May 15th, 2008


Dearest Pony Farmers….Campers, Lesson Folks, Horse Show Friends and Fellow Horse & Pony Lovers,

It always makes my day to write this blog to YOU….It makes me think of camp and lessons and all things “horsey” and “farmy”…my favorite things! I hope that this letter finds you well and having enjoyed this beautiful spring. After the long, hard winter we had, what a relief to see the grass green, the horses shedding and getting slick, the gardens blooming and the gentle breeze blowing warm air filled with the smell of lilacs. I do love the life on the farm. Each season brings such different things. I can not imagine living anywhere else. I guess Pony Farm is stuck with me!!!

What fun it has been seeing the farm come alive this spring after the snow melted. All of you, lesson students, look like you have made such progress. I love watching folks trotting or cantering around the ring, hopping over jumps. I also love seeing the trail rides go out down the road, enjoying the apple blossoms or the pussy willows as they sprout. My darn asthma has made it hard for me to be right there in the barn with you but I am sure there in spirit. I can’t wait to swing a leg over a horse and trot down the road or hop over a jump….It won’t be long now as I am sooo much better, thanks to sooo many people’s support…..I also can’t wait to see you ride in the PF Lesson Horse Show on May 31st. I will be there to cheer you on and see what progress you have made. Rest assured that I have been kept up to speed by Lorna, Jessy, Lisa, Jessy and the rest of the crew….I have had all good reports from them. I hope the lessons have gone as well for you and that you have found your special ‘horse partner’ to love and enjoy!!!!


Speaking of events, I was just so thrilled to be at the “SPRING FLING FAMILY WEEKEND” in the beginning of May…I adored seeing each and every family….What a special treat it was to see the Hoffman Family…Allison, the mom, came to camp here over 30 years ago….We surely cried when we first saw each other. What a treat it is for me to have people who have loved this farm like I have for that many years. Allison and Charles’ daughter, Isabel, is coming to camp this summer at just the same age as Allison was when she came…..I LOVE second generation campers and staff…It gives me comfort that some things in this big old world are not changing!!!!! The love of horses, the land and the spirit of camp…..those seem to remain constant all these years!

We also had some terrific families from as far away as NY and Ct….we celebrated four birthdays and had a lovely time. Please do take a look at some of the pictures of this fun weekend.

Sadly, I missed the “FATHER DAUGHTER WEEKEND” in April due to my asthma….This is one of my favorite weekends because I love seeing how well the Dads and Daughters get along….I am always so impressed by the parenting and the devotion of the Dads!

However……..best of all….it is nearly time for PONY FARM SUMMER CAMP to begin. Only 31 more days until the first camper arrives!!!! I must fess up to the fact that camp is still what I love the most of all the things that we do here. I guess that is why this is the 37th summer that I have done Pony Farm!!!! I can’t get enough of a good thing….And, Wow, are we ready for you. The lodge is sparkling, the herb garden will be growing for fresh herbs for our food, the staff is spectacular, all the horses are gathered and getting fit and ready, the tack has been checked over and the small animals await your arrival. The pool is soon to be open and the jumps are all in the rings, being touched up along with the ring fences. The stalls in both barns have been redone so everything looks sharp! The Bunkhouse has a new floor, new ceilings and a new roof, making it a great ‘home away from home’. The Cottage has been lovingly lived in this year, so it is all in good shape for your arrival. These houses are such fun for the older kids…and are in great shape to meet the approval of the Moms as well!

Kris, Jessy, Lorna, Kelly and Donnie are all hard at work doing the paperwork portion of the American Camping Association Accreditation visit that will take place in July. Every three years we are re-accredited. This will mark our 10 time….We are striving for a 100% and have a good chance of achieving that goal. With Kris as the Camp Co-Director, Jessy as the Equine Manager, assisted by Lorna as Co-Directors of Riding, Kelly as the Lodge and Food Manager, and Donnie as our Camp nurse managing the health and wellbeing of the campers and staff, we will surely run a tip top operation this summer. Adding such a great team of riding instructors, both Senior Summer Counselors and Counselors-in-Training, we are truly poised to have a great summer. Now, all that we need it YOU!!!!

Speaking of YOU and great campers…I want to highlight two pretty spectacular campers…one a current camper and one an alumnae…I am a most proud Camp Director for sure with these two ladies….Let me tell you why!!!


