Windt im Wald A Wind in the Woods Geauga County, Northeast Ohio since 1995

Bur-Dals Ginanah tries out a 10 x 12 foot stall made of 100% hardwood with rubber mats/ She approves wholeheartedly!

 Welcome to  our New Barn.
 Boarding and Riding Lessons offered.

     For several years I have talked about owning and breeding more Arabian and Pinto Arabian horses. Each time I would mention how nice another barn would be. Each time Tom has rolled his eyes and patiently explained that I cannot keep ALL of the horses and that we do not need an additional barn. Nevertheless, for at least the last five summers our riding arena has been filled with 300-500 bales of hay, a grain wagon filled with spelts supplied by a local farmer, a horse trailer, a truck, at least one tractor, a flatbed trailer, and miscellaneous equipment. To make a long story short, every summer since 2001 the 60 x 120 arena has shrunk to half its size, a pretty small area in which to ride a horse.

WIW Dixie Melody and Tricia McCullagh walk along the spacious rubber-matted aisle of the new barn.

      When I thought I could not bear the clutter in the arena any longer, Tom suddenly offered a new barn that would contain six new horse stalls, a huge tack/class room, and a storage area that would restore my arena for horse training and riding. I pinched myself. This could not be true. Ah, but it was, with the proviso that we rent a few of the stalls out to boarders.

     In October 2004 supplies started arriving for the new construction. A few of the trucks broke our entry gate. One truck left us over 100 rubber mats to be used as flooring in the new barns. Then came roof beams, shingles, aluminum siding. Meanwhile, old friend Willis Brown single-handedly cleared another acre of the full grown trees, eighty-one of which were to be turned

This is one of Windt im Wald's many trails through eight acres of privately-owned grounds.

into lumber for the stalls and for wood paneling in the tack room. The shell of the building was finished on January 14, 2005, when the high temperature of the day was six degrees Fahrenheit. The portable saw arrived during the first week of April, and it took us four long days to cut the logs into 6000 board feet of lumber. We felt like zombies after that part of the building process. Most of the lumber was beautiful cherry, but there was also some hickory and ash.

     By mid-May we were starting to lay the rubber mats in place. By May 31 we were nailing the first pieces of wood for the backs of the stalls. We picnicked in the new barn often as we admired the progress of our labor. We celebrated the completion of the grated window and the stall-door. At last we could visualize what the other stalls would look like. On July 29 we installed the hardware for the last door. The stalls were finished and ready for occupancy.

Pasture #4, which extends to the treeline, is to the left of our 60 x 120 sand-filled indoor arena.IIt consists of 2 acres of grass. Pasture #3, which is available directly behind the back door of the arena for riding or turnout, is 1/2 acre of grass.

     The aisle way on the new barn is 10 feet wide, and a constant breeze from the south keeps our new barn cool and pleasant, even on the hottest days. The view from the front door reveals several pastures, the arena, the enclosed rectangular work ring with crushed-lime-footing, and the front barn, but the street is hidden from view so that these areas comprise a very private world. From the back door one can go right into Pasture #5, a whole acre of gently rolling hill and shade trees. It is my favorite spot of the entire farm. To the left of Pasture #5 is more than an acre of land that has been cleared of trees this summer and which we will fence in as two pastures known as Pasture #6 and Pasture #7. Surrounding Pastures #6 and #7 are some 9 acres

From the front door of the new barn, the focal point is the 40x60 foot outdoor work area. It is covered in #9 crushed limestone for excellent drainage and footing for horses.

of private woods and trails for obstacle and nuisance training. We are likely to encounter wild deer and turkey while riding horses; these critters are terrific training aids to desensitize horses. The local parks and trails, ie., the Chagrin Valley Polo Fields, Beartown, and Westwoods, all within 15 minutes of our farm, cannot beat our flora and fauna.

     Windt im Wald Farm is always beautiful, but it is perhaps most splendid in the early spring and late fall, when cooler temperatures and lovely colors make us all glad to be alive. For those of you, like us, who like to ride in the snow as well, there is nothing as profoundly peaceful as Windt im Wald Farm during and after a fresh snow, when the horses and we can hear our own footfalls, the air is crisp and clean, and life becomes a fairy wonderland that helps us all forget our other concerns.

From the back door you can see an acre of grass in Pasture#5. Note the spacious aisle. A 12 foot gate allows horses to visit at the barn without getting in. A pleasant breeze from the south keeps this area cool even on the hottest day.

     Windt im Wald Farm is truly peace for horses’ and humans’ souls. Would YOUR HORSE like to enjoy the idyllic peace and quiet that abounds here? We have a limited number of 10 x 12 and 12 x 12 stalls with 2 feedings of grain and first cutting timothy grass, 7 days turnout ( when heat does not exceed 85 or fall below 18 degrees Fahrenheit), and daily stall cleanings. We treasure our horses. Let us treasure yours as well, while you enjoy the trails, arena, work ring, and large abundant grass pastures!

     Lessons are also available at private( $25 per half hour) and semi-private rates($20 per half hour)

     Please inquire at 440-996-0110 for an appointment to see our facilities!