A Unique Knollwood Olympics –

  And a Way To Help Our Community

 

We’re living in unusual times which create unusual situations.  Team Knollwood is known for its ability to pivot, both on and off horses, and we’ve decided to put that skill to work for others. (And have a lot of fun in the process.)

 

We have an 11 year tradition of running a food drive each May for the Food Pantry of Waukesha County.  We’ve gathered more than 1000 pounds of food each year while Knollwood Kids assigned to teams vie to see which day of the week can gather the most food for the pantry.

In normal times, teams compete in ‘games of skill’ such as blanket races, helmet tosses, obstacle courses, and dance competitions to name a few.

 

While we may be ‘safer at home’ this year, we recognized that the food pantry would be missing our donations with kids being out of school and many of our neighbors being out of work.

Since we have essential workers on the job at the farm, and we have lesson horses known for their senses of humor, we’ve decided to let the best lesson horses in the world have their day in the Olympic and charitable spotlight.

The School Horse Olympics were to be held this Saturday, May 16, at 5:00 pm, our usual time for Knollwood online social hour, and we’ll carry on to raise funds for the Food Pantry of Waukesha County. 

Please join us on Facebook Live to watch Scott, Carol, Lin, Parker, and an all-star cast compete in a variety of Olympic events to raise funds for the food pantry.

Tentative teams include:

Panic and Scott

Dudley and Carol

Hugo and Parker

Picasso and Lin

 

 

We’re planning on games of ‘Bribe Your Horse,’ Musical Towels,’ and an action-packed finale of the ‘Blind Buggy Race’ with Scott providing the play by play.

Please join us online to watch our lesson horses and their staff pick up the slack for our neighbors in need.

Please donate online at www.Waukeshafoodpantry.org. And let them know you’re donating for Knollwood Farm, LTD

 

 Want to learn more about the Olympians and their staff member? Read on:

 

 

CH Callaway’s Don’t Panic is a treasure. Owned by the Kellner-Van Hecke family, this grand gelding enjoyed a celebrated career as a 5 Gaited Show Pleasure horse, winning the Junior Exhibitor Stake at Lexington in a Kentucky storm before he began his second career of introducing new riders to the show ring. He’s currently a member of the best lesson horses in the world club, and has, to the best of our knowledge, never played a game of ‘bribe your horse,’ or ‘musical towels.’ We expect him to enjoy it immensely. 

Good thing his teammate is Scott.

 

 

Dudley Do Right is our gentle giant of the school horse band. A giant paint cross, he’s comfortable teaching the wee-est of tiny tots, or racing around playing games with advanced riders.

He’s a pro at bribe your horses, and may even teach Carol a thing or two about how the game is played.

 

Hugo, AKA the Hawaiian Cat,  was born at the farm, so he’s technically a Knollwood Kid, although lazier than most of our claims to fame. He enjoys a good nap, trotting slower that anyone thought physically possible, and making life miserable for Picasso, his stall neighbor. However, he DOES have great speed in the pasture when he spies a friend bearing treats on a pasture visit, and shines in the game division.

Parker also grew up a Knollwood Kid, and works in both the show and school barns. She uses Hugo for her advanced beginner kids, and may have some tricks up her sleeve if required!

 

Like Dudley, Picasso is another gentle giant.  Officially registered in the APHA as Way Cool Willy, this giant is one of our cantering teachers, is tired of Hugo’s stall antics, and will do just about ANYTHING for a carrot or a mint. He uses his speed selectively, and it usually involves reaching food.

 

Lin is also a lifelong Knollwood Kid, and is now our assistant trainer who also excels at all things IT and marketing related.  If there’s something she can’t do, we haven’t found it yet. 

 

Klem will be competing with a guest celebrity who competed in the first ever Knollwood Olympics. Klem will excel at all games food related, and he proved his worth last week in the Olympic trials when he bested Dudley in both test events.  He isn’t shaped like a sausage for nothing!

 

 

Joey (AKA Rumours of War) will be making his gaming debut with a special friend as his manager. This will be Joey’s first Olympics, and we’re honestly not sure what he’ll think about it.  He IS the only contestant who has been practicing getting his front feet on the towel, however.  This might just work out!

 

 

No gaming event is complete without a pony!

Pony Frank  loves games, but does not like to be told how to play them. His manager is another lifelong ‘Knollwood Kid’ who has remained active since the age of 8. Frank is pretty great for a pony, and will work for a tiny bit of food. He does, however, like to do things his own way, so this team will be fun to watch.

 

Please join us for this unique FB Live event at 5:00 pm on Saturday, May 16.

And please donate online to the food pantry at www.WaukeshaFoodPantry.org.

 

 

 

 

This year's Knollwood Olympics will have a preliminary event. Dexter’s 21^st birthday party at 3:00 pm also on Saturday the 16^th.

 

Tradition.

Honor.

Passion.

And a whole lot of fun!

