Pony Farm Session 5B - Rocking a Rainy Day

Dear Camp Families,

This is my last blog of the camp season.  It makes me sad to think that Saturday we return your children to you and start sending our visiting horses home. 

People often ask me if I am glad that Pony Farm is over for the year. I am never glad camp is over. When the final session is done, however, I will admit I'm glad the responsibility of camp is over.  I love it, but it is a lot!  (And that is what they call an under statement.)

You might be wondering what your cherubs have been up to this week. We have been busy with riding lessons, camping trips, trips to swim at the falls, catch riding, carriage driving, hanging out with the small animals, and swimming in the pool!

You might also be wondering what we do on a day like Wednesday when it poured all day. I'm happy to report that after 43 years, Pony Farm knows how to make the most of a rainy day.

Campers find out the rainy day plan of attack

 
In the morning we started with tack cleaning. That's a job that comes with the sport of riding, and every rider needs to know how to do it. It's no one's favorite task, but it that makes it kind of a life skill as well!

After tack cleaning, we had a barn competition to get the barns (upper, lower, and outside) spiffed up.  The barn crew who cleaned the best, cleared away the most trash, and returned the most items to the lost and found won ... a whole candy bar.

Now you might think a candy bar isn't much of a reward.  But typically there isn't any candy at Pony Farm. A whole candy bar is a big deal in these parts.  In fact, the competition got pretty steep. Some campers took other team's trash and then were eventually disqualified because they continued to not listen to the rules when they were VERY CLEAR.  (Who knew trash could be so valuable? And that barn cleaning competition turns out to be a life skill, too!)

In the afternoon we played a horse trivia game with five teams of campers. The trivia topic was -- you guessed it -- horses!  (There might have been candy involved in this too!)

The horse trivia board: "I'll take Clydesdales for 500, Alex."

 Wednesday night we played Personal Scavenger Hunt, one of my favorite camp games. We divide the camp into teams.  Then, we ask a trivia question about the farm, horses, maybe pop culture, or the campers might have to sing or dance.  Each team sends one member up to slap the table to answer the question.  The first person to slap the table gets to answer.  We keep score and the team with the most points wins.  In good weather, we play on the back lawn, but it was too wet for that, so we played in the indoor arena. Not as pretty inside, but very dry!

Thursday, we swam with the horses and had lessons, and after dinner had another OAPF event -- Pony Farm's Next Top Model. Today your campers were busy with lessons, and packing, and working on the specialty they'll show you tomorrow.

We will be seeing you all really soon!

Best,

Becky
Co-Director, Pony Farm

PS Did you miss our amazing Session 5B campers taking the "ALS Ice Bucket Challenge"?

Post by Pony Farm.

Pony Farm Session 5A - What, Already?!

Dear Camp Families,

It has been a while since I have written.  I do apologize.  I can only make so many excuses for why I haven't written -- but here is my list!

• Hanging out and getting to know your daughters! (Who are fabulous, by the way. Maybe you already knew that.)
  

  

  You know, just hanging out with Jordan

• Helping out at our home horse show
• Playing personal scavenger hunt
• Playing the Chocolate Game
• Holding community meetings with campers
• Going swimming
• Taking pictures of camp activities
• Playing Counselor Quest (I always get found.  What's with that?)
• Petting ponies, horses, dogs, goats, sheep, and the donkey
• Talking to the chickens!

Oh and running a camp. I forgot to put that on my list.

In all seriousness, Session 5 has arrived. It's hard to believe it's come so quickly. Your daughters are a terrific group of girls!  Horse matching, the first order of business, went very well on Monday, with only 4 re-rides in the afternoon.

Heading back to the barn: the only drama is in that sky

 While re-rides happen, the rest of the campers play with small animals and take their swim test.  We have a jam-packed week coming up with a fashion show (the Pony Farm version, of course!), riding lessons, bag skits, Counselor Quest, the ice cream trough, swimming with the horses, carriage driving with Boo, and a whole lot more.

Guess what's the quickest path to a pony's heart?

 So, if you'll excuse me ...

Session 5A has an agenda!

 Best,

Becky
Co-Director, Pony Farm

PS: Speaking of the horse show, check out some photos on Facebook:

Post by Touchstone Farm.

OAPF - Battle of the Boy Bands

Dear Camp Families,

In my last post, I told you we are too busy having fun for me to write. Now I will try to make up a little by explaining another OAPF (Only at Pony Farm) activity.

You might have heard us mention Battle of the Boy Bands. While that's a weird phrase for an all girls riding camp, it is in fact a really fun game, which naturally we made up.

It goes like this ...

1.  We divide the camp into 6 teams based on campers' riding experience, so that each team has a variety of riding experience among teammates. 

2.  Each team comes up with a Boy Band name for their team.  This year's names are Green Day, Maroon 5, Plain White T's, Jackson 5,  NSYNC, and Backstreet Boys. (Sometimes "boy band" is a term we use loosely.)

3.  During their session, Boy Band teams can accrue points for about 10 different events.  These include Personal Scavenger Hunt, a Hunter Pace, Stable Management, Counselor Quest, Capture the Flag, Talent Show, Fashion Show, Gymkhana Games,and  Pony Farm's Next Top Model.

Session 3 Leaderboard for the Battle of the Boy Bands - NSYNC has the edge!

4. Each Boy Band team has a signature item that they wear during an eligible event in the competition. This might be a blue bandanna, a green shirt, a white shirt, a red ribbon tied in their hair, etc

5.  We host a final awards night - with a dance off!  Each Boy Band prepares a song (sung by their Boy Band) and dance for the award ceremony.  We award prizes!

Battle of the Boy Bands: a lot of fun, very silly, and - did I mention? - a lot of fun!

Best,

Becky

PS In case you're curious, Wikipedia defines "boy band" here. Strangely enough, the definition doesn't mention Pony Farm!