HH Stonewall Community Farm
Horse Buddy Program

Once you arrive at the barn, the HH Stonewall team will introduce you to the horses you'll be interacting with. In 2024, the program worked with two retired draft horses: Mars and Toast. Give them a couple of pets, and get started!

Painting your buddy horse can be fun and is a unique way to spend some extra time getting to know each other. Horses typically like to be groomed, rubbed and stroked along their coat, so paint the same way you'd pet! Make some beautiful art with bright colors and good energy.

Ground-driving, sometimes called "long line", is an amazing tool to teach you and your buddy horse a number of important lessons. These lessons include: moving forward independently, halting, backing, and steering while you and your buddy horse are walking together. No need to be nervous! HH Stonewall Farm Volunteers will be with the horse while you are learning this new skill.

Grooming involves caring for the horse’s coat, mane, tail, and skin. Grooming a horse not only makes the horse look good but also promotes good health and well-being. Horses are social animals, and they enjoy the attention they get when being groomed. Grooming a horse can help build trust and strengthen the bond between horse and humans.

Horses like to get all fancy too! Take some time to braid the mane and tail of the horse you are paired with. This may be the only time you'll see a horse with a fishtail!

While these sessions only last between an hour and an hour and a half, goodbye doesn't have to be permanent! Anyone visiting camp is welcome to stop by the barn and see how the horses are getting along. You can also take some time and see if any other animals are around... the 2024 season brought us chicks and a family of sheep to keep the horses company!