Sponsor a Schoolie
Hey Raynham Riders,
Our schoolies need your help. Most riding schools, ourselves included, operate at a loss over the winter and rely on our busy spring and summer season to keep us afloat. With no lesson income, and no certainty of when these closures will end, we are very concerned about being able to afford to care for our beloved school horses. We have had to lay off all our staff and have cut as many other expenses as possible but there is simply no income to pay for even the basics. Below is an outline of the bare minimum costs for each of our school horses..
Are you able to help by “Sponsoring a Schoolie” until lessons resume? We currently have 28 school horses on the property and 3 retirees who rely entirely on lesson income to cover their costs. In exchange for your support, we are launching a website where we will have daily posts including updates on your sponsored schoolie as well as educational posts such as videos on how to wrap, how to take temperature, pulse, respiration, interesting articles, videos of Nikki & Lindsay training/riding, etc. to help keep riders learning and entertained while away from the barn. The website will be up by tomorrow at the latest, we are working on it now!
Some of our wonderful students and staff have helped us gather photos of all our schoolies and written bios for each, you can view them below - thank you to everyone that helped! We have not set any specific amounts for sponsorship as we realize that everyone is facing financial uncertainty during these unprecedented times. Any support is greatly appreciated.
Thank you in advance,
Lindsay, Caryn & Nikki
Minimum Costs per School Horse while Shut Down:
TOTAL = $288.00 to $471.00/month per school horse
* During this time, Big Curve Acres, whom we lease our school horses from, has generously offered to waive our lease fees until we can resume lessons – THANK YOU!
**This does not include any salaries for staff or ourselves, debt repayment, farm maintenance, etc. This is a low as we can get it.
- Hay: $125 - $175/month - Varies depending on if they live in or out, small bales, round bales, haylage, etc
- Grain: $0 - $75/month - Some schoolies do not require grain, Sunny could probably survive on air!
- Shavings: $0 - $50/month - Only an expense for the schoolies that live indoors
- Farrier: $33-$166/month – Horses are done every 6 weeks, $50 for a trim up to $250 for 4 shoes
- Regular Vet: $30/month – Approx. $400/year for essentials (vaccines, dentistry and deworming)
- Horse Lease*: $0 - $150.00/month – Some schoolies are owned and some are leased
- Share of Basic Overhead Costs**: $100.00/month - Total minimum costs divided by 44 horses on the property. Includes hydro, tractor payments, insurance payments, mortgage payment, office expenses (internet, web hosting, etc).
TOTAL = $288.00 to $471.00/month per school horse
* During this time, Big Curve Acres, whom we lease our school horses from, has generously offered to waive our lease fees until we can resume lessons – THANK YOU!
**This does not include any salaries for staff or ourselves, debt repayment, farm maintenance, etc. This is a low as we can get it.
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How to Donate:
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Apple Pie
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Autumn
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Apple Pie is as sweet as his name! He has been a wonderful school master, taking many to their first events or even around their first course. Just don't take him away from his girlfriends, he thinks he's the king of his herd!
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Autumn is a strawberry roan mare who is extra sweet to get her treats and is also smart and cautious! She always tries her very best and loves to show her riders how to jump at home and at horse shows! When she’s not in the ring she is glued to her man, Apple Pie! No wonder apples are her favourite treat!
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Breeze
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Chief
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Breeze is a fan favourite. She loves to be groomed and fussed over. She is very sweet and level-headed and can always be counted on to brighten your day! People often think Breeze is only used as a beginner horse (because she is PERFECT!), but this girl can clean up in the Dressage ring too!
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Chief is the best little dude you will ever meet! Loves his treats and always knows when it’s feeding time! When he’s not napping in the back paddock, he’s taking care of our beginner riders in the ring or jumping around with more advanced students. He is definitely a barn favourite!
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Cyrus
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Diva
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Cyrus is one of our newest additions to Raynham, but is already loved by so many. He always tries his best and always wants to please his rider. He is a big sweetheart and loves all aspects of his job from working in the ring to the endless hugs and kisses after his ride! We can’t wait to see all the amazing things this wonderful horse accomplishes at Raynham!
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One of Raynham Stables’ newest school horses, Diva is a thoroughbred mare who loves to work! Whether she’s jumping or working on her fancy dressage moves, she loves to show off her talent and looks amazing in pink. Her curious, energetic and sweet personality will warm your heart and she will be your best friend for life if you bring her treats!
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Echo
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Emma
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Say hello to Raynham’s only black and white paint mare! She may as well be a puppy because she loves treats and to be fussed over! She loves to jump, even taking some of our competitive riders to shows! Fun fact! This special pony has two different coloured eyes: her right eye is blue, and her left eye is brown!
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After retiring from racing, and some time off, Emma has quickly become one of our favourite school horses. She is very brave to jump and gives everything her best shot. She's also become quite the fancy dressage horse. Just tell all the geldings to stay out of her personal space!
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Ernie
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Frank
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Ernie has taken many students successfully around events and is now one of top choices for adult amateurs to lesson on. He has his quirks, so make sure you’re paying attention in the cross ties because this boy likes to fall asleep! Ernie loves being scratched and enjoys a nice groom. Don’t be alarmed if you find him sitting like a dog, that’s just his favourite way to relax!
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Frank is one of Lindsay’s previous competition horses who competed up to the now 3* level. Frank is the type of horse who gets along with anyone, whether it’s horses or people! He likes to let you know he wants your attention, stand close enough with your back turned and he will gently pull you closer to him for some love! Frank is one cool dude!
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Freckles
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Georgie
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Raynham Stables is so lucky to have a pony like Freckles. The ultimate schoolmaster, you can find her on any day taking care of new riders or out competing with our show riders. This mare is worth her weight in gold! She is a chestnut, but gets her name from the little white dots on her hindquarters and sides!
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Georgie is a chestnut gelding and is absolutely cute as a button! Sweet, willing, and just the right amount of sassy, he turns heads wherever he goes for his good looks and flashy movements. He loves showing off his moves in the show ring and quickly established himself as a dressage star. He’s one special little guy!
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Hercules
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Jack
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Hercules is no ordinary pony. Also known as the Great and Mighty Hercules, he sure lives up to his name with an attitude the size of the moon and the talent to match! Hercules is so good at his job that he was even inducted into the Ontario Eventing Association’s Hall of Fame last year! From teaching young riders the ropes to winning countless ribbons at horse shows, Hercules can do it all. He’s a one in a million pony!
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A perfect gentleman, Jack is never not on his best behaviour. Quiet and well-mannered, he is lovely on the flat and a fan favourite of advanced students over fences. A beautiful bay gelding, he has proven successful in multiple disciplines, bringing home dozens of ribbons in both Eventing and Dressage. He is such a sweetheart and always wants his riders to be happy!
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Jazz
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Joey
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Jazz is a super friendly, tricolour paint mare! She loves taking care of new riders and showing them the ropes as she has one of the smoothest trots in the whole barn! She loves her human friends even more than she likes her pony friends and will always come up to you in the paddock to ask if you have any treats for her. If the answer is yes, she will try to get every last one in your pocket!
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Joey is one half of Raynham’s royal couple! He is Lindsay Mahon’s former high-level competition horse who was unfortunