Child/Family Program

Pony Saturdays (all ages): on scheduled Saturdays each month families can drop in at the pony farm to enjoy time with the ponies, i.e. petting, brushing, walking, and one or two other fun activities based on a monthly theme.

Pony Fun Day (all ages): held in April each year at the pony farm, families who have children with special needs are invited to enjoy activities with the ponies, i.e. petting, brushing, and walking. We also have games, crafts, refreshments, picture opportunities, and pony cart rides.

Barn Visitations (all ages): families who have a child with special needs can contact us to set up individual visits to the pony farm. Interactive activities include petting, brushing, and walking the ponies.

Youth Development Program

Pony Club (grade 6 and up): a “hands-on” learning experience for youth, sixth grade and older. They meet twice a week to work though levels of achievement with the ponies, practicing skills which promote safe, knowledgeable horsemanship. The environment provides the opportunity for growth and development in confidence, communication, leadership, organization, decision–making, and teamwork. The youth help with events and activities at the pony farm and with visits (through our Community Outreach Program) to nursing homes, schools, individual family homes, and other activities throughout the year.

Parent/Child Workshops (grades 1 through 5): basic learning opportunity for parents and children in grades one through five. Conducted at the pony farm by volunteers once a month, participants learn safety around the ponies and are shown how to brush and walk a pony and given hands-on opportunities to do so.

Equine Facilitated Learning (grades pre-K through 7): helping children learn and grow through relationships.

• Fun on the Farm (grade pre-K): field trips and thematic workshops at the pony farm developed around the Oregon Early Childhood Foundations. Visiting children will have experiential learning opportunities through hands-on interaction with our ponies and other farm-related activities. Workshops can be tailored to meet class needs and interests.
• Cowboy Poetry (grades 6 through 7): an exciting and innovative curriculum for youth in grades six through seven that is wrapped around academic standards, developmental assets, and character education skills that make learning fun and learners successful. (coming soon)

Community Outreach Program

Ponies on Wheels (children of all ages): we love to bring joy into children’s lives and if they can’t make it to the pony farm to visit the ponies, we take the ponies to visit them (weather permitting).

Easter Seal’s Children Guild (children of all ages): each month, during Parent’s Night Out, we take ponies to the Easter Seal’s Children Guild to share the ponies with the children. The children have fun petting, brushing, and walking the ponies. This is another opportunity for our youth volunteers to share the ponies with others.

The ARC Annual Picnic and Carnival (all ages): each summer, we are invited to take our ponies to ARC’s Annual Picnic and Carnival. Our youth volunteers share our ponies with participants who have fun brushing and walking the ponies.

Adult Groups (adults): throughout the year we have different adult groups visit the pony farm. These adults with special needs have fun petting, brushing, and walking the ponies. Many groups make it a habit and come out several times each year.