Farm Feature
Phillipston
Stonebrook Farm Generations of Riding
by Andrea Reynes
ustaining a lesson, boarding, training, and showing stable is a daunting daily discipline, yet a modest multigenerational family at Stonebrook Farm in Phillipston has had the grit to do much of the work themselves, succeed in competition, and teach students. The Gosselin family has been a model of how to collaborate, communicate, and coordinate with each other through three generations since 1981. Stonebrook Farm has been family owned and operated for more than 31
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schooling shows and rated Arabian Shows in West Springfield. There was never a shortage of young riders interested in equestrian sport. Working students helped with stalls and Michael maintained the nine-acre facility, replete with round pens, post-and-rail fencing, an indoor arena, and an outdoor dressage ring. The stable evolved to specialize in dressage with Sandy’s daughter, Kim, who rode with international coach Kathy Connelly in the 1980s. The barn,
ing her riding and training. Devin understands that there’s always more to learn and rides with professional trainers and instructors, including Vincent Flores, to refine her riding. “Stonebrook Farm offers lessons to riders of all ages and disciplines with a main focus on dressage,” says Devin. “We truly believe that dressage is the basis of all disciplines, and always seeking lightness and proper training of the horse will not only make our riders better but will also make our horses hap-
years. It’s a full-service training, lesson, and boarding facility that takes pride in the top-quality care it provides to horses and humans alike. Stonebrook Farm started with a weathered red barn, built in the 1920s, that once housed chickens. In the 1970s, the barn was converted to a 16stall horse stable; Sandy and Michael Gosselin purchased the farm in 1981. The barn and 13 paddocks are situated in an area where residences have large fields between homes, a preservation of the agrarian foundation of the town. In the barn, carriages fill one section of the aisle of the dressage and combined driving stable. A United States Dressage Federation (USDF) training goals sign is posted by the crossties where students groom and tack up horses. Sandy and Michael live above the stalls. “I know every horse’s whinny and leg pawing bangs,” says Sandy. Sandy taught more than 50 students a week and brought them to
which started with mostly Arabians, gradually shifted to warmbloods, including a bay named Libby, a spirited horse with an unassuming background now training at Prix St. Georges. When Kim started managing the barn she had a Saddlebred, an unusual breed for dressage. Kim also built on her mother’s foundation of driving horses. She competed clients’ horses, showed sidesaddle, and rode different disciplines including western, hunter, and jumper. Kim’s success at shows drew clients to Stonebrook.
pier. The health of our horses, physically and mentally, always comes first as well as rider/handler safety. Each rider, no matter the age, will not only learn to ride but also become familiar with the management of the horses.” Sparky, a 17-year-old Morgan/ Arabian at the barn, placed fifth out of 13 horses at the Green Mountain Horse Association (GMHA) 2019 Combined Driving Event, an especially remarkable success as the fractious horse had previously been unsaleable since no one could ride the horse except Devin. This accomplishment is just one example of the type of training challenges Devin has successfully taken on. “Each horse is an individual and there’s no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to training,” says Devin. “I evaluate each horse brought into training and customize a training program to suit the needs of the horse and the goals of the owner.”
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Granddaughter Devin Burdick Twenty-eight-year-old Devin Burdick, Sandy’s granddaughter, is the current manager of Stonebrook Farm, as well as trainer and instructor. She’s a USDF bronze medalist specializing in starting young horses both under saddle and for carriage driving. Much of Devin’s equestrian career has been spent behind the scenes learning and perfect-
Massachusetts Horse February/March 2020