We chose the name Todd Hill Farm out of respect for the original land owners. Our 70 acres was once part of a much larger parcel of land granted to the Todd family in the mid 1800’s. Charles Todd and his son Abijah Todd cleared the land by hand. In 2005 we purchased the property from the estate of Abijah’s son, Lorne Todd. It was fully forested. When John began clearing the forest and picking rocks in 2005, he found evidence of old foundations, artifacts, and stone fences. We were proud to be able to restore the farm back to its original beauty!
The photograph presented here is Charles Todd and his son Abijah in 1910. The Todds, originally from Scotland, landowners were granted a large tract of land in the mid 1800’s. They worked hard, cleared the land, grew crops and raised livestock. The house in this picture is still standing today and belongs to Abijah’s grand-daughter Linda Todd. It is located across the street from the big hayfield out front. To learn more about the heritage of Todd Hill Farm, click the button below.
Our family-run farm offers an inviting, relaxed atmosphere. John and Karen Gillighan are the property owners and residents. Running the operation as a non-profit equestrian centre is one of their passions. John can usually be found fixing a fence, on his tractor, or dragging the arena. Karen works from home for a wellness company and is an Equestrian Canada Competition Coach. You will often find her riding her favourite horses, Finnegan, Felix or Parker. John and Karen do not take a salary from the farm operations, but the farm employs over 10 part-time and full-time staff. Our instructors have many years of experience in the disciplines of hunter, jumper, dressage, eventing, Pony Club and western riding too! They truly love what they do and are able to challenge our students with their positive and encouraging teaching style.
We select our horses carefully to provide the best learning experiences for students of all levels. Many led very successful show careers before coming to the farm to share their wisdom and experience with our students. We take individual care of their health, exercise and therapeutic needs, booking equine massage and chiropractic appointments, scheduling regular vet check-ups and providing supplements to keep them comfortable and happy. Our horses all get a chance to run around in one of our large fields every week, in addition to being out every day in paddocks close to the barn. This is why you may not see the same horses in the same paddocks every time you come. They all have consistent “turn-out buddies” though! Horses are gregarious creatures and develop strong bonds with other horses and people.
PROGRAMS & CAMPS
HANDS ON
HORSES™
GRASS ROOTS
HORSEMANSHIP
SHORT STIRRUP
PROGRAM
HORSE DAY
CAMPS
ENGLISH RIDING
LESSONs
RIDER LEVEL
CERTIFICATION
Do you know a family with a child who wants to ride?
There are resources set up within the Nova Scotian community to assist with the financial side of getting children involved in recreation. Click the button below to learn about the programs available.