It was a very busy day for author and award-winning equine architect John Blackburn at Cazenovia College in New York. On April 14, Blackburn spoke in the college’s McDonald Lecture Hall to over fifty equine business students as well as various other faculty and students interested about his book Healthy Stables By Design, and his philosophy on designing barns and planning farms for the health of horses. Blackburn believes focusing on the health and safety of horses is important above all when designing a barn and planning the farm.
Associate Professor of Equine Business Management and Head Equestrian Team Coach, Amy Sherrick-von Schiller organized the event. Barbara Lindberg, Program Director of Equine Business Management, and Associate Professor of Equine Business Management at Cazenovia College drove all the way from Lexington, KY that day to attend the event.
Blackburn’s trip to Cazenovia was full of tours as he had the pleasure of visiting the farm of John and Beezie Madden guided by Farm Manager and Cazenovia Equine Program graduate, Amy DeVisser. Beezie is a two-time Olympic gold medal winner in show jumping, coached by her husband John, who runs his business John Madden Sales from their farm located in Cazenovia. The other tours included the equestrian center of Cazenovia College and the barn and arena of Sherrick-von Schiller.
Blackburn also spoke about incorporating sustainability into the design of the horse and layout of the farm, and described the Blackburn Greenbarn Concept (http://www.blackburngreenbarns.com.) He stressed the importance of protecting the horse in order to protect the owners four principle investments: the initial cost of the horse, the training of the horse, the maintenance and upkeep of the horse, and finally and perhaps the most important the emotional investment the owner has in the horse.
Blackburn presented a signed copy of his book to the school library for the benefit of current and future students.