Silvermine|Dressage
Dedicated to outstanding horse and rider wellbeing through Dressage training
Dick & Andy Feller
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Dick and I started Silvermine in 1992 with a goal of establishing a horse farm with an atmosphere that was safe, healthy and pleasant for horses and where riders could improve their riding and horsemanship skills. Today, after 24 years in business, we have had many changes and improvements at the farm, but our goal has never changed.
When we opened Silvermine, we offered boarding and also started a lesson program with farm owned lesson horses. The business grew quickly and we had a busy farm with many horses and riders learning and improving horsemanship skills.
In the year 2000 Dick and I changed our business plan to downsize the farm and specialize in Dressage training which I had come to believe that, when done correctly, is the essential basic training for any horse discipline. Concentrating the business also allowed us to have more family time with our daughters Shannon and Cameron and our twin sons, Richard and David. Richard was diagnosed with Cognitive Disabilities and Autism and often needed extra attention. We sold our lesson horses and began only accepting boarders who wanted to be involved in our training program.
In 2008 Dick suffered an aortic dissection and heart attack. His life was saved, but he suffered many complications which resulted in the loss of his feet and right hand. It was a very tough time for our family. Our customers at Silvermine not only patiently waited for their riding lessons, but actually helped run the farm that year while we were in three different hospitals having numerous surgeries.
Dick has recovered amazingly well, and Silvermine continues to thrive. We have always strived to have a friendly, supportive atmosphere at the farm with our riders, but going through our health ordeal, we realized that we really do have a "Silvermine Family.”
In 2013 we began the development of a breeding program at Silvermine when we purchased two warmblood broodmares with outstanding dressage breeding. In June, 2014 we had our first foals: A filly by UB40 and a filly by Diamond Stud.