ANNE and DEIRDRE VAULTING Too Good to Miss!

As we are in the midst of planning our upcoming Vaulting Symposium and "Fun at the Farm" night (April 29 - May 1), what should show up in our email but a wonderful video of Anne Phinney's vaulting experience from last year's Symposium! We want to share it here.

Anne Phinney, writer, teacher, and horsewoman, published an article in "Practical Horseman" last month on how vaulting helped her face some later-life fears concerning horses.

Anne will be a guest speaker at this year's Vaulting Symposium, and we look forward to hearing more from her. Please check out the video, put together by Michele Decamp, a photographer, friend, and Root Farm supporter.

ANNE and DEIRDRE VAULTING

A Job for Deirdre

Root Farm's director finished her first children's book, and it's a true story about one of our devoted equine staff members: the mule, Deirdre. Click here to get a free download or purchase the book.

Yeah Winter! Yeah Central New York!

From the desk at the Mud Creek Mother Ship, there are an awful lot of good things to say about a day like this . . .










And just look at the smile on Jared's face at Root Farm -- We're all about making the best of this great season!

2010 -- The Year the Farm Goes Fit

Back in November, Joe Hafele from Purina Mills came to the farm to do a weight and fitness check on all of the horses.

Wow, did we get a wake up call!

As it turned out, most of our (14) horses were in pretty good shape -- EXCEPT -- two most valued members of our equine therapy staff weighed in at "borderline obese." These pictures don't lie . . .

Stella weighed in at at 1370 and Nestle at 138o, and Joe set a goal weight at 1150 for both of them. Diet and exercise from that day on for both was in order -- 225 pounds is a lot to have to lose before spring training!

Moving into the new year, Joe returned the 4th of January to check on our progress.

Stella is now 70 pounds lighter at 1300 and Nestle is also down 70 pounds to 1310.

And nothing motivates like success! Now some of our staff and volunteers -- even a client or two -- are lining up to get on the "Purina Diet."

We have christened 2010 THE YEAR of FARM FITNESS

So, we're not giving away any secrets here, but if anyone wants to jump in on the game, just come visit Root Farm to see the pounds dropping away.

. . . with a little help from our friends, of course, notably some great Purina weight control grain, a little hay analysis, a mechanical free walker for the horses in the works for spring, and lots of attention to record keeping by dedicated students, staff, and volunteers.