Please help SAVE the Pony Rides & Petting Farm at the Santa Monica, Main St. Farmers Market

My love for animals and children is what prompted me to start a small family owned and operated business bringing farm animals to city folks in 2003. I was fortunate enough to grow up down the street from Cal Luthern University’s equestrian center, I began taking natural horsemanship and livestock care classes at the early age of seven. My family surprised me Christmas morning 1989 with my very first horse “Pete”. It was love at first sight…… I went on to become an accomplished horse trainer and became certified with the American Riding Instructors Association for Level 1 Reacreational Riding teaching riding lessons professionally until 2003 when I began my pony ride venture.

Growing up with my love for horses and animals I must say I too have been weary of pony and petting farm companies in the past, wondering how they treat and care for their animals when they are not working!! That is why I vowed to do this differently. Our Ponies live on a 5 acre farm where they are free to roam all week, occasionally they will attend children’s birthday parties where we hand lead them around backyards and parks giving children the opportunity to ride, pet, brush and love on a pony. Our animals attend preschool and kindergarten classes year round, as an educational program teaching children about each animal, where eggs, milk, and wool come from, and how to care for them and give back to them for all they give to us!!!! Our animals are cared for on a daily basis solely by myself and my husband, I completely oversee their diet, exercise, veterinarian care, proper hoof maintenance, bathing and dentistry. Our veterinarian and the U.S.D.A. inspect our farm quarterly to insure good health, humane treatment and sanitary living conditions. I am outside with our animals a minimum of 4 hours a day, every day. I do this because I love them. I believe my animals are the most pampered well kept, cared for and loved farm animals around. I know each of their personalities when they are excited, happy, energetic, nervous and sometimes mischievous. I do not do this to get rich. ALL of the money earned from the pony rides and animals goes directly back into the farm their feed and animal care. I do not believe in over populating the world with farm animals, I am very aware and methodical about our breeding practices. I only breed an animal when I am sure I can commit to caring for the offspring long term. In fact, I never breed my ponies. I have rescued 70% of my pony herd from auctions, other companies and neglectful families with good intentions but busy lives. Horses are social animals they enjoy interacting with humans. I understand there are some concerns about how humanely the ponies are treated specifically from Marcy Winograd, a Santa Monica resident launching this petition to ban pony rides from the city. I would like for you to rest assured every pony and animal on my farm have the highest standard of living conditions, care and always most importantly LOVE. The Sunday Santa Monica Farmers Market, has been wonderful about always helping me put the animals needs first, with temperatures warming we recently rearranged the animals space to insure the ponies and the children waiting to ride can have the maximum amount of shade for the 3 1/2 hours we are there. Thankfully the wonderful Oceanside city has an average annual temperature of 67.3 and warmer summer months average temperature of 72.1— information collected from-- (wrcc.dri.edu)-Santa Monica Pier, California- Climate Summary In response to the concerns of loud music, the market manager, the weekly musician or band and myself all work together each Sunday morning to adjust the sound level to insure the music is comfortable for all the ears attending the market and enjoying the music including infants, families and animals. Our animals travel in a very large 24 foot livestock trailer with plenty of light, air flow and space to move around at will they have fresh feed available at all times during transport and are never nervous getting in or when getting out of the trailer.  Our ponies are tied loosely to a carousel at the Sunday market, we usually bring 6 ponies for the kids to ride with each pony having their own specific maximum weight limit that they can comfortably carry. Our farm animals always enjoy interacting with the families and getting some extra treats from the kids that feed them.