Pictures of the lower track with horses

I've done a few posts about how pretty the lower field looks pastured in ... here is proof!

Happy (sort of) Birthday Patty!

What a gorgeous Memorial Day!  Of course, the Hunt family couldn't help but remembering our 2009 Memorial Day when we awoke to find My Girl Patriot (our Patty) staring at us from the dry paddock!

I remember it being a nice day last year, but it would be hard to beat today's weather.  Linda brought some of the older riders on a late afternoon trail lesson which they seemed to really enjoy.

And, Krissy just sent me all the May pictures (which she has been sending to Chuck all along but he forgets to share ... and the chances that we will get him blogging are low!).

Check out the Dressage Ring & Jumping Course!

Thanks to Karrie (and with a lot of help from Jeannie, "Annie" and her Dad, and Chuck) we have the dressage ring set up in the lower pasture as well as a much more involved jumping course.  Karrie is lending us numerous jumps she wasn't using.  In return, summer riders will be sanding and painting them so that we can return them in shipshape condition -- which is wonderful for my Girl Scout soul.

Last year, Annie & her parents made a dressage ring.  It looks great down in the lower field.

Hope everyone has enjoyed seeing horses in the lower field, too.  Chuck got all the fencing up and it is really glorious to sit on our deck at night and watch horses grazing.  It is even better when you factor in how much less hay we are feeding and the fact that with fewer horses in it, Blue paddock finally is grass covered again!  The only hard part is all the walking up and down the hill to bring horses in and out.  Krissy wore a pedometer and calculated she walked THIRTEEN miles one day last week!!!

June first is fast approaching -- that is the end of the Spring riding season.  I am not going to do a summer riding package -- so many people vacation and do camps that it ends up being too confusing to keep track.  Lesson Packages will be back for the Fall.

We are also in the countdown to Linda's wedding.  She'll be working through July and then helping to transition lessons to Karrie or Jeannie.  The farm has bought Bradley as so many of our advanced riders enjoy his jumping ability and we have more riders getting to that level all the time.  Elizabeth may get a chance to jump with him for the first time in her lesson this week -- so I've been hearing a lot about "Bradley Poo".

Lastly, while we kick off summer with this glorious weather, we will also pause to remember those who have given their life in defense of our country.  We are very blessed.

Trail Lessons

With this beautiful weather lots of riders want to get out on the trails.  Our instructors are going to offer a two hour weekly trail riding lesson on Friday mornings at 10 am all summer.  Watch for sign ups in the barn this week!

Our summer programming is also getting tweaked.  We are going to focus the 5 day riding program the week of July 5-9th on those riders who want to begin or perfect their jumping.

Me, I'll be travelling to Austin still and the 100 degree heat.  :)

starting them young

some of our youngest fans and riders with one of our best instructors.

Some actual competition

And before the costumes, we actually compete!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Our fun crew in full dress up!

Pictures!

Finally more pictures from the Spring Show.  Riders are familiar with the goings-on at the Oak Hollow Show, but for those who aren't:  one of the highlights (at least for the Cobble Hill Gang) of the spring and fall show is the costume contest.  Riders and their horses are BOTH dressed up.  Our riders work for days on a theme and then in making their costumes.  The competition is pretty tough!  This year, we swept 1st through 3rd places as I mentioned earlier in the results posting.  You will see some of the winners in these pics!

One month till our first summer riding program!

Despite the very thick frost on my windshield this morning, summer really is barrelling toward us!  Our first youth program for the summer kicks off on June 14th with our Three Day New and Beginner Riding Program.  Pine Cobble is out of school the week before and this is a fun three days to learn to ride, do crafts, activities and games.  Our mid-July New & Beginner program  (July 12-16) is full! 

I know this blog is followed mostly by our current riders -- if you are intending to do the Life on a Farm program or have friends or younger siblings who are interested in a summer program, please tell them to speak with Linda or me soon or send in their registration materials.

I am hoping to get myself back in a lesson.  Elizabeth got to ride Vixen in her lesson this week and that is my dream, but I am a LONG way from that in so many ways. 

Lotsa BIrthdays

Happy Mother's Day everyone.  I can't help but remember my best and worst mother's day ever on this day -- and it was the same one.  2001.  I was on mandatory bed rest at Brigham & Women's hospital  in Boston hoping to postpone labor with the twins as long as possible and Chuck & Elizabeth were home in the Berkshires.  They paid me a surprise visit as did the Cardinal of the Archdiocese of Boston -- two bright moments in an otherwise very scary and lonely day.  It is hard to believe that Lauren and Sarah were preemies when you see them today -- the tallest girls in their whole grade (helps you pick them out in the pool shot below). 

Yesterday we had an almost 3 year old boy who is obsessed with horses and is a faithful visitor to the website celebrate his birthday at the farm with a pony party.  The weather held off enough to do our pony rides in the outdoor arena and Chuck gave everyone a ride in the tractor's enclosed cab -- and I think most of them got a chance to actually drive the tractor.  The horses were great and we brought Patty out for a special visit.  All very fun.

Then, off to the mall to celebrate Lauren's 9th birthday.  The girls (I still call them my little girls) got their ears pierced and we all got mani's and pedi's.  My kind of party and definitely a great antidote to my sore feet. 

