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 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 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!

Tuesdays with Boo

Mike & Ben are READY to get back to work.

I was so delighted to see everyone at the Open House for our spring lesson programs. Having everyone enjoying the farm and being together after this long, long winter, made my week. It is such a joy to stand at the barn door to greet old and new friends.

I don't need the ground hog to tell me that spring is on its way. Seeing all those bright and shining faces, eager to get on a horse, ushers in spring for me!

It has been many years since I have been this excited about the coming season and all the fantastic things that are happening at Touchstone, Pony Farm and Horse Power. We are truly 'on a roll' and 'on the move'. With such great staff, horses and the facility upgrades, it is a pleasure indeed to show people around.

Two weeks ago, we had a terrific group of folks who gathered to learn how to start their own programs for therapeutic riding. Being able to inspire them with what our team has accomplished over 42 years was moving indeed. How did I get so blessed to be surrounded by such a great team...and so much for look forward to in life.

I hope you are as energized as I am...and will come soon to visit to share the energy of the farm and the birth of springtime. Until then, stay well and know that the farm gates are always open for YOU!

With a hug and a big smile,

Boo

Notes from a Pony Farm Mom, Part 2

Leah and Victoria Lesser

Guest blogger and Mom of a first-time Pony Farm camper, Leah Lesser wrote earlier about what she learned from her daughter Victoria's first time at camp. This time, she's got some tips for other Pony Farm parents.

Hi Pony Farm family! I’m back to share three things that Pony Farm parents may expect when their daughter returns home from camp:

Dirt: It's a good thing!

1. Dirt. Lots of it. Everywhere. I just unloaded the washing machine and laughed out loud when I saw grass blades and wood chips at the bottom of the drum. Yep. Welcome to Pony Farm laundry! Hot water works wonders.
2. Stories. Lots of them. If your child isn’t very forthcoming with Pony Farm stories, here are a few questions that may help. Give her some time, and she’ll share as the days go by:
• What was it like when everyone went to their bunk to go to sleep? This is how we learned that the girls in her bunk all said goodnight to each other. Ah. My heart was warmed.
• What was your favorite meal? Snack? Aha. Our girl learned to like granola bars. Awesome. A new snack for the upcoming school year!
• What made you laugh? How about that Pony Farm Model night, sounds like fun!
• When did you use the bug spray? This is how we learned all about the counselor quest game at night, and the delights of the ice cream trough.



Dress code for barn chores: casual.

• What did you do first when you woke up in the morning? This is how we discovered that morning barn chores are done in pajamas!

3. If she wakes up early, stumbles to look for a lead line and heads outside to the non-existent pasture, guide her gently back to bed and know that she had an amazing Pony Farm experience!

How soon can you come back?

Thank you, Leah, for your eloquence and advice. We hope to see you and Victoria in 2013!

PS: The Open House for Pony Farm Summer Camp 2013 is coming up fast! Join us on January 6, 2013 at Touchstone Farm. Details are on our website.

Can You Help Us on Giving Tuesday?

Getting ready to ride
 in Horse Power

Have you heard about Giving Tuesday, the nonprofit world's answer to Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Tuesday, November 27 is Giving Tuesday, a day on which supporters are encouraged to make donations to nonprofit organizations whose work they value.

You may know us best for Pony Farm summer camp or our riding lessons, and may not be aware that Touchstone Farm is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation. We have programs for both able-bodied individuals and those with physical, emotional, or cognitive challenges.

If you are in a giving mood on Giving Tuesday, your donation to Touchstone Farm will help fund programs such as:

• Horse Power, our therapeutic riding and driving program for individuals facing physical, cognitive, emotional, behavioral and learning challenges.
• Barnyard Buddies, our summer day camp for children in  grades K – 5 and for children and adults with specials needs.

Punch on parade
during Barnyard Buddies
summer day camp

Your donations help us keep these programs affordable for the participants. For example, we maintain a scholarship fund for Barnyard Buddies so that we can offer reduced or waived tuition to those who cannot afford the regular fee.

Your donations also defray the enormous costs of caring for the wonderful horses and farm animals who are essential to these programs. Horses such as Gretsky, Roxy, Annie, and Socks, whom you may know from Pony Farm or riding or carriage driving lessons, are also specialists in therapeutic riding. We owe it to these terrific animals to give them the best possible care, and that care is expensive.

Dunkin the donkey
and friend

We are grateful to you and all of our supporters for everything you contribute to Touchstone Farm -- time, money, and good wishes. We thank you for all that you do for us.

If you would like to donate today, or anytime, click here to be taken to our online donations form.

