No clear picture of life at Baymare Farm can be conveyed without at least a brief description of its most important residents.  Here are the horses.

Willa. Willa is the original bay mare.  She is thirty years old at this writing, and has been in our family for twenty-seven of them. Though long- retired, creaky, and arthritic, she is still very much in charge.  Her indomitable spirit, integrity, and generosity are the benchmark for all the farm’s work, and will continue to be long after she is buried here.

Fleur de la Coeur. Fleur was our first “official” lesson horse.  She is kindness itself in a small, stout, strawberry roan appaloosa package. She is a true beginner horse:  calm, gentle, reassuring, and not about to volunteer to do your job for you.  Her kind nature and quiet demeanor have soothed many an anxious “first time” rider.

Lily of the West. Lily is a paint pony originally from the plains of Minnesota.  She came to us at the tender age of three, an age generally unsuitable for a lesson horse.  Due to her natural ability and exceptional disposition, she did start out in light use in the riding school that year.  Lily is now 10 and is a favorite among the cantering and jumping set, while at the same time still solid and steady enough for beginners.

Princess Peach. Peach is a registered paint, although to the casual observer she looks like a very plain bay mare.  She is small but stout, and can carry either a child or adult comfortably.  Before she came to us, she spent some time being ridden Western in a summer camp, and retains her easy Western gaits.  Like our namesake bay mare, Willa, Peach is naturally forward and loves jumping most of all.

Colt .45. Coltie is quite an unusual fellow. He is ½ Arabian, ½ Saddlebred, is a bay and white pinto, and has one blue eye!  He is an elder statesman who spent many long hard years as a camp horse and came to us looking for a little easier job description.  While he no longer has to canter and jump and work as hard physically as he used to, he has proven to have great ability as a therapeutic horse.  His gaits are very forward and his trot is, frankly, bouncy.  This means he provides his rider with an excellent range of motion and a completely different experience from riding one of our smoother, broader horses.  He has a tremendous willingness to respond to his rider’s signals.  Students are astonished by the way he tunes in to subtle changes in their posture and breathing. He seems to enjoy his work, and we hope that with care and management he will be happy doing it for a few more years.

Fantasia. Fanny is definitely a “horse of a different color.”  Part draft horse and 16 hands tall, she is a big girl.  In spite of her size, she has excellent gaits, is smooth and balanced, and proving to be a talented jumper.  She has very unusual markings and one blue eye.  She is still a “work in progress” in the riding school, but has a fan club of regular riders.  Her size and strength make her an ideal candidate for handling taller or heavier riders.

Gabriella. Gaby is a dark brown Morgan/Arabian cross (Morab) who came along as a bit of a bonus when we got Fanny.  She is a beautiful, sensitive little mare with a kind and generous disposition. Her gaits are smooth and she loves to canter and jump. She thrives on attention and is always standing ready at the paddock gate to come in and go to work.

Maximus. Max is Miranda’s horse, but since she almost never has time to ride, he also contributes to the riding school.  He is a registered Paint, and quite tall at 16.1 hands.  His ground manners are excellent and he is a bit of a schmoozer, which make him very helpful in educational programs for grooming and groundwork.

Bix. Bix is Scott’s horse.  He is a registered Hanoverian who came to Baymare Farm in need of a little therapy himself.  His previous life as a dressage horse was highly demanding and stressful, leaving him with a lot of anxiety about riding, trailering, and monsters lurking in the bushes.  With a career change to jumping and hacking about the countryside, a new owner who was willing so spend time doing unconventional things with him (such as shooting baskets from horseback and going to visit the neighbor’s cows in their pasture), and a very laid back natural lifestyle of living outside with a compatible group of horses, he has evolved into a most happy fellow. His previous training makes him a fantastic “demonstration” horse, as he can educate by example the effect of the aids and of the rider’s seat and position.  He has also been a successful competitive show jumper for Scott, completely overcoming his reluctance to load on the horse trailer.

Better Late Than Never. Becky is the most recent addition to Baymare Farm, and has lost no time in becoming a favorite.  She is a registered Miniature Horse, and her mission here is simply to spread happiness.  She is broke to drive, and has her own harness and cart.  Though diminutive, she is stout enough for very young riders on the leadline, and will give many children their first experience on horseback. She is well-behaved to groom and lead, and reassures people who are made anxious by the size and presence of a full-sized horse.  She has made a couple of trips into the Bogardus family kitchen, and is an excellent candidate for doing “outreach” work – going to schools, nursing homes, and rehab facilities to offer a bit of equine comfort.