Sunny Days Ahead!!

Monday July 28th, 2008


Dearest Pony Farm “Extended Family”,

It is soooo fun to hear through the phone calls and emails that so many of you read these blogs. I have heard from people far and wide who are keeping up with the happenings here at Pony Farm. I am thrilled that you care enough to read what we do. I send my very best to you all…whether you are family members of the current campers or extended family, far and wide, it is a pleasure and a privilege to have you read this letter. I am so thrilled that people love this farm and our adventures as much as I do. Do come visit soon. Know that you will always be welcome.

I left off on Friday with my fingers crossed for a good weather day on Saturday. With the clouds clearing and some dry kindling from the barn, we gathered after dinner around the fire pit in the front of the lodge. With the fire burning brightly and the kids smiling expectantly, we were off on a story telling mission. Sadly, due to my dad being just released from the hospital, we did not have my mom. I was an OK “Stand In” but she really does spin a yarn! The kids begged for the most vivid stories to which I was able to comply as I have listened to these same stories since I was a wee one. We then had the staff chime in their horse stories including Jamie’s stories from representing the US in Mexico, Belgium and New Zealand. We really do have the best staff this year. They had great tales and the kids gave them all their rapt attention. We will be hard pressed to top this staff next year, I can assure you!

The kids trundled off to bed with nary a peep in anticipation of the Ride A Thon. We had the teams all organized with Captains and Co-Captains. Kids seemed most eager to begin their rides. We woke them a little earlier than usual on Saturday so that we could be ready for the whole camp to be clean, organized, correctly dressed & pressed and ready to roll by 10AM sharp. With great cooperation from kids and staff, we were indeed ready to go.

The day was absolutely perfect…sunny, cool and with a nice gentle breeze. The Good Lord must surely look down on us. All the Horse Power Board members on the committee and the many volunteers came right on time, making it a pleasure for all. Safety is, of course, our first priority and the safety check point people were all nicely in place, awaiting the riders. Everything went off without a hitch with all the kids and horses being cool, calm and smiling as they paraded back in. It was really fun to be announcing each team from my vantage point on the front porch of the lodge. To see all those healthy, happy children mounted on shiney, content horses was a pretty picture indeed. I will remember this as we are dealing with frozen water buckets, heaps of snow and below zero temps this winter…It is truly all worth any amount of work!

Following the Ride A Thon which culminated with all the teams proudly riding back in at 12:25…not bad for a guestimated timed of 12:30, we were really hungry and eager to eat. The chefs had the BBQ pit fired up and the chicken, burgers and hot dogs ready and waiting. The smell was enough to make anyone hungry. We had many local businesses sponsoring the event as well as the food so the eats were o’plenty. All the participants got the Ride A Thon tee shirts with the sponsors on the back. Everyone looked so cool with their matching shirts.

We then did a little thank you and awards ceremony on the front lawn of the lodge. We had a number of parents there to support the kids and to walk parts of the trails. With a good size audience, we thanked all the event sponsors, the volunteers, the committee members and the event staff. We also awarded the prize for the most amount raised. This ‘goody bag’ which included lots of fun treasures and a $25 gift certificate from Smart Pak, one of our event sponsors, was awarded to Sophie Shulman. She had raised $400 herself…She is also hosting a Yard Sale to benefit Horse Power when she gets home….What a treat to have someone of her age with a bent toward philanthropy. We really appreciated her efforts on Horse Power’s behalf. We also appreciated the efforts of Emily Selland who received the prize for the most sponsors. She had 10 different people who donated to her efforts on behalf of Horse Power. Again, it is impressive in this day and age when so many kids are so busy that she would take the time to recruit that many sponsors. Well done, ladies!

Following the awards, everyone changed out of their riding clothes and into their swim suits and shorts for an afternoon of swimming and playing with the farm animals. I always love this time as I am such a fan of seeing children gently and lovingly playing with the farm animals. With us losing a farm a day in New England, many children never get to actually collect a warm egg from a nesting box, touch a goat, ride a donkey or do an obstacle course with a mini. The rabbits and guinea pigs on leashes were pretty much favorites. The ducks also seemed to be a hit as they swam in their ducky play pond of a water trough and a child’s wading pool. With giggles of glee and lots of beautiful healthy bodies, the afternoon was a pleasant one for sure. I love sharing this peaceful time on the farm with the parents too. Lots of people went out for ice cream with the favorite spot being the dairy farm right down the road. Being able to meet and greet the actual cows who produce the milk for the ice cream is a treat in and of itself!

That night, the kids did their barn chores in record time so they could have a yummie dinner and see a movie. The feature was Over Board with Goldie Hawn and Kirt Russell…so cute! Many of them fell asleep during the movie after their three or five mile ride, swim tests and running with the minis…It sure is an active day here on the farm.

Sunday morning dawned gray and foggy. The girls got to sleep in as this is their ‘day off’ from horses. They then cleaned their rooms, ate a nice brunch and just ‘vegged’ for the morning. After a big lunch, we all split up to finish the swim tests with our life guard. We were unable to swim due to chilly weather or down right downpours….so, we finally have everyone through the swim test to make sure we are ready to do the camping trip and the swimming with the horses. The girls got to swim for a little while. They also got to play with the Farm Animals again. However, the thunder and lightening started up again with another drenching rain….arghhh…back to the lodge for arts and crafts, as well as Talent Show practice.

