Spring Down Low Down Newsletter
The newsletter of Spring Down Equestrian Center
Vol.4, Issue 2
Fall & Winter 2007-2008
Welcome
Spring Down Equestrian Center welcomes you to a beautiful winter season, which has been highlighted by exceptionally wam and wonderful weather. Get out that calendar, and plan some extra lessons while the riding outside is still going strong. Of course, we do have our covered arena, in which lessons can occur no matter what the weather sends our way. The dressage arena can also be lighted at night, therefore we are able to continue evening lessons for those who prefer to ride at that time.
2008 is fast approaching, and along with it will come our typically packed calendar of fun interesting, and informative events. Look for Horse Shows, Camps, Riding Clinics, Safety Clinics, and other special events to supplement your regular riding lessons.
Horse Show Updates
Spring Down’s 2007 show season was, once again, a great success. The Spring Down shows would not be able to occur without the tireless efforts of our many volunteers. There are way too many volunteers for me to list everyone by name, but you all know who you are...and we at Spring Down thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your hard work and dedication.
The August Show was able to be held outside in our two main arenas, and all of the entrants did a superb job. One of the highlights of the show was the kick-off to our special fundraiser for the Folger Estate Stable. The Spring Down community participated in a silent auction which raised a very large sum of money for this very worthy cause. There are more details about this fundraiser in a later article in this newsletter.
Several Spring Down folks took a trip over to the Woodside Horse Park to compete in the Pony Club Horse Show in September. The course in arena one created a bit of a challenge for some of the participants, but despite their difficulties, everyone came away having learned something valuable. Congratulations to all who took part in this show because the folks who took part in this class all
were extremely creative and innovative in the
design of their costumes. The judge really
enjoyed this class, but she had a very hard time
picking the winners, as everyone did an
outstanding job.
One of our most fun classes, the Prime
Time Equitation Class, may be having it’s last
exhibition in our December 2nd show. Although
this class remains popular, the number of
entries have dwindled in recent shows. Please
give us your feedback as to whether you want
this class to remain on our class list for the next
show.
Our December show was able to go on
outside, despite some blustery wind and
weather. We had a strong Spring Down
contigent, as well as many outside riders from
other barns who came to compete. Please see
the “Horse Show” bulletin board outside the
office for show results, as well as information
about our next horse show on March 16th,
2008.
Happy Holidays to Everyone in the Spring Down Family
Barn Rules
Please see the bulletin board for a complete list of the new and revised barn rules. These rules apply to boarders and lesson customers alike, although some of them are primarily applicable to boarders. Here are some of the important highlights:
- No smoking anywhere on SD property.
- No jumping without instructor present in that arena for individuals under 18 years of age (boarders only).
- Speed limit on SD property is 5 MPH. Don’t spook the horses.
- Hard hats must be worn at all times whenever mounted. Closed-toed shoes are required when handling horses.
- All riders are responsible for cleaning up after their horses when outside of their stalls.
- All horses must have a stud chain in place when outside of stall unless wearing a bridle. If at any time you are found with no stud chain in place, you may be fined $10.
- Boarders need to know that lessons have priority and you may be asked to leave if the arena is too crowded or your horse is behaving in a manner that may disrupt the lesson. Please check with instructor before entering the arena.
- All horses must be tacked and untacked in the stall, with halter on and lead rope tied or looped if horse does not tie.
- No bareback riding at any time unless inside an arena (boarders only), and no riding on asphalt.
Welcome to New Horses at Spring Down
Welcome to New Horse Friends and their Owners!!!
- May and Laura Morin
- Banjo and Jim &Melinda Adkins
- Blue and Natalie Nishi
- Bentley and Margaret Peloso
- Merlin and Jill Harrell
- Spartacus and Bobbi Wolfe
- Fred and Elaine Koch
Chrismas is Coming!
It is hard to believe that the holidays
are just around the corner! We have a
tradition at Spring Down to support the
grooms and stable hands during the holidays.
