Cobble Hill Farm

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2010-04-09T09:05:00.001-04:00

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Sorry!!!

2010-04-09T09:01:00.000-04:00

With my new job, I've really let the blog on the farm go .... and then I somehow got locked out of my account. But, I'm back. Not exactly on the farm today, but thinking about it.

Jeannie Queen is doing an adult riding clinic tomorrow ... should be a nice day for them. Chuck and I will be getting up early to do the chores. I will be glad to be cleaning stalls and bringing horses in and out after a week of getting up early to catch planes!

We've had lots of horses moving around. Fritz got to go home this summer which is wonderful for his family. Before long, 'his' stall was filled by "Mac" (Macbeth) a wonderful new boarder -- a Morgan. His owner explained to me the distinctive long mane and tail of the breed which I had not known. He is almost too pretty to be a 'he'! Patrick is visiting for a while -- keeping Patty company in the barn some nights and hanging in the front paddock on these warm weather evenings.

Bear has gone back to Karrie's and took some friends with him. Blue is going to stay and be worked into the lesson program a bit to see how she does. Elizabeth reported a great ride on her this week. We are also working Vixen (soaking her feet below ... all older mothers going back to an exercise routine can relate :)) into the riding program.

Chuck and I are engaged in a robust debate: To breed (again) or not to breed? I will admit, I loved the foal and still get huge pleasure from watching Patty grow. I'd like to do it again. Chuck isn't convinced. What do you think????

We also have new riders coming into our lessons and many returning riders now that the weather has improved. I hope to join their ranks soon!

WES April Vacation Program

2010-03-03T08:33:00.005-05:00

As I've mentioned before, the Oak Hollow Spring Shows -- a gymkhanna and the equitation show -- are on the Sunday after vacation and the following Sunday. That gave us the idea to do something different with the riding program during school vacation.

We are going to do Monday, Wednesday and Friday for riders of all abilities. The lessons on Monday and Wednesday will focus on the patterns and commands in an equitation show or on the fun events in the gymkhanna so that riders and horses can get a little practice. Then, Friday, we are going to have our own "show" which will really be akin to a dress rehearsal (and FUN!).

Even if you don't plan to do the show or aren't sure you're ready yet this will be a fun, low-key way to get some experience of it. If you do plan to do either or both events, it will be a great time to practice.

We will have time during the non-riding if anyone wants to work on the costume class ... and our other activities will be the typical fun stuff we do at our riding programs.

All riders will come the same days from 10 - 3 pm. If you want to do double riding to practice gymkhana AND equitation, we will do that too!

For a single program (only one hour of riding instruction M and W -- Friday will be the 'events') it will be $200. For both (two hours of riding on M and W and lots of riding on Friday!) it will be $250.

Sending out a blast email to those emails I have but make sure to tell your friends!!!

For Pine Cobble riders -- shoot me an email (farmerswife@cobblehillfarm or info@cobblehillfarm) if you'd like to do two Saturday sessions ... I am sure we could figure that out.

Meet our Newest Neighbor!

2010-02-27T11:06:00.003-05:00

The Hunt girls and Krissy are thrilled that the farm next door, East Mountain, got a new puppy! He is being trained (much to the Hunt girls' chagrin!) to stay on his farm (picture here of their beef cows) but occassionally sneaks over to our barn. Here is a picture that Krissy snapped of Maxwell recently on one of his visits. Is he adorable??

Lauren remembers his name because of the coffee (so she told me).

East Mountain Farm sells beef, wood, ham, pork, etc... It is part of the original farm that Chuck grew up on and in fact the house is an identical log home to the one that is part of our current home. It is actually the East Mountain home where Chuck and his family lived after the fire that destroyed their 1800s era farm house.

Full Access Lease

2010-02-26T08:40:00.003-05:00

Several parents have asked if we are doing the 'full access' lease program this year. The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that we spent quite a bit of time reflecting on the strengths and challenges of the program last year and have made some modifications. Thanks to all the parents who filled out questionnaires!

We will soon have sign ups for summer programming available and the successors to the full access lease are: Barn/Pleasure Riding & Barn Leadership programs Both these programs are ONLY open to students entering 6th grade or older.

