Bo’s future breeding herd, just having brought them home last week after import. We also increased our number of rescue cats by about double (10 total now!), and rescued two adorable puppies at the end of October. The website is also under change as we speak, as it was in line for a complete re-haul and the more I work on it, the more I see for improvement. Do we dare talk about the changing econ-omy? The shockwaves from this financial mess will ripple out for years after, and those of us involved in agri-culture are ready and preparing for the worst. But even in the midst of all this, I know I have found the one thing that provides solace, peace and a sense of being home– the Fell Pony! Melissa with Littletree Patience (L), a yearling filly, and Littletree

Babysham, (R) two year old filly, at Rigbie Farm in Maryland.

We attended a small show in northern WI this May, called the Bit of Wales show, spon-sored by the Welsh of Wiscon-sin group. They have for sev-eral years made an effort to include M&M (Mountain & Moorland) classes in their line-up, which is a real privilege for us as the next closest show this year was Kentucky. So 2008 we were finally able to attend, and we brought three ponies. Although it is a 4 1/2 hour drive, the ponies rode very well and the drive is an easy one. Set-up at this location is also easy, made more so by the friendly staff and fellow competitors. We were able to overnight right by our stalls, and had no worries as we set-tled in for the night. The two classes we were en-tered in were the M&M In-Hand and the M&M Ridden class. We were well prepared. Our exchange student at the time, Ina, rode Dickens and showed Hiske in-hand.

George and Aurora made their debut together showing in her first in-hand class. I broke my toe the night before and had to skip out on the fun stuff. RESULTS: CH Ridden– Dickens CH In-Hand– Hiske Res CH In-Hand– Aurora

from the transporter. She was there that very morning when our first foal was born. I can only believe she is still watching and wishing us the best. We think of you often mom, and without you there from the very beginning Dream Hayven might have never become what it is to-day.

A sincere thank you to all who gave to the American Cancer Society in my mother’s memory.

Some of you knew my mom, Jeri Norum, was battling cancer since early 2007. Unfortunately, the battle came to an end for her last May. This is the first time in my life I don’t have the support and friendship of my mom, and the void is felt the most when I think of how ex-cited she always was about the ponies, and the new foals, and the shows– everything that goes along with running a breeding farm. My mom was there with me on our first trip to England, and was in the truck when I picked up my first Fell Pony ever

Page 2

OUR CH A MPI O NS - B I T O F W ALE S SHOW

Volume 1 , Issue 2

My mom in England, 2006, meeting the stallion Dalehead Glen (the sire of our own DreamHayven Alida Mac)

A D E D I C A T I O N

CLOCKWISE: Hiske v.h. Westerkwartier & Ina, Florence (Dickens ) & Ina, DreamHayven Aurora & George

Farm N’Fel l News

We came, we saw, we showed. We did pretty well! It was a long-anticipated trip to the Kentucky Horse Park in the beginning of Septem-ber, for a gathering which had been in the works for years. Last held in 2003, this time around saw many more ponies and participants. We left the night before, in order to drive thru Chicago with the least amount of traffic, and to keep the temperatures cool for the ponies. We were loaded up heavy with four ponies (Littletree Bodini, DreamHayven Aurora, Moespot Hazel, and Florence aka Dickens, in addition to shavings, hay, saddles, 5 different bridles, you know the drill! Upon arriving at the park, I quickly headed over to pick up our golf cart (much needed on-park transportation!), and we got to setting up our stall area and decorations. Next stop was the on-site campground, as George drove the trailer over and made sure we had a place to sleep for the night. The ponies settled in quite well off the trailer, and we kept their water consumption high with electrolytes. We had quite a schedule as every pony was in different classes, meaning we were in almost every Fell Pony class possible! Our German exchange student Louisa, (here only 2 weeks!), rode both Dickens and Hazel. George presented all the ponies in-hand. Finally, I presented Bo in his ridden classes and during the Fell Pony breed demonstration. Even Greta got a chance to show as their was a lead-line class. Our very own little DreamHayven Aurora won the 2 Year Old Open Pony Class, which was very exciting. Hazel won the Open Walk-Trot Pony Mares Class, took 2nd in the Fell Pony Mares In-Hand, and placed in her first ever dressage class. Bodini, through an unfortunate turn of events out of our control (cancelled classes, no announcing, etc.) was not shown in his ridden qualifier, but was eligible for Reserve Cham-pion Ridden Fell, which he won. And our own dear Dickens, who had more classes than any of our ponies, was able to win a very important award overall– The Most Versatile Fell Pony!

If you are ever in the area and can make it to one of our events, please stop by and say hello!

