I broke my shoulder March 29 this year, so this year's events were put on the back burner. Lessons went on, but shows and camps were put on hold. We are going to shows now and have two home shows scheduled.
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We have Ride and Review with Lynda Weese Oct 7, and our Farm Show Oct 15. Don't miss out!
It's been a crazy 2021! Covid didn't slow farm activities down, to the point I hadn't touched this website in over a year. We have many new horses, new concrete in the indoor "people part", and other upgrades around the farm. I'm taking a little personal time for professional development later this month, so hopefully more website updates then.
We are still going strong! We have a few spots we could squeeze a few riders in, but this time of year we are limited as it gets dark very early and we only have the indoor riding arena. We have openings for homeschoolers or otherwise available adults during the day. We do teach year round, only cancelling for extreme cold or high wind gusts.
We are back open at full tilt! As an outdoor activity, we have to socially distance in the intrinsic nature of the sport. Instructors do have to come up to beginners, so if you are uncomfortable with this we understand. Sunshine and open air ventilation very much keep this sport fairly low risk from a transmission aspect.
If you have contacted the farm recently and you haven't heard from us, give us a nudge. May 1st saw A LOT of communication as everyone was eager to resume lessons, so new contacts may have been lost in the busyness. I saw a meme the other day that said getting a horse was like getting a bicycle with an opinion. I'd say that's pretty accurate. Despite our best training efforts, horses can have good days and bad days just like we can. Other times, the problem is not the horse,but our riding (even if we don't mean to give the horse conflicting signals). A horse can feel just a little sick or just a little sore, and give no outward sign other than being a little grumpy or jumpy.
Our equine partners have to put up with us learning how to control our bodies and learning how to communicate effectively. If we are learning to speak Spanish, for instance, we shouldn't be mad at a Spanish speaker for not understanding our first attempts. In the same way, we have to understand that our horses are trying to understand us the best they can. The year has started well ( normal winter weather!). We are looking forward to going to more shows this year. We won't be having Spring Riding Camps this year because of our staffing situation (college) and not because their is no demand. Our winter camp filled and was a great time. Summer camp dates will go up soon.
If you haven't already, sign our 2020 Liability Release waiver. It's the same waiver, just online now. I usually try to post here more often, even just to keep the website SEO humming along, but we have been too busy on the farm for media maintenance!
The farm has had an increase in students, especially as some local barns have closed. We are putting on more little schooling shows as a result, and think we have a pretty good system for expansion. Tango (see Meet the Horses) is a new addition that is working out well for the program. Kip and Cole are coming out of rehab and becoming useful, and Marshall and Gulliver are jumping bigger fences. We still are doing lessons throughout the winter, although it does slow down a abit, with less new students. We do do gift certificates that can be used when the weather is nicer! We are thankful that it has been a busy and productive year. It's a new year, and we are in Aiken, SC horse shopping. If you love horses, it's a great place to visit. We also just picked up a new lesson horse prospect in New York, so hopefully positive updates will be coming soon. June, pictured above, also just arrived on the farm, who so far seems to be a good addition for our more advanced riders who can keep a steady contact.
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AuthorJulie Graber Archives
August 2024
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