By Maggie Beamguard
Insider Editor
Residents of Seven Lakes North and South will have plenty of opportunities to horse around this fall. Seven Lakes Stables has set a full slate of programs and events for the season.
Stables Director Jenn Wallace hopes people on the north and south sides will take full advantage of the amenities available to them at the stables.
Young and old, inexperienced or old hands can find opportunities to engage with the horses. The majority of the stables programs are available at no cost to residents.
“Mommy and Me Mornings” offers coffee, snacks and pony rides for the youngest residents and their caregivers. It is also a chance to socialize. The program is offered beginning on Sept. 10 at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesdays.
The home school and after school program also resumes on Sept. 10. The club-like experience offered from 3-5:30 p.m. each Wednesday allows young people to spend hands-on time with the horses and how to care for them.
Youth and Adults looking to expand their equestrian experience are also welcome to join the Stables Club which meets at 1 p.m. every third Saturday of the month. The gathering is similar to a 4H clinic. This club also leads special event fundraisers for the stables such as the Horses and Horse Power event.
The Drill Team practice overlaps with the Saturday Stables Club meetings. The team performs demonstrations at special events at the stables. The performances include walk, trot and canter routines. Mark your calendars now for a special Thanksgiving themed drill team event and fundraiser and on Nov. 15 and for Santa at Stables on Nov. 30.
More advanced riders participate in the volunteer program. Volunteers participate in and assist with the Stables Club. The volunteer program currently boasts 27 regular volunteers. Volunteer training is held quarterly.
Wallace expects that other events will be added to the calendar including a paint and sip Ladies Night with the horses.
The stables also host open barn days when people are permitted to drive up to the stables. This accommodates people who find it a challenge to cross the terrain of the pasture to access the barn.
And the horses are always up for a scheduled visit. Many people enjoy booking visits just to interact with the horses and feed them under supervision. Wallace says parties only need to call and leave a message expressing their interest.
All of these programs are amenity based and available to residents.
“The biggest thing is this is their amenity,” said Wallace. “It’s here for them and most of the programs are amenity driven.”
While people often donate to the stables the only things that cost a fee are the pony parties and the riding lessons.
The program has been adjusted from prior years to accommodate a smaller herd of seven horses and two ponies. Typically the stables house a herd of 10 to accommodate rides and lessons.
They are down one horse following the loss of Charlie, the beloved 24-year-old quarter horse paint this summer. Whether a new horse will be procured in Charlie’s place will be a decision for the Seven Lakes Landowners Association Board.
Wallace encourages everyone to come and experience the stables to gain an appreciation of the one-of-a-kind amenity. She says you will not only make friends with the horses, but you will discover a “barn family.”
She describes a welcoming and inclusive environment with a special client base. Itty-bittys to people much older, couples, older singles, people experiencing grief and trauma, children with learning differences all have found a place at the stables.
“It’s beautiful to see people forging those relationships,” said Wallace. “It’s really about relationships — with people and with the horses. That is what is happening at the barn.”
Follow the stables on Facebook at “7 Lakes Stables” for program updates and more. To make an appointment to feed the horses, schedule a lesson or learn more about the amenity-based programs, call the stables at 910-673-4738.
Contact Maggie Beamguard at maggie@thepilot.com.
