Cuppa Tea Horse Ranch LLC

25/09/2024

You know, I’m not sure I ever talked about the direction I’m taking things and the nonprofit I started on this page.
Seems like a bit of an oversight lol.
My original plan with this property was to board a couple of horses and use my own horses to do lessons/summer camp type activities.
However, I decided to jump in feet first with a friend and start a unique, first of its kind nonprofit.
We are breeding, raising, training, and matching people with miniature service horses. These are horses who guide the blind, pull wheelchairs, alert to oncoming medical events, help people balance, and many other tasks.
Miniature service horses are not a new concept, however, there are no programs dedicated to training them. Our goal is to place these horses with people at no cost, as the price tag is quite a bit more than most people can afford. In order to do this, we’re going to need a lot of support.
If you would be willing to follow our page, interact with our posts, invite friends to like the page, and maybe even donate, it would mean so much!

About the Cali Corp.

Our mission:
To match people with disabilities with highly skilled, task trained miniature horses to help them live their lives to the fullest.

What are service horses?
Much like service dogs, a service horse is a miniature horse that has been specially trained to perform one or more tasks that mitigate their handler’s disability.

Can horses be legal service animals?
Yes. Miniature horses are the only federally recognized service animal besides dogs. They are subject to the same rules as service dogs, such as performing a task that mitigates a disability and house training.

What can service horses do?
Examples of tasks that a service horse can perform include:
Guiding a blind handler
Helping somebody to balance while walking
Helping somebody to rise from the floor or a seated position
Pulling a wheelchair
Retrieving objects for a handler
Reminding a handler to take their medication at a set time each day
Alerting a handler to an oncoming medical event
Guiding a handler to safety at the onset of a medical event, such as taking them to a chair or removing them from a busy crowd

Why a horse and not a dog?
A service horse can be an excellent choice for anyone who is allergic to or afraid of dogs. There are some tasks that horses are better suited to, such as weight-bearing to help a handler with poor balance. With a lifespan that frequently exceeds 30 years, a horse can be a much more emotionally feasible service animal for many people, because the average working life of a service dog is just eight years. Plus, with the high cost to train a service animal, that upfront cost stretches three times farther than with a dog.

Are miniature horses practical service animals?
With their larger size and needs such as an outdoor space and hoof trims, miniature horses are not always as practical as a service dog. Although horses up to 34 inches are allowed to be service animals, that would be an impractically large size. With the exception of horses who will do a lot of weight-bearing and counterbalancing, smaller is typically better. A 28 inch horse takes up no more space than a manual wheelchair, and is able to accompany their handler in a lot of circumstances, such as being able to fit alongside a table in a restaurant, fit in the back of a van for transport, and maneuver easily through aisles in a store.
It is true that a horse will never be as practical as a small dog, and it certainly brings with it a lot of unwanted attention, but for a lot of people the pros outweigh the cons.

Our goals
no organizations currently exist that train and match people with service horses. The high cost of extra small horses, hiring a professional trainer, and the risk of an animal not working out create barriers for many people.
We train horses and match them with people, the same way it is done in service dog programs.
We have already started to put together our own breeding herd of extra small horses, which will allow us to set horses up for success and increase the odds they will work out as a service animal from the day they are born.
We train horses to a very high standard, and with as many trained behaviors as possible to help their handler.
We facilitate the best match between each horse and handler, and provide support to that handler for the rest of the horse‘s life.
We provide our horses with the best care possible. This includes making sure they end up in a situation that is right for them. We will never force a horse to do a job that they do not like.
We rehome horses as therapy trained and highly trained pets where appropriate, such as if a horse grows too large to be practical for service work.
We continue to help educate the public about service horses, and the often misunderstood difference between service, therapy, and emotional support animals.
And, we like to give back to the community at large. Our horses that are in training or part of the breeding herd do things like therapy visits and reading programs. The farm will be a safe haven for horse lovers of all stripes and abilities. We offer fun and educational programs, such as pony summer camps and horsemanship lessons.

We hope you will consider supporting our mission.