The barn/pleasure riding program will look the most like full access lease. It will start June 1st and run through September 3rd. However, we will be strictly limiting participation to 3 riders per week. Instead of requiring a full month commitment (which was pretty flexible anyway) riders can sign up for a week and the cost will be $150. The increased cost reflects our observation that many of the participants wanted to do projects -- whether to beautify the barn, or simply crafting in a quiet afternoon moment. This include the full lease rate for the week. Same riding program: one hour a day lightly supervised plus a fun, instructor led ride once a week -- hopefully on the trail.

The second program is for those who want the same riding experiences and priviliges but are willing to commit to specific responsibilities in the barn. That would include helping new and beginner riders tack up, leading horses in beginner lessons, over seeing crafts. We are planning to build in some 'leadership training' opportunities and will be giving the participants responsibility for tasks in the barn or the other summer programs. An example might be that a participant will plan a craft and run that session for a group of younger kids. We will only be taking two students per week for this program and it will run from June 21st through August 13th. There will still be a fee for the riding and materials but it will be $125. If you are interested in this program, talk to Chuck, Linda or Jacki as soon as you have an idea of which weeks you'd like to do.

It doesn't feel much like summer out there, but I know folks are starting to think about summer activities. We will also be offering three other programs this summer -- the 3 day new & beginner riding experience, the Life on a Farm package, and a new Ready, Set, Show experience that culminates in participation in a show in Shelburne Falls.

Stay tuned!

February Riding was great ... pics!

2010-02-25T08:58:00.002-05:00

Here are some pictures from the vacation riding program. Pretty soon we'll get some information out about the April Vacation programming which will all be about the upcoming shows at Oak Hollow.

We got a TON of snow yesterday ... posted all Krissy's pictures from this past month on the facebook account.

Raining here now which is depressing. I'd rather we got the next two feet of snow that the Catskills are doing.

Also, we are going to participate in the WES camp fair this year on March 27th to let more families know about our great summer programming.

Enjoy these pics.

Spring Lessons: prices and package

2010-02-09T10:13:00.003-05:00

In my on-going attempt to Think Spring, I wanted to give everyone a heads up on the CHF spring riding plans.

The current Winter Riding Package goes through March 13th. We will offer another package for Spring -- 12 lessons from March 15th - June 4th.

Out of necessity we are having to increase our lesson rates. With the costs of everything going up (health insurance premiums and hay being the biggest offenders) we need to get closer to our actual costs. We still believe our rates are very competitive in the market and if anyone has a specific hardship they should speak to me, Linda or Chuck privately.

Rates effective 3/15:

One Hour Group lessons: $30 per lesson
Half Hour private lesson: $40 per lesson
One Hour Semi Private (2 riders): $40 per lesson
One Hour Private: $70 per lesson

The Spring lesson season (12 lessons) for a group will be: $330; for half hour semi-private $385; for one hour semi private: $440.

At this point we probably won't offer a summer lesson pack because so many riders build leasing and different riding experiences into their summer plans. Stay tuned on the exciting plans we'll be announcing soon for summer!

Vintage Family Riding clips

2010-02-07T08:47:00.004-05:00

I helped Chuck with the horses yesterday afternoon and boy was it COLD. Kudos to all the riders who have braved the cold. I am really convinced that it WILL get warm soon.

My brother has shared a YouTube clip he made that you might enjoy. It is my "first" pony ride. On a paint pony, of course.

Not sure why this loads twice but it is only one clip. Play the volume if you really want to get the maximum impact. And to any potential pony riders out there, we DO NOT drop the reins on your pre-schooler and have no one lead the horse at our parties!

more pictures here until I can figure out facebook

2010-02-04T10:31:00.002-05:00

For some reasons my new computer doesn't want to upload albums, so here are a few more and I'll keep trying.

Pictures!

2010-02-04T09:40:00.002-05:00

Krissy has been braving the cold and getting some great shots. The entire new album will be loaded on Facebook and I've gone back and added pictures to some of the recent posts, so make sure to scroll down.

Here's a few to whet your appetites!

Ready, Set, SHOW!

