Dun-Pikin Farm

07/11/2025

If you're ever looking for a broom, chances are we have a few handy to put it to good use! Our awesome campers are showing us how it's done, keeping the barn aisle sparkling. What a fantastic 2nd week of Summer Horsemanship Camp with these dedicated kids! One more day! Come Ride With Us!

Cindy 🐴

07/10/2025

This week of summer camp has been a bit unique for us. It’s been the hottest week we’ve ever had to endure, with the heat index over 100 all 3 days. It’s also the first camp we’ve ever had with 3 boys attending the same camp. It has turned into a boys vs girls kinda camp. It’s been fun for sure.

I always wonder why so few boys ride at local barns. You see very few boys riding at the local shows either. Many of the top competitive riders and trainers in the world are men. I often wonder where they got their start. I have no clue if the 3 boys riding with us will continue on their horse journey after this week, but we believe the magic of horses is for everyone, and we're happy to provide a welcoming space for all to discover their passion for riding. Why not Come Ride with Us!

Cindy 🐴

07/09/2025

When you’re doing summer camp on a day when there’s a heat index of 107 degrees you have to get a bit creative. All the riding was done early before it got too hot. In the afternoon we did all our ground work on the driveway in the shade. The goal for the afternoon was to work on our leading skills. Katie set up an obstacle course that weaved its way around trees, buildings, and puddles. There were cones to weave through, and poles to step over. They had to pick up pool noodles and had hula hoops to stop in. The kids took to the course with enthusiasm but were quickly surprised how challenging it was.

For a first try they all did fairly well but there was frustration. I was happy to see how supportive and encouraging they all were to each other. One of our youngest took to the course with Marley. Our smallest camper was given the largest horse. She struggled at first and immediately 2 of the older girls stepped in to help her out. Though obviously it was not perfect, and their technique needs some work for sure, this little girl was the first to get her horse Marley to stop in the hula hoop with his front feet. You can hear how encouraging the older girls are. You can see them reminding her how to hold the lead rope, and you can see them wanting her to be successful. Most of all you can see how thrilled our littlest camper was. She could almost not believe what she had done.

That’s what horses can do! Nothing can build confidence like realizing you can take charge and control a big animal like a horse. Sure, it can be challenging but it can be learned. We’ll teach you how when you Come Ride With Us!

Cindy 🐴

07/08/2025

Phew, what a day! We kicked off our first day of our second week of summer camp today with 7 amazing, engaged kids. Despite a bit of an "iffy" weather forecast—and a very wet morning here at the farm—we managed to dodge the worst of the wet.

It was hot and humid, so we made sure to keep everyone cool and hydrated. The best part? Seeing all those smiling faces at the end of the day! We might be a little biased, but we think we shared a good dose of horsemanship knowledge through hands-on activities, crafts, and of course, plenty of saddle time and farm experience.

Any day that ends with happy campers is a win in our book and today was definitely one of those days! Come Ride With Us!

Cindy 🐴

07/07/2025

Camp week coming up. Olive is waiting at the gate. Come Ride With Us!

Cindy🐴

07/06/2025

With all this heat, rain and humidity we’ve had, brings lush grass. For many horses and ponies its paradise, but for some ponies like Jelly Bean and Brownie all that grass can be a nightmare. The sugar in lush grass can cause laminitis, a painful and sometimes even fatal hoof condition. Both Brownie and Jelly Bean have suffered from laminitis. Thankfully we were able to get it under control before it turned into founder. Founder can cause the coffin bone to rotate in the hoof. If the bone rotates too much, it can actually come through the bottom of the hoof.

As soon as the grass starts greening up in the spring the muzzles come out. A muzzle still allows them to eat through a hole in the bottom. It slows down their consumption of grass. Since Brownie and Jelly Bean have started wearing their muzzles their issues with laminitis have disappeared. At first getting them on was a struggle, but once they realized they couldn’t go out until they were on, they finally gave in. Now they won’t even walk out until they have their muzzles on. Honestly a peppermint treat through the hole in the muzzle helps the muzzle go on.