Ways you can help!
Monetary donations: We are unfortunately not a 501(c)(3) as of yet, but we can still take, and are incredibly appreciative of, monetary donations in any amount. We are a registered nonprofit, and are working on applying for 501(c)(3) status. If (when) we receive 501(c)(3) status, any donations given before that time would then become eligible for tax deduction.
Keep up with what we’re doing: Please consider following this page, as well as Positive Impact Equine. The more our posts are liked, commented on, and shared, the more reach we will get.
Volunteer: Even if you don’t live local, we are always looking for volunteers. There is a ton of work that goes into a project like this, and we are always going to need help. There is researching grants, grant writing, fundraising, building and maintaining a website, accounting, and so much more. We would like to have a supportive network of as many people as possible. If you would like to help, please message the page or email us at [email protected]
Horses: We are always keeping an eye out for extra small miniatures with lovely dispositions. If you think you might have one that fits what we are looking for, please reach out. We know these horses are hard to come by, and networking with the Miniature Horse community is going to be the best way to find them.
Sharing and engagement: It’s no secret how fickle the FB algorithm has become. If you want to keep seeing our posts, please like them and leave the occasional comment, or they may stop showing up in your feed. Please consider sharing our posts and inviting your friends to like the page as well. It can be tricky to build up a following on social media, and every person makes a difference.

Image description: The photo is our logo – a person being guided by a miniature horse walking from left to right. Below their feet are the letters CALI. The logo is solid black on white.

13/09/2024

Meet our newest guest ❤️

09/09/2024

Can eats?

ID: I smile at the camera as I take a selfie, sitting in one of my horse fields, the yard sloping up behind me. Argo, a bay and white pinto pony, pokes his head into frame from the left side. He nibbles on my colorful baseball cap while eyeballing the camera.

18/08/2024

Me? Been scratching ponies? What gave it away?

ID: My hand (white and with very long, slender fingers) is held out in front of the camera. My fingers are slightly curled inwards, and absolutely caked in dirt – under and on my fingernails in particular. The background behind my hand is the white back of one of my ponies and, towards the top of the image, the ground with a scattering of hay on it.

16/08/2024

I have the best home Office 💙

ID: I am sitting in a patch of soft grass, my black lab laying in front of me. His back is to the camera and he looks up at me. To my right, my old Appaloosa, Kidd, also lays in the grass wearing a fly mask and breakaway halter.

08/08/2024

Lesson scheduling, payment, and other information

Horsemanship lessons: Horsemanship lessons are for anyone age 8 and above.
if you want to know what these lessons consist of, please check the pinned posts at the top of this profile or follow this link: https://www.facebook.com/share/5tVgspTkEaX69Qid/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Both one and two hour lessons are available. This is because I want different options available to work with different peoples schedules and attention spans.

Pricing:
group 1 hour: $25
Individual one hour: $35
Group 2 hours: $50
Individual two hours: $60

For younger learners, I would suggest group lessons, as this is an interactive, hands-on learning environment with different games and group activities to make it both more enjoyable and help with retention.

Lessons are purchased in a package of four. Holding your spot requires a down payment of the first lesson, with payment for each of the following three due by the time of the lesson.
Payment can be made via cash, check, cash app, or PayPal.
At this time, my schedule is fairly open and flexible, so I can make many different times work. When facilitating group lessons, I can find what time works best for everyone and schedule that way.
Please don’t be intimidated by my formal writing style, I’m pretty easy-going. 😄
At this time, I am just doing the Horsemanship lessons, but there are many other activities in the works, so please follow this page to keep up with everything that’s going on.

Rules and safety:
Anyone interacting with horses must wear closed-toed shoes. Boots with ASTM approved metal toes are the safest, followed by regular boots, followed by sneakers.
Wearing a helmet when working with horses is not required, but is encouraged.
Everyone starting lessons (or their guardian if under the age of 18) is required to sign a liability waiver. This waiver also includes a detailed lesson plan to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Safety of horses and humans is of the upmost importance. I would never use a horse or pony who I was not confident would be comfortable in any given situation, and several of my horses have worked in a therapeutic riding program in the past. Safety will be the first thing we go over. All students must sign to acknowledge that they have read and understand the barn rules, which will be posted in several locations.
The rules are all fairly straightforward and common sense. Parents, I just want you to have full confidence that this is a safe environment.
I have a state child abuse clearance, which I can provide if requested.

cancellation policy:
Please give 24 hour notice if you need to cancel a lesson.
If last minute cancellations become a chronic issue, a $10 convenience fee will be charged per lesson.
No-shows will be charged a $10 convenience fee.
If circumstances change and the date and times for your lessons no longer work, they can be rescheduled.

Interested in signing up?

To schedule lessons you can: Message this page
Email me at [email protected]
Or call or text 717-331-8755

The horses and I are looking forward to hearing from you!

Image description: The photo shows three ponies grazing side-by-side in a line. They are viewed from the front left, and the words “sign up info“ are in one corner in front of the ponies.

08/08/2024

I am incredibly excited to announce that Cuppa Tea Horse Ranch is now offering horsemanship lessons!

