mainely painted

I don't know how many of you are from the Northeast, but it's been raining here in Maine all month.  Really.  The weatherman says that out of the 30 days in June, it has rained 24 of them.  We are all water-logged.  The pastures are swamps, the riding arena is under water, mud everywhere, even the horses are agitated.  And it doesn't look good for the start of July.  Our riding season started in June, but the riders have only ridden a couple of times.  Our children's day camp is starting on the 6th and the forecast is rain (big surprise)

On a happier note, last weekend we had some really nice people stay with us at the horse motel.  A retired couple  from North Carolina who travel the country with their 3 Rocky Mountain horses.  I have never seen Rocky Mountain horses, so it was a treat for me.  They are great horses, very beautiful. 

Anyway, if I don't drown, I'll be back to let you know how everything goes.

Is there anything more relaxing than drinking your coffee on the porch and watching the horses do their horsey-things in the pasture?  I could sit there for hours just watching them graze and play.  But then I guess nothing would ever get done!!  I love this time of year.  Since most of the horses are out now (when it isn't raining) there are less stalls to clean and more time to just enjoy life on a horse farm!

Our riding season didn't get off good, it's been raining here and some of our Special Olympic riders haven't even rode yet.  We did get some riding in finally this week, but because the riders haven't ridden since Olympics last fall, we didn't do alot, but they were happy to finally get in the saddle.  We have 11 riders this year,  we lost some because the state cut funding for most of the activities that the clients do, not just horse-back riding but lots of other things too.  I feel bad for them, they depend on these activities and look forward to them and it's hard to explain budget cuts to them.

I have been riding too.  Annie and I went on the trails yesterday.  What a beautiful day it was!  I had to keep my eyes and ears peeled because one of our boarders said they ran into a moose, and our neighbor had one of his cows escape, and since I don't know how Annie would react to a cow (or a moose for that matter) I stayed mostly on the tote-road.  We didn't see the cow or moose, but we did spook a deer from it's napping spot.  Annie doesn't like the deer, but at least she doesn't freak out anymore.  Isn't it funny when a horse will accept a deer but goes nuts when a butterfly dances around her?!

Our childrens' day camp program is all filled.  That program starts in July.  I love day camp!  It's amazing how quickly the kids learn.  They don't have a clue on Monday, but by Friday, they're riding like they have their whole life!  We have games on Friday and they decorate the horses and invite their family to watch our "show"  You should see what these kids do to the horses!!  We go to the stores after Halloween and buy the colored hair spray and the kids make stencils out of cardboard and bring ribbons.  Last year, Annie had 4 different color legs!  Sometimes I'm glad horses are color-blind!!  I will post some photos of them.

I will close for now, keep comin' back to read the lastest!

Well another riding season has started and it's alot busier at the farm!  We started last Monday with our Olympic riders.  We have switched a few horses too.  We "trade" our older, retired horses with friends with younger horses whose owners want them to be used.  Saturday we got Blossom back.  She is a small pony mule that we use in our children's day camp.  The kids absolutley adore her( as does everybody else!) and she brings laughter to all every time she brays!

As I said, we've switched out some horses so Spicey (the 40 year old) and our rescue, Trooper has gone to a friends' place in Harpswell for the summer.  I tell the children they're on vacation by the ocean!  Troop wasn't sure he wanted to get on the trailer but once in Harpswell, he settled in quite nicely.  He's still gaining weight and he's looking great.  Ol'  Spicey's been there 3 summers now and she loves it.

Of course I've been riding Annie quite regularly.  We went on the trails Monday afternoon and the trails are all trashed from all the storms we had over the winter.  So basically, I found another chore!  As if there isn't enough to do!!

I'll close for now, but keep checking back, I write about more adventures as the season progresses and I'll post photos too.

Thanx for reading

Hello there to all who are reading this!!  I work at a horse farm that does alot of different things and this blog site will feature some of the things that happen there.  Mainly, we do Special Olympics and children's riding camps, but we also have a camp ground, miles of trails, boarding, private lessons, leasing, and we're even a "motel"  for folks trailering their horses across America and Canada.  And just recently we've become a state-licensed rescue.

Currently, we have 15 horses, 7 are ours, the rest boarders, and 3 of our retirees are at friends' places, one of the retirees is a 40 year old chestnut quarter horse named Spicey (I had no idea horses lived to be 40!) She doesn't act her age though,,,in a way, I hope she never does!!!

Anyways, It's real busy at our place, and I'll blog when I can and I hope you'll come by to hear all the horsey stories I got to tell!