Without these folks who work extremely
hard, Spring Down would not exist. There
will be a collection envelope in the office a
bit closer to Christmas for contributions to
this fund for the grooms. Please give
whatever you can, and the monies will be
distributed to all of the grooms and stable
hands as a holiday gift from everyone. Cash
is easiest, but if you wish to write a check,
please make it out to "Diane Allison", who is
organizing this effort.
News from Nacho
By Leslie Kim
I am happy to report that Nacho is doing
well and appears to have not only adusted well
to his current circumstances, but is also making
the most of the "Choices" program, into which
he was acepted. Nacho attends seminars and
classes on a daily basis, from which he tells me
he has really learned a lot. These seminars
include classes on how to read and write in
English, as well as many other topics.
Each time I visit with Nacho, he makes a
point of saying "hello" to all of you in the Spring
Down community. If you would like to send a
letter to Nacho, poease do so and send it to the
following address:
Ignacio Hernandez Flores
#1127167
Maguire Correctional Facility
300 Bradford St.
Redwood City, CA 94063
For more information about mail to
Nacho, please visit the web site below:
http://www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/smc/department/
home/0,2242,14095463_120677467,00.html
If you would like to visit Nacho, please e-mail
Leslie at:
sdecsupportgroup@gmail.com
Cheers!
Drill Team Updates
The Spring Down Drill Team, "Spring
Down Rhythm ‘N Blues" is still going strong.
These dedicated groups of riders come to
Spring Down at 8AM every Saturday and
Sunday morning to practice with their coach,
Carol Goodstein. For those of you who do
not know, drill teams are, basically, horses
and riders performing maneuvers, sometimes
very complicated maneuvers , to music in a
choreographed routine.
There have been several members who
have recently graduated to the Saturday
performing team, and congratulations to those
folks who have worked so hard to be able to
acheive this goal! The members of the
Saturday drill team are as follows: Cally
Berg, Britta Buehnemann, Kris Clark-Hahn,
Ronnie Eaton, Nicole Elsineitti, Katherine
Gaffney, Maureen Kelly, Deb Lyons, Hailey
Roake, Laurel Saldinger, and Tracy Tilley.
The Sunday drill team also has many
new faces - folks who have acheived a certain
level of riding, and are interested in learning
all the nuances of riding in a drill team.
Riding in a drill team will enhance your
riding skills almost without your being aware
of it, b/c one is concentrating so hard on
keeping up with the routine and the
manuevers, that the skills seem to manifest
themselves. The Sunday team: Kate
Champion, Tracy Cox, Bea Depuyot, Nicole
Elsineitti, Nandi Gunning, Natalie Nishi,
Kelcy Senz, Cathy Siegel, and Cherie Walter.
Tack-up Lessons
Spring Down will be continuing to
offer group tack-up lessons on a monthly
basis. The lessons are scheduled every
Sunday, at noon, for one hour.
"Why take this lesson?," you may ask.
At Spring Down, we teach comprehensive
horsemanship, not just horseback riding. A
very important component of horsemanship is
understanding the equipment you are using on
any given horse: both how it is put on, and
how and why it works. The group tack-up
lessons will allow time both for
demonstration of the equipment that we use,
and hands on practice with someone standing
by for instruction and assistance.
General grooming and equipment used
for grooming will also be taught in the tackup
lesson. And, of course, as we are very
safety conscious here at Spring Down,
techniques for keeping both you and your
horse safe will be taught so that everyone is
safe and comfortable during the grooming and
tacking-up procedures.
Please see the office to schedule
yourself into one of these tack up lessons. If
you are unable to make the group lessons, a
private lesson may be arranged. The
group lessons are preferable, because
the hour time will allow you to
become familiar with more different
types of equipment and also
allows for more time to practice. A private
lesson is the next best thing, however, if that
is what your schedule will allow.
News from the Office
As we get into winter schedules,
please remember that Spring Down has a 24
hour cancellation policy. If you do not cancel
with 24 hours notice, you will be charged for
your lesson. This policy exists because we
have reserved your teacher’s time for you,
your horse’s time for you, and very often the
horse has been tacked up by one of our
grooms.