What are horsemanship lessons?
Horsemanship lessons are for anybody from the Horse crazy kid to the beginner who has always wanted their own horse, but isn’t sure where to start.
Horseback riding lessons are easy to find and, don’t get me wrong, I love riding. But that is only one very small part of the Horse world. It’s very common for stables to teach people how to ride, but not much beyond that. Some places will go so far as to have the horse tacked up when you get there, so you don’t even learn how to put your own saddle on.
If what you want to learn is how to ride, then that’s perfect. But what if you want to learn about owning your own horse? Or training them? Or having a job in the horse world?

Who are the lessons for?
Lessons are for anyone who wants to learn the difference between a Paint and a pinto, a pellum and a snaffle, and founder and laminitis.
They are for anyone who wants to learn about what all goes into feeding, managing, and taking care of horses.
They are for anyone who wants to learn not just how to handle horses, but the Y behind it.
They are for anyone who would like to spend time around horses, but can’t or does not want to ride.
They are for the horse crazy kid who puts a pony on their Christmas wish list every year.
They are for the kid who was lucky enough to get that pony, but is overwhelmed by just how much goes into owning a horse.
They are for the adult who is finally able to fulfill their lifelong dream of having their own horse but doesn’t have much experience and doesn’t know where to start.

What will you learn?
That depends in part on age, experience level, and what you would like to get out of these lessons. Lessons for an eight-year-old and a 48-year-old are obviously going to look a little bit different, but many of the principles are the same.
You will learn about compassionate, ethical horse training and care.
You will learn how to groom a horse, read their body language, and spot health issues. If we really break that down, that will include learning about each of the grooming tools and how they work, how to tell which one’s a horse does and does not like, How to spot when a horse has a painful area, how to tell if a horse has healthy feet, early warning signs of health problems, how to safely handle a horse, how to fit a halter, how to safely tie a horse, and so much more.

You will learn about how to feed and house a horse and the pros and cons to all of the different ways to do that. That will include learning what and how much to feed a horse, how to figure out the type of diet a certain horse needs, The benefits and drawbacks to different types of living situations for horses, a horses’ basic needs for mental health, and much more.

You will learn about how to train horses and how our actions affect them, even when we’re not thinking about it. You won’t just learn why you should do a certain thing to get a behavior from a horse, but how and why that works. You will learn the actual science behind training, so you’ll be able to apply it to other situations.

You’ll learn about different types of tack, what it is used for, and the mechanics of how it works. You’ll learn about horse colors, breeds, and markings. You’ll learn about how to tell if a horse is lame and what to do about it.

The world of horses is absolutely massive, and this list could go on for an incredibly long time. Even lifelong horse people never stop learning, myself included.
I’ve had some amazing riding instructors over the years, but I never learned much about the stuff I listed above. I wish I had known a lot of these things years ago, because it would’ve really helped me to help my horses.
My goal with these lessons is not only to get horse crazy kiddos that time around horses they so desperately want, but to set the next generation of horse people up for success. They - and the horses they work with and own - will already be a giant step ahead, and not have to spend years relearning new information.

Interested in signing up?
A post with more details about cost, signing up, and rules is pinned at the top of this profile, or you can follow this link to find it: https://www.facebook.com/share/hdkF3FafnLyWSkY1/?mibextid=WC7FNe

If you have a question that isn’t answered in either of these posts, please don’t hesitate to send me a message!
Thank you so much for checking out Cuppa Tea Horse Ranch, I hope to hear from you soon!

Image description: The photo shows two happy looking girls bathing a small black pony who stands tied to offense. Text above them reads “Horsemanship Lessons.“

22/07/2024

I mean, sure. that’s one way you can do that.

Image description: There is a magenta, 70 quart bucket with a black hose running into it. Two ponies stand on the other side of the bucket. Sonic, a tiny bay, and Argo, a tall bay pinto. Both of them are drinking from the bucket, but Argo has his neck over Sonics, so they are crisscrossed.

12/07/2024

We finally got a break from the oppressive heat yesterday and today.
Man has that been nice.
There’s always so much to do, I don’t get to work with everyone as much as I would like to, but I did get a chance to work with all of the ponies yesterday.
Spencer is looking pretty darn good. He’s definitely lost some weight since he arrived. He’s settled in quite nicely with everyone, although he’s still quite sassy about food. I don’t think that’ll ever change though. He’s so sweet, it’s like having a big dog around. He always wants attention.
Argo has really been settling in and is coming out of his shell. He is bold, curious, and not nearly as anxious and spooky. He’s decided I’m his best friend, as I am the dispenser of scratches, food, and this fun new game where I click and give him treats, so he always wants to be up in my business as well.
I got the impression he was a very smart pony. He confirmed that impression when he took just three repetitions to understand targeting. Getting him to understand default neutral has been . . . A different story lol. I think he is finally starting to understand, but it hasn’t quite clicked yet. Hopefully once he gets it, he gets it, and that will be that.
Sonic is as adorable as ever. I’ve been doing quite a different mix of things with him. He practiced finding food dishes for me, wearing different, weird things, having a plastic bag around him and under his tail, and is starting to learn that ”right” means to turn right.
All of these guys are so sweet and so much fun to work with. I still can’t believe that this is my life. 🖤🤍🤎