Hello Knollwood Families and Students,

 

We have had such an incredible outpouring of support from all of you at this time.  We just wanted to highlight a couple of amazing "Give Back" projects some of our creative customers have been working on to support the School Horses during their unemployment period.

Soul Fire Art Studio's Door Hangers and Mandala Dot Art!

The amazing Theresa Spencer with her business Soul Fire Art Studio is putting on two separate fund raising events for the Knollwood school horses!  For the kids, Saddlebred door hangers (depiction above of Dudley as a Saddlebred and one of the new kids on the block, Willis).  This project is $25 and includes a two hour zoom instructional/social with barn friends!  The actual Zoom will occur on Friday, May 22nd from 6-8pm.  The project for adults is a soothing mandala dot art project that can be customized to suit your own decor.  We could all use some beauty, meditation and relaxation in our lives right now, which makes this the perfect project!  Also $25 for the project, the two our zoom instructional/social time for this one will be Thursday, May 21 from 7-9.  You can check out their website here and order online, or via phone for barn pick up on the show barn patio. $15 from each project will be donated to support the school horses. What an amazing, fun, SOCIAL activity (didn't even know those existed anymore)!  Thank you, Theresa, for bringing us all together, while we are forced to remain apart.

 

Amy's Handmade Masks

All the way from Madison, Amy has been working hard on handmade masks to benefit the school horses.  She was offering masks in a pleated cloth, contoured cloth with a nose wire and filter pocket, and a nurses style without a nose wire.  Amy is full to the brim with orders at this time, but keep an eye on Facebook for openings for new orders!  Thank you so much, Amy, for your support and help in keeping us all that much safer with masks. See the Facebook post with pictures and details here!  

 

Lisa's Grace & Heart Gifts

Lisa DeVries, the powerhouse knockouts mom that keeps us all organized and honest is donating proceeds from a Grace & Heart party to benefit the school horses!  Check out all of the gorgeous jewelry available for purchase here.  Thank you Lisa, for everything you do. Make sure that you get your Mom an extra Mother's Day gift through Lisa!

 

Erika's Twisted Lemon Dough

Like mother, like daughter, the DeVries girls are donating proceeds from their cookie dough to the school horses.  Not just delicious, but also a fun activity, getting a bit of cookie dough to bake with the family can be an amazing weekend activity to breakup the quarantine days!  Thank you so much, Erika.  We can't wait to eat some cookies! Order some dough here!

 

Rachel's Plush Ponies

 

Our small animal vet, Knollwood Kid Vet(eran), and Joey's best friend has reinvigorated her plush pony business making replicas of our most beloved school horses to have at home with you while you have to be apart.  Orders are full at the moment, but to reach out about potential wait times, email Rachel: rweiher6@gmail.com or direct message her on Facebook to get on the list!  Thank you, Rachel for sewing these plush ponies to keep us all close to the horses we miss.

 

 

The efforts all of you have made in donating, creating things to make the world and our community a brighter or safer place has been monumental. You're all Knockouts of the Knollwood variety, literally and figuratively!

 

Stay well!

Alright guys, we've done some core, we've done some glutes, but as we get closer and closer to the end of the Stay and Home ordinance, we really need to hone in on our leg strength.  Todays circuit is a rep based strength circuit that is focusing on leg work.  For exercises that involve alternating legs, each side equates to one rep!

 

Exercise 1 - Forward and Back Lunges - 20 reps

 

This is taking a standard lunge into a seesaw motion.  Lunge forward with one leg and then lunge back with the same leg, then switch sides.  To challenge yourself, work on balancing in between the forward and back lunge, instead of putting your foot down.

Exercise 2 - Drop squat jack - 20 reps

 

Much like a regular squat jack, you are jumping down and out into a squat, but this time, you have to get low enough to touch the ground.  Alternate which hand is touching and make SURE you are keeping your chest high and your weight back in your heels. 

Exercise 3 - Curtsy Lunge - 20 reps

 

This mimics the most polite way to say "Hello" and "goodbye" in the 1820s.  Like a reverse lunge, only crooked!  Take the leg going back, to the side and drop into a lunge.  This movement isn't about speed, but form.  You should really be feeling it in your quads, hips and glutes of your front leg.  Alternate legs each time.

Exercise 4 - Tuck Jumps - 20 reps

 

A real heart raiser, make sure you are landing on bent knees and using your arms as momentum to really raise yourself back up!  Hang in there with this one, it's a toughy.

Exercise 5 - One legged bridge - 20 reps

 

We've just powered through 4 of the leg exercises that focus on our quads and hamstrings and now we are going to take it down to a little more focused glute and hamstring work.  Lying on your back with your heels in towards your bottom, raise one leg off the ground at a 45 degree angle.  Press into your heels to lift your hips and slowly lower them back down.  Keep your core tight to help your hips stay balanced and level throughout this movement.

Exercise 6 - Split Jumps - 20 reps

Your finisher exercise is my favorite finisher exercise (next to burpees of course). In a lunge position, use your arms and legs to power up into a jump and land in a lunge on the other side.