When requesting a specific horse for a
lesson, everyone needs to understand that it is
just that: a request. The office will make
every effort to honor that request, but
sometimes we have ten requests for the same
horse in a given day. Also, all the horses at
Spring Down needs to get exercise each and
every day, so it is our responsibility to make
sure that each horse gets ridden by someone
(and that one horse doesn’t get ridden too
much). We try to match the horses and riders
as best as possible, but please remember that
each horse can teach you something different.
Everyone should be here to learn more about
riding and horsemanship...not just to ride the
same horse over and over again. Be flexible,
and you’ll be surprised at how many new
horse friends you will acquire by branching
out a bit...and at how much you will learn.
Horse Show Dates:
- March 16th, 2008
- May 18th, 2008
- August 24th, 2008
- October 12th or 19th, 2008
- December 7th, 2008
Holiday Camp is Coming!
Immediate Openings for:
- December 24th-28th
- Dec 31st - Jan 4th
(NO CAMP on Dec 25th and Jan 1st)
You may also do just one day, or several
days only if that's what your schedule will
allow.
Intermediate/Advanced Camp:
Nick Clinics:
- April 8th, 9th, 10th
- July 1st, 2nd, 3rd
- September 30th, Oct. 1st, 2nd
Carol's Famous Safety Clinic:
Please let the office know if there is
interest in another safety clinic...and
Carol will schedule one!
Winter Riding at Spring Down
We are fortunate to have a covered
arena at Spring Down in which to ride during
the rainy season. We may have to ride inside
to keep the riders and horses dry if it is
raining, but sometimes we have to ride inside,
even if the weather is dry, b/c it has recently
rained and the outdoor footing is too slippery,
deep, and uneven.It is not safe to ride in
slippery, muddy, deep footing, b/c the horses
can sustain tendon and ligament injuries.
Also, the horses can slip easily, or catch a
foot in a deep spot, making it unsafe for the
riders as well.
We DO NOT cancel lessons at SD due
to inclement weather. It is possible to ride in
the covered arena. Also, there are many other
aspects of horsemanship that can be taught, as
well. Your instructor may choose to cover
some of these other interesting topics, rather
than riding, if the weather is horrible.
Remember, the goal of SDEC is to teach
HORSEMANSHIP, not simply riding skills.
Here are some other helpful reminders
to both riders and spectators:
BE CAREFUL AT THE GATE.
Enter only
when safe. Please be on time for your lesson
so you don’t have to enter while the class is in
progress.
WATCH YOUR SPACING.
When riding
on the rail, try not to get closer than two horse
lengths to the horse in front. When standing
and waiting, do not be too close to any horse.
BE CAREFUL OF PEOPLE
MOUNTING.
PASS TO THE INSIDE ONLY.
Never
pass to the outside.
NEVER PASS WITH A HORSE ON THE
LONGE LINE.
PLEASE WATCH OUT FOR YOUR
INSTRUCTORS.
PLEASE DRIVE AT 5MPH DOWN THE
ENTIRE DRIVEWAY.
Driving faster can
spook horses, and then riders (sometimes
your children and other peoples children) can
fall off.
ONLY WALKING.
Horses can be spooked
by unpredictable, fast activity.
PLEASE SIT ON THE BLEACHERS.
Our bleacers are the best place to observe.
Standing too close to the rail can spook
horses. Also, sometimes horses can kick out,
and if you are stading too close you may be
kicked.
NO UMBRELLAS.
PLEASE LEAVE YOUR NEWSPAPERS
AT HOME.
Windy weather will serve to
blow papers all over the place. Not only will
it make a mess, but it may spook the horses
as well.
PLEASE...SAFETY FIRST!!
News and Notes
FOLGER STABLE PROJECT
RESTORATION FUNDRAISER
by Lisa Bailey
Wow! Our 23rd Anniversary party
held on Sunday, September 2, 2007 was a
big day for all of us at Spring Down.
