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Freedom Farm, Inc.
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| Winter Newsletter | March 2013 |
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Dear Friends,
We start this month with a Mini Beats Ride & Charity Drive, and we end the month with another one, including an Easter Egg hunt for the wee ones. We'll also have our usual Hoof Beats activities, the monthly cowmanship class and adult workshops, and we'll be hosting Dawn Anderson, of Anderson Equine, to do a saddle fitting (read below to find out more).
We've created a Google Calendar that lists Farm events. You can view it from the Calendar page our web site. Click an event to view details about it in a popup window.
Note that unless otherwise indicated on the calendar or in a future newsletter, every day of every week of every month this year the following classes will take place:
Monday - Rider Fitness Workout, 7 am (Anytime Fitness)
Tuesday - Advanced Jumping Class, 2-3:30 pm
Wednesday - Hoof Beats Horsemanship, 3-5:30 pm
Thursday - Dressage Class, 1-3 pm
Friday - Group Horsemanship Class, 10:30 am-Noon
Saturday - Rider Boot Camp, 7 am (Anytime Fitness)
Hoof Beats 10 am - Noon
Advanced Jumpers, 1-3 pm
You can view the archive of past newsletters from the Downloads page on our web site. Also, be sure to look for information about some of our new boarders and riders in next month's newsletter, and ... Like us on Facebook!
Mary
CONTACT INFO:
Mary Gallagher
(360) 457-4897
freedomf@olypen.com
freedom-farm.net
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Hoof Beats Activities 
This month's Hoof Beats activities include: Freedom Farm Show Practice Saturday, March 23
10 am - 3 pm
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Mini Beats Charity Drive
Sunday, March 3 AND March 31
Noon - 2 pm
We have two Mini Beats Ride & Charity Drives this month.
The first is on March 3rd, and the second is on the 31st.
The one at the end of the month includes an Easter Egg hunt!
Mini Beats is open to all riders under 100 lbs.
This is a great experience for young equestrians!
Donations go to Peninsula Friends of Animals
If you're looking for a fun birthday party idea, then try planning your party around a Mini Beats Ride & Charity Drive. The viewing room is large enough for parties and the horse games make a great activity for all the children attending. All proceeds benefit Peninsula Friends of Animal; please give what you can.
Contact Mary for more information or to schedule a party.
(360) 457-4897
freedomf@olypen.com
freedom-farm.net
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Monday, March 4
9 am - finish
Freedom Farm is hosting Dawn Anderson for a saddle fitting clinic. If you are interested in scheduling some time with her and your horse, please contact Mary.
Visit her web site, Anderson Equine, to find out more about what she does.
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Cowmanship Class
Sunday, March 17
Noon - 3 pm
Working cows gives your horse a job to do, and is so much fun! Join us, and then enjoy the transformation in your horse that becomes evident in all aspects of his or her training just from this one activity!
Contact Mary for more information, or to let her know you'll be riding.
(360) 457-4897
freedomf@olypen.com
freedom-farm.net
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Adult Workshop
Sunday, March 24
Noon - 2 pm
Our adult workshops are always fun and informative. We learn new and fun ways to support our horse while we are on the ground and in the saddle.
To sign up, contact Mary via
email or by phone.
(360) 457-4897
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Rider Fitness Class (Boot Camp)
The Rider Fitness Class (Boot Camp) helps riders balance their horses by working on their own balance off the horse. In only a few short weeks of working out, we have seen riders make significant changes in their
riding that would normally take months, if not years. Dedicated
riders come for a morning work out
at 7 a.m. on Saturdays at Anytime Fitness, in Sequim (gym membership not required).
Our coach is Exercise Physiologist
and Personal Trainer, Kenny Hall. The routines he developed for the circuit focus on core stability, balance, and strength training specific to riders.
Workouts last approximately 50 min-utes, and whether you are a beginner or advanced rider, this program will help you achieve your riding goal.
Click here to view and print a registra-tion form. Contact Mary if you are interested in joining us.
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Introducing Mary & Kip Tulin
 Hi, my name is Mary (yes, one more Mary!) Tulin, and this fellow standing next to me is my husband, Kip Tulin. I was a horse-crazy youngster who never had a horse of my own. I rode as much as I could at the rental stables and spent a couple of years in the California Rangers youth riding organization. We had snappy uniforms, were organized in troops, and rode in drill formation. In my later teen years, we moved to a rural neighborhood with available horses whose girls had gone off to college. I had great fun with a gorgeous, neglected Tennessee Walker, and a very cool 17-year old half-Arabian mare. After leaving for college, I too let horses go.
