Our first book is now available!
From the perspective of the herd, this is the first in a series of individual stories based on their lives at Carlisle Creek Farm.
Just use the QR code to purchase your copy.
Nicki
My mom always told me, “Find your passion!” For years, that advice didn’t resonate—maybe because I hadn’t discovered mine yet. I explored so many paths: tree planting, adventure guiding, picture framing, knife selling, dog walking, running a crêpe truck, and teaching, which I adored.
Yet nothing compares to this life. It’s the most challenging, rewarding, and emotionally draining work I’ve ever done. After many moves and many adventures, I finally found what I was meant to do. Retirement no longer feels relevant; instead, my days are filled with constant concern for the animals in my care. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Rogie
My whole life has been filled with jobs and pursuits that had the common theme of being outdoors. So, moving to a farm was a natural progression. However, I didn’t anticipate how fulfilling it would be on so many levels. Life on a farm with all these animals has been the pinnacle of job and life satisfaction.
The Evolution of Carlisle Creek Farm
Have you ever thought about the difference between wild horses and domestic horses? That was the question I asked myself when developing my vision for an equine sanctuary.
Looking back 12 years ago, I think of that picture of the evolution of humans from moving on all fours to walking on two feet. The previous owner had grown one crop: grass. It felt like the land was asleep. No birds were singing, no squirrels were bugging them, no pollinators flying around. The land was no different than what we saw at the golf club across the road.
My first thought was to put seeds in the ground. Other than planting trees for a living in my twenties and helping my dad with a garden during my childhood, I had not thought much about dirt. As I peeled back the grass, I noticed the actual topsoil was non existent. I was dealing with the consequence of a monoculture of grass that was most likely sprayed with pesticides to kill the dandelions and various other plants from marring the green carpet.
This landscape was not even recognizable to the wild equine. I needed to make some drastic changes.
There were 3 projects that would address the lack of nature that I was noting:
Improve and build the soil
Create a diverse habitat by planting trees and creating a pond
A track system called ‘Paddock Paradise’ (Paddock Paradise by Jamie Jackson).
Hugelkultur
The term Hugelkultur translates to mound culture in German. Humans have been using this method of soil building for centuries in Europe. The natural design of creating a mound where logs are placed at the base followed by branches, sticks, twigs, leaf debris and compost on top to allow water retention, aeration, and decay to happen creating rich soil. The logs on the bottom act as sponges that attract roots to grow deep and strengthen the plant. The various sizes of wood and leaf litter allow space for worms and insects to move freely doing their thing. Every year, the pile decomposes and sinks. I then add composted manure, no tilling is required and the result is a rich, nutrient dense soil that requires no further fertilizers.
I have used this layering method in raised beds, large swaths of what was once lawns and even pots. How does this relate to my first question of wild equines vs their domestic counterparts? The better the soil, the healthier the plants, and the more variety of plants I can grow for the animals.
Trees and Ponds
When we moved here in 2013, there was a focus on tree planting in Ontario called the 50 million Tree Program initiated by Forests Ontario. I jumped on that and had 1500 native trees planted up the hill and in the back of the property. They say the best time to plant fruit trees was 20 years ago and the second-best time is now. I created a small apple orchard which expanded to include plum, peach, pear, cherry and pawpaws. Every year fruit production is hit and miss but I’m slowly learning how to deal with pest and fungal issues naturally. This year I’m getting my first apricots! Last year, I ate my first pawpaw fruit…I’ve never tasted anything like it!
Behind the barn, the grass continued. Looking back to 2013, I remember thinking it looked like a green ocean. The ground was spongey and waterlogged. I thought, what a perfect place for a pond. We dug and watched the water fill the hole to the level of the creek. I researched every native plant, bush and flower to plant in the water, on the slopes to stop erosion and around the pond. It takes roughly 7 years for a pond to reach a balance of flora and fauna. It did not take that long to witness a profound transformation. I downloaded a bird app to track the number and variety of birds. After documenting 120 species, I was convinced all the native plants were doing their job. Turtles and frogs found their way to the pond, dragonflies, bees, squirrels, and so many birds! The pond brings new creatures every year. In the spring and summer, I allow some of the animals to graze around the pond and nibble different plants.
Paddock Paradise
Within 3 months of moving to this land, neglected, abused, abandoned horses and donkeys made their way to the farm.
In my case, I needed to find a way to accommodate my mixed herd of donkeys and horses and not have to separate them constantly. I wanted them to have the freedom to walk and play but also be challenged to move over different terrain and have limited water spots so they had to walk a distance to get there.
Paddock Paradise was the logical solution.
This concept aims to give the horse freedom and as Jamie Jackson puts it a lifeway to their natural world by situating him in an environment that stimulates him and facilitates natural movement.
Jamie Jackson farrier studied wild horses for 4 yrs in the 80s and discovered that domestic horses were no where near as healthy or sound as their wild counterparts.
When he was out in the wild with them he observed that they were always in family groups, never alone. They roamed well defined paths; they did not move randomly. They are basically homebodies and liked familiar surroundings.
favourite watering hole when they roll in the mud
60 % of their day is spent grazing and moving slowly
favourite sleeping and resting areas along the track
move over all different types of terrain
paw and scrape at the ground to find minerals like calcium and grind them with their teeth which helps maintain dental health and hoof health
favourite sand bathing areas where they self-groom
mutual grooming and play natural behaviours
seek out forests which form part of their home range, chew bark...some barks have arsenic like compounds that inhibit parasite infestation
I had to convince my husband that although I was grateful for the hundreds of posts that went into creating the pastures, we had to do it all over again to set up a track. I also wanted native trees and shrubs to provide shade, use as scratching posts, some leaves to nibble, and bring wildlife to the track.
Then I heard about Paddock Paradise and my vision turned upside down.
The concept was simple...mimic a wild horse environment. The execution was...less simple. I first had to create a track, vary the footings and then create obstacles. My husband thought I was nuts when I told him we needed to rip up what we had just seeded in pasture grass. But it had to be done if we wanted the natural effect.
We have mini horses, mini donkeys, big donkeys and big horses....all with different needs. Lush grass is a big no no for mini horses and donkeys and big horses wouldn’t come across lush pastures in the wild. This in mind we resurfaced the track with small strips of grass, screenings, dirt, and wood chips.....and some fun obstacles for them to moving around and jump over.
Paddock Paradise was the brainchild of Jaime Jackson, a farrier and wild horse expert. This idea of horses moving on a track to forage, look for water, roll around as they stroll for hours at a time, stimulates them physically, mentally and emotionally. This was exactly what I was looking for. And it’s slowly coming together. The creation is constantly evolving and I’m reaping the rewards of seeing them chasing each other, exploring and feeling alive.
