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About Applegater. (Jacksonville, OR) 2008-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2022)
12 Summer 2022 Applegater Rounding up all the horse news at Pacifica BY PEG PRAG There’s something beautiful happening in the front field at Pacifica this season. It centers around our 30-year-old Appaloosa, Star, who went blind last summer. She does amazingly well with her long-time mare companion, Shelby, but recently we added two more horses to her herd. Almost immediately, a big red gelding named Whisper started taking care of her. On just the second day, three of the horses were excitedly waiting to be fed when all of a sudden Whisper looked up and went running back across the field to fetch his blind friend, Star, and walk her slowly to the feeding station. Whisper cuts in front of Star if she’s about to walk into a fence or blackberries (where she has been hurt in the past), and he leads her to the pond for water. The other horses all form a circle around her when they’re worried, and even those horses who have been me-first eaters in the past let Star eat first. It’s been inspiring for those of us watching these dynamics. Inclusion and care. Naturally. It’s heartwarming to watch. Somatic integration, trail rides, and horse camps Somatic integration. A new two- legged arrival, Amaleah Black, is also inspiring. Amaleah is working with the caring-friend Whisper and his buddy Oyasin to tune them up for somatic integration work with youth in the near future. “Somatic integration” refers to movements performed as consciously as possible, with internal focus and attention. Horses help us learn in these reflective ways. Stay tuned for emerging details about somatic integration education, or, for more information now, phone 415-654-7013. Trail rides at Pacifica. We’re excited to announce that Tess and Tara Wesolowski will be offering Applegate Trail Rides at Pacifica. Sisters Tess and Tara are down- home, friendly, and good at what they do. They have five well-trained horses and are efficiently organized and enthusiastic about getting on the trail! Options for trail rides include one-hour rides, $100/person; 1.5-hour rides, $130/person. Rides will be available Friday-Sunday each week. For more information, call 541-660-6796. Horse camps. “For the love of horses and our children” teachers Bobbi Aubrey and Nanci Meyers are looking forward to offering horse camps again this year. Pacifica’s Horsemanship Camp for ages 7-12 is set for July 11-14. Classes run 9 am-2 pm. Cost is $225.To register, go to pacifica. regfox.com/pacificas-horsemanship-camp. For more information, call Bobbi at 541-415-1723. Honoring Mom — and our new pavilion We held a celebration at Pacifica on May 8, Mother’s Day, to honor Mom, but also to dedicate Pacifica’s beautiful new pavilion (designed and built by Peter Goss, Waylon Woodworks) and for the grand opening of our new Art Nature Trail. Thanks to grants from Oregon State University, Josephine County Cultural Coalition, and donations, Pacifica has Serving Josephine & Jackson Counties The Pacifica herd is rested and ready for the summer. From left are Shelby, then Whisper and Oyasin. Their blind ward, Star (dappled gray), is behind them in the back. Photo: Ray Prag. created a delightful, accessible-to-all trail and outdoor sculpture museum. The trail is level and smooth enough for wheelchairs, walkers, and strollers. This new Art Nature Trail (ANT) gives visitors an art-filled outdoor adventure in a lovely natural setting. In addition to the beauty of nature and the sculptures made by local artists, visitors will find activities to encourage artistic inspiration as they meander along the trail: hands-on sculpture activity stations for kids and kids-at-heart, along with special nature magnifiers. There will also be tables and benches for you to relax and just enjoy the specialness of where you are. Come and visit our new happy place! Peg Prag peg@pacificagarden.org Day camps in the summer and home school in the fall June 13 to August 18, ages 6-18. A wide selection of classes: wilderness skills, dance, nature, horsemanship, art, book making, clay, sewing, woodworking, and more. For details, call 541-621-6278, go to pacificagarden.org, or email vanessa@ pacificagarden.org. Mondays, beginning in September, 9 am-3:30 pm, grades K-12. Classes at Pacifica, which is a vendor for the home- based charter schools Teach Northwest, LOGOS, and REACH. For details, visit pacificagarden.org and check the “Education” section, or email shauna@ pacificagarden.org.
