Willow Creek Stables

Willow Creek Stables Willow Creek is home to 23 critically endangered Newfoundland ponies! We are a not for profit rescue

Critically endangered Newfoundland Ponies

It may have ears that are furry and short, and a low-set tail that’s as rough as a bottle brush, but it’s strong, brave, and endlessly forgiving. There was a time in Newfoundland when ponies were as plentiful as dories and cod—a time when human survival depended on the shaggy, sure-footed descendents of Mountain and Moorland breeds that arrived there as l

ivestock with the first British settlers. But progress put the ponies to pasture, and by the 1980s their numbers had plummeted from more than 12,000 to fewer than 100, as meat trucks carried loads of them to processing plants in Quebec. Despite the harsh conditions of life on the land, Newfoundland ponies bred and prospered over the years, adapting to everything that nature and man could throw their way. But as tough as the ponies were, they were no match for machines. Tractors, snowmobiles and ATVs took their jobs, and in the 1970s, communities enacted anti-roaming laws that required ponies to be fenced in, taking away their primary food source. Unable to afford to feed the animals year-round, owners sold them to the highest bidder, which in many cases was a meat truck.

Sunny lives by the motto “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” You can’t help b...
04/01/2025

Sunny lives by the motto “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” You can’t help but love Sunny!

It’s safe to say that Annie and Marigold are not impressed with this freezing rain and ice.Fortunately they are warm and...
03/30/2025

It’s safe to say that Annie and Marigold are not impressed with this freezing rain and ice.
Fortunately they are warm and dry under their blankets. Big thanks to Christine and Kristi for these amazing gifts for two of our senior ponies. It’s predicted to be plus 15 tomorrow afternoon so these ice covered blankets will be coming off and hung to dry. Tomorrow will be another busy day removing blankets from the herd. We love our oldies! ❤️

If you have been here for a pony trek this fall or winter chances are you have met this most amazing lady. We want to wi...
03/30/2025

If you have been here for a pony trek this fall or winter chances are you have met this most amazing lady. We want to wish Shirley a very happy birthday from all her pony pals at Willow Creek. Shirley is one of the incredible volunteers that help up provide the best possible care for our ponies.❤️ We are so grateful to have her as part of the team!

It always hits me. Even though the barn is full of life and new beginnings with three very pregnant mares inside today i...
03/30/2025

It always hits me. Even though the barn is full of life and new beginnings with three very pregnant mares inside today it will always seem a little empty without this guy. Moonie would have been tucked inside on a stormy day and I’d likely be sitting in his stall telling him everything that’s going on in the world. He’d listen, tolerate my hugs and offer a few of the kisses he was famous for. Although our sweet little Flower now occupies Moonie’s stall, it will always be Moonie’s stall.
Midnight Smokey Grey #919 ❤️Moonie❤️

A little man taking a big drink! Gus❤️
03/30/2025

A little man taking a big drink! Gus❤️

There is no shortage of ice now and footing has deteriorated so our three very pregnant mares are inside. Carling is the...
03/30/2025

There is no shortage of ice now and footing has deteriorated so our three very pregnant mares are inside. Carling is the same as yesterday, a little waxing but nothing overly exciting at this point. Wayne has predicted April 3 for Carling’s foal. Apparently his Grandpa George had a theory on when mares foal and Wayne uses this calculation. Grandpa George’s theory is “11 months 11 days 1 day for each year of age.” Only time will tell. For now the girls are enjoying the warmth and dryness of the barn. We did get much luckier than many of our friends west of us. While we got a good deal of snow and then freezing rain ( it’s still freezing rain out) many got all freezing rain and are without power. Ice storms can be very dangerous if you live in a wooded area. We are hoping everyone stays safe.

Carling and Devlin are tucked in early as the freezing rain is predicted to hit this evening and fall throughout the nig...
03/29/2025

Carling and Devlin are tucked in early as the freezing rain is predicted to hit this evening and fall throughout the night and all day tomorrow. We don’t expect a baby tonight but Carling will be stalled every night until she delivers. This may be several days. She will have turn out during the day but watched closely. Devlin on the other hand enjoys his creature comforts and prefers a cozy bed of shavings for a lay down over the snow covered ground. We love how well Devlin has fit in with the herd and is able to be out during the day. Once summer hits he won’t likely be stalled at all unless it’s an excessively warm or wet day.

