Friday 18 April at around noon we are planning to burn those piles of brambles. Providing the weather cooperates, those blackberries will be toast! Bring your work-clothes and your marshmallows and join us for some revenge!
We also have several other chores on the to-do list, such as putting the lovely new trough in the back field, fence-checking for spring turnout, improvements to the shedrows, and digging manure and bark mulch for the:
Arena Improvement Project
As anyone who's ridden in our ring over the winter knows, the footing has outlived its useful function as a riding surface. We need to remove the old hogfuel, level the base, and put fresh footing down over the summer. All this costs money and we will have several fundraisers going this spring and summer to make the improvements possible. The first of these is the Easter Gardening Special where we are selling bags of compost and bark mulch.
Compost
Well-composted horse manure is excellent fertilizer for lawns, flowers and vegetables. This is bedding and manure that has been composted for a year. Our horses are not fed whole grains so there is very little seed in the compost. The bedding is wood-pellets that break down to sawdust providing an excellent balance of phosphorus to the nitogen-high grass and hay manure.
$5 per bag (approx 30lbs) or dig your own by donation.
Bark Mulch
While the hogfuel footing of the arena is now too fine to support horses, it remains an excellent bark mulch for weed-suppression in the garden. Light-weight and easy to apply, it instantly improves the appearance of garden beds and landscaped areas.
$5 per bag (approx 30lbs) or dig your own by donation.
Delivery
If you don't have a way to transport all these bags of garden goodness, delivery can be arranged in Richmond and Vancouver by donation. Some bags will be for sale in Vancouver as well. Contact info@redcolt.ca for details.
Donate your Labour
Don't have the cash to spend? Come and dig a bag for us and a bag for yourself as many times as you like.
Upcoming Classes & Events
Cavaliere Classes
Sunday 20 April 1 – 4:30pm
Red Colt Equestrian Farm Co-op, 12320 No 2 Road, Richmond
cost: $60 ea
Instructor: Jennifer Landels
Horsemanship, Riding and sword drills for all levels of riders and swordsmen
prerequisites: none, Intro to Mounted Combat recommended
Mounted Combat Skills
Sunday 27 April 1 – 4pm
Academie Duello Centre for Swordplay, 412 W Hastings, Vancouver
cost: $60
Instructor: tba
This indoor Mounted Combat session is a chance to practice your swordplay, spear and wrestling skills from the ground and the falsemount, without the distractions of weather or four-legged creatures.
Horseback Archery – Beginner FULL!
(contact the Front Desk to get on the waitlist)
Saturday 3 May, 10am – 1pm
Red Colt Equestrian Farm Co-op, 12320 No 2 Road, Richmond BC
cost: $90
Instructor: Robert Borsos
Prerequisites: none
In this three hour workshop you will spend an hour and a half on the ground learning the fundamentals and body mechanics of Hungarian style horse archery. You will then have an opportunity to shoot from both the falsemount (wooden horse) and real horses led by experienced handlers.
This workshop is appropriate for
- beginner archers and riders
- experienced archers who would like to learn to shoot from horseback
- experienced riders who would like to add archery to their repertoire of mounted skills.
Horseback Archery – Intermediate
Saturday 3 May, 2pm - 5pm
Red Colt Equestrian Farm Co-op, 12320 No 2 Road, Richmond BC
cost: $60
Instructor: Robert Borsos
Prerequisites: Beginner Horseback Archery plus Riding Level 1 or equivalent
This workshop is intended for those who have already taken Beginner Horseback Archery. We will spend about an hour on the ground refreshing our shooting skills, then move to horseback for the remainder of the workshop.
Intro to Mounted Combat Workshop
Sunday 4 May, 10am – 1pm
Red Colt Equestrian Farm Co-op, 12320 No 2 Road, Richmond
cost: $149
Instructors: Jennifer Landels & tba
A taste of everything in the program. Learn about grooming and tacking up, get some swordplay fundamentals, and ride a horse with sword in hand.
prerequisites: none
Mounted Combat Workshop
Sunday 4 May, 1- 4pm
Red Colt Equestrian Farm Co-op, 12320 No 2 Road, Richmond
cost: $60
Instructor: tba
Swordplay from the ground, the falsemount, and from horseback.
prerequisites: Intro to Mounted Combat or permission from the instructor
Package deals
Cavaliere 4- and 12-packs are available. These packages are valid for all classes offered in the Cavaliere program, as well as for private or semi-private lessons.
4-pack: $200 ($50 per class)
12-pack: $480 ($40 per class)
When you purchase a package you are automatically signed up for all upcoming Cavaliere program classes. If you are unable to make a class and let the front desk know in advance, you will be credited for a future class.
Jennifer Landels heads up Academie Duello's Cavaliere Program. She has been swordfighting since 2008, and riding since before she could walk. She started the program as an excuse to combine those passions. Read more from Jennifer Landels.