Summer 2014 was my favorite season at Camp Trinity by far! Well, it was also my first, so I’m sure next summer will find many ways to top this one. For those of us who have yet to meet, my name is Casey Zarnes and I joined the staff here at camp after relocating to Hyampom from the Bay Area of CA last year. I’ve spent my life studying the natural world and working with horses, and couldn’t have imagined a better place to land than the Bar 717 Ranch!

We had a ton of fun in the barn this summer and learned a few things while we were at it. For example, did you know that Sprite (daughter of Jules, who is now retired) loves to jump!?  Although Sprite is typically a horse designated for counselors only due to her spirited personality, we found that she excelled at the Horse Show jumping a full course with both Marissa and Lauren, two of our more experienced riders! Jules was quite the jumper in her day and it’s so great to know that Sprite has inherited at least one of her mother’s talents!

 

Speaking of horses, while the majority of our horses spend their winter here at camp, a few went home with camp families this summer and one very special arrangement was made to re-unite Misty with her mother Rain, who is currently retired and living with the Tull family in Marin, CA. Lene Pederson attended family camp this year and fell in love with Misty. When she learned about our Winter Lease Program AND that her friend Linda was caring for Rain at a stable close to their home, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity! Aside from not wanting to leave her mom’s side, we hear Misty is doing great and Lene is really enjoying being back in saddle. For all of our Misty fans, fear not! She will be back this summer  For more information on our winter lease options for 2015 please feel free to contact us!

 

 

“Its time to grow up!”

 

This is what I have been telling both Mikko (wild caught BLM mustang adopted by camp last year) and Sasson (4 year old colt, son of Sassi and Ukiah) who started their formal training this summer and are both doing wonderfully. Although they are at different stages, Sasson is already caring a rider and getting used to trails and Mikko is still learning to accept human touch, they both seem to be enjoying their education and will have a bright future here at camp.  H. Fargo is another young horse that took a giant step this year by joining Big Red, Ceniza, Holster, Shinto, and Sassi at UC Davis for the first time! This is not only a huge step in her training, but almost a right of passage as a camp horse and all reports from UC Davis indicate that she is doing great!
Out with the Old, in with the New….(tack that is!)

 

Another exciting update from the barn is that this year we replaced three of our worn out saddles with new lightweight treeless saddles! Saddle fitting is an ever-evolving process since a horse’s body changes over the years just like humans, so adding more versatile saddles to our program is essential for the well being of our herd.  The benefit of these saddles is that they offer a universal fit because they form to the shape of the horse’s body, provide more freedom of movement and put less pressure on certain parts of their backs, which prevents arthritis in the spine and allows the horses to stay comfortable (and ride-able) well into their senior years.

 

You may be wondering how we can tell when our horses are saddle sore, since they don’t have the ability to actually tell us where it hurts. Well anyone who has watched Chili, Shinto, Ukiah or Colt, flick their tails, pin their ears and bob their heads while having their saddle put on has actually witnessed a horse tell us they are uncomfortable. Many horses that display this behavior are not mean; they are just trying to tell us that their equipment isn’t fitting correctly. Once we started using our new saddles, this behavior almost entirely disappeared!

 

 

Overall my inaugural experience at Camp Trinity was overwhelmingly positive and I was most struck by the love, life long friendships, connections shared between everyone in the camp community. I believe that horses are a mirror to the soul and are capable of teaching us lessons about patience, communication, forgiveness, honesty and love in a way that few other creatures (even humans) can do. To be able to share these lessons with our campers not only gives my work meaning, but hopefully enriches their experience in a way that will help shape their emotional and moral values for years to come. See you in 2015!

Peace, Love and Horses…                     Casey

 

To learn more about the horsemanship program at the Bar 717 Ranch, please visit: http://www.bar717.com/programs/

Tell us about your favorite camp horses in the comments!