Horses & humans, helping & healing, learning & leading

What develops at Pink Pony Ranch is something very different from a classical riding program. We do not teach any particular discipline, enforce technical rules, or expect mastery or perfection. In fact, imperfection is key to what we do. Nothing in life is perfect, and we all must learn to cope and deal with the imperfections in us all.

Pink Pony Ranch riders do not learn how to win ribbons in the show ring. Pink Pony Ranch riders learn how to sit up straight and how to slouch; they learn how to keep their heels down in the stirrups and how to let their legs swing freely as they “walk with their horses;” they learn the subtle and gentle cues of the rein, and they learn how to drop their reins, communicating on a completely different level with their horses through feel and trust. Pink Pony Ranch riders learn skills and techniques to safely take them around the arena, through obstacles, on the trail, and wherever their hearts and hooves lead them in life. However, this is only a small part of what riders learn at the Pink Pony Ranch.

What we learn at Pink Pony Ranch is all about life whether we are practicing the sitting trot bareback, walking the donkeys on the trail, or painting our names and favorite flowers on our pony’s hindquarters. At Pink Pony Ranch, we use our physical senses and our intuition, sharing space and time with wild horses … helping and healing, learning and leading.

Some basic fundamentals that students learn:

• equine nutrition and feeding (hay, grass, grain, supplements, minerals, treats)
• pasture management
• proper hoof care (barefoot trimming, shoes, hoof boots)
• common medical conditions and veterinary care
• grooming essentials (tools and their uses)
• seasonal changes and how these affect horses (blanketing, shelter, fresh grass, mud)
• different tack, cultural origins, and its uses (English – dressage, hunter, jumper, Western, Australian, Endurance, etc.)
• horse hierarchies, horse relationships and entering the horse’s world as a human
• lunging – on a line and at liberty
• safe and respectful leading
• communicating effectively, directly, and respectfully with horses
• different methods of tying and knots (ground tying, cross tying, hitching-post tying)
• all aspects of riding from mounting in the arena using a mounting block to dismounting bareback on the the trail and everything in between
• trailer loading and unloading
• riding etiquette, both in the arena and on the trail
• intuitive energy reading – of self and horse
• patience, listening, communicating (vocally, physically, directly, indirectly, nonviolently), respect, acceptance – of self and of others
• self-awareness & self-value

While safety and fun are the two foundation roots of what we do, the rest of the tree – the trunk, the branches, the leaves, the flowers – is the student’s to feed, water, prune, and nurture. Engaging with the horses at Pink Pony Ranch is about life – learning just as much about ourselves as we learn about the horses. While what we do is structured by weather, time, feeding schedules, etc., the openness and unconventional nature of the program allows a rider to go wherever his or her heart desires – or needs to be at that particular time. We all learn and grow at Pink Pony Ranch, sometimes in ways we did not expect; and often we don’t even realize just how much we are learning and growing.

We all have gifts and talents. We all have shortcomings and personal challenges. If you are between the ages of 1 and 100, spending time with a horse, on the ground and in the saddle, is an effective and fulfilling way to corral your gifts and your challenges and engage with them together. Horses are incredible teachers. They are also the most reflective mirrors I have ever known. You will learn just as much about yourself as you will learn about the horses while also learning how to safely, effectively and enjoyably ride a horse.

Pink Pony Ranch is a family-owned and operated business. BLM (wild) horses and burros are our passion, and some of our resident equine instructors were rescued and given a purpose. In turn, they continue to give back 100-fold. Some students have accepted the challenge of assisting in instruction.

Pink Pony Ranch welcomes and encourages beings of all abilities to spend time with a horse. Pink Pony Ranchers with ADD/ADHD, Autism, Aspergers, anger management conflicts, addiction/chemical dependence, physical other-abledness, Down Syndrome, and every and any quality making that person unique are welcome and encouraged to participate fully. Because horses do not judge us by what we look like, from where we come, how we dress … Horses judge us by our honesty, fairness, and kindness. Everyone at Pink Pony Ranch shares the same trust, honor and respect … including the horses.