Again, we can't say it often enough: thank you. Together, we can do great work.

Barn Chores: Not for Sissies

Campers with strong backs

A thousand pound horse eats and drinks a lot, and generates a lot of, um, waste. A stable full of 1000 pound horses generates a daily need for barn staff.

You might think barn chores are the ultimate in unskilled labor. A strong back for shoveling manure is the only qualification needed for the job, right?

Wrong. If you want the humans and horses to be safe, if you want the horses to stay healthy, if you want to avoid chaos and waste in your barn, you need barn staff who know what they’re doing.

A true Pony Farm camper SMILES
while dumping manure!

Jordan Reynolds handles the chores during the week. Jordan can sweep out a row of stalls in the time it takes me to pick out two of Roxy’s feet. She is also kind and helpful to the Pony Farm campers who do barn chores as part of their camp experience.

The Weight of Water

To be sure, the job does require considerable strength. Everything in a barn is heavy:

• A typical water bucket holds 5 gallons. That's 41.5 pounds of water per bucket.
• Hay bales weigh about 40 pounds each.
• A wheelbarrow full of manure might as well be concrete.
• Stall doors are very heavy, particularly when you are opening or closing them with one hand while the other holds an excited horse.

Air Traffic Control of Flying Hooves

This is Dawn. She
always smiles like that.

I've helped out with barn chores a few times on weekends, when Dawn Mills is in charge. From what I've seen, turnout is the barn chore that requires heavy-duty smarts, common sense, and even bravery.

Food and time outside their stalls are very important to the horses (Roxy!), and they can be nervy when coming in or out. A horse may try to shove past as you open a stall door or paddock fence. You could get stepped on or jammed against a wall if you’re not prepared for it.

The bolder horses turned out in the OC like to come flying in together at a gallop. Dawn’s advice for getting them to slow down and behave: “Wave your arms and try to look big.” I’m not sure I could pull that off, but the horses don’t mess with Dawn.

Some horses have strong opinions about other horses and it’s best that they don’t encounter each other in transit. The extra horses that arrive for summer camp can be quite jumpy at first.

I see Dawn handle all of this like an air-traffic controller at LaGuardia. She knows the stall and paddock of every horse and who their turnout partners are. She knows the safe, efficient sequence to bring horses in and out. She knows who shouldn’t eat grass along the way, who needs a fly mask, and who won’t put up with fly spray.

(Dawn also knows who’s naughty and nice. She lets me have the nice horses when I help with turnout.)

Love Optional but Highly Desirable

So far we have these required job skills: physical strength, kindness, critical thinking, a knowledge of horse behavior, sound judgment, steady nerves, and the ability to make yourself look big. Jordan and Dawn know the horses as well as anyone on the farm, and they love them, too. I don’t know if love is necessary for the job, but I know it makes life better for the horses.

See you around the farm.

Kathy McDonald
Rider and Volunteer at Touchstone Farm

Night Moves

Fall at Touchstone Farm brings cool, crisp days that are perfect for horseback riding. It also brings the fall crop of Instructor Training Candidates (ITCs) in the Horse Power Instructor Training Program (HPITS).

The OC: But I digress ...

The ITCs attend a three-month course of intensive training to be therapeutic riding instructors. ITCs who complete the course and pass the PATH Intl. certification requirements are eligible for PATH Intl. Instructor Certification at the Registered level.

The HPITS curriculum covers everything from lesson planning to horse selection, to the complexities of physical and mental disabilities, to the business of running a therapeutic riding program. A unique aspect of the program at Touchstone Farm is the emphasis on the instructor’s horsemanship, including the instructor’s own riding skills.

The Homestead: Home away from
home for the ITCs

ITCs have long days that begin with barn chores and often end with evening lectures and homework. They live onsite, at the Homestead, and are completely immersed in the life of the farm during their stay.

I love having ITCs on the farm. They are without exception interesting, engaging, fun horse people. Plus, their presence means that I always have someone to ride with on the weekends.

It’s because of HPITS that I got to participate in one of Roxy’s great roaming adventures. (You were wondering when I would get to that, weren’t you?)

Last October, I often rode on weekend afternoons with Gina, an ITC from Texas. One Saturday night, we went out to dinner after our ride. We returned to the farm around 9 PM. Just before the entrance to the farm, a large, dark shape loomed at the roadside and then stepped into the road.

Roxy, loose and nearly invisible on the dark country road.

Roxy: "What? I was hungry."

