I have been wanting to take the kids on field trips. I’ve been researching places to go based on travel distance, the terrain of the hiking trail, bathrooms on site, etc..
I found a park in Gibsonville, Guilford County called North East Park. For me driving the truck & horse trailer it will take about 1 hour and 15 minutes to get there. My plan would be to drive the ponies from the farm to the park, and you would drive students from your home to the park (no need to come to the farm if it is out of your way).
Northeast Park
3441 Northeast Park Drive
Gibsonville, NC 27249
(336) 641-2070
(For GPS purposes use 4010 High Rock Road.)
I took Abby out there the the first weekend of November it is a nice park.
What I would like to do is work with the students toward achieving specific goals in horse handling ground skills, with the outcome being this field trip. The trip would be to hike with the ponies / horses and get experience handling them in a different environment. Since there is a safe arena we can also do a little bit of riding after the hike.
I’m going to work on an outline of ground handling skills the kids will need to have and that will give all of us an idea of how much time we need to reasonably work on those skills (including getting out to hike for our own fitness!). I just wanted to share the plan brewing in my mind and some images of the park.
Brian and I also participate in the sport of orienteering on horseback, so we could also talk to the kids about map reading, using a compass, and other related topics (we could even create packs for the ponies to carry water bottles and a snack). 🙂
I would have to do this on a Saturday or Sunday, and get out there in the late spring / early summer before it gets too hot. There is a water crossing so the kids stop and play in the water.
The cost of the field trip would be a bit more than a Pony School class to cover the travel / fuel and the field trip day addition on my insurance policy.