Maternity stall is ready for tonight. Carling is 341 days pregnant. She has started to wax. Based on her past foaling wi...
03/29/2025

Maternity stall is ready for tonight. Carling is 341 days pregnant. She has started to wax. Based on her past foaling with Wilson and Georgie she typically waxes one day and then drips milk the next day and foals between 2 to 2:30am. If she follows her pattern then baby Pebbles should arrive the early hours of Monday morning. We will however be bringing Carling into the maternity stall later today in the event she doesn’t stick with her routine.
Jiggs is bagging up but no signs of anything happening in the next couple of days. Velvet is just enjoying the special attention and food the pregnant mares receive. Salty isn’t due until much later in the season but insists that she should also be receiving special attention.
One of the questions we received was why staw in the maternity ward and not shavings.
Mares should foal on straw rather than bedding shavings. This is because the shavings can stick to the mare's v***a, and can be drawn in as the mare struggles to push the foal out. They can also adhere to the wet newborn foal and permit bacteria to enter the umbilicus more easily.

All bundled up to head outdoors. We got snow and lots of it. We hope it stays cold and we avoid the freezing rain predic...
03/29/2025

All bundled up to head outdoors. We got snow and lots of it. We hope it stays cold and we avoid the freezing rain prediction for tonight and tomorrow but Monday is plus 13. We are in for a sloppy start to the week. Tuesday and Wednesday are supposed to remain cold which might make for some serious issues with ice. Thursday the temperature shoots up to 16. Late March and the month of April are always an interesting mix of winter and spring. Mozart and Polly are still hanging on to their winter coats and have not turned white yet. Polly says about 2 more weeks before she will consider ditching her winter coat.

The ponies are storm ready thanks the Leah, Dayna and Christine. Lots of grooming and everyone has been fed and blankete...
03/28/2025

The ponies are storm ready thanks the Leah, Dayna and Christine. Lots of grooming and everyone has been fed and blanketed. Lots of hay, water and salt are out. The ponies have the choice of additional shelter with run in shelters and access to the barn at all times. After a very busy day we had a few minutes to go out for a ride while the conditions on the trails are still favourable. If we get as much freezing rain as predicted the footing will deteriorate quickly. We are keeping a careful watch on our very pregnant mares. Carling’s official due date is today.
On another note we are super proud of Mayden. Due to no fault of his own he has not been ridden since September but never took a wrong step today and was a perfect gentleman on the trails. So fortunate to be surrounded by such amazing equine friends.

Sweetie says "It's Friday...any plan of being a productive member of society is officially thrown out the window."
03/28/2025

Sweetie says "It's Friday...any plan of being a productive member of society is officially thrown out the window."

“This needs to be shared every day by every rider until everyone has seen it and practices it!!While crossing the highwa...
03/27/2025

“This needs to be shared every day by every rider until everyone has seen it and practices it!!

While crossing the highway and having a car blow right past me it made me think maybe people just don't know what the proper etiquette is for passing a horse.

Here is my PSA.....you are passing an animal! While I like to believe I am in full control of this animal. At the end of the day he/she is 1000lbs and fully capable of spooking or jumping at anytime. You should treat passing a horse just as you would passing a deer. Treat it like you don't know what direction they are going, because you don't. If a deer can total out a car imagine what a horse would do. You could likely kill me, my horse, and yourself. So as kindly as I can possibly say it, slow down!!! If you have a teen driver, please inform them.”

Written by Annette Vanderpool

Carling is 339 days pregnant and due tomorrow. Her udder is very full. We are under a special weather advisory for the w...
03/27/2025

Carling is 339 days pregnant and due tomorrow. Her udder is very full. We are under a special weather advisory for the weekend with snow and freezing rain predicted. We are advised to Plan ahead: Significant and prolonged period of ice expected with potent spring storm in Ontario this weekend. Jiggs is due 10 days after Carling but known to deliver up to 13 days ahead of her due date. Things might get interesting around the farm this weekend!

Captain Sweetapple says “a unicorn doesn’t stand around worrying what other unicorns think of it. It just sparkles!” 🌟✨🌟
03/27/2025

Captain Sweetapple says “a unicorn doesn’t stand around worrying what other unicorns think of it. It just sparkles!” 🌟✨🌟

We are experiencing such a lovely dry thaw. We wondered if all the time spent scraping and scooping the pony field last ...
03/26/2025

We are experiencing such a lovely dry thaw. We wondered if all the time spent scraping and scooping the pony field last summer as well as all the time and money put into the drainage system we installed has paid off or is everyone else experiencing a dry, low mud season. We thought with the amount of snow we had that the ponies would be knee deep in mud. Thankfully that is not the case.

Address

2351 Christie Lake Road
Perth, ON
K7H3C6

Telephone

+16132675123

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