2010-02-02T13:23:00.004-05:00

Every year our riders look forward to the Oak Hollow spring and fall shows. Last year several of us also participated in the Gymkhanna. We just got the dates for the Spring Show and Gymkhanna, and I wanted to make sure everyone put the dates on their calendar because despite what Pawxatuwney Phil says, we really will have Spring sooner than we know!

Gymkhanna: SUNDAY April 25th
Spring Show: SUNDAY May 2nd

Last year we began to perfect a process of preparing the riders who wanted to show and to assigning horses. We will build on that success this year by facilitating early communication. To start with:

For ANY rider who has NEVER participated in a show, you MUST get Linda's permission to compete and her sign off by event. We have had a lot of fun with these low-key shows, but even still the horses and the riders are more keyed up than usual and Linda is the BEST judge as to what will result in the best possible experience. The spring show can be particularly challenging for those who (reasonably!!!) take the winter off from riding. As a guideline, Linda would like beginner riders to have had 12 lessons directly proceeding the show. February 14th is 12 weeks from the show!!!! Please spread the word to those that are not riding this winter. Perhaps they would like to sign up for February riding during WES vacation? Also, if you don't want to start riding till later in March, you will need to get some extra sessions in with Linda and we will have to plan those now.

We are also planning to dedicate the week of April WES vacation to riding experiences that build in preparation for both events. For all our Pine Cobble riders, let us know if you'd like to do something similar in March .... Stay tuned for the April info.

Lastly, for our JUMPERS. We are going to announce the new sessions of jumping with Karrie soon. If you want to JUMP in the show, you should also discuss with Linda and Karrie their recommendations for a preparation schedule that will have you ready to compete! (And we will make sure that we get a CLEAR understanding from the judge and organizers whether you can compete at different levels or not!!!)

The Gymkhanna events aren't generally stuff we do in lessons. Again, we'll do some special stuff right before the event in April during school vacation, but if you think you want to do barrels or poles or some such activity, remember to have a conversation soon with Linda!

Finally, Oak Hollow may not do a Fall show. We will consider doing one at Cobble Hill if that is the case. We will wait to hear from them. And, I know several riders would like to do additional shows/events this year. We will begin to post here some good opportunities. Just remember, if you pick an 0ff-site show, we need to insure you have transportation for your horse and if you are using a CHF horse, that it is available. Chuck, Jeannie and Karrie all have trailering capacity so if we plan ahead we should be golden. As I mentioned to one of my daughters, a legendary Drury basketball coach (Frank Zoltek) used to preach the four Ps. Poise & Planning Prevent Panic!

February Vacation Riding Program

2010-01-30T13:43:00.004-05:00

Sign up sheets are in the barn for February Vacation programming. We'll be doing 10 am - 2 pm Tuesday and Thursday. Games, Relay Races, A "Show How Much you LOVE Your Horse" contest, a Horsemanship Workshop with Jeannie and a group one-hour lesson!

We are hoping to have beginners and advanced beginners on Tuesday and Intermediate to Advanced Riders on Thursday. But sign up for the day you can make it (or both!) and we will make sure the program works for all.

Remember, we have heat in the tack rooms now and if it is bitterly cold, we will do activities in the house.

*******************

It is COLD out there. Every stall was full last night. Thank Goodness Debbie has started working on Fridays and Saturdays -- she doesn't seem to mind the cold as much as us!

February Vacation Student Riding Programs

2010-01-26T22:02:00.002-05:00

We are going to offer two days of programs for February vacation -- a day for beginners and advanced beginners and a day for intermediate riders.

Jacki has a lot of great non-riding activities planned and you will get to see the new activity/viewing room set up if you haven't been to the barn in a while! Hint: the riding days come shortly after Valentine's Day and we think most of our riders favorite Valentine is of the four-legged variety!

As always, Linda will do a fun, hour long lesson. And new to the programming will be an age and ability horsemanship project with Jeannie! How many of you know how to take apart and put back together a bridle?

Look for sign up sheets next week in the barn. If you aren't riding this winter, this is a great opportunity to get back in the saddle -- spring will be here soon!