Image descriptions:
Photo one: Spencer, a black miniature pony, is seen from the right side, eating hay off the ground as he stands in a pen. He is sun burnt black, and a little bit dirty, but his coat is still shiny and healthy looking. He has a tiny bit of extra fat on his crest and his butt, but is otherwise a lovely weight.
Photo two: Sonic is seen from the right side as he grazes. He is a solid bay miniature horse with a glowing, healthy looking coat and a rather frizzy forelock that I really need to trim. He stands right next to a no climb fence that ends just before a short drop off. Basically, he’s on a tiny little Sonic sized shelf next to the fence before a little jump down to the next field.
Photo three: Argo and Spencer Grays on grass just in front of the barn. Argo is in front of Spencer, obscuring the view of him. Argo is a bay Pinto American Shetland. He is tall and extremely slender. He has a large brown patch on his flank, his head and the very top of his neck, and the lower half of his tail is black. In the pen behind them, there are buckets, an exercise ball, and several traffic cones visible.

04/07/2024

Happy no sleep for pet parents night to all who celebrate

28/06/2024

It’s no wonder that Sonic and spoiled start with the same letter.
I was a little late delivering breakfast, and apparently that interfered with his nap time. He was not inclined to get up, so, here we are. Breakfast in bed.

Photo description: Sonic is a bay miniature horse with no white markings. He wears a robins egg blue stable halter and lays in stone dust footing in a stall, his legs facing the camera. He eats from a tiny rubber pan placed in front of him.

25/06/2024

☀️ Want to get started with positive reinforcement but not sure how to get off the ground running successfully? Check this out… we are going to give some great things to some lucky people.

🍎Tell us the story of what you’ve been up to with your horse. Are there any lofty goals you want to achieve that seem impossible? We want to help you succeed! Feel free to share a photo with us that helps to tell your story. Then…

🥕July 1st, we will be selecting THREE different people to receive our starter kit (shown in photo) AND one free month of our membership. Selection based on 3 most inspiring stories.

🍏 So how do you enter?
1) Tell us your story in the comments below. Be as brief as possible without leaving out the goods!
2) Click the link I’m sharing below to get on the list so that we can let you know if you’re a winner.
3) Share this post

23/06/2024

Check it out, Spencer is black after all!
Maya and Hope helped me out with some chores around the place today, including giving Mr. Spencer a bath.
With how hot it’s been, how sweaty he’s been getting, and his allergies bothering him, I figured a bath would feel great. He disagreed slightly with my thoughts when it came to rinsing him off, but for the most part, he was excellent.
And yes, under all that grime, he is actually black.
He’s a handsome little pony, isn’t he?
Thank you so much Maya and hope for helping him get cleaned up and feeling better. 🖤

Image descriptions:
Photo one: Spencer, a black miniature horse, wearing a neon rainbow halter, stands tied to a no climb fence. Two girls – one in her mid teens and one a few years younger – use curry combs to scrub him. His back is sudsy, and both girls look very happy.
Photo two: Spencer is seen from the left side, still tied to the fence, but now cleaned off. He is still wet, and reflects a lot of sunlight.
Photo three: Spencer is back in his pen, and all three miniatures are getting a drink of water from a pair of 5 gallon buckets next to a gate. They are seen from behind, each of them at a slight angle. On the left is Argo, a tall, slender bay Pinto. In the middle is sonic, a very small,, solid bay. And Spencer is on the right, larger, very sturdily built, and looking super clean and dark. He looks much more black than before, but still has a brown tint to his hair from sun fading.

