- Sarah Bradley

Wow, the summer is going by quickly! Before it comes to a close we, at Freedom Farm, would like to extend an invitation to an overnight "So Long Summer" camp with games, an evening pizza feed, and breakfast the following morning. We had so much fun at summer camp that we wanted to give the kids one last opportunity to play before we ring in the school year! 

Cost will be $50 per child, drop off time is 3 PM Saturday, August 31st at Freedom Farm, pick up time is 10 AM Sunday, September 1st.  Kids are welcome to bring a tent or one will be provided. Be sure to bring a change of clothes... Or two! And warm jammies! 

For more information, please contact Sarah at (360) 461-2814.

For those new to Freedom Farm, let me introduce my husband and Freedom Farm co-owner Jerry Schmidt. You can learn more about Jerry here. -MG

Recently I asked Jerry how he gets his horses to accept all the crazy things he does. Of course he gave me a simple answer:  "I take time to play with my horses."

If you ever have watched Jerry work around a horse, you will agree that he is gifted. But his gift is not just his quiet manner and gentle touch; it is that he sees opportunity easily, and is drawn to it. There are few obstacles in Jerry's world when it comes to getting something done, whether it is erecting a new roping round pen or helping a horse with sensitive ears. 

Recently, I asked Jerry to trim a horse for a customer of mine and once again caught myself watching him work. I watched as he balanced and trimmed the horse's feet, but as they walked back to the pen, the horse was tossing his head. So Jerry lightly tossed the rope around him, that led to more head-tossing, but pretty soon his head was down and Jerry was scratching his ears. All this before he made it back to the pen where the horse was to rejoin his buddies. I was amazed because I had forgotten about how sensitive this horse was around his head, and in the matter of a few yards Jerry had helped him by playfully addressing the situation. 

When I shared my first draft of this article with Jerry, he summed it up pretty neatly:

1. I take time to play with my horses.
2. I try to be aware of any opportunities to work on any issue the horse might have. 
3. I spend a little time every time I see my horses on whatever comes up, without making it into a job for them. Not drilling them on a problem, as long as it seems better, even slightly. That is progress to a more confident horse.

I encourage you to keep helping your horses. When you see the opportunities to address an issue with play, go for it. It was for this purpose I designed Freedom Farm with the playground between the pens and the arena.

Have fun; play more.

And Jerry, thanks again!

Mary Gallagher

How Not to Die in a Trailer: For Dummies

By: Kelsey van Dyken

In July, as I'm sure you've heard, the hoof beats kids took on an adventure at the Washington State Horse Park. It certainly was an adventure. Below, you will find a series of 'episodes' that will fill you in on what it takes to survive a horse related camping trip.

Episode 1: Oh No...
As we made our way towards Cle Elum the kids were happy and loud, munching on their chocolate and blueberries. Mary was in front, Sarah the middle, and Agnieshka (Grace's mom) was picking up the rear. I was riding with Sarah, so my view of the beautiful Exiss trailer was perfect. As we meandered down the mountain, something peculiar happened. An odd smell creeped into the pickup truck; brakes. It wasn't too much longer when Mary's semi started spitting smoke. Oh the joys of new brakes and long downhill treks. We pulled over, checked what we thought we needed to, and then called Jerry. He assured us that everything was fine. So we hopped onto the highway again and sure enough, the brakes stopped smoking!

Lesson 1: Call Jerry. He can fix it. Even if he's not there.

Episode 2: Why are we all coughing?

Picture this. You are sitting in your nice trailer drinking coffee, enjoying the sounds and smells of horses nearby when suddenly you go in a fit of coughing. Uncontrollable coughing that makes you dizzy and disoriented. And everyone else who was sitting in the trailer did the same thing at exactly the same time. Whoa. Not supposed to happen. So now it was again our time to investigate. We figured out that it had something to do with the hot water system. We couldn't really put our finger on it. We googled it on Sarah's iPhone and tried to decipher the puzzle. But to no avail, we just couldn't get the right information. So, we called Jerry. Yes, again. What pitiful campers we were. He said that it probably had to do with hydrogen gas being made in the tank when the hot water was turned on. We googled that and sure enough, there it was. We also decided it might be smart to look up hydrogen had side effects...just for fun. Leave it to Jerry to save the day.
Lesson 2a: Jerry can fix ANYTHING.
Lesson 2b: Make sure you run water through your trailer system before you need it. It could save your life!

Episode 3: Snakes and Stories
Pull out your flashlights! It's scary story time! When you sleep in a tent full of middle school aged girls, it's bound to happen. So when you really want to go to sleep, the crying starts. According to the older girls, rattlesnakes slither in the grass and sneak into tents and drag people away. Bears and cougars were also there and we're going to eat them alive. Poor little Jessi took this all to heart and was in hysterics before they were even half done. Luckily, a good natured little mommy calmed her down and got her to sleep...after about two hours.
Lesson 3: Don't try to scare little kids at night. They will keep you up a really long time.

Episode 4: Our Little Friends
When you bring your friends along, you should make sure you actually like them. Apparently, we brought some lovely buzzing yellow jackets from the farm. They really thought that they belonged in the trailer with the rest of us. We thought otherwise. Mary was armed with a paper towel roll and mean growling voice. Over and over again she threatened them and they turned away. But one darned to enter. Whoosh! Whack! Pow! He was no more. No other bees darned to enter from that point on. We won't mention the mosquitoes....
Lesson 4: Mary can be scary. Especially when she has made up her mind.

Episode 5: Crazy People
Children are crazy. It's as simple as that. If you decide to go on a trip with them, you better just be a slight bit crazy too, or they will definitely drive you insane.
Lesson 5: Just play with them. It's a lot easier than not.

Episode 6: Dust, Hay, and a Little Love
Finally, in order to survive a horse related camping trip you must be truly and utterly devoted to the horse. Sometimes they make messes, or get caught up in fences, or even jump over our heads, but we still love them. And that is what it really takes. A pure and stable relationship full of trust, time, and happiness. 

Lesson 6: Live. Love. Ride. Horses.