Pony Club Introductory Meeting on Friday Night!

Just a reminder that we will be holding an introductory and sign up meeting in the house Friday at 6 pm.  PLEASE USE THE FRONT DOOR (this will probably be the most that door has ever been used ...).

Karrie will have materials for those who decide to join which include your very own Pony Club book which discusses the different levels, as well as arm bands which are required during participation in an Pony Club activity.  We will have on display the patches that can be earned (they are cute!) and we will have sign up sheets for the first two unmounted meetings (the first will be the following week!). 

Hope to see you all there.  If you want to learn more about Pony Club, visit their site:  http://www.ponyclub.org/

And, a picture from the batch I just got from Krissy for April!

Spring Session has started

The spring riding session started the first of April --- all make up lessons for folks on the winter package should have been completed by then.  If you would like to do a session package, I will be posting those rates in the barn this weekend.

Also, we know that with spring sports schedules and riders coming back after the winter, lessons sometimes need to get adjusted.  Please talk to Karrie in the next week or so if you have a desire or need to change your weekly lesson.

Recap of Summer Dates -- sign up sheets in barn soon

We are starting to get sign ups for summer riding programs.  We will also put sign up sheets this weekend in the barn.  The structured programs with dates:

Pony Club One-week Programs:
10 am -- 2 pm
June 27 - July 1
July 18 - 22
Aug 22 - 26
*Special Guest Instructor Week! July 25 - 29th

Jumping Clinics:
July 12 & 14
August 9 & 11
August 16 & 18

Gymkhana Clinics:
July 11, 13 & 15
August 15, 17 & 19

Beginner Program:
June 21 & 23
July 5 & 7
August 8, 10, & 12

For more details, grab a brochure.

April Vacation Programming

In addition to our evening session on Friday, April 15th to introduce riders to the Pony Club, we are also going to have programs during April break.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (18th, 19th, and 20th) from 1 pm - 3 pm:  Group lesson and horse care.  $40 per rider per day.  Riders may sign up for any or all of the sessions! 

Tuesday (19th) from 10 am - noon:  Pony Club programming.  You will learn more about this at the introductory meeting, but Pony Club members work toward badges and we will have two days this spring where we will work on achieving these badges/levels.  This is non-riding but horse-focused activity.  The fee for this is included in the introductory Pony Club package.  Any rider who wishes to do the Pony Club programming PLUS the Tuesday vacation session should bring a lunch and may stay from 10 am - 3 pm that day for the $40 fee.

Hopefully, we will not only be done with winter, but done with mud season, too by then!

Sign up sheets posted (or will be soon by Karrie) soon!!!

Pony Club Meetings

As many of you know, Cobble Hill Farm has gone through the process of getting certified as a Pony Club Riding Center.  Riders at our barn under the age of 25 and riders from any other facility are welcome to join our Pony Club program.  What does that mean?

Come find out!!!

Karrie and several adult volunteers (themselves alumni/ae of the Pony Club) will be hosting a parent and rider information session at the Farm (in the house!) on APRIL 15th at 6 pm.  All the information on levels, badges, programming and fees will be presented there. 

Our first official PONY CLUB MEETING (there are mounted and unmounted meetings -- this will be unmounted) will be on TUESDAY April 19th from 10 am - noon (this is school vacation week for WES and a day off for Pine Cobble).  The second meeting (also unmounted) will be SUNDAY May 22nd from 2 - 4 pm. 

Also, to find out more about Pony Club, please visit their terrific website:  http://www.ponyclub.org/

If reading the site, just know that because we are a riding center, you DO NOT have to own your own horse to be a Pony Club member!

Adult Riding Clinic on 3/26

While the Hunt family is off enjoying Disney and warm Florida weather, (and Karrie is at the Elementary School promoting our summer programs)m, Jeannie has organized a clinic for adult riders to address fear.  Here is the info directly from her:

9 am Saturday 26 March. Discussion, followed by 1 hour group and 1/2 hour private lessons. Cost is regular lesson fee plus $20. Explore how fear/ uncertainty in the saddle affect our riding enjoyment, and what can be done about it! All levels welcome. Contact Jeannie @ 413 441 5578, or at jmwqueen@hotmail.com

Lucy & Dixie enjoying a trail ride!

Spring Lesson packs

Just a heads up.  We were going to start the Spring Lesson packages in March, but given the make up lessons and continued cold weather, we are going to start in April.

Stay tuned!

Sign Up to help at WES Camp Fair in Barn!

On March 26th Williamstown Elementary School will hold their annual camp fair (and pancake breakfast).  The Hunt clan will be enjoying spring break in Florida, it is Karrie's birthday and Jacki has class.  Necessity is the mother of invention! 

We would LOVE to have some older riders and/or parents man our table at the event.  If you have never been, this is quite a fun and festive few hours and the crucial event where children and parents make summer plans.  Our summer riding program benefited enormously from our participation last year.

I have ordered great brochures and we can work on bringing some other stuff that will make our table interactive (I think last year we brought a saddle on a saw horse so that kids could "ride" ... we can and probably also should do some small craft.

Most importantly, other parents and kids will want to know what is good/fun/interesting at Cobble Hill Farm in the summer and who better to deliver that message than our riders and their parents.

I will put a sign up sheet in the barn today if you are able and or willing to help.  Then I will work with our representatives to figure out logistics and supplies.  Thanks!

Jumping

Krissy took some video from our indoor arena of some pretty impressive jumping -- "Annie" on Bradley and "Junie" on Blaze with Karrie instructing.  I am hoping I can embed it as video here without losing too much of the quality.  Also great shots of our indoor arena!

Krissy got a bunch of other great snow photos .... I am thinking I will start posting those when we are sweating to death in August but I am pretty sick of them now even though they are beautiful.

Lessons cancelled today -- too cold

Sorry folks, but it is really cold.  Karrie is hoping to reschedule these to this weekend.

Meanwhile I am sitting at the farm celebrating the cancellation of my flight to Hawaii.  Probably the only person in America who is glad to be in this bitter Northeast Cold instead of in Hawaii (but it was only going to be a 2 day on-island trip!).