We are trying to schedule our events and competitions for next year. So far we are signed on for: a local expo in Kewaskum, WI in February; the Bit of Wales show in May (northern WI); the Dressage Pony Cup in Ohio (end of June); and the Illinois Horse Fest in Belvidere (end of Au-gust) . There are many more in our tentative schedule, still waiting for details.

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RAR E BRE ED S FE S TIVAL E K E N T U C K Y H O R S E P A R K

H A P P E N I N G S & E V E N T S

FROM L to R: Dickens canter-ing in his Fences Class with

Louisa; Bodini & Melissa dur-ing a special photo shoot with

Allison Wolff; , Hazel & Louisa before winning the Walk/Trot Class; some of the ribbons the

crew won during the show.

Showing True Brit– My Trip to England Those of you who are also members of the FPSNA will see a con-densed version of this story in the next newsletter. But there were many more details of my trip that I would like to share!

First off, it really was a dream come true to be attending the Fell Pony Breed Show. And as a Fell pony breeder, it was very important from an educational standpoint. So many ponies to learn from ! Not to mention, through the generosity of my friends the Woolleys, I was able to spend more time at their own stud, the birthplace of our dear stallion Littletree Bodini.

As I settled in to my seat on the plane, I once again imagined the idyllic scenery, the frolicking sheep roaming the hillsides, and the green coolness that must be Cumbria in August. Not to mention the fat ponies, followed by darling stout foals, which I planned on spending hours just observing.

Upon landing in Manchester, I was greeted by sunny weather and the charming Jane Woolley, as I was whisked away from the city into the enticing countryside Cumbria is known for. Before long we arrived at Littletree, and after meeting the rest of the crew, I settled in to my ac-commodations and felt thoroughly excited about the rest of my stay.

As the new morning dawned, I was dismayed to be met by bleak skies. These skies quickly turned to rain, and the rain never stopped! Every glimpse of sun through the clouds meant more rain to come. It rained in the morning, and during dinner, and pretty much any time we went to out to visit the ponies. And unfortunately , it rained so much that the Fell Show at Lowther, scheduled for the day before the Fell Pony Breed Show, was cancelled.

But this is England, after all, and after flying all that distance I was going to make the best of it. I was pleased to make the rounds among the herds of ponies, guided primarily by Nick himself, meeting many of the ponies whose names I was already familiar with, especially

those ponies who happen to have Bodini as their sire! I was especially excited to get a look at two special fillies, whom I had been investigating on paper and was not disappointed as I viewed them in person, namely Littletree Babysham, and Littletree Patience. These two were exactly the quality I was looking for to continue to expand Bo’s herd of future brood-mares. I was offered the chance to purchase both of them, and as of this writing, they have now safely arrived at Dream Hayven!

I was also very keen to observe Emma and her regiment for ponies in training. Fell Ponies respond to training very quickly, yet need the right foundation to progress correctly. Emma is an expert at this, having backed and produced many, many ponies already in her career. I was further honored to have the opportunity to ride one of their ponies in training, made all the more special as it was quite a pony indeed: a son of Bodini out of the glorious now-qualified-for-Olympia Stennerskeugh Frances II. This lovely little grey gelding, named Littletree Born Identity, was a treat to ride around the indoor, and his relaxed way of going with me, a stranger, was a tell-tale sign that Emma is really putting a solid start on them.

Another part of my experience was getting a lesson in proper etiquette for an English in-hand competition. Under the guidance of Nick and Brian Williams, Emma Woolley’s fiancé, I was shown what would be ex-pected of the in-hand ponies in the ring at the breed show.

But my entire trip was not all about ponies! Although the Fell Pony show was rained out at Lowther, the show itself still continued, as the venue, held at the castle grounds of Lowther itself, was a large event and had lots to see and some great shopping opportunities. Jane Woolley and I hit the Joules stand, which held plenty of lovely choices in rugbys, jackets and boots. There were also many local artisans who set up shop at the show, and it was great to walk through the tents and get a feel of the local flavor. I also go to accompany Jane on a trip to the local grocery, which I have to admit I seem to have an unnatural attraction to. Some-thing about all the shelves stocked with different foods, and the price comparisons!- all entertaining in a down-home sort of way.

Breed Show morning arrived to predictions of more rain, but the ponies were prepared and the horse box was packed, so we all set off

A glimpse of Cumbria from Littletree

Two of Bodini’s sons: Littletree Limited Edition, home at Littletree, and Littletree Born Identity , now sold on.

to make the best of it. Especially fun was driving over in the horse box, as its quite different from our horse trailers. It’s more like an RV, with the ponies in the back. The Woolleys have one that is really nice, as there is a seating area with a wrap around sofa and big windows, so I could see all the sights on the way, even better than in a car, really!

