Open For Business: Getting The Program Back On the Road

Priorities--setting them is the most important thing that I do for the growth of our program.  Doing so is fraught with pitfalls. It would be so easy if all we were is a place to learn to ride. It is harder because we are more than that. This is a place where people can come to  learn natural horsemanship, or to learn natural horse care, or to learn natural hoof care, or to learn old time and roots music, or to learn wild life habitat development, or to learn microbial pasture development, or to learn soil and water conservation, or to learn history, or to learn the use of horses in healing those who have suffered childhood trauma, or to preserve and promote nearly extinct strains of Colonial Spanish horses and other forms of Heritage Livestock. 

We are a multi faceted cultural and educational non-profit organization. We have no paid employees. Everything that we  do is done with volunteer hands. We now have a wonderful half mile drive back to the tack shed that will do more to make our program work than anything since the development and implementation of our deep well and water system. 

My mind is often drawn towards major infrastructure improvements. And for everything there is a season. We must continue the progress on converting Jacob's Woods, a 15 acre mixed forest woodlot, into productive silvo pasture. We must construct the stage for our music program and we must continue to enhance the shelter for the Veteran's Programs. I wanted to rebuild our Settlers Farm and it was one of my top priorities for the summer.

But that priority has changed. Take a look at the picture above. That is Bonnie Gruenberg, who wrote the  greatest work that will ever be written about the wild horses of the east coast, "Wild Horse Dilemma" standing with two beautiful Banker yearlings that we bred. We will soon be receiving an influx of pure Banker horses and half Corolla horses that we will train. The pure Bankers will be a center piece of our breed conservation program for years to come. The half Bankers will become part of our riding program.

I did not anticipate this influx of horses. It came as quite a surprise. I was concerned that their training would disrupt my priorities. Over the past week I remembered that I am a grown up and I do not have to live my life according to the priorities of others and I reminded myself that resilience depends on flexibility. Our program has achieved what it has because we have been flexible and have made adjustments as needed.

The best summer that our program ever had involved the training of many colts and a young donkey. If memory serves we trained six horses and a donkey to the degree that each could be ridden in the woods with my oldest training assistant being fourteen years old. it was the work of a handful of young girls and me. We not only trained those animals we did so without having a single one of them buck, even once. 

This summer is going to be special. We are returning to our roots of teaching and practicing natural horsemanship. there has never been a better time to become part of our program. Program fees are only $160.00 per month per family. If you want to become part of this amazing equine experience send an email to me at msindianhorses@aol.com and get registered right away.