Pony Farm Session 2 - Working for the Weekend

Dear Camp Parents,

We have been busy!

But first, I know that I left you hanging about Ship Wreck Dinner.  On a ship wreck dinner night, the campers don't get your typical spoons, forks, or knives.  Nopers!  They get ladles, funnels, serving spoons and tongs, and more outlandish implements.  We like to get creative!  Have you ever seen a camper eat mashed potatoes by sucking it with a funnel? Well, it is a hoot!

On Wednesday night, we played the Chocolate Game and Counselor Quest.  During the Chocolate Game, I always feel like a bit boss in a casino!  There are campers screaming with excitement, yelling for more chocolate bars, dice are being thrown, children are eating chocolate Hersey bars with spoons and socks on their hands, ... you know, typical camp stuff.  It is never a dull moment here!

We have been doing group riding lessons in the morning in anticipation of the show on Saturday morning.

Isa and Princess working on their technique

This week, painting jumps has been a popular choice on the afternoon activities list.

Painting jumps: It takes a village  summer camp.

This afternoon, we are washing ponies, cleaning tack, and polishing boots.  Tonight, we are having a cook out.  Boo is going to talk about show etiquette and possibly tell some "Boo stories." (O.A.P.F.!)

Cleaning Kiddo!

Cleaning tack in the upper barn

Cleaning boots on the porch

We hope to see some of you at the show. First classes are at 9:00. I know all of camp will be up bright and early.  It is a lot of work to get all the children and ponies ready to show!

Best,
Becky

Pony Farm Session 2 - Keeping Busy

Dear Camp Families,

Yay! We passed the swim test!

Session 2 of Pony Farm Summer Camp has started off with beautiful blue skies and amazing weather!  We haven't had a drop of homesickness, which is always nice.

After our trial rides this morning, we had 5 re-rides for the afternoon to make sure every girl is riding the best horse for her. 

During re-rides the rest of the camp take their swim tests and play with the small animals.  We stay pretty busy here at camp.  It is a little bit different than sitting at your desk at school.

Small animal parade

This evening we play bag skits.  It is a fun and funny game!  Each room of campers gets an empty bag and goes to their room and puts 10 items in the bag.  Then everybody comes back out, and we switch all the bags around.  The campers go back to their rooms to make up a skit using the items in the bag they were handed.

Everyone has a certain amount of time to make up their skit, and then it's showtime!  As I said, it is fun and funny - to pick the items in the bag, to figure out your skit, to see what another room did with your items.

Tomorrow night is shipwreck dinner. You just have to wait until next time to know how that one goes.

Best,

Becky
Co-Camp Director

3 out of 4 campers prefer this T-shirt.

Pony Farm Session 1 - Friday Already??

Dear Camp Families (Especially Session One Families!),

Thank you for entrusting your children to us! We have a had a wonderful session! Thank you for doing your job as parents, because you have terrific kids (for real, not for fake), and thank you for letting us as a camp do our job.

Terrific kids such as these three! (P.S. They clean up well.)

I am sad to see this group depart, but I am thankful  they are the way we started our summer.

I think your girls have learned a lot in this one week, and I hope you notice the changes as well.  Here are a few things that I think they will take away from camp this week.

Perseverance - when your counselors hid really well during counselor quest.  The group that stays together as a team, works as a team, and looks for the counselors until the horn blows will win.  The group whose members give up quickly because it is hard won't find the counselors.

Winning isn't everything. You won't always win every game and that's ok.  The important part is you tried your best.

Great things can come from putting down the cell phones, TVs,  iPods, laptops, iPads and everything in between.  Those great things are called nature, horses, sunshine, friends, and so much more!   

Driving lessons with Boo & George, AKA "learning how to fly with Peaches"

From my perspective, these girls have a lot more confidence in themselves.  I hope you notice these changes and more in your children when you take them home tomorrow.   For these reasons and more, camp is so important. 

Newest members of the Gruffy fan club!

All of us are looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. Your girls have worked hard at their riding lessons and their “specialty,” and they are so excited – WE are so excited – for you to see what they’ve accomplished.

Best,

Becky

Pony Farm Session 1 is Off to the Races!

Dear Pony Farm Camp Families,

Roxy was up bright and early
this morning too!

First, your girls are fabulous!  What a lovely, outgoing, polite group of kids!  There was no home sickness last night as everyone got ready for bed, a sure sign of a great session.  Naturally some of them had a hard time staying quiet until 7:30 this morning.  (But really, who can blame them? I would have a hard time, too!)

It is a gorgeous day here in southern NH.  The sun is out, and it is a little cool. But it's going to warm up in time for swim tests this afternoon. Jordan Reynolds, our Barn Manager, is also a certified life guard. She takes care of swim tests on the first day to make sure everyone can be safe in the pool -- and when swimming the horses, which happens later this week!

Meeting at the big red rock for barn chores

This morning the campers are working on barn chores, and then we will have breakfast.  After breakfast, the girls will get dressed to ride and clean their rooms.  Yes, you read that right. They clean their rooms here!  

We have too many moving parts not to try to stay organized, and that includes camper rooms.  I will tell you our secret to getting our campers to clean their rooms:  We have a competition for room clean up, and everyone in the cleanest room gets Connolly's ice cream.  (Some people may call this bribing, others might call it positive reinforcement.  I just call it smart.)

After they are dressed we will have a community meeting going over how the day will run!  Then we send them down to the barns to get tacked up and test out those ponies and horses!

Best,

Becky

PS Like Pony Farm on Facebook and check out lots more photos. We'll be posting through the week!