AS A KID, nothing was better than riding horses. Thus, I’m an unabashed fan of programs supporting our horse-loving youths.
Ag-new’s Freedom Farm offers Hoof Beats Riding Club. The club runs Wednesday through Saturday and is for students of all ages, riding disciplines and abilities. Students may use their own horses or the farm’s.
What’s nice about Freedom Farm’s horses is parents know their child is getting on a well-trained horse that’s a good fit to his or her riding ability.
Farm owner Mary Gallagher says Hoof Beats is a diverse program that educates students in horse health, care, safety and psychology and provides a solid foundation in natural horsemanship.
Practice shows
Currently, her students are involved with honing their skills for a series of practice shows.
“We work on equitation and jumping while also incorporating natural horsemanship skills,” Gallagher says.
“Hoof Beat members work on their relationship with their horses, as well as being involved in the health, care and training of their horses.”
In addition to the usual lessons, playful exercises range from barrel-pushing while on of top the horse to gate-opening, backing through narrow spaces, dragging things and the unplanned but greatly entertaining poop-scooping from horseback.
Some members are interested in showing beyond the farm’s practice shows. This year, young Ben Robertson won the end-of-the-year high-point trophy for 10-and-younger riders at the prestigious Bainbridge Island Saddle Club.
Help around barn
At the end of each Hoof Beats practice session, everyone lends a hand to clean up around the barn. I like that Hoof Beats builds character with a sense of responsibility.
Freedom Farm’s boarder, Mary Tulin, says that on occasion, she likes to ride with the “Hoof Beats gang” and continues to be “floored at how darn capable these young people are around horses.”
Her accolade continues with praise for their education in horsemanship, from the basics of grooming and saddling to all manner of advanced riding — dressage, jumping, bareback, one-rein and no-rein, along with excellent supervision and “little coddling.”
Past students of Gallagher’s have moved on to attend equine colleges, are working professionals and compete at the grand prix jumping level.
Freedom Farms is located at 493 Spring Road in Agnew. For more information, contact Gallagher at 360-457-4897 or visit the website, http://tinyurl.com/PDN-hoofbeats.
First Nations 4-H
Over yonder on the Peninsula’s West End is First Nations 4-H Horse Club.
Formed in 2013 by William G. and Karen White, the club was a response to Karen’s many Quileute and Hoh River students wanting to learn how to ride and eventually compete.
For 10 years, Karen worked as an assistant teacher at the Quileute tribal school in LaPush.
Horse Day tradition
“About seven or eight years ago, I started a tradition called Horse Day at the end of the school year,” says Karen. “It was a chance for everyone from [kindergarten] to 12th grade to ride.”
Three years ago, one of her students, Marissa Bailey, asked if she could show the Whites’ Pony of America.
“Her first show, she got high point in her division with our POA. We were thrilled.”
Marissa also wanted to compete at Clallam County Fair, but to do so, she had to belong to a 4-H club.
“That first year, Neon Riders let her compete with them, but we’re too far away to make their practices,” she says.
“But with Neon Riders’ help, she went to the fair with our little horse. When other kids at school found out, they wanted to show at the fair too. So that’s when we decided to start our own club.”
Fair competition
This year, 12 riders from First Nations competed at the fair.
“We’ve taken them to several shows, including gaming shows at the Crosbys’ and Waynoras’ arenas, and we’ve taken them to camp out with the horses at Mount Muller so the kids could experience that,” Karen says.
No one in the club owns his or her own horse. They share the Whites’ horses, along with others that have been donated or are on loan.
Workdays take place at the Whites’ home in Beaver. There, the students practice riding techniques in the round pen, play horse games or learn how to maneuver around obstacles for trail classes. They also get to ride on trails through the timber here.
“Right now, we have 12 members in the club and only seven horses, so the kids in varying age groups share a horse. Two kids in the same age group can’t share.”
It gets expensive to feed all those horses and take the kids to shows. Karen says the kids do “a lot of fundraising” to help out. More help is needed, though.
“Our club is growing rapidly, and we are in need of performance show horses for young riders, as well as a four-horse trailer, good hay and/or donations.”
Parade participation
For two years now, First Nations has participated in both the Forks and Quileute parades, which “the kids loved.
“Put a kid on a horse, and they’re gonna smile,” says Karen, referring to the horse as the kid’s buddy.
“Riding gives these kids goals. They’re always strategizing on what they’re going to do next.”
First Nations even has a drill team, performing at the Clallam Fair wearing midnight-blue shimmering vests with the horses sporting blue saddle pads.
Lots of experience
“They’re getting quite a variety of horse experiences,” say Karen.
She’s very proud of three of the girls — Isabele Pullen, Iris Pullen and Marissa — qualified to compete at the state fair in Puyallup where “they did a good job and done us proud.”
For more information, contact the Whites at 360-327-0771 or misterforme@hotmail.com.
Interested in finding a 4-H horse club for your child? In Clallam County, contact Washington State University 4-H Program Coordinator Jenny Schmidt at 360-417-2398 or jenny.schmidt@wsu.edu.
In Jefferson County, contact Angie Doan at 360-385-6683 or oneshot37@hotmail.com.
Events
■ Today, 9 a.m. — Baker Stables Winter Buckle series show, 164 Four Winds Road, Port Angeles.
Contact Dana or Tom King at 360-457-6039 or 360-460-7832.
■ Today, noon to 2 p.m. — Freedom Farm adult horsemanship class.
■ Saturdays, Nov. 15 and Dec. 20, 9 a.m. — Freedom Farm Games and Horsemanship Series, 493 Spring Road, Agnew.
Phone Gallagher at 360-457-4897
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Karen Griffiths’ column, Peninsula Horseplay, appears every other Sunday.
If you have a horse event, clinic or seminar you would like listed, please email Griffiths at kbg@olympus.net at least two weeks in advance. You can also write Griffiths at PDN, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362.