Life off a farm

2010-01-24T19:25:00.003-05:00

As some of you know, the farmers wife accepted an exciting new professional challenge that started January 4th. While the work is rewarding and interesting, it has obviously taken me off the farm a lot more than last year.

I will try to be better keeping up with the blog! The farm continues to grow and thrive. The MCLA riders will be starting back up soon and we have another new boarder. Crisale arrived a week or so ago and replaced Faith as the newest horse on the block!

We are definitely using all the paddocks now day and night. Dublin and Bam seem to do well together in the front paddock (PINK for those who know the color scheme!) and Crisale (I hope I am spelling that right ....) is in the back, side paddock (I still think of that as Fritz' paddock!). Fritz, Zeus and Patty are a happy threesome in the far paddock bordering blue -- near where my feeble attempts at the outdoor skating rink reside (they are looking askance at my efforts in the picture above).

I will post more later, but we are going to kick off our vacation programming with a one-day riding experience on the Thursday of February vacation. Even though we will be a few days late, we will be making Valentines and treats for our favorite horses. Also, Jeannie is going to do a session on equipment -- how to take apart and put together a bridle, etc....

My PT is going well on my foot, so at least some progress toward my New Year's resolution is being made ....

Krissy is using email and promises to send me some new pictures soon and I will definitely post those from wherever my travels might bring me (this week is Boston and Baltimore).

A perfect winter weather day to launch 2010

2010-01-01T17:43:00.002-05:00

We woke to comparatively mild temperatures and a light, fluffy snow to welcome the New Year. Even the horses seemed to buy in to the beauty and serenity of the day -- when we opened the gate from BLUE paddock in order for the horses to file down to the last gate there was none of the traditional pushing and kicking.

Chuck and Krissy have now transitioned all the stalls to the new bedding system and it certainly makes stall mucking a lot quicker and easier. Remains to be seen, but it is looking like it will be cheaper too. Nothing to complain about there!

We took most of the day off from farm work and used the tractor to contour a few 'jumps' on the sledding hill. We made a small snow man and a fort for him/her to protect and had a nice fire on the track.

Chuck and David finished the last fencing line in the YELLOW paddock yesterday. They are putting up a little fencing around the waterer and we are going to switch the daytime paddock assignments -- Patty, Zeus and Fritz will go to YELLOW and Dublin and Bam will go to pink. This will allow Patty to get used to more of the heard because of the shared fence line with BLUE but it also seems like Dublin is pretty territorial over his water source and some of the BLUE paddock horses seemed like they weren't getting enough water from that shared waterer.

The better news (from my perspective) is that the fence work gave Chuck a chance to check the depth of the frost in the ground. It is close to 12 inches so we also are hoping to get the skating area set up in the round pen this weekend! The stancion is not frozen and we have enough hose to reach. Those hoses are thawing in the garage over night.

So, sharpen your skates and get ready for tons of winter fun!

Faith arrives

2009-12-28T10:09:00.007-05:00

Lending the perfect name to a wonderful season, last night Faith, a rescue mare, arrived from the Equine Angels Rescue Sanctuary (EARS). Her new owner and their family along with ours were here to greet her.

She has the most beautiful eyes and face and truly lives up to her name. The picture above is from the rescue website.

Chuck read to Elizabeth from the book that Frank Weller from EARS left last night about the plight of PMU mares and we were all disturbed and quite moved to learn more about the very difficult life these animals live in order to provide Hormone Replacement Therapy. As a woman of a 'certain' age, I must say I am relieved that I have avoided taking an HRT although it was more for the side effects it might have on me than from any knowledge of how they are manufactured.

Elizabeth is now determined to spend a week volunteering in Connecticut this summer and she and her cousin stayed up late last night designing their own Save the Horses blog to raise money for EARS. Check out wwwhelpthehorses.blogspot.com (no 'dot' after www ...)

Faith is in what our regulars will think of as Caesar's stall. As hard as it was to say goodbye to him, it feels great to have Faith take that spot in our barn.

The second picture above is Patty (who we are calling Peppermint Patty during the holiday season) chosen because it is a great shot AND the EARS organization actually has a medicine hat on their website and cards!