Months of planning and organization came
down to this day. Originally, Carol and Stan
had committed to a $20,000 donation to the
'Friends of Huddart & Wunderlich Parks'
who have been working since October of
2004 to save the historic Folger Stable. I
guess you can say we were the last leg of the
fundraising efforts to raise the funds for
renovationg the main stable building. I am
so proud to say we were able to raise
$27,193 from our Spring Down community
of friends and family. We could not have
done this without you! Many of our riders
and families generously donated items,
services, creative offerings and cherished
memorabilia that helped us pass our original
goal. Additional fundraising efforts included
selling raffle tickets, silent and live auctions,
and our famous root beer float and cookie
sales each Friday.
I want to personally thank Larry
Feirman for stepping up at the last minute to
be our live auctioneer. Larry had never done
this in his life and made us all laugh and
perhaps buy something we may or may not
have needed!
Again, thanks to all of you, after the
renovation, the Folger committee will manage
the stable’s educational and recreational
programs, host events, continue community
stable boarding, and keep the beautiful horseonly
trails open and safe.
Horses have provided a sense of
security in a world often overwhelmed with
life’s problems - strengthening that lifelong
bond between human and animal. Thanks to
all of you who contributed to the preservation
of our historical, environmental and
architectural heritage. Our efforts will have
an impact now and for future generations.
For more updates and opportunities to get
involved through volunteering and docent
opportunities, please visit the web site at
www.parksupport.org.
Many, many thanks to all of you for
making this such a successful event! I am so
proud to be part of such a great horse
community and family!
Much love, Lisa Bailey
Chairperson
Folger Estate Project Fundraiser
MOMMY AND ME:
Our newest program has turned out to
be a smashing success. It is a series of 3
horsemanship classes designed to introduce
the smallest member of your family to horses
while spending some quality time with Mom
or Dad. As a group, you’ll be introduced to
safety, horse’s ground manners, and you
will get comfortable around horses. We’ll
teach you all about their special equipment,
grooming and tacking up, and learning to
ride. Each class includes the use of a vaulting
horse, grooming, a riding lesson, and a
special craft to take home. The series is a
scheduled class, so look for upcoming dates
in the Spring!
HOLIDAY CAMPS:
What a perfect way to introduce your
child to the world of horses...or enhance the
skills of the rider who currently takes
lessons. These Holiday Camps are designed
to fit the individual needs of the participants,
so we can accomodate folks who have never
been on a horse and also more advanced
riders. We have many available instructors
during the camps, so we can find a situation
to meet your needs. And, riding every day
will certainly enhance your riding and
horsemanship skills. Adults are welcome as
well!!
Also, this is a great way to get some
extra shopping time in during the holiday!!
SIGN UP TODAY!!
Spring Down Update
As many of you are aware, Carol
and Stan Goodstein, the owners of Spring
Down, have been preparing for the future of
this wonderful Equestrian Center, to help
assure that there will always be horses and
horse-related activities on this property.
The lease to the front part of the
property does not expire until October of
2010, but to ensure the continuation of Spring
Down, Carol and Stan have had multiple
meetings with the Town Council and other
Portola Valley VIP’s. So far, due to the
herculian efforts of Carol and Stan, things
have progressed in a positive way, and
therefore Spring Down will be able to
continue on in it’s inimetable fashion until
Carol decides to retire (which we hope is
NEVER.)
Carol and Stan have plans for
renovation of the property so that Spring
Down will continue to exist for all of us to
enjoy. There are plans for a brand new arena
toward the back of the property, which will
have all-season footing so it can be used even
in the rainy months. Therefore, even if there
are changes in some ways, Spring Down will
contiue on in the same fashion, teaching
horsemanship from the ground up to all those who are willing to take the time to learn.
Read the previous issue of the Spring Down Low Down: Vol. 4, Issue 1 - Spring & Summer 2007
Read the latest issue of the Spring Down Low Down
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