As the pressure began to change, the ponies ate a little extra hay and grain before the storm. Once the storm was upon us, the snow began to fall at a rapid pace and the wind began whipping the flakes around us, it certainly felt like a blizzard. Watching the horses endure the cold, we were reminded of why we are a summer riding camp, these conditions were not good for any amount of horseback riding. Soon, there was a fresh blanket of snow and the horses were off frolicking with their friends. The snow was fluffy, the footing was great, and the horses were playing. It was a splendid afternoon. Watching the horses enjoy their freedom and play with their friends is by far our favorite pastime. We are only in existence now for the horses and the girls that come each year to love each of them. As we bundled up each time we stepped outside, and we were reminded of the ruggedness and durability of each of our spectacular horses.
We wouldn’t be able to function as a working horse farm without our tractors, and we wouldn’t be a riding camp without our horses. Almost all of our tractors (they are all Ford in this picture) are winterized and not used until all of our Road’s End Farm family comes back for the summer! In the summer months, we will put a few of these to good use for work duty to make sure we have clean trails for our daily trail riding. If your a previous camper reading this, I’m sure you have memories of throwing brush onto the flatbed trailer and building our famous bonfire! Thank you for all of your hard work and we look forward to many more brush loads during Summer 2017!
For 3 months out of the year, we are a summer camp where campers, farm life, and horseback riding take control of our lives. The rest of the year, we are a working horse farm where the animals and people enjoy quiet nature. As the horses grow their winter coats to keep warm, us people bundle up and take care of all the animals that call Road’s End Farm home. We love our seasons in New England! Happy Winter!
Many camps close for the off-season, but with 69 horses and many acres to maintain, we don’t have the luxury of an 8-month vacation! We love the farm work and the change of seasons is refreshing each time there is a significant change. The horses love playing in the snow, as they are much more durable than humans, and they don’t mind the cold. This picture of the new barn was caught right as these large flakes were falling and the farm had a clean, white blanket laid over the premises.
One of the feature glories of October Weekend is the bonfire, for which a lot of brush must be hauled. Three crews pitched in today to do a final cleanup of the Wheelocks field to prepare for the illuminating event. Midway through the second round of brush hauling, the tractor died – maybe a dead battery, maybe a bad alternator. Michael (the grandfather of a prospective camper) happened to be on hand and knew his way around old Ford tractors, and within minutes we were off and running once more. (Many thanks again, Michael). First, however, the girls showed off their muscles, pushing the tractor out from under the load. (wink)
Just like the kids, some of the horses will play in the water every chance they get, so once riding was over for the week, Doyle bee-lined for the pond and jumped in. Good thing Gandalf was watching nearby, ready to help his pal if he got into trouble (definitely Doyle’s strong suit). Doyle demonstrated his breaststroke, doggie paddle, and elementary backstroke before wandering off looking for a grassy snack.
Doyle is one of our most avid swimmers. He enjoys the cool water in the hot sun and usually his best friend Gandalf is wandering around near him. However, Gandalf is not much of a swimmer. Campers that come and have never seen horses in a herd living near ponds may have never gotten the chance to see a horse swim. Girls coming and watching the horses, free of restrictions, swim and enjoy being a horse in a herd is the reason that Road’s End Farm exists nowadays. We do not exist for showing purposes, but rather, a connection with nature and a belief that this place should provide a unique camp experience for girls who love horses.
