Water Camp + Horse Camp: Day Four

Day four of freedom

Oh hey

Visiting my friends at the pond

Hi everyone! Coltrane here. Can you believe it’s my fourth day roaming the farm during Water and Horse Camp? It’s been such a great week already that I didn’t think anything could make it better. But then I saw all of today’s activities!

A REMINDER: Please pack a swimsuit and towel for your camper tomorrow!!

First up was animal chores, and let me tell you, those goats were in a GOOD MOOD today.

Popping up to say hello

Kids, meet the kids

Milking demonstration

Milking Ivy

Elenore the bunny also got some love

After the stop at the animal barn, I continued down the path all the way to the garden. Remember the rocks that the peppers painted on Tuesday? Well today, they placed the rocks in the garden for others to enjoy. They also did some weeding while they were there.

Weeding away!

Looking for the perfect spot to drop a rock!

Orange peppers are ready to harvest

After that, the campers did something called “Pond Dipping,” where they sampled pond water, algae, and pretty much any living organism they could find to identify them and their basic needs. The Red Peppers found something pretty neat– check it out:

Elementary, dear Mr. Julian

Procuring the water sample

It’s a big crayfish!

Crazy legs

By this time, the campers (and I) had worked up quite the appetite, which worked out perfectly because next up was lunch! Then, the campers were back at it with the boat building. Tomorrow is the big test, and I can’t wait to see if these boats are going to sink or “swim.”

Adding the finishing touches

This one is ready to be put to the test!

Then, I heard some commotion down at the docks, so I decided to take a stroll over there. It turns out today was canoeing day! Unfortunately, the thunder prevented one group from getting out there, but everyone else enjoyed a relaxing ride in the pond.

Paddle in hand, ready for action!

All smiles at the pond!

The wind made it a little tricky, but our peppers held their own!

Bon voyage!

Next, it was time to hike to another pond– the vernal pond! This body of water is hidden back in the Tollgate forest, and today, peppers got to see it, along with a few of my animal friends who call the vernal pond home.

Always hike with a buddy. . .

. . .Or lots of them!

Making new friends at the vernal pond

If you want to see even more pictures of today’s awesome activities, click here to go to the Google Folder. 

Also today, I saw horse campers doing a relay race and I thought that I would like to join in the fun. Turns out, they run really fast and I could not keep up at my usual turtle pace. So I decided to watch from the tent. They looked for tack items in a big bucket of horse equipment.

Can she find a hoof pick?

Cheering on their team!

Hold up a lunge line

In the arena, campers practiced riding through an obstacle course.

Crossed the bridge

Practiced turns

What fun!

In the afternoon, I overheard buzzers and happy shouts. The campers were playing horse Jeopardy! They tested their knowledge of horse anatomy, basics, colors, Tollgate horses, and tack.

The campers learned a lot this week

Horse basics for 400 please

The girls knew the answers

I walked a little further and noticed that Sesame was out for a walk again too. I’d like to walk with her if she agreed to go turtle pace.

The campers practiced leading a horse

Sesame walked through the obstacle course

I really enjoyed my time sitting on the bleachers listening to animal care. It’s important to feed horses the correct grains, prevent parasites, and prevent other diseases. I learned horses don’t fit on scales so farmers use weight tape to estimate their size.

Fresh hay is the most nutritious

The horse is measured around the stomach to estimate its weight

She found a 4 leaf clover

I hope that luck is shared with all of our campers. Here are additional photos from today! https://photos.app.goo.gl/ym64nnDy2jzg4Pzt7

And last but not least, we had tons of fun in Garden Kitchen today. Ms. Leah assisted each group in making two delicious recipes– get them below!

Adding the ingredients (plus one sleepy pepper!)

Green Pepper bros

And Yellow Pepper bros!

Carrots are a key ingredient in this hummus!

Eat clean & feel great

A super fun Tollgate day!

So once again, bring your swimsuit and towel tomorrow if you plan on getting wet (and I would). See you then for an awesome last day!

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