17/06/2024

I have a new friend I would like to introduce you to . . . again. 😅
Meet Rayvik Pharoah’s Time to be Bold, barn name Argo. At least, I’m pretty sure. I’m still a bit unsure on the barn name. I just didn’t feel like the one he came with fit him. I’ve been waffling and taking forever to decide, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be Argo.
He is a three-year-old double registered American Shetland/miniature gelding. He is just too cute, and sweet as can be!
He is a little bit more of a worrier, but he still wants to engage with things and people. Just one day after he arrived, my mom spotted him from the kitchen window, investigating an exercise ball out in the field, which had spooked him when the wind moved it the day before.
He spent his first night here in the pony pen, and when I came out the next morning, Sonic was laying in a spot that he never lays in by the gate in order to be close to Argo. The two of them had about the smoothest introduction I’ve ever seen between horses, and were friends immediately.
He is super super sweet and just wants to be friends with everyone. His go to move is mutual grooming, even with a certain somebody who’s introduction had to be tried over a second time because he wouldn’t stop chasing the new guy. (cough cough Spencer cough.)
He is absolutely precious, and I know everybody else is going to love him as much as I, and Sonic, do.

Photo descriptions:
Photo one: Argo stands in the Penn next to the barn, the four other horses crowded around to say hi. Argo is a bay Tobiano with a fairly extensive pattern. He has a brown patch on his flank, his head and the very top of his neck are brown, and he has a two toned tail. He has a very slender, upright build with very long legs. His body type is reminiscent of an Arabian or a Hackney. Gathered in front of the gate are Kidd, an Appaloosa, Spencer, a Miniature, Sonic, a Miniature, and at a different gate on the right side, Bueno, a Quarter Horse.

Photo two: Argo reaches out his nose to sniff at the camera. You can see the left side of his face and body. He wears a turquoise halter, and his left eye is blue.

Photo three: Spencer and Argo stand shoulder to shoulder, grooming one another on the neck. Spencer, on the left side of the image, is a black, very sturdily built miniature.

Photo four: All three of the miniatures are turned out in the field together. They are seen from behind, their tails swishing flies. Argo is on the left, Sonic in the middle, and Spencer on the right.

27/05/2024

I have a new friend I would like to introduce you to.
Meet Spencer!
He is a 13-year-old, 36 inch tall gelding. He did 4-H competitions when he was young, but has largely sat for a long time. His owner was hoping to find a situation where he would get some more one-on-one attention, and I was looking for a kid safe miniature gelding who likes to be doted on.
He is here on a free lease, and has been doing great so far. He’s an absolute love bug, and is becoming fast friends with Sonic.
He has allergies and some metabolic issues with a history of laminitis, so he fits right in lol.
He’s been handling the transition really well. I think he’s going to really like it here, and be an excellent member of the program
Thank you so much to his owner for sharing him with us! 🖤

Image descriptions:
Photo one: Spencer is seen from the right side from about the middle of his barrel forward and middle of his shoulder up. He wears a grazing muzzle attached to a halter and turns his head slightly towards the camera. He is a black miniature horse with a white star on his forehead that may or may not be hidden by his forelock.
Photo two: Spencer and Sonic eat together from a blue hay ball feeder. They are seen from behind, and are both angled in towards the middle of the photo. Spencer is on the left side, Sonic is on the right, giving a view of Spencer‘s right side and Sonic’s left. Spencer is a somewhat chubby, sturdily built stock type mini, and has no white markings. Sonic, who is mostly clipped, but still has some long winter hair on places like his belly and face, is a solid bay Arabian type mini, still with tons of brown highlights in his mane, which falls on the left side of his neck.
Photo three: All four of the horses grays in the front yard. Kidd, a senior Appaloosa, is on the left side of the image wearing a fly mask, fly sheet with neck cover, and fly boots on his front feet. The two minis, both wearing grazing muzzles, grays, maybe 5 feet apart from one another in the center of the image. Bueno, a dun Quarter Horse, is on the right wearing front hoof boots, four fly boots, a fly sheet with neck cover, fly mask, and grazing muzzle. The yard slopes down and away from where the photographer was standing, and there are trees and a mountain in the background of the photo.

02/05/2024

I will never not love having ponies so tiny you can sit on the ground and be face-to-face with them. 🥰
Also, Kensington Protective Products started producing halters recently, and doesn’t this one look lovely on Sonic?
Perhaps a bit too nice for his scraggly appearance lol. 🙃 Hopefully pretty soon a professional can finish the terrible clip job I started, and we can get him looking a little bit less like a tumbleweed.
He makes for a very cute tumbleweed though.

Image description: The photo is a selfie of me and Sonic. I am a white woman in my mid 20s with short brown hair, and am on the left side of the photo with a happy look on my face. Sonic is a solid Bae miniatureHorse, Whose face is level with mine. His face is fairly close to the camera, and you can see from just below the noseband of his halter to not quite the tops of his ears. He is a light, orangey bay and his mane still has lots of brown highlights. His mane and forelock are a frizzy mess. His forelock and the top of his mane where his Bridlepath have grown out stick out in all directions. He is wearing a well-made, bright blue nylon halter with a padded nose band that contrasts very nicely with his coat.