We were fairly early to arrive, and got a nice spot to park along the rail. At Breed Show, the ponies that need measuring have to check in and make sure they are found officially under 14 hands, at which point you can pick up your number and proceed to get ready. There was a short line to wait through, and this was when it really hit me, that I was at breed show. All the names behind the prefixes surrounded us, there with their ponies, getting ready for the biggest show of the year for Fell Ponies. It was spectacular!

Melissa, soggy in the young gelding class.

Valet horse box service, Breed Show style

Emma, taking a victory lap after winning the Olympia qualifier on Stennerskeugh Frances

First ridden class in was the Olympia qualifier, and the rain started just like predicted. Emma was entered in this class with their grey mare Stennerskeugh Frances II. At this point I must mention that Emma was not feeling well all week, seemed to have some sort of flu, and she had barely been able to eat anything. It was quite terrible and I was worried how she would be able to perform under such condi-tions. Well, none of us could have imagined how well she did. It was a spot-on perform-ance, and it was a real treat to watch Emma qualify for Olympia right before our eyes!

At this point I headed over to the food stand for a much needed “Bacon Roll” (mmm!) and a nice cup of hot chocolate. Soon after, the classes for in-hand geldings were called, and it’s a good thing I was paying attention as the Woolleys surprised me by asking me to show one of the ponies we had practiced ring eti-quette with during the week! I was beyond thrilled, and a little bit less than confident of my abilities. But definitely thrilled! Suddenly, the rain and mud became unimportant, as I was delighted to have such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! The Woolleys outfitted me with some of their best English gear,, donned the “waterproofs” and set off to do

our best with the task at hand. Struggling to hold onto the pony, keep my balance in the slippery ring, and interpret the directions given by the very accented ring steward, I was sure I was going to look like a complete foreigner compared to the “Brits” surrounding me ! The class ticked out and before long the winners were called. I may not have won the class, but it is an experi-ence I will never forget, made even more so by the FPS Breed Show ribbon Woolleys so graciously allowed me to take back home!

After that thrilling experience I had to head over to the FPS tent and pick up some very sought-after FPS souve-

nirs, then head back over to the horse-box as it was time to pack up and head home. Nick submitted his interest in leaving to the chap with the big tractor, as by this time the mud was so thick no one was driving out of there. England may not have the big pick-ups we do here in the USA, but the tractor was large enough to make headway thru the mud and get us back to the roadway.

That evening was made complete by a lovely barbeque hosted by the Woolleys at Littletree, with many guests in atten-dance. I was able to meet more faces behind the names, as we all shook off the trials of the day and counted our-selves lucky in our winnings.

Unfortunately, as time always does during a vacation, it was all too soon time for me to head home. I had twice as many bags packed as I came with (filled with Littletree Tack, no doubt), and memories to last me, at least until next Breed Show!

Thank you Woolleys for your hospital-ity, (Jane for your wonderful cooking!), friendly company & wonderful Fells!

This summer was our debut appearance at a horse expo in Rockford, Illinois called Illinois Horse Fest. It is a smaller expo than say, Midwest Horse Fair, and the per-fect first outing for Bodini and myself to get acquainted with crowds and performing together. We arrived on the grounds just prior to sunset on Friday afternoon, and Louisa and I immediately prepped Bodini for a ride while George put together our stall display. By the time we hit the arena, it was fairly dark. Quite an in-troduction to the grounds, but Bodini did really well with everything and was phased only by the mini horse driving drill team. I can’t blame him! This was also the first time we used our new horse trailer. We finally have living quarters, which makes at-

IL LI N OI S HOR S E FE S T - PU TTI N ’ O N TH E R I T Z

D R E A M H A Y V E N G E A R

We’ve had our logo applied to a variety of new items this year, some of which are avail-able to purchase. Our new iron-on patches, shown smaller than actual size, are just the right thing to add to your favorite shirt or vest, and can be purchased for $2.50 each, ship-ping included.

We also have nice quality coffee mugs for sale, white with a large Dream Hayven logo. They are safe for the microwave and dishwasher, and can be bought for $15.00 each.

Just email info@dreamhayven.com for more details.

tending events like this one a snap! (And oh-so-comfortable, glorious air conditioning!) By Saturday we were ready for the crowds and our first time in the ring. Bo really did his best, and I was quite pleased to be invited to participate as part of the evening performance under the lights. Fortunately, I was prepared with a night-time costume, and I couldn’t resist being able to show Bodini off to a new group of onlookers!

Saturday night arrived quickly, although we were preceded by mounted shooters in the ring beyond the arena. Shots firing and the smell of gunpowder filled the night air. Always the worrier, I wondered how this would turn out, but Bodini is an experienced show pony and just thought everything seemed quite interesting. It was thrilling to ride in the ring under the lights, with a chance to show off such a beautiful stallion to cheers from the crowd. Many attendees saw a Fell Pony for the first time that weekend!

