Sutton's Keith Robinson

Keith Robinson and his Sutton equestrian center

By Manfried Rieder Starhemberg
Over the past decade Keith Robinson has gradually added to his family's horse business by purchasing abutting acreage and facilities. Now the "Robinson Stables" encompass 191 beautifully maintained acres just five minutes from the center of Sutton center, in the rolling hills of Jordan road which are one of the most outstanding visual delights in the greater Sutton area. Jordan road winds from Sutton to Dunham, passing a sheep farm, an Alpaca farm, sparkling ponds, vineyards and apple orchards. In the center of this is Keith Robinson's place. Often, on a sunny Saturday or Sunday morning, Sutton parents will drive their children up theire just to let them watch the horses training at the large outdoor jumping ring or being exercised in the dressage area, or simply to see those animals that are turned out daily to dot the fields in which they are largely free to graze and show off their equine beauty.

All the horses the stables board are turned out every day, are fed three times per day and get more attention by Keith, his family and seasonal employees than many senior citizens in assisted housing receive. Keith owns two boarding barns, one with a capacity for 24 horses which adjoins an indoor show arena and a viewing gallery, a second one is able to house 13 animals. Large tack rooms are available and owners have their own lockers and access to all the facilities of the farm. A third large barn is the utility facility for the feed, equipment and tools.

 Outdoor jumping area (photo courtesy)
There are so many more facets to this place. Keith and his crew will teach jumping and dressage, driving and eventing. Timid owners of competition horses can have their prized animals shown and ridden at competitions by the experienced trainers of the stables. The farm also provides transportation of horses by means of one spacious six horse transport and another which can accomodate two animals. And for the first timer, the family Robinson will provide guidance for beginners from the purchase of a horse, the introduction of riding and caring of the animal, through any advanced degree of horsemanship. The stables have won numerous awards in competitions, have a loyal owner following and currently showcase some of the finest hunters and jumpers or eventing horses in the townships.

One happy rider all decked out (courtesy)
Lastly, Robinson stables is selling horses and currently has an impressive list of exquisite horse flesh on sale at their web site. Unfortunately, just in the last week we noticed that suddenly, more than half of the horses advertised have a "sold" sign on their pictures which shows that an aggessively managed and well promoted business which has been in business, albeit in a much smaller form, until Keith expanded it, for five generations has done well and will continue to do so because this is a family who truly loves the work, thrives on it, even in the bleak winter months when we have observed them in the barns in the early morning hours at their tasks. "It is not a get-rick-quick business smiles one of the Robinson family members. You have to love what you do and take the winter with the glorious other three seasons which have given us as a family such great joy to be here".