It was easy to find a muzzle to fit Brownie, but Jelly Bean was a different story. He’s a mini with an odd-shaped face. A mini size was too small because of his face shape, but a pony size was way too big. We rigged up something that worked but I was never very happy with it. Someone here recommended a different kind of muzzle. After looking at it I decided it was worth a try. The other day we finally tried it on him. I was so happy with how it fit, and how much lighter and more comfortable it looked. Jelly Bean has a whole new look. Here’s his before and after pictures. Tell me what you think when you Come Ride With Us!

Cindy 🐴

07/05/2025

July 4th is a blur. Whew! Horses, barns, then 20 guests for food and fireworks. We'll be back at it(the horse stuff) tomorrow. Come Ride With Us!

Cindy 🐴

07/04/2025

This is Dublin, squeaky clean after a morning bath curtsy of Layla. Dublin turned 31 in May. I’m still amazed every day when I see his head pop out of his window. Dublin battled an impaction colic for over 10 days at Christmas. The vet I know was losing hope that it would resolve. We agreed he would be euthanized on her next visit if it had not resolved. 3 days later we all held our breath as her exam began. I actually cried when she said our prayers had been answered. Dublin’s impaction was gone.

Obviously, we were beyond grateful, but the impaction had taken its toll. He had lost a lot of weight. To put it bluntly Dublin looked bad. We’ve worked diligently since then to get his weight back up. I think he looks fabulous. He seems to feel great too. At 31 with the vets blessing, Dublin still pulls his weight in our lesson program. She says it’s good for him ro have a job.

These days when Dublin is not doing a lesson, he spends his days out in the field with his new buddy Tic Toc, munching grass and getting fat. Life for Dublin is good these days. Make sure you say hello to Dublin when you Come Ride With Us!

Cindy 🐴

07/03/2025

When you lay down on something disgusting and you come up looking like you meant it. I think we'll wait to give him a bath and let him show off his fancy work of art for a bit. See if Tic Toc still has his special 'tattoo' when you Come Ride With Us!

07/02/2025

This is my girl, Brownie. Not many people at Dun-Pikin know about Brownie, but in her day, Brownie was a super star pony ride pony. She went everywhere and wasn’t afraid of anything. She did her job and was a favorite of everyone. I can’t remember why we retired her, I really can’t but Brownie eventually went to High Tide “to die.”

Now don’t get upset, it’s just always been ‘the joke.’ The ponies that go to High Tide, go there to live out their lives. It’s a great gig. They have their own stalls to eat in. After they eat, they are able to come and go as they please. They have their very own large grass field with plenty of shade. They can stand in front of their fans in the summer, and they don’t have to do anything!

All the Dun-Pikin ponies that live at High Tide are very spoiled. They get brushed daily. They are never turned out without getting a peppermint first. As I was giving brownie her peppermint today, I realized how grey her face is getting. She’s getting to truly be an old lady. It also hit me that Brownie is now not only the oldest but the longest living resident at High Tide. She’s lived there longer than any other horse or pony at the farm. She was one of the first Dun-Pikin ponies to come to High Tide. I’m sure she’s been there now, at least 10 years. Brownie’s a very lucky pony. I see her every day since I split my time between the two farms. You can ask me about Brownie when you Come Ride With Us!

Cindy 🐴

07/02/2025

07/01/2025

In searching through some boxes, I came across a stack of old photos. Photos that resemble a yearbook of students and horses at Dun-Pikin. It was a fun surprise looking through them. I can’t say I remember everyone in the photos, but I saw several students that were Pony Pal ages 4 or 5 when the picture was taken and now have kids of their own.

There were also pictures of horses, horses that have been gone for a long time now. Ginger, Casanova, Etches, Grey, Peanut, Romeo, Huey, Jack, Thea, Reggie, Magic, Strudel, Betsy, Cory … so many great horses. We have been blessed to have so many special horses. Our students were lucky to have learned from them too.

It’s been 25 years now. We’ve had a lot of horses and people over the years come through Dun-Pikin. It was a nice surprise to come across all these memories. It’s a great reminder to me to actually print pictures. Nowadays most pictures taken are on someone’s phone and are never seen again. It’s important to have pictures to remember our students, horses, and programs.

I’m always excited when people share their pictures with us. I love seeing pictures of students on our horses, students on their horses, students in the show ring, kids taking pony rides, people brushing horses, people walking horses … heck I just love seeing pictures of horses. Please feel free to share your pictures and memories. Come take some pictures. Come make some memories. Come Ride With Us!

Cindy 🐴