I took lots and lots of kids with me to have a fun afternoon playing with the minis whom we harnessed up and drove in the pony carts. We also drove Peaches who is a Welsh pony who is 10.1 hands high. With the girls having gotten a good intro to driving safety and procedure, I let them take turns driving together with me and several staff members standing ready to offer a helping hand. The minis are so good and safe that I felt it was fine to let the girls drive without a staff person as long as we were in a ring and right there ready to step in. We also harnessed up the new mini that we got from the NE Miniature Horse Rescue organization. She was busy nursing her baby last summer so we left her alone. We were most pleased to see how well she took to the harness and the cart, showing not one sign of nervousness.

We also got the donkey, AKA DQ or Donkey Quixote, and got him harnessed up. As we got to hooking him up, the thunder and lightening started in earnest. We moved quickly to the indoor arena, thinking this was the best place to be in a storm. We had a most joyous afternoon just playing with these five dear animals and darling girls. We ended up not hooking up the donkey but we did give rides on him for the littler kids. Such fun!

As the lightening stopped, we quickly went back to the barn and the lodge. To my surprise it was already 4:15. Where does the time go??? Not only can I not believe the day was done but where has the summer gone. I can not believe this session is nearly over and then we only have two more weeks of summer camp. I guess it is a good sign that both Kris and I, as well as the rest of the staff, are still eager for more. That is the mark of a great summer….thanks to your kids and wonderful horses….It certainly is not due to the weather!!! Argghhhh…

Last night we had a great Talent Show. I think it was the best on in many years. It might well have been due to the fact that the kids had more time than usual to prepare. We had about 15 or maybe more acts. We all went to the indoor arena and sat on the bleachers. It was a great combination of talent, fun, obstacle courses, skits and movement. I support anything to get the kids cooperating and moving. It was a great time for everyone. We finally finished at 9PM! Following Vespers and Goodnight Circle, everyone tip toed off to bed to get a good night’s sleep in preparation for the lessons in the morning and the camping trip in the afternoon.

Today has dawned bright and sunny. It is just right for the camping trip. As I write this, the food is being packed and the equipment readied. We will be selecting the 6 horses we will be taking so that each girl can either ride up to the site on the mountain, do an evening ride, a morning ride or ride home. The dear horses stand tied to trees with lots of food for the night. We have to pick the right ones so they are peaceful and still there in the morning. On the first trip this summer, we did not pick the right ones and all but one beat us home before breakfast!

We will head out this afternoon while the rest of the campers stay here and get more lessons. They will also be practicing their specialties for the Exhibition for YOU on Saturday. This group will return before lunch to unpack and get showers. They will then have a nice rest hour tomorrow before they head out to ride again. The second trip will then depart tomorrow afternoon. It is perfect to take the two trips separately. A total of 38 kids signed up which is way too many for one trip. It is great because one group sets up the tents and the second groups takes them down. It is nice and easy!

We will leave from camp in cars with all the equipment and food in the farm pick up trucks. We will then set up camp and move in. The girls will then swim in the lovely but COLD mountain stream that is right by the site. We have dammed up the creek to create a pool. One of the smooth rocks is perfectly situated to be a great water slide right into the pool. They will surely scream as the water is really cold but everyone will be refreshed and happy by the end because we will then go dry off by the blazing camp fire.

Following this, we will divide into teams and feed the horses as the other team begins cooking dinner. We cook out both dinner and breakfast over the fire. This is followed by S’Mores, of course. What is a camping trip without S’Mores.

Meanwhile, the trips have been divided up so that no barn is left empty handed for barn chores and the horses left at home. The kids will do that this afternoon and then do Casino night. That is a camp favorite as they all play card or board games with glee.
Lessons will again take place for those who are not camping.

Wednesday will then feature the Cheshire Fair….then a big Gymkhana on Thursday after sleeping late…Then, it will be practicing Specialties for your exhibition. All of this will be interspersed with lessons galore. In short, we will not have a dull moment this week and the weather is even supposed to cooperate….

Let me review the details of the Closing Day for this session. We ask that you arrive about 9:30. Kris and I will hold an intro and wrap up meeting with you. Your daughters groups will be outlined and their specialties’ location given. We will then have you go to see them ride in their demonstration. This riding demo will then be followed by their chosen specialty. Everything should wrap up by about noon. The girls will feed their horses for the last time and then gather at the lodge for our picnic. Pony Farm will provide refreshments and desserts. We ask that you bring lunch for yourselves and your camper. Last year we never got the food amount correctly figured. We either did not have enough food due to extra guests or too much food due to less numbers. We HATE wasting food….so, we ask that you bring your own picnic to accommodate everyone who comes with you and your camper.

Following the meal, we will say our sad farewells and give out the address sheets for the girls to stay in touch with each other. You can plan to be gone by 1:30ish….sometimes the horse farewells take more time! We will say good bye for now but we are hopeful that you will join us for some of our family weekends sprinkled throughout the year…We will be sending a brochure about these specialty weekends to you soon but we sure hope to see you at least once before next summer! It is such a great way to stay in touch during the school year!!!

So, until Saturday, I send our best from all of us….We are happily enjoying the better weather, each other and our horses…What a great way to spend a summer day! You have awesome children and I thank you for sharing them with us. Happy trails until we see you on Saturday.

Most fondly,

Boo