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Life on a Farm
Comment! Zeus and Sammee
  Not sure if I have ever done a shout out to John Albano who is the tech friend/wizard who has helped me set up the website, do our on line marketing, google adwords, etc.... And as of NOW you can comment on the blog! You have to have a google account but it is pretty easy to achieve. Also, I will moderate all comments. So, content will continue to be appropriate for the multiple ages that visit our site. And, there may be a delay when I am traveling for your posts to go up. We have welcomed a new horse to the barn! Zeus is an almost five year old gelding half quarter horse, half paint. He is Elizabeth's birthday present -- she turns 11 this week. He is certainly a little green, but really friendly and good natured. Karrie did his first ever jumping today. He was good -- not a natural, but went over everything she pointed him at. His worst habit is backing up so Elizabeth needs to be really firm with him and not let him do that at all. He also can't canter from a walk, so she will have to work him into a canter from a trot. He won't be a school horse for a while and only Karrie will jump him for now ... but hopefully he will develop like Jay and Hercules into a solid horse for the intermediate riders. Here he is making friends with Buck in the pasture. He has the white spot on his neck. Cute, huh? Sammee (the cat) is obviously the perfect Halloween cat! Going to post some new programs coming up .... stay tuned! Labels: Hercules, Jay, Sammee, Zeus
posted by Farmer's Wife @ 3:29 PM 3 Comments
Welcome MCLA riders!
This week we have started welcoming two classes of riders from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Jeannie is doing an early evening class that had four students in it on Monday and they all seemed to have a great time. This Friday afternoon Linda will do the second class. This is exciting for us for several reasons. First, it is a different kind of class. Most of our classes are filled with riders of similar ability levels. Because the first priority for these riders is college class work, their schedule dictates that they come when there is a driver available in a slot that works with their other commitments. The Monday class had a very experienced rider, an intermediate rider, and advanced beginner and a true beginner. This is great from the barn's perspective because we can mix up the horses we are using. So Boo, Mr. Tee, Dixie and Hercules were used Monday -- I don't think we have ever used that combination in another class! And because these are young adults, it is easier to manage the different ability levels and have everyone enjoy their experience. The other reason I am so excited is that it is just fabulous to have these young women in the barn to set a great example for our younger riders. I have seen this phenomenon in other sports in town where the Williams teams come and assist -- kids in elementary school just respond so positively to college students. So, Welcome MCLA. We are delighted to have you riding at our barn! (And if you want your pictures on the blog, sign a photo release!) Labels: Boo, Dixie, Hercules, MCLA, Mr. Tee
posted by Farmer's Wife @ 8:58 AM 0 Comments
Anatomy of a Successful Birthday Party
 We had a very, very successful first attempt at a Cobble Hill Farm birthday party. Harper turned four and a dozen of her friends helped her celebrate! We kicked the party off with the much anticipated pony rides. I had set up two craft tables with a fun decoupage horse jar project so that the kids who weren't riding could stay busy. I was very surprised that most of the kids preferred to watch the pony rides ... even after they took their own turn. Hercules and Dixie were, as we'd hoped, really calm and cooperative. Some of the kids were hesitant but others were ready to go. A few progressed to putting their hands on their hips while the horse was led around and a few even did a lap riding backwards. The birthday party guests were so captivated by the horses that I made a spur of the moment decision to bring Vixen and Patty into the ring to do the lunging demonstration for them. They really loved it but some of our new horses in the back paddock got all jazzed up by the action in the ring and came galloping down to observe and then try to join in the celebration. The scavenger hunt was next up --- ten clues like "Where Jay might find a drink of water" (the clue was taped to the waterer in his stall). The clues each garnered a letter in a baggie and when collected spelled: C*O*B*B*L*E**H*I*L*L Then, before breaking for the pizza, fruit, cake and juice that Harper's mom brought, we did our own variation on finding a needle in a hay stack. I was thrilled to find a perfect use for the bags of hay chaff that the summer camp kids had scooped up (here is a picture of that activity). I dumped it in the back of the barn near the wash stall and hid a bag full of double bubble gums (individually wrapped) in it. The kids loved digging through the hay ... and for a few of them, it was their first ever experience with gum -- Double Bubble is definitely a great first gum! While the revelers stopped for refreshments, Chuck dumped the water out of one of our wagons and hooked it up to the tractor. We made seating with hay bales and backed the wagon into the entrance to the barn. All the kids (and a few lucky dads who were pressed into duty to sit at the end of the wagon) happily climbed aboard, the rain and mist let up for long enough for a 15 minute hay ride. I am hoping one of the moms who took pictures will send them along. It was a fun day -- and amazing that it was not so hard when the birthday child is not mine. I had a blast and wasn't stressed at all. The Hunt girls were a HUGE help (I did bribe them with a promise to pay them $10 each if they helped ... which they each earned) and of course, my mom was once again the special sauce ... chatting with everyone and generally keeping the craft tables humming. If you know anyone wanting a special pony birthday -- send them our way. Saturday late afternoon and Sunday mornings will be the blocks that we will schedule events. Labels: Birthday, Dixie, Hercules, Hunt, ouble Bubble
posted by Farmer's Wife @ 8:26 PM 0 Comments
Featured Rider: Amy
 Promised the riders in the barn that I would begin a new item occasionally on the blog: a featured rider. They all filled out questions for me and our first featured rider is: Amy! (Her barn name, not her real name....) Amy has been riding for two years. This summer, she and her mom are sharing a lease on Sweet Pea so she is getting to ride quite a bit. During the school year she tries to ride once a week. Her favorite lesson horse is Hercules, but for a show give her Sweet Pea! Great choice -- he cleans up nice and doesn't get too rattled. Amy hasn't done a trail ride yet, but her choice for a trail ride is Buck. Buck has a well deserved reputation as a great trail horse! Amy hopes to become a professional rider one day. And she keeps coming to Cobble Hill for the FUN and the HORSES! Labels: Amy, Buck, Featured Rider, Hercules, Sweet Pea
posted by Farmer's Wife @ 5:21 PM 0 Comments
Up, Up and Away!
   The more advanced riders in the barn LOVE to jump. While they like jumping traditional equestrian jumps and poles, they also look for other things (safe things!) to jump, as well. We've put a tree stump down on the track, for example. The more advanced riders spent a good deal of their lesson last week jumping. Annie and Junie are both on Bradley. Snoopy is on her favorite horse, Hercules. Labels: Bradley, Hercules, Jumping
posted by Farmer's Wife @ 12:05 PM 0 Comments
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