THE SUMMER CAMP FOR CHILDREN 2010
The summer camp was started June 28th for 2010 season. It
was a small camp - 26 children. A nice way to start off, and get
our feet wet as the saying goes. All went well for our 4
divisions. The weather was also very nice, with a few very hot
days.
On the Friday, our special afternoon show with parents,
relatives etc. in attendance, to watch the children do their
thing with our horse and pony show, all did a great job.
The special event for me that week was with Goldie and the
new one horse trailer I had bought. It was slightly used, but
like new condition. it is a Brenderup trailer, made in Europe -
51 inches wide and 7 feet 4 inches high. it is made from space-
age materials, light but strong, and needs just about no
maintenance. It is build with wind dynamics in mind and yes it
looks nothing like the North American horse trailers, so it
usually gets a double glance at, from other horse trailer people.
It is made and built to be rust proof and you can on the smooth
flat move it around yourself .... well the men can, and I suppose
a good size strong gal can also. It has a special built in
breaking system; all in all as they say in their literature, you
hardly know you are pulling it with a horse inside.
Goldie was not impressed with a one horse trailer - she has
never been in such a one before. Paul at the Ranch has taken some
pro horsemanship lesson from this fellow in the USA, who has won
many a competition. So I arranged for Paul to come and give me a
hand, well actually teach me how to get Goldie in this one horse
trailer. I confess I've never had a one horse trailer before and
so never had to learn how to get a horse in a one horse trailer.
I had gotten Goldie half way in but that was as far as she would
go.
Not being in the "horse world" full time to be sure there
are things I can still learn, things I've not had to contend
myself with. And of course everyone can still learn, that is an
attitude we must have all of our lives - be willing to learn from
whoever and wherever, and whenever.
Paul did his stuff: got Goldie moving her feet, circles -
this way and that way - got her into a sweat. He had her rest on
the ramp of the trailer, then back down and moving once more.
"The idea Keith is to make her work and get to know she can
rest first on the ramp to the trailer and then inside the
trailer; not going in means she has to work - sweat some, work."
In 45 minutes Paul had Goldie inside the trailer. I was very
pleased. I paid him for his work. He said I did not have to, but
I told him that a man is worthy of his hire, when he has a skill
for others to benefit from.
The next day Paul worked her for about 15 minutes and put
her into the trailer.
The third day with only a few minutes work from me, she was
walking into the trailer. We then slowly, a little at a time,
when she was relaxed, closed the back trailer door. This was all
new to Goldie - she has never been in such a confined space as
this one horse trailer - she is used to the more than one horse
North American trailers and no problem loading her into them, but
this trailer is another ball game completely.
You will find the Benderup Trailer Website very interesting.
It is a unique trailer compared with the trailers of North
America.
It was actually Paul that said I should send for their DVD - I did -
and I was sold on their trailers, and said to myself that when I
was able, I would buy their one horse trailer. This year of 2010
I was able to buy that trailer from a young lady who wanted to move
up to a double horse trailer.
WEEK TWO
Our normal enrollment - 55 kids for this week.
The four divisions all did well - a good smooth week. And a
fine show they put on for our Friday afternoon.
The weather was nice all week - dry but not too hot, staying
as such until the black clouds and rain moved in. It was the
beginning of a drastic unusual wet summer.
WEEK THREE
The first 2 days was rain - all 4 divisions had to be
creative and stay indoors. The photo taking had to be put off
until Wednesday, it is usual Tuesday when Betty does the picture
taking. The weather cleared for Wednesday and Thursday and so our
outdoor riding activity was undertaken. Friday was an okay
weather day, able to have our outdoor show, and the family ride
(to finish the day) we were able to do, but we were just about
100 yards from the barn when down came the rain, and more than
that, down came the hail. I was leading and the ponies were
behind me. I HAD TO APPLY OUR RULE!
"Pony people, reins over the saddle horn and dismount. Let
the ponies go, they will find their way to the barn," I shouted
out.
The children and ponies were a little confused, the children
had never had to do this before. So again I reiterated the
instructions, and added as they dismounted, "Go to the
undercover picnic area children." This time they knew I meant the
instructions for real. They obeyed. The adults behind dismounted
and led their horses. All arrived at the main barn safely.
The rule of dismounting when it hails is very important to
us. We sure do not want a horse or pony to get scared and freak
out, and we end up with a crash and injured people. this area is
the hail capital of the WORLD! We do not have as much hail as
would be normal because the insurance companies pay for the
clouds to be :seeded" - yes planes go up and seed the clouds with
whatever, so we get mainly rain and not hail.
This summer of 2010 the city, well part of it, got a hail storm
that literally threw down hail as large as golf- balls. Our local news
showed someone who had an egg carton with a real golf-ball in it
and next to it 4 hail stones - you could clearly see the hails stones
were as large as the golf-ball. There was huge damage done to
homes and cars - millions of dollars worth of damage.
So when hail comes down at the Ranch we take no chances.
WEEK FOUR
A better weather week except for Friday morning, when we had
rain. We were not sure if we were going to be able to put on the
outdoor show. At noon the skies cleared and the sun came out. We
were able to do the show and the family ride.
In the evening I worked with Goldie going into that one
horse trailer of mine. I did have to lunge her around and give
her a good workout, before she would go in, but then she moved up
and inside. Being the first times into this trailer I stay with
her for 15 minutes or so, then I close and open the back door a
number of times and then leave her in for extended periods of
time, a little more each time I put her in. I give her some food
to munch on. It's getting better each time. I also teach her to
back up slowly down the ramp when I take her out.
Another week of camp was over.
......
To be continued
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