From our Family to yours.
We are Roy and Sarah McAllister. Along with our 6 sons; we farm and operate Valley Ridge Family Farm.
We purchased our property in 2016 after falling in love with the area on several short visits over the years. The existing farm was set up as an Equestrian Centre/Boarding Facility. That still operates today along with a forage operation. We have added Clydesdale horses from reputable breeders over the years. Those horses work along-side us and live along-side us in their down-time.
Our whole family grew up on farms in Ontario and as a result, have a strong commitment to the Stewardship of animals and the health of the land for future generations.
We believe this to be one of the most beautiful parcels of land in Southern Georgian Bay and we wish to welcome your family to come enjoy it!
Where our name came from.
The farm was called “Valley Ridge Farm” when we bought it. We kept Valley Ridge as it fits our location perfectly. When you visit, you will see we are just over the top of Blue Mountain’s ridge in a small, almost-private valley.
We added “Family” to the name because that’s what we are and we don’t want to ever forget that farming is for our family. It gives our children the opportunity to grow up in a wide expanse of land, to grow and explore nature. To learn the softness that comes from caring for animals daily and the resilience that is needed to continue year after year when nature and factors beyond our control affect our livelihood and bottom line.
We have opened our farm to your family because we wish to share this incredible blessing with you all. We ask that you book in advance and remember to be respectful of the areas of the farm that are marked private because this is our home.
The horses who live and work here are a breed called, “Clydesdales”. They are most recognizable by their large size and the long hair (feathers) on their lower legs. The breed gets it’s name from a region of Scotland, called River Clyde, although all of our Clydesdales were bred and born at reputable breeders around Ontario.
At this time, we have two working teams. Eric and Ernie are geldings (male) and Penny and Ella are mares (female). They are bonded pairs and have worked together for their whole careers. Ernie and Eric are even half-brothers! When our horses retire, they will continue to live here with us and enjoy their golden years.
As you may imagine, horses this size eat a lot! Each one eats approximately 100lbs worth of hay every day in addition to 5-12lbs of high quality grain and minerals. Grain amounts fluctuate throughout the year with the higher volumes being fed during the winter when the horses are working the most. In the Spring and Summer, when most days are spent wandering fields and eating grass, much less grain is required. Our horses drink about 30 gallons of water, daily.
Like humans, horses benefit from advice and appointments with medical professionals. They have annual check-ups with a veterinarian, and a dentist, see a farrier for hoof trims every 6-8 weeks, have their diet assessed by a nutritionist and even have a chiropractor visit when needed.