“Horse Day” is a very special day in our Farm Sprouts program. We work with our horses just one day out of the year, midway through October during our fall season. We involve our expert horse staff to make it a safe, authentic, and empowering experience. This year, Debra Morgan, our 4-H Program Coordinator and Rachael Moran, our Livestock Instructor, joined with us to lead us through an incredible day in the arena with Farm Sprouts. It was all about the horses as Farm Sprouts signed in by drawing the first letter of their name in a miniature horse arena. They voted for either curry comb or brush, authentic tools we utilize to care for one of our horses. We also spent time interacting and caring for the kits.
Out in the arena, Farm Sprouts went straight to work to groom our biggest horse Max, a retired draft horse coming to us from Greenfield Village. They learned how to move carefully around a horse and asked lots of questions about his anatomy, behavior, and diet. Upon completing this very big task, Farm Sprouts took turns riding either Grizz or Sedona. Sedona is another special horse. She was a top buffalo herding horse, served as a certified law enforcement officer, served in President Obama’s second inaugural parade on protection assignment, among other amazing jobs. While Farm Sprouts were riding, the rest created horse arena process art (straw, hay, oats, glue and paper fencing), rode a wooden and stick horses, and engaged with sensory table materials (horses, oats, hay, straw).
For harvest snack, Farm Sprouts munched rainbow carrots grown by very our very own Tollgate farmers, the Sustainable Agriculture team who runs our C.S.A. program. Prior to washing up for snack, we fed it to Grizz or Sedona to show our gratitude for the ride. They loved their tasty treat, as did our rabbits! Farm Sprouts also thought the carrots were delicious. It turns out both people and animals like some of the same farm foods. During our people snack time, one Farm Sprout exclaimed, “These are better than the ones I have at home!” We read the story, Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens and thought about how carrots grow. We closed the day with a round of free play in our straw maze. The learning that happens in the maze always amazes us. Farm Sprouts challenge themselves physically and socially in a multitude of ways as they navigate through.
To follow the week, we reminded Farm Sprouts of the BIG horse experience, chanting the phrases, “We are strong!” and “We are confident!” All Farm Sprouts contributed to our farm community by grooming Max. All stretched themselves in new ways.
“Education begins the moment we see children as innately wise and capable beings. Only then can we play along in their world.” – Vince Gowmon