ABOUT HUNTER'S PONY FARM
& OUR FAMILY
In August 2001 we settled into our new home
on 8 acres here in quiet Quilcene (pronounced "Quill - Seen"). Having been
here 4 years now (has it been that long?), we know that the pastures
are compacted and over-grazed from previous tenants. We have learned
that the runoff from our paddocks
feeds into the nearby creek adding to the problems of algae bloom and damaging
the bay. Adding to the problem is our own horses. So, we have kept them off
the corner pasture where the outdoor arena is for the year. They
won't go back on that pasture until winter 2005 - 2006. Last year I
over-seeded it with a lovely pasture mix. This spring I can see the
tiny white clover plants coming up, along with thicker grass, less
weeds, and I really think I have beaten the Scotch
Broom problem completely!
Click to enlarge photo of Corner Pasture
We have new services available to those who
are interested in horseback riding in the national forests, or camping with
your horses, llamas, or dogs. Please see our
Over Night
Stabling page for more information.
View of hillside from Gelding Pasture at the
NEW Hunter's Pony Farm in Quilcene,
Washington, USA on the Olympic Peninsula
Hunter's Pony Farm Horse
Camp
Spend quality time with your horse at our
new horse camp on the Olympic
Peninsula! Four 26x26 paddocks available with camping space, water,
electric available on our level, treed farm. Ride the trails in the Olympic
National Forest!
Please contact us
with your mailing address for a brochure and rates. Hunter's are
WELCOME!
INTRODUCTION -
 Let me take a minute to introduce
you to our family; Everette is my husband. He is a Social Worker and a Minister.
He has a red dun Quarter Horse gelding named Bud.
My name is Pam. I have a welsh/shetland mare named
Valentine. My mare is dapple grey with pinto
spots and a flaxen mane and tail. I am a Minister, too, and a wife
and mother.
Our daughter, Margaret, got an English saddle
and bridle for her 7th birthday, joined pony club, and was VERY excited
when she rated her D-1 fall 1999. Her old pony is named
Foxy, but Margaret has grown too big for her,
so she will be riding
Smoke, our
new (2005) Appaloosa mare, from now on.
 Margaret also enjoys riding
Western.
We have
1 cat, adopted
two Beagle
brothers from the shelter, and received a
beautiful little
Jack Russell from our daughter Kelsi.
Besides the horses above, we have: a black shetland
named Shadow,
Foxy's 1999 foal
Tiger, Cotton,
a Sabino Pinto mare and her 2000 foal
Hunter's Misty Morn, a
Welsh mare,
Clover, her son,
Hunter, our Trakehner mare,
Bonnie, Smoke's
friend, Fire, a
Welsh/Arabian cross. We sometimes have
children from our neighborhood come over to play and ride the ponies.
About Hunter's Pony
Farm
Hunter's Pony Farm - Who Are We and What
Do We Do?
In 1994 we relocated from Portland, Oregon to
Spencer, Oklahoma. Along with our family, we also relocated the non-profit,
Cornerstone Consulting, which we had formed in 1993. In 2000 we moved from
Spencer to Amboy, WA bringing our 11 horses with us. In August 2001 we moved
again! Yep, from Amboy, Washington to Quilcene, Washington on the Olympic
Peninsula. It has been a long trip, but worth it to be in the beautiful temperate
rain forests of the Northwest! We are Everette and Pam Hunter, founders of
Hunter's Pony Farm.
After settling in Spencer, we acquired our first
horse, a Welsh/Quarter Horse cross. Coco, as she was called, proved to be
too much for the fences we had. She jumped them and ran off to the school
about 1/2 mile away. So, we traded her for 2 black Shetland ponies -
Shadow and Lady Bug. Both were rescued by
friends from an abusive home. Lady Bug was in her twenties, in foal, and
sick. Shadow was supposed to be a gelding and unbroken. It turned out that
he was a stallion, extremely fearful of men, and broke to ride and drive!
It took a good month to get him calmed down enough to even handle. He was
extremely head shy and would shake with fear each time Everette approached
him. We didn't discover his training until 6 months after we had him. Shadow
became gentle as a kitten, trusting, healthy and the father of delightful
foals. After he was gelded, he became the mount for all visiting little
kids.
Lady Bug's story
is not so happy. She turned out to be a good mount for children; however,
she was unable to carry her foal to term. She lost 2 foals in the two years
she was with us. Then, she had a stroke and had to be put down. It was a
very sad day and we still think of her. It was a case of the mare appearing
to be healthy, even the vet found nothing apparently wrong with her. That
is why she was re-bred. It was assumed the first foal was lost due to the
stress of a new home and the abuse suffered prior to that.
Soon we purchased some land near our house. That
is when Hunter's Pony Farm was born.
Horses and ponies were soon purchased, evaluated,
and ether sold because of inappropriateness for the program or kept and used
to reach children at risk of gang involvement. Occasionally a pony was "given"
to a child with special needs.
Two of these children were Kyle (10) and his
brother, Adam (7) [names have been changed]. Kyle had leukemia and was terminal.
Adam, his little brother, was shy and fearful of losing his brother. Their
mother was an alcoholic and had lost custody of the boys. Both were placed
in a foster home near the our home. Over time a relationship was formed between
us and the brothers. It was apparent that both boys enjoyed the ponies, although
Kyle was too weak to ride. He still liked brushing and petting the little
horses, though. So, a pony was "given" to them to take care of when they
visited the farm. That little horse gave those boys many hours of enjoyment
until Kyle left this earth a few months later. Adam still visited, though
not as often. Eventually he was returned to a family member and the pony
was sold to a family with new children to love him.
This is one story of kids and ponies. There are
others, less heart wrenching, but just as important. Ponies have a unique
ability to reach children of all ages because of their size and gentle
personalities.
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