 

Make sure you finish off with some stretching and mobility movement to recover.

 

Stay well!

One of Scott’a favorite observations from the horse business, aside from alignment, is that a great horse needs a great mom, and great riders need great moms as well.

 

Of course, we may be a little bit biased, but we think that Knollwood has a history of great moms that is second to none.  And, the great ones ALWAYS possess a grand sense of humor, so  we know they won’t mind being compared to horse moms!

 

Here’s what both have in common.

 

Great moms teach courage.

You’ve all seen tiny horse babies outside in the first couple of weeks when mom is walking away to graze with a watchful eye on her new baby. While the foal may feel alone for a sec, mom is watching to make sure baby comes back, and instilling the first lessons in bravery and independence.

Knollwood moms feed their riders' passion for horses and make them brave.  Once a rider feels confident around horses, they’re ready to spread their wings.  Nothing makes a kid braver than knowing their mom believes in them and in their love of the sport.

 

 

Great moms teach boundaries.

And consequences.

You know that great moment when the foal gets a little too rough with mom, or strays a little too far for her liking? Mom reacts quickly with a little nip, or a wonderful ears pinned ‘mare stare,’ and pretty soon said foal is licking his lips and putting his head down in apology.

Knollwood moms have these moves down like the pros that they are. Horse girls don’t push their moms around for fear of ‘the look,’ or the talk on the car ride home. The worst possible punishment? Not being able to ride for a week.

We applaud these moms who hold the line with real consequences to raise coachable kids.

 

 

Great moms teach social skills.

No animal in the world is born knowing how to behave with others, that has to be taught by their mother. Mares act as playground monitors in the pasture,  while Knollwood moms keep watch over their horse girls to make sure they’re being kind, supportive, and inclusive.

 

 

Great moms instill confidence.

And resilience.

 As the foals grow, horse moms let their ‘kids’ stray a little farther away, play with others, and help them grow up in the pasture. They teach foals to ‘push the envelope’ a little, and stand up to others, testing them at play time.  Foals quickly get comfortable running around with confidence, even when games don’t always go their way.

Moms of horse kids give their riders confidence by always being supportive of their adventures. Students will learn new skills, ride horses with more energy, and compete at different levels.  Knollwood moms tell the kids how much they love watching them ride, and share our belief that more is often learned in the rides that test than in the rides that are comfortable and routine.

 

Great moms teach a sense of perspective.

 

It’s often said ‘If everything is a big deal, nothing is a big deal.’  Both horse moms and rider moms know this to be true. Horse kids and Knollwood kids quickly learn that perfection is rarely achievable, that the process to becoming a great horse or rider doesn’t go in a straight line, and that there’s unlimited joy in the journey.

Knollwood moms lead their kids by glossing over the little things, which is sometimes most challenging with an 8 year old who feels the world is ending because she didn’t get the horse she really wanted for a show, or a leadliner who didn’t get the ribbon she hoped for.

 

Great moms offer unconditional support.

It’s so important growing up to know that your mom always has your back. It’s what gives you the courage to push yourself to become a great horseperson or a great horse. When your mom has given you confidence and a sense of perspective, you can achieve many, many things.

 

We are grateful to the Knollwood moms.

In addition to instilling these important life lessons to Knollwood Kids, they’ve recently added teacher to their list of roles, and have been trying to maintain a sense of normalcy for their kids. And all of that while missing riding lessons!

 

We salute you.

We are beyond grateful.

And, while we appreciate you every day, we want to wish all the Knollwood mothers a very special and happy Mothers Day week!

 

 

 

Tradition.

Honor.

Passion.

We Are #KnollwoodStrong.

Hey Knollwood Families and students,

 

Spring time is here and it has been an incredible weekend. We know you've all been out in the yard playing in the sun and if we know you equestrians, you've been playing horse show in those yards.  Perhaps forcing a parent into playing the role of a competitor, perhaps making your dog or cat play the ring master, and perhaps making your brother or sister play the voice of the announcer.  Well here's a fun yard game for you: Lawn Patterns.

 

Bellow we've posted three patterns. 1. beginner, 2. intermediate and 3. advanced for you to take on in your yard.  We encourage you to reach out to your fellow equestrians or instructors for any questions you may have on how to accomplish, or improve upon your pattern execution.  If you like, take a video and post it to our facebook page! 

 

A couple key, at-home pattern requirements: firstly, your hands show which diagonal or lead you are on.  If you're to be on the right lead or diagonal, your right hand should be in the air!  We all know what sticklers our instructors are for diagonals and leads so make sure you pay attention to those diagonal/lead changes! Secondly, mark out your "arena" with patio chairs or trees or family members, really with whatever you have at your disposal to give you an idea of how you need to space our your rails and circles.

 

Beginner Pattern:

Intermediate Pattern:

Advanced Pattern:

 

Extra Credit: Take the intermediate and advanced pattern and try it by changing two cantering leads/passes into a slow gait and a racking pass!

 

GOOD LUCK equestrians!