If you want to learn more about how Faith came to be rescued and got to our farm, check out http://www.foalrescue.com/.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T21:57:00.001-05:00

We have our work cut out for us tonight to insure no creatures are stirring but we are hopeful that Santa will forgive a few grazing horses, a hyper dog and affectionate cat.

As Chuck said at the barn party, we are extremely grateful to everyone who made our first full year in business such a pleasure and success.

We look forward to a great 2010.

For this post, you get Buddy and Sammie pictures. Both as photogenic as the girls and the horses!

New blankets

2009-12-22T19:21:00.003-05:00

Three new horse blankets this week. Patty has a great purple one that will keep her warm and dry. She didn't seem to be bothered by this cold and her warm, winter coat is thick and soft. But the wind really does whip up here. Vixen has an equally attractive blue very warm new jacket. She has been getting cold -- she is one of the few horses in the barn who doesn't grow a warm, fuzzy coat. Her new blanket even has a 'hood' that is on in this warm weather tonight. And last, but certainly not least, Lizzy spent her birthday gift certificates at Country Tack for a very fashionable new blanket for Zeus. Chuck claims the dots are reflective! I just hope the other horses don't make fun of him for being dressed so fancy. :)

I have taken to mimicking the Chuck Uniform. With Krissy off for the week, I am spending a LOT more time in the barn cleaning stalls, turning horses out, etc.... I must admit those flannel lined overalls do keep you warm.

Despite the holidays and the cold, the barn still has quite a few riders coming for their weekly lesson.

Here is a pic that looks almost as cold as it feels outside. Now, back outside for Bradley's 8 pm feeding, cleaning the stalls of the horses spending the night inside so there is less work tomorrow morning.

Holiday Party 2009

2009-12-17T09:15:00.003-05:00

We had a wonderful and festive event on Friday night ... thanks so much for everyone who came and brought food. What a feast!!!! Here are some pics ... the entire album plus some new horse pics are on Facebook.

Well, the cold has surely set in. None of our riders cancelled yesterday and all were dressed appropriately. "Andy" and Elizabeth officially launched the "its time to try riding bareback" season in their lesson with Karrie on Tuesday night. Elizabeth is an old hand, but it was Andy's first try and of course he loved it. Although Elizabeth says riding Magic at Oak Hollow bareback with all his fuzz and fur is the BEST winter bareback ride ever. I am going to take her word for it.

In the midst of all this cold, Jacki, Linda, Chuck and I are beginning to plan for the summer programming. We are going to try some new stuff out this winter and spring. Will probably do a pretty traditional riding day between Christmas and the New Year so if you are looking for something for your kids to do outside the house, keep an eye on the blog and posted in the barn!!!

I have WON the skating rink argument (did anyone doubt it?) but with some good input have recognized the best spot is up in the round pen. Hope to start this week ... will definitely let folks know when they might want to bring their skates.

Also, by the 1st of the year the 'boarder' tack room should be quite a good hang out for freezing, bored parents and siblings. If you haven't peeked in lately (or to the 'craft' room) check out Krissy's amazing work so far. The television, hopefully with cable access (FOR NON RIDERS ONLY) should be functioning in time for Bowl Season! :)

Lastly, in this cold weather we are going to use the 'real' door that enters through the tack room as our preferred entrance (hence, we will unlock it each morning). Keeping the garage doors down except when bringing horses in and out prevents the wind from whipping through but also will diminish the chance of spooking a horse in cross ties being brushed or tacked up by a rider.

Cheers!

Happy Holidays! Potluck celebration tonight

2009-12-11T09:33:00.000-05:00

Festivities start at 6 pm. Bring a dish, or just yourself and a friend.

Grab bag will be divided between adult or youth.

And riders, boarders, employees will get a special gift from the farm. (If you don't make it tonight, make sure to grab your present the next time you are are the barn!). Thanks in advance to Breann who spent tons of time and effort to help us pull off the Santa thing.

Here is a sneak preview of our holiday card photo (photo credit to the wonderful Krissy, of course). Amusing that the level of enthusiasm in each girl's smile matches their enjoyment of riding!