I have had several careers, first as a Corporate Consultant, teaching English as a Second Language, and then as an Organization Development Consultant specializing in large group planning and work design. For the last 12 years I have been a Celtic musician in several bands, most recently as a local duo called Fret Noir. Kip has been band support and official photographer all along. Although I am contemplating retirement from performing, I still play now and then, and you can find my schedule and CDs on my website at marytulin.com.
Kip and I met in early middle age, when I was a doctoral student in Boston and he was a well-established, much beloved pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente in Bakersfield, CA. It was a whirlwind, commuter romance and marriage for many years, but we eventually settled down in Bakersfield. Since Kaiser offered early retirement, we were inspired to seek someplace beautiful; after several years' search, we visited Sequim and were instantly smitten. We bought a lot in 2005 and visited as often as we were able, landing here for good in 2010. FUN FACT: We did not end up building on that lot, but sold it to a nice couple, Marilyn and Rick Crimmel, our new buds at Freedom Farm!
Kip is the volunteer Medical Director of the Dungeness Valley Health and Wellness Center, on the board of Sequim's new Science Cafe, rows a boat he built himself, and takes lots of really nice photos. I'd always thought about riding again, but it took my music partner's move out of state to give me the push to find a local facility and get serious. Freedom Farm's cool website video hooked me, and here I am. I have so appreciated the kind welcome from everybody, and Mary's great patience as a teacher!
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Lesson Notes:
"Changes are not problems
and problems are just changes"
Mary Gallagher
Don't be afraid to look at things from another point of view.
Or start over with a different approach.
Here at freedom Farm, things are very different than they are at most barns.
For instance, take the way our horses live in herds. When I was growing up, all the stables I rode at kept their horses stalled. When I started my own business, all my horses were stalled. It wasn't until I did research on natural living conditions for horses that I considered running my business differently. The changes came slowly and I am grateful for that. There was - and still is - so much to learn (and unlearn).
One of the things I had to get over was the whole fear that the horses were going to hurt each other by kicking and biting. Somehow I had it in my head that if they played, someone would get hurt and the horse would become unusable. But in reality, they are playful animals and have things to learn about how to move and behave, like all kids running around and playing with others. Depriving the horse of this natural way of life is the cause of many unwanted behaviors.
One of the things I learned was that the herd environment naturally teaches the horse the value and safety in ranking. This is an important behavior to have in place as we show the horse that in the human environment there is LEADERSHIP as well. This ability to rank the horse below us keeps us and our horse safe, just as the older seemingly weaker lead mare can still be in command of the well-being of the herd. The human can be the dominant member in the hierarchy of their relationship with horses.
In parenting we want the best for our kids and sometimes that means we have to let cause and effect or nature be the teacher. Sheltering our kids or stalling our horses from the consequences of life in the end produces unwanted behavior. In horses this can translate into a horse that is looking to fight rather then cooperate inside the herd of two. Horses that live together learn to play respectfully; this is a valuable behavior to have as we share our lives with these great animals.
As you spend time at Freedom Farm you will see how the horses are eager to interact with everyone, and how respectful and trusting they are. All they ask is that we become good leaders for them.
To your horsemanship,
Mary
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Arena Schedule
Here is a schedule that might help you plan your time at the Freedom Farm arena.
Sunday - Open mornings until 11:30 AM. Afternoon and Evenings reserved for FF activities and Pony Club practice.
Monday - Open all day.
Tuesday - Open all day.
Wednesday - Open all morning. Afternoon reserved for Boarders & Hoof Beats
from 3 - 5:30 pm.
Thursday - Open all Morning. Afternoon reserved for Boarders & Hoof Beats
from 3 - 5:30 pm.
Friday - Open all Morning. Afternoon reserved for Boarders & Hoof Beats
from 3 - 5:30 pm. Evening reserved for Port Angeles Equestrian Team
Saturday - Boarders and Hoof Beat members only 9 am - 5:30 pm. Evening reserved for Sequim Equestrian Team.
If you have any questions please contact Mary.
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New Members:
TAKE 10% OFF
Your First Month's Hoof Beats Tuition!
(Current members may take advantage of this
discount by referring a friend to our program) |
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