Shira Hornstein, who just turned 10, and has been a camper for a couple of years and come to several family weekends, had a birthday party recently. On her own, she decided to ask her friends to donate money to Horse Power, our therapeutic riding program here on the farm, instead of giving her presents….That alone made me proud of her….but then, when she raised soooo much money, I was amazed and delighted…..Her parents joined in the venture….We now have the exciting decision to make as to how she wants to have her donation spent….She is probably going to be able to help us buy two raised gardens for our new gardening program…and sponsor two kids for our special needs day camp called Barn Yard Buddies….and help sponsor the chicken flock for two months….Can you imagine doing all of this at 10. We are so very proud of her. I love this picture of her with Gretta….What a kid…What good things will she do for the world when she grows up if this is what she does as she turns 10!


The other former camper is Hadley Warner, who came to camp nearly 15 years ago. She was teeney and bought one of our favorite ponies called Chicklet who was 10.2 hh. She and Chicklet began their career together and it is now culminating in her training with a nationally recognized coach and doing national level Three Day Eventing….Look at her fly…What a position! What confidence. Who would have imagined this when she was hardly tall enough to put the saddle on Chicklet by herself. We are so proud of so many of our camp alumnae who have gone on to high level riding, or being a vet, or become a riding instructor themselves, or even started their own summer riding camp….or therapeutic program….We have such amazing kids come to camp and lessons that it is no wonder they end up to be amazing adults….Congratulations to you Hadley!!!


The Farm Animal program is thriving and will be a big part of the summer camp. We have the four minis, four goats, two sheep and the dear donkey….We are adding some good pasture for them so everyone can have a nice place to stay with good green grass. We also have the
chickens and they are thriving…with three hens setting on eggs, we will have lots of baby chicks and fresh eggs to have you enjoy. We still have the three bunnies and two guinea pigs….all who love to be handled and led around. This summer I want to build a really good obstacle course with campers so that we can do lots of fun games with all the animals….This has been a huge addition to the overall farm and is a program that is here to stay for sure.
In addition, we have really spruced up the existing gardens and window boxes. We have grown over 25 flats of seeds and are about to plant lots of vegetables and flowers, along with the herbs for camp cooking….We will not be able to grow all the food for camp, but we will surely have lots of good veggies for ‘snacking’ as we enjoy being in the gardens…Wait until you see what has been done….and been done by Kindergarteners through 4th graders. We have joined with the Temple Elementary School, thanks to a grant by CVS and two camp families (yippee), to do this program called “Earthkeepers”. In addition to the animals and gardens, they have worked with specialist to do some wildlife work on the farm. They have built and hung over 30 bird houses….created a toad and frog habitat, created a butterfly, humming bird and pollination garden, and generally made the farm a place to ‘sit and rest a spell’. We hope you will plan time to visit these spots and enjoy what has been created to make the world a better and more beautiful place.

With much love and affection, I send my best to you all!

Hugs,

Isabella (Boo) McDaniel, M.Ed.
Founder and Exec Director of Pony Farm
CHA and NARHA Master Instructor

Happy Spring to YOU!!!

Dearest Pony Farm Friends and Families,

As Easter has come and gone, I marvel at the snow still in the yard. Never has any spring been more expectantly awaited than this year. Wow, with over 110 inches of snow, it has been quite a wait but I know it will be worth it. And….are we ever ready to greet you!!! We simply can not wait to see you and welcome you to the farm.

We just started spring riding lessons yesterday. What a pleasure it was to have the sun shining, the ponies shedding, the rings melting and the students running to the barn to meet their riding friends and teachers. We have an excellent lesson turn out with lots of full classes and eager instructors. The horses and ponies are being gently ridden by our loyal ‘Barn Rats’ and riders to get them in shape for the spring season, the workshops, the fun family weekends and camp. The manes are being pulled, saddles fitted and hooves trimmed up…In short, we are ready and eager to begin our full riding season!

A family Tradition:
My Daughters Jamie and Ella took granddaughters Morgan & Megan for a spring ride.