She should have been safely in the Garden paddock, which is tucked between the entrance to the farm and the river. This year, a grant enabled the farm to rebuild Garden and many of the other paddocks with fences and gates worthy of Fort Knox. Last summer, though, Garden was in rough shape, and the barn staff did what they could to keep it secure.

The paddock was plenty secure for Annie and Velvet, but for Roxy, not so much. This wasn’t the first time she’d gotten out. She had found a spot against a slope where she could climb over the electric fence without getting much of a zap. Once loose, she roamed in search of good eats.

Gina and I drove up to the barn, where Gina grabbed a halter. We returned to the farm entrance and called for Roxy. No surprise, she didn’t answer. We didn’t have flashlights, and the car’s headlights didn’t illuminate much. A bright moon was shining, but it was impossible to see in the shadows.

Pausing to think like our quarry, we returned to the barn for a bucket and some grain. Back at the farm entrance, Gina stepped from the car and rattled the grain bucket.

Cloppity, cloppity, Roxy instantly trotted out from the shadows at the river’s edge and plunged her head into the bucket. I clipped on her halter, took the bucket from Gina, and led Roxy back to the barn. In the moonlight, I could see the other horses in Garden and Kennel paddocks rush to the fences to follow our progress.

Gina met us at the barn and we put Roxy in her stall. Roxy was gracious about being busted, although the hay in her stall may have had something to do with that. We shut out the lights and went our separate ways for the night, grateful that we had caught Roxy before she met with disaster.

Rebuilt paddocks: Oh, how I love
those sturdy fences!

After this adventure, the farm staff moved Roxy and her turnout buddies to the OC, a multi-acre pasture with enough grass to keep even Roxy inside. Now Roxy resides in the Front paddock, which has the advantage of being in the center of farm activity. Surrounded by staff, riders, and other horses, Roxy stays put, although she is still the first one at the gate come suppertime.

I can’t drive by the Garden paddock without thinking of that night with Roxy and Gina. It makes me smile, but Garden's sturdy new fence makes me smile even more.

See you around the farm.

Kathy McDonald
Rider and Volunteer at Touchstone Farm

Escape Artistry

Blue: Don't be fooled
by all the cute.

The recent rain has greened up the lawns at Touchstone Farm, and the cool days have re-energized the animals after the summer muggies, renewing their spirit of adventure. That’s my explanation for a sudden increase in escapes on the farm.

I arrived at the farm on Saturday morning to find Blueberry, that wily pony, munching happily on a patch of grass near his paddock. On Sunday, as Roxy and I worked in the Hacking ring, I could hear annoyed squeals coming from the barn. That was Blue, shut into a stall to keep him from wandering while the barn staff figures out how he is getting out of his paddock.

It really IS greener.

One of the sheep has been getting out, too. He doesn’t go far – just to nibble grass on the other side of his paddock fence. You put him back, and minutes later he’s mysteriously out again.

The farm has two other determined escape artists. Kiwi the goat is one. He is smart, friendly, and curious. You never know where Kiwi will turn up, but it’s seldom where you want him to be.

Kiwi: He's everywhere
he shouldn't be.

Kiwi and I went head to head on Sunday when I was tacking up Roxy in the lower barn. I heard thumps and crashes in the locked grain room. When I unlocked the door and slid it open, there was Kiwi, trying to get the lids off grain barrels.

I shooed him out, only to see him nimbly re-enter from the unlocked side of the sliding door. He and I went another few rounds, and then Jordan Reynolds, a member of the barn staff, found a barrel to wedge against Kiwi’s personal entrance.

I think Kiwi knew I ratted him out to Jordan. As Roxy and I walked to the ring, Kiwi followed us, head-butting me along the way.

Goat-proofing the grain room

Later, I saw Boo take him firmly by the collar and stuff him into the stall next to the incarcerated Blueberry. Busted by the big boss.

There’s little love lost between Kiwi and the farm's other great escape artist, Roxy. The only time I’ve ever seen Roxy put her ears back is when Kiwi gets in her face.
 
I thought they might see each other as kindred spirits, sharing their love of freedom and food. This is not the case. They are fierce competitors in a contest of unauthorized eating.

Roxy: "Can't comment. Eating."

Roxy keeps to her paddock these days, but her adventures in breaking and exiting have set the bar pretty high, even for clever Kiwi. Next week, I’ll tell you about Roxy’s Greatest Escape.

See you around the farm, and watch out for that goat.

Kathy McDonald
Rider and Volunteer at Touchstone Farm

She Eats Like a Horse

Roxy: "Hullo. Got anything to eat?"

