Spring 2018 Newsletter

Fox Tales, April, 2018

Yay! Winter is over. This was the warmest and driest winter we’ve seen. We measured just 5 inches of rain this season, only half as much as normal! It’s been a great winter for riding, both in the arena and out on the trails.

Less rain means we have to conserve water, and everyone has done their best to help us do that. Thank you so much!

Spring is Nigh....

Spring is our favorite time of year. Wild flowers are in bloom, especially our purple Ceanothus - or Mountain Lilac - and there’s lots of fresh green grass for the horses to munch. Don’t miss the desert wildflowers.

It’s time for Spring Cleaning. Organize your equipment and supplies and make sure you have your name on everything. Clean your grooming supplies in a bucket of bleach solution. Order ID tags to put on new halters and bridles, and a saddle plate for that awesome new saddle. Is your name in the pretty new hard hat? Does your horse have an ID tag or micro-chip?

What's Happening?

Lots of stuff. We are busy planning trail rides to the beach and the mountains. We are figuring out which events to attend at the Del Mar Horseshow in April and May. And we are upgrading our website and adding lots of great new photos. We’ve also added a Horse Show section with some good information for both riders and parents.

Watch Out for Snakes.

Spring is also rattlesnakes season in Crest. They’re hunting mice and other small rodents and doing their part in controlling the pest population. If you see a snake at HFF, please let the staff, and everyone else, know immediately. We will see what kind of snake it is and warn people to keep away, if necessary. General snake rules include: Don’t step or put your hands where you cannot see. Don’t get into wood, rocks, or brush (or jumps!) without checking for snakes first. Wear good shoes and long pants. Don’t poke or provoke them! Most bites occur when a person tries to kill or move a rattler.

Both horses and dogs can be vaccinated against rattlesnake venom. ECLAP has vaccinations available on ranch calls.

Stinging Nettles:

Those pretty green plants popping up all over the property will give you an irritating sting but are not poisonous, and in fact you can make a pretty good soup out of them!

Horse Show Season:

For horse show questions and planning, please visit our website:

General horse show information: https://www.hiddenfoxfarm.com/horse-shows

Horse show calendar: https://www.hiddenfoxfarm.com/hff-2018-calendar

Haley Morrissey will provide a list of shows that HFF riders can plan to attend, including the Lakeside ECHO shows, some Pot of Gold shows in Ramona, and Sweetwater shows in Bonita. Sign-up sheets will be posted at the barn for the coming shows.

Summer Camp Dates:

June 18-22 or June 25-29 TBD

July 9-13

July 16-20 First Timer Camp, for young riders who are starting from the beginning.

Aug. 6-10 Fun Camp for advanced beginners to intermediate, riders must be able to walk/trot/canter, and jump small jumps.

Camps run from 8:30 – 12:30 each day and cost $375.00 with a $100.00 deposit.

HFF is offering Novice Level camps for our current riders and friends. There’s a little wiggle room with the dates, so if what you see doesn’t work for you, maybe we can make changes. If you have friends, family, or neighbors who are interested in a First Timer Camp, let us know and we’ll see what we can do to accommodate.

See our Summer Camps page for more information.

Horse Camping, Picnics, and Trail Rides:

We've got some exciting SUMMER activities in the planning stages - Horse Camping trips to the Cuyamacas, Trail Rides around the county, Beach Rides and Picnics, and our annual Campout in the Arena. We'll be firming these plans up soon.

Del Mar National Horse Show

Del Mar National $100,000 Grand Prix, May 5 @ 6:45 PM: Please join the HFF barn gang in Del Mar on May 5 for the Jumper Grand Prix, an exciting display of athleticism as horses and their riders race over huge jumps. We will be buying a large block of tickets so we can all sit together. Please let Katy know ASAP if you plan to attend: Tickets are first-come, first-served.

https://delmarnational.com/spectators/grand-prix-of-del-mar/

In addition to the Grand Prix, there are two other events of interest:

Night of the Horse, April 21 @ 7 PM: A wonderful showcase of equestrian acts for the whole family, the Night of the Horse features many entertaining human and equestrian performers. https://delmarnational.com/spectators/night-of-the-horse/

Musical Freestyle, April 28 @ 7 PM: For dressage lovers, the Musical Freestyle is always a thrill, watching the most beautiful and talented dressage horses dancing to music. https://delmarnational.com/spectators/evening-of-musical-freestyles/

For more details and ticket purchases, go to http://delmarnational.com/

New Faces

Please welcome Crystal and her horse "Bernie", Emma and her horse "Charmer", Hayley's new horse "Benjamin", and our new lesson horse "Rowdy".

Price Increase for 2018

There will be a small increase in our boarding, lesson, and training rates, effective May 1. Please refer to the Prices page on our website for details.