Sarah is doing her party at the water park next weekend -- which I've done before for Elizabeth's birthday and it is equally easy.  Then on Sunday we have booked yet another birthday party -- this one for a 7 year old girl.  I have quite a few of the older riders coming to help and we are trying to plan some new games and crafts as some of these kids have been to a birthday party here last fall.

Chuck has just about finished pasturing in the field on the track.  We are hoping to start rotating the horses there Monday.  There is so much green grass that each horse is only going to be able to do one hour a day to begin with.  But, it will allow us to take some pressure off the green and blue paddocks and get the grass back up there AND we should be able to slow down on the hay consumption.  We have been burning through a LOT of hay.

Also last week the siding finally got finished on the outside of the barn.  It looks so nice as you come up the driveway.  Now if this unwelcome return to cold weather would depart, we'd really be full on enjoying spring! 

Here is the birthday pic from Show Day ... a few of our riders are in here as are my  birthday girls!  Can you imagine swimming outside today?!?!

Summer!

WOW.  The temperatures and the calendar mandate that we think about summer.  We re-ordered summer program flyers for the younger rider and new rider programs.  If you know someone who wants to do one of those programs, we also have postcards that can be mailed or handed out.  The three day, new rider programs are filling up quickly ... hooray!

Quite a few of the weeks are full for current older riders (minimum of entering 6th grade) in the barn leadership and full acess lease programs.  Let Linda or Chuck know soon if you are interested.

For our younger but more experienced riders we really think the Life on a Farm program is perfect -- getting to spend a lot more time in the barn, learning more about what it takes to make this place run every day.  Those weeks were July 5 - 9, 19-23 and August 9 - 13.

Lastly, we are going to put up sign up sheets for two additional off-site events.  There is a Gymkhana event June 19th at the Cambridge Saddle Club in Cambridge NY and an Equitation show July 17th at Biscuit Hill in Shelbourne Falls.  The 17th is available as part of a more intensive summer week of riding.  In addition, we are going to post sign ups in the barn to include:  horse use, trailering and an instructor.  We will obviously need to limit the participation in those events based on available trailers.

Watch for the sheets!

Great Job Cobble Hill Riders!!!!!

Not even sure where to start.  Probably best is to thank adult rider Renee Williams ... she volunteered at the show to help our riders and recorded the results!  So many parents, riders, friends to thank:  we had a wonderful day and great results -- measured by ribbons and smiles!  The older riders really took to heart their role in helping younger riders.  Karrie and Jeannie were fabulous coaches keeping everyone calm, helping them to learn the trail pattern.  I can't say enough about our parents -- many of whom showed up at 8 am with smiles and 'how can I help's' and stayed till the end (which was a LONG time later).

We are so proud of how all of you -- not just your riding (although that was phenomenal!) but your attitude, determination, preparation and good nature -- represented our barn.  Our program has grown phenomenally in the last year and if registration for beginner camps are indication, it will continue to grow and each of you deserve a great deal of credit.  You can share that credit with our wonderful horses.

Yesterday, our horses were at their best!  Spirited when called for, and energetic but mostly just being great team members for the riders on their backs.  Teaching them patience, focus and determination.  Those lessons will make us proud of the riders from our barn for years to come and in areas far from our barn.

So..... results.  I cannot possibly hit everything so I am going to try to hit highlights.  If I miss something or someone, feel free to post a comment!  I am ONLY going to use first names as I don't think the riders are going to want their pseudonyms (which I have forgotten most of any way except Annie and Junie :)).

Beginner Walk Trot!  (I missed the trail and pattern as well as Champion here ... )*
     *This was a huge class.... 9 riders!  Most of them their first show!
Ella:   2nd in Equitation; 3rd in Command (3rd in Costume)
Emma:  3rd in Equitation and Pleasure
Julia:  1st in Pleasure, 4th in Command

Advanced Walk Trot!  (Again, a large class ... 9 or 10!)
Libby:  CHAMPION!!!!!
Anthony:  RESERVE CHAMPION!!!!! 
Lauren:   1st in Pleasure and Command (3rd in Costume)
Elyse:  Second in Equitation and Pleasure

Beginner Walk/Trot/Canter!
Emily:  2nd in Equitation, Command, and Trail and Pleasure
Holly:  1st in Equitation, 3rd in Pattern and 1st in Costume (the toughest competition of the day!)
Elizabath:  3rd in Pleasure, 1st in 6 inch jumps, and 2nd in Costume

Jr Walk/Trot/Canter
Gracie:  3rd in Equitation, 1st in Pleasure, 2nd in 12 inch jumps
Samantha:  2nd in Command, 2nd in Pleasure (softball instead of jumping :))

Sr Walk/Trot/Canter
Audria:  tied for RESERVE CHAMPION!!!! (with you know who) 1st in Equitation
Julia:  YUP ... RESERVE CHAMPION !!!! 2nd in Equitation, 2nd in Command 1st in 18 inch jumps

Krissy had the day off, but there were lots of peope taking pictures.  They only one I have right now, fittingly, is from preparations at the traier for costume class.  I can't say who or where they placed, but if you are a RACH (Rider at Cobble Hill) you know.  :)