Snow we can handle, wind can be a problem

2009-12-10T21:03:00.000-05:00

First big storm of the year did some damage. The newest run in shed -- as you can see -- got blown over by a gust of wind.

However, we are grateful no one was hurt. Krissy and Chuck had been right next to the shed grabbing horses for the morning feeding 15 minutes before this happened.

We are counting our blessings -- and looking forward to a festive open house/potluck tomorrow night. If only we could all be as happy as Lauren helping her dad to spread hay!!!!

First Snow, Ceasar's final day at CHF

2009-12-06T08:12:00.003-05:00

It is stunningly beautiful on the farm this morning. Chuck is miffed that he hasn't finished everything before the first snow but the good news is it all gets covered up and looks beautiful.

It made Ceasar's departure last night all the more poignant. Chuck, Linda and Krissy have been thinking hard about winter, our program, capacity, etc... Ceasar, aka Chuck's Horse, has really aged in the last few months. He has been lame and just not himself. Last week Chuck mentioned to his last owner, our neighbor Nancy, that we probably needed to think about Ceasar's next home. She had always wanted us to tell her if we were going to sell him. And she had stayed in touch with the seller who she bought him from. Long story short, as Nancy told us last night, don't put her on a job unless you want it done! Ceasar's former owner and her young family arrived with an empty trailer (and a Christmas tree in the back of their truck along with two adorable young children ... really, you couldn't have picked a more idyllic looking family) and left with Ceasar for Vermont.

We already got a nice email passed along from Nancy that they arrived home safely despite the snow and were all settled happily on their farm. They have a few mares and Ceasar is great with the mares. Even though he was seldom used as a riding horse here, he has been an important part of our farm and our lives. The way he protected Vixen while she was pregnant and guarded over her and Patty that night they got out an open fence into the main paddock will be my best memory of the noble guy. He definitely lived up to his name!

Chuck is okay ... I was shocked he made the decision although it is hard to argue with whether it is the right decision. Krissy is here this morning and I don't envy him having to tell her. When she left on Thursday afternoon finding Ceasar a home was just a thought.

More changes likely coming ... going to have to spend some time updating the horse page on the site. Haven't put Zeus or Reno up there yet -- two great additions.

Holiday Party next Friday the 11th!

2009-12-03T16:45:00.000-05:00

If you haven't seen the sign up sheet on the school tack room door, please check it out. We are going to have a holiday celebration on Friday from 6 till 9 in the HOUSE (has been some confusion on that point!) ... casual, come as you are. Bring a dish and a small (under $5) grab-bag gift ... or just drop in!

As we start the winter session of lessons Chuck and I continue to feel blessed with the wonderful riders, teachers, horses and families that have joined the Cobble Hill Farm family. And, our wonderful support staff -- the vet, farriers, suppliers, etc.... We hope all of you will try to stop by!

We are looking forward to a wonderful holiday season and a great 2010!

Winter Scene at Cobble Hill

2009-11-24T09:39:00.000-05:00

Much to our delight, a huge number of riders have decided to ride through the winter. There will be some changes to the routine around here though: We have scaled back Saturday lessons to leave a significant amount of time for boarders and leasers to ride.

Also, please make sure to keep the tack room doors and the office door closed whenever possible -- those areas are heated and the heat will escape quickly with an open door!

I spent a few hours yesterday helping Chuck put more of the siding on the barn. HOPEFULLY our Thanksgiving visitors will want to do some heavy labor this weekend and we will completely finish the siding. Next up: getting the viewing room insulated, benches set up and a heat source in there! I know there are a lot of moms, dads and grandmas who will be happy to hear about this!!!

Holiday Celebration on December 11th

2009-11-20T09:46:00.000-05:00

We are going to hold an "open HOUSE" (not barn) on the 11th from 6-9 pm to celebrate the holidays and our wonderful year of operation at Cobble Hill.

Look in the barn for a sign up sheet -- we will provide drinks, etc... and it will be pot luck.

Also we are going to do a blind-swap (I can never remember the fancy names) but anyone who wants to participate should bring a wrapped present worth no more than $10.

Until then, Happy Turkey Day everyone!