PHOTOS, from TOP: Bodini and Melissa on Saturday, Saturday night, & Sunday

SPE CI A L DE LI V E RY - TWO NE W FI LLI E S FO R DR E AMHAY VE N

C U R R E N T L Y F O R S A L E M O R E P O N I E S A T W W W . D R E A M H A Y V E N . C O M

Drybarrows Penny Black Fell Pony Mare

Imported mare that’s proven herself both as a broodmare, having had many healthy foals; and as a performance pony, as shown by the photo above. Been in pa-rades, expos, very solid ride. Currently bred for 2009 foal. Does everything with ease. Great choice for an advanced be-ginner or intermediate rider. Price: $17,000 (by consignment)

FellConnection Thunder Fell Pony Yearling Gelding

This little gelding is great choice for anyone looking for their first Fell Pony. Correct movement, lovely head, plenty of hair and a personality that is easy going and open to training. As is typical with young stock, his price will go up with age and training. Start a payment plan now! 2008 Price: $5,500

Florence aka “Dickens” Proven Fell Pony Gelding

Known as the ambassador for the Midwest, Dickens has done all that we ask and more.

Child lesson pony, dressage, expos, great jumper, even has experience pairs driving.

Winner of the Most Versatile Fell Pony Award at Kentucky Horse Park Rare Breeds, 1st

Place M&M Ridden Pony Bit of Wales. Too much to list, contact for more details.

Price: $22,500 OBO (5* home needed!)

Email info@dreamhayven.com or call 262-355-6322, ask for Melissa

My trip to England was made even more special by the opportunity to do a little shopping– that is, shopping at Littletree for Fell Ponies! Now that Dream Hayven has sufficient mature mares in the breeding program, I was looking for a younger mare that would complement our current mares and offer another breeding opportunity for our stallion in the future. As luck would have it, Littletree Stud had more than ample selection. I had already known of one special filly, Littletree Babysham, who on paper seemed like a good candidate. By Guards Jester out of Lunesdale Shamrock, Babysham was bred with performance in mind. Being that her dam is now exported to Canada (Mountain Spirit Fells), I knew this was a filly that should not be passed by. But I was especially excited to meet another little filly. A yearling, also by Guards Jester (1st Place Ridden Stallion, FPS Stallion show 2008), this time out of an old-line bred Hades Hill mare. Her dam being Hades Hill Patience, she was aptly named Littletree Patience. This mare really had a lot going for her at only a year old; namely a really correct build, strong bone, and a no-nonsense confident attitude. There was no way to choose, I had to bring home both! After completing what was neces-sary with the Woolleys to make it official, I proceeded to get the plans in place for import to America. After what seemed like forever, they were finally on a plane headed from Amster-dam to New York. Since Babysham is over two years old, she needed to go to quarantine beyond the 3-day, and Patience tagged along to keep her company. Finally, at the middle of November, I was able to load up and pick up the fillies from Rigbie Farm in Maryland. It is a lovely facility, and as you can see by the pictures, it was a lovely day when I got to see them again for the first time in America! We travelled all day, 2300 miles round trip, and finally arrived home in Wisconsin. Our two new ponies have already made their place in our herd and are working on puffing up their coats to prepare for their first Wisconsin sub-zero winter!

Above: Littletree Patience Below: Littletree Babysham

N1101 County Road HH Kewaskum, WI 53040 USA

Dream Hayven Fa rm, LLC Fel l Ponies

JUST F OR FUN

262-355-6322 info@dreamhayven.com

Dream Hayven Farm LLC began importing mature breeding stock in the spring of 2005. The next year brought several more ponies to the farm, in addition to the birth of two imported in-utero fillies. We continue the search for more ponies to add to our family.

Our goal is not to be the biggest Fell breeder, rather, we consider ourselves a "boutique" breeder. This gives us the time we need to give attention to every Fell! We also believe it is important to promote and educate as this breed is so rare in the United States. We stay small to give ourselves the opportunity to get out in the pub-lic and show off these wonderful ponies. We operate on 37 acres of rolling farm-land about 1 hour north of Milwaukee.

We focus on producing performance Fells with correct type, substance and family-friendly attitudes. Call or email us to find out more about our breeding, sales and importing services.

We’re on the web! www.dreamhayven.com

Clockwise from top: Our newest addition Punky, an 8

week old Pug puppy. Next: Two lovely ladies: our exchange daughter Louisa show-ing Hazel in dressage in Kentucky. Next: Pirate Puss, one of our special rescue cats.

Next: Do these two look like trouble? DreamHayven Balian and FellConnection

Thunder, enjoying a summer day.