To say that Roxy, my lesson horse at Touchstone Farm, is food motivated is only to scratch the surface of her deep passion for all things edible. Roxy dines on good quality grain and hay in quantities appropriate for her age and size. Even so, she never – I mean never – misses an opportunity to scarf down extra “noms.”

Roxy is impressively skilled at finding sources of snacks. When leading her, I’ve learned the hard way to watch for bales of hay, grain buckets intended other horses, and patches of green grass. But pulling leaves off a nearby tree? No, I didn’t see that coming.

In the lower barn, the smart money is on keeping Roxy to the middle of aisle. Otherwise, she sticks her head into every stall to see if there might be a little grain left unattended in a bucket. (I guess it’s the equine equivalent of double-checking the coin return in vending machines. It could pay off.) Even on cross-ties, she can snatch a mouthful of hay from passing barn staff just trying to do chores.

A big challenge of trail riding with Roxy is all the greenery along the roadsides. When I see this:

Roxy apparently sees this:

Roxy’s food escapades are legendary. Here are a few of them:

• A few years ago, she got loose in the lower barn, worked her way into the grain room and feasted. She ate so much that staff needed to monitor her carefully for signs of laminitis. (Thankfully, it didn't develop.)
• Last summer, she regularly defeated the electric fence around her paddock to roam the farm at night in search of edibles. (I had a part in one of these excursions – a story for another post.)
• This summer, on a Pony Farm overnight camping trip, Roxy got loose during the night and ate the hay and grain intended for all the horses on the trip.

Fortunately, the new paddock fences put in this summer keep her secure at turnout, and her stall is now far away from the grain room. But Roxy’s determination to get at good eats is a challenge for the equine staff and her riders. We know, but Roxy alas does not, that she is too clever for her own good when it comes to finding food. Overeating could make her very sick.

Still, part of me admires Roxy’s ability to see potential dessert trays in the landscape of her world. I think of it as her personal take on the “Bloom where you’re planted” philosophy. In Roxy’s case, perhaps it’s “Eat the blooms where they’re planted.”

See you around the farm.

Kathy McDonald
Rider and Volunteer at Touchstone Farm

Groomed for Success

Roxy’s coat gets far more attention from me than my own “coat” does. That’s not just because she’s got more hair and I have no sense of decorum.

Roxy cleans up so well.

Grooming is one of the rituals of horsemanship that may at first seem arbitrary but in fact has an important purpose. Grooming a horse’s coat removes dirt and loose hair. It also stimulates the skin and encourages blood flow to maintain a healthy coat.

If I rode Roxy without grooming her, she could easily develop nasty sores where her saddle and bridle rub against her. Horses, despite their size and power, are fairly delicate creatures in some respects.

At Touchstone Farm, riding students groom horses before and after every ride. As a beginner, I was little stunned to realize that I had to go over Dusty’s coat – head to tail, legs and feet too – THREE times with THREE different brushes.

Then there’s the other crucial task of grooming: picking the horse’s hooves to remove packed dirt, manure, and stones. I wince just thinking about how painful it would be for Roxy to have a stone digging into her hoof while she carried me.

(A little horse trivia here, courtesy of Denise Hopkins, Equine Manager at the farm: wild horses don’t have much trouble with impacted material in their hooves. Unshod, the bottoms of their feet are relatively flat. They don’t have the pronounced frog that can trap debris.)

Not as easy as you might think

Horses are trained to let us pick up their feet and dig away at them with a hoof pick. This was a little daunting when I first learned to do it. Damn, those feet are heavy. And it’s hard not to feel vulnerable and awkward bending down and hefting a hoof with one hand and picking at it with the other. I’ve had manure up my sleeve more times than I care to admit.

At some stables, you don’t groom or even tack up your lesson horse. Since riders aren’t born knowing how to do these things correctly – and more important, safely – this seems like a mistake to me. Learning to groom also helps a beginner like me get comfortable in such close contact with horses. And it helps my horse get comfortable with ME.

I’ve come to love grooming Roxy. I think of riding as something Roxy does for me. Grooming is one modest way I can repay her for that.

Relaxing after another job well done.
(Please note Roxy's gleaming coat.)

Some of my favorite “riding” moments have been grooming Roxy, especially after we ride. Roxy is relaxed because she knows she’s done and will soon re-join her BFFs, Annie and Velvet. Our ride finished, I’m happy to do a slow and careful grooming. I end by scratching Roxy’s ears and stroking her face as her eyelids flutter closed.

“Thank you,” I say. “You’re the best.”

“I know,” I imagine Roxy replying. “Got any treats?”

See you around the farm.

Kathy McDonald
Rider and Volunteer at Touchstone Farm