Home Run Farm

08/15/2024

I had someone ask me this week why attendance is one of the factors that affects scheduling.

I thought it was an odd question, because it has a pretty simple answer...open lesson times don't pay bills. So scheduling someone who isn't going to show up regularly isn't a good business decision.

But it really goes deeper than that.

One of the most profound lessons that horses teach us is commitment. Commitment to caring for them, commitment to bettering ourselves, and commitment to setting goals and achieving them.

If you aren't attending the lessons you scheduled (horseback riding or any other sport) regularly, you're missing this point. Your progress will be minimal and you'll end up frustrated.

Holding space for someone who isn't committed to that space will suck the life right out of you. (Read that twice, because it applies every single day of your life). It isn't just a financial drain. It's tough to get excited to teach someone who isn't committed to learning.

So yes, I'm going to schedule riders who are committed to learning and who attend regularly first. Their enthusiasm keeps me going when the day is kicking my butt. They remind me that this purpose is far bigger than just what is happening in the arena.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk. 🤣

07/24/2024

I’m

07/06/2024

Melissa

We’ve found a way to combat the high cost of pool chemicals and keep our pool clean and clear naturally. Last summer, our pool turned solid green, and we couldn’t afford enough chemicals to fix it. Here’s how we turned things around using a natural bog filter.
Materials:
Large container full of rocks and pebbles (we used a cheap trash can)
Riparian pond plants (e.g., creeping Jenny, Japanese taro, and yellow flag iris)
Pond pump (pumps enough gallons per hour to cycle the pool once every hour or two)
PVC fittings for a spout and drain at the bottom of the filter
Copper pieces (optional but helpful)

How It Works:

1. Setup:
The pond pump pulls water through a flexible pipe into the bottom of the trash can.
Water flows upwards through the layers of rocks, trapping debris and hosting beneficial bacteria.
Filtered water spills out of the spout at the top.

2. Filtration:
The rocks trap debris and help filter the water.
Beneficial bacteria consume nutrients and waste from decaying leaves, preventing algae growth.
Riparian pond plants consume nutrients that algae would otherwise use to grow.

3. Maintenance:
Skim floating debris and vacuum settled debris regularly.
Once a season, turn off the pump and open the drain at the bottom. Flush out any gathered debris by running your hose on top of the rocks.
Keep the pump running 24/7; the power needed to run a small pond pump is negligible.

4. Benefits:
Chemical-free pool maintenance.
Cost-effective solution.
Fresh, clean water that is safe for skin.

For detailed instructions and visuals, look up natural pools and bog filters on YouTube, especially the “bog filter in a barrel” by OzPonds.

07/01/2024

04/10/2024

It took me 36 years to find out that if you put strawberries in glass jars, they last forever! 😳 these ones, no word of a lie, are over 3 weeks old. From the superstore. I'm lucky if I get them to last 5 days before they start to turn when I buy them from there. I don't know who else knows this trick but if you don't, you're welcome! 😁

04/10/2024

♥️♥️♥️

Great actors 60's from Season 2 of Little House On The Prairie TV show [ 1974 _ 2024 ] they are still beautiful 🥰🥰

04/10/2024

Still a classic!😂

04/08/2024

SUCCULENT CHAIR PLANTER- so neat!

https://gardentherapy.ca/succulent-chair-planter/

04/05/2024

The next USHJA Outreach show is only 10 days away!!! Everyone enjoyed the Hunt N Go Derbies and Mini Prix's so much we will be having them again in April!!
If you do not see your name listed below and you would like to join us, Please call or text: Kim 941-809-6365 or Becky 941-809-6361.
We are looking forward to seeing:
Heather Cassese
Shawna Cichon
Kacey Hoyer
RJ Deisterhoff
Stacy Diaz
Vicki Gee
Wendy Hechler
Lisa Johnson
Krystal Kuhl
Patti Lechmanik
Francesca Macalister
Allison Postier
Brittany Pledger
Summer Thurber
Abigail Gladwell
Ashley Smith

04/05/2024

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Things your riding instructor wants you to know:
1. This sport is hard. You don't get to bypass the hard…..every good rider has gone through it. You make progress, then you don't, and then you make progress again. Your riding instructor can coach you through it, but they cannot make it easy.

2. You're going to ride horses you don't want to ride. If you're teachable, you will learn from every horse you ride. Each horse in the barn can teach you if you let them. IF YOU LET THEM. Which leads me to…

3. You MUST be teachable to succeed in this sport. You must be teachable to succeed at anything, but that is another conversation. Being teachable often means going back to basics time and time and time again. If you find basics boring, then your not looking at them as an opportunity to learn. Which brings me to…..

4. This sport is a COMMITMENT. Read that, then read it again. Every sport is a commitment, but in this sport your teammate weighs 1200 lbs and speaks a different language. Good riders don't get good by riding every once in awhile….they improve because they make riding a priority and give themsevles opportunity to practice.

5. EVERY RIDE IS AN OPPORTUNITY. Even the walk ones. Even the hard ones. Every. Single. Ride. Remember when you just wished someone would lead you around on a horse? Find the happiness in just being able to RIDE. If you make every ride about what your AREN'T doing, you take the fun out of the experience for yourself, your horse, and your instructor. Just enjoy the process. Which brings me to...

6. Riding should be fun. It is work. and work isn't always fun.....but if you (or your rider) are consistently choosing other activities or find yourself not looking forward to lessons, it's time to take a break. The horses already know you don't want to be here, and you set yourself up for failure if you are already dreading the lesson before you get here.

7. You'll learn more about horses from the ground than you ever will while riding. That's why ground lessons are important, too. If you're skipping ground lessons (or the part of your lesson that takes place on the ground), you're missing out on the most important parts of the lesson. You spend far more time on the ground with horses than you do in the saddle.

8. Ask questions and communicate. If you're wondering why your coach is having you ride a particular horse or do an exercise, ask them. Then listen to their answer and refer to #3 above.

9. We are human beings. We make decisions (some of them life and death ones) every day. We balance learning for students with workloads for horses and carry the bulk of this business on our shoulders. A little courtesy goes a long way.

Of all the sports your child will try through their school years, riding is one of 3 that they may continue regularly as adults (golf and skiing are the others). People who coach riding spend the better part of their free time and much of their disposable income trying to improve their own riding and caring for the horses who help teach your child. They love this sport and teaching others…..but they all have their limits. Not all good riders are good coaches, but all good coaches will tell you that the process to get good is not an easy one.

*thank you to whoever wrote this! Not my words, but certainly a shared sentiment!

03/29/2024

We can't wait for the April Outreach Show!! This will be a double pointed show!

We will be going back to our regular tables for the jumper classes.
We will only use optimum time for the "Magical" Mini Prix's.

We are looking forward to seeing the creative "Magical Creature" Costumes!!

There Will be Special Prizes!!

The show is now live on HorseShowsOnline.com
https://horseshowsonline.com/ShowDetails?ShowGUID=d0a32e2f-1a31-41f5-9a5b-3104d80d8825