The staff has been fantastic. With Kris, as General Manager, at the helm of the day to day in the barn, the place and programs are looking sharp! Camp is nearly full, with a few more spots in one week sessions….so, if you know of someone who might like to come to Pony Farm this summer for one week of ‘sleep over’ camp, filled with riding, driving, vaulting and even swimming with the horses and a pony camping trip, let us know right away and let’s fill those last few spots. The staff is coming together beautifully for camp as well. The lodge is all ready to go. Kelly & Deb, the Lodge Managers, are already planning awesome menus for us. Donnie will be here again as our camp Nurse and Photographer…Both of her daughters are hooked into riding, so we are so lucky to have her with us again! Kris and I are going to the camping conference this weekend to buy some cool new camp clothes and get all the latest & greatest of camp information to be really ready. We only wish it was going to begin tomorrow so that we could greet you as you come in the door!

Our January Camp Open House Tour Guides with Kris

Jessy, as our Barn Manager, has been doing her usual excellent work with the horses. We have wintered 42 four footed treasures and, despite the snow, they look terrific…. They are all fat and starting not to be so furry. We are starting to gather horses for the summer months. We are also planning the summer horse shows and a fun schooling clinic in April. Under the watchful eye of both Jessy and Corey, our Farm Manager, we have rebuilt all the barn stalls and doors. We can’t wait to paint the new wood so it all looks beautiful. It is sooo important to keep up the whole barn so that it still looks as beautiful as it did when it was a Stage Coach stop on the way from Boston to Montreal.

Jessy & the Barn Crew took great care of the horses.













The two newest additions to our team have been Lauren Riccio, our new Marketing Director and Lorna Young, our returning Pony Farm Riding Director. Both fantastic ladies have been with the farm for years as either students or staff members in different positions. Together, they have really been working on upgrading, organizing and promoting the Pony Farm lessons, spring family and adult weekends and all our workshops. They have really worked on our Pony Farm website and organized lots of brochures….What fun to see the farm thrive under their care. Please do introduce yourselves on the phone when you call and make sure you set up a time to come visit.

Many attended Pony Farm Spring Lesson Open House

I am most excited to be teaching again. I love all the planning that goes on for the farm but my real treat is to be with the kids and animals. In addition to my regular job of running the farm and teaching, I am starting a new Farm Animal and Gardening Program at the farm. I think we are going to call it “Earth Keepers”. I am sooo excited about adding new farm animals, including laying ducks, baby chicks, a new goat or two, a sheep, and the donkey, of course. The four minis are already in fine form and eager to have attention. The bunnies, guinea pigs and laying hens are hard at work entertaining everyone who comes to visit. We are starting seedlings to grow vegetables, flowers, herbs….all geared to having vegetables for camp snacks and special dinners, plus attracting lots of wildlife and birds to the farm….My mission is to make this a peaceful, joyous and welcoming place to YOU to come visit. I will let you know as we unfold this new adventure of the farm.

The other reason for the Farm Animal, Gardening and Wildlife program is that we will offer a Day Camp for little kids this summer for the first time in over 15 years….Many years ago, my daughter, Jamee and Lizzie, her best friend, did a day camp for our little lesson kids….It was a huge success, drawing in some of the finest riders we ever created. We want to bring this back this summer in August, following in the steps of the Barn Yard Buddies Day camp that Horse Power has offered for the last four years. We have already had great interest in this and we can’t wait to watch everyone enjoy the baby ducks, birds, bees, and the gardens galore. What a great place to live…I am so lucky!!!

Finally, we are really excited about our upcoming Father-Daughter Weekend, our Family Spring Fling Weekend and our May Adult Get Away Weekend. We love having an ‘excuse’ to get to see our camp families and friends during the off season. We are chock full for both the Father/Daughter and the Spring Fling…with some spots left in the Adult Riding and Driving Get Away weekend….We hope you are part of it all.

So, I end as I began by wishing you a great spring filled with fun, health and happiness. I can not wait to get out and jump those jumps, ride those trails that we cleared last year, plant those gardens and play with the farm animals. Spring is simply my favorite time of the year. I can not wait to share it with you.

Most warmly,

Isabella (Boo) McDaniel
Founder and Executive Director of Pony Farm.

BOO’S BLOG FOR CAMP!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Dearest Pony Farmers… Past, Present and Future,

What a thrill for me to be in touch with YOU!!!! It is my great hope that you will enjoy seeing the Pony Farm web site develop and enjoy reading my tales of the farm. It is my hope to keep this blog going so that you will know what is happening at the farm all year long and feel a part of the ‘farm family’ of horses, ponies, farm animals, and people, of course! I will write every couple of weeks to announce upcoming weekends, specialty vacation camps and other events of note. Mostly, we want to have you feel connected to Pony Farm!!! It is also my hope that you will write back to me at my email and tell me your news. My email is boomcdaniel@ponyfarm.com . I am eager to hear from you!

As I write this, my first Pony Farm blog ever, I am feeling particularly excited about Pony Farm and summer camp 2008. We have been working hard on getting the right text and the best pictures for our new web site and camp brochure. Pouring over the thousands of pictures we have and seeing everyone’s smiling faces make me truly wish summer camp was starting tomorrow! The pictures remind me of all the fun we have at camp. I loved choosing pictures of lessons, trail rides, driving, vaulting, swimming with the horses, all day rides and drives, camping trips with the ponies (even if it was on the front lawn due to rain!), horse shows, Hunter Paces and Gymkhana games… not to mention the night time activities and silly fun. I love it all. Mostly, I love being with you….campers, staff and families. What a great way to spend my life!

This holiday season I have felt especially fortunate to have been a camp director for the last 36 years. I have had the great pleasure of seeing or hearing from so many current and former campers, as well as getting lots of emails from new campers. Many of my favorites from past years have come to visit or have written long letters in their Holiday greetings to update me on how their own kids are doing. What a thrill in this fast moving, ever changing world to stay connected to a person from her childhood to being able to get to know her children!!! I think this is a rare and precious gift indeed! Thank you to all of you who have been in touch. Whether you were here 36 years ago or are just getting to know the farm, I truly wish you well and hope that you will not be a stranger here at Pony Farm in 2008.

We just finished celebrating Kris Young’s birthday today. What a gift she has been to the life of the farm in general, and to summer camp in specific. She certainly shares my passion for kids and horses, especially summer camp. Together, with the rest of the staff, we are gearing up for our PONY FARM SUMMER CAMP OPEN HOUSE THIS SUNDAY JANUARY 6TH FROM 1 TO 4pm. Jessy, Heather, Corey, Kathy, Kelly and Deb will all be with us to greet new campers. We also have several campers from last summer who will be serving as Tour Guides. We welcome any of you who have been with us before to join us as we want everyone who loves horses to know just how great Pony Farm is!!!! If you were with us last summer, bring your best friend. If you know of a cousin or best buddy from the barn who loves horses and might want to come to the open house, let them know. If YOU are curious about what camp is like and have never been here before, join us for sure. The more, the merrier!

We are excited to be offering that one week session in June so that littler kids or those who have never been away before can get their ‘feet wet’ at Pony Farm without having to be away from home for two weeks. We have gotten lots of interest in that session. We are currently accepting registrations from both former campers and new campers. We are excited to see the amount of interest we are receiving for camp in general. It looks like it is going to be a banner year. Thank you for spreading the word about Pony Farm!!!

The ponies and horses are all doing very well. Luckily, it has not been too cold. They love being out and romping around with each other in the fluffy snow. The farm looks like an old fashioned holiday card with the snow on the trees and the animals contentedly munching on hay. They are having a good rest before lessons start up again.
Wait until you see them in their winter fur. It is hard to remember what they look like all shed out and ready for a horse show!

I guess it is time to say goodbye for now. I hope you will enjoy our new web site and visit it many times as it develops. We want to add in any pictures, poems or remembrances from your time at the farm. Just send them along to me in an email. We are having such fun developing the web site and want you to feel part of it all.

Until then, be well and enjoy your horses and each other. I can’t wait to see you in the New Year. Whether you are coming for the first time, joining us for a specialty weekend, bringing your best friend or sharing your daughter with us, you will be welcome. We love all that Pony Farm stands for and want to share our love of horses and the farm itself with you and your family.

Warmly,


Isabella (Boo) McDaniel, M.Ed.
Founder and Exec. Director of Pony Farm
CHA and NARHA Master Instructor

PS….Look for more details on February Vacation Camp, as well as Adult Specialty Riding & Driving Weekends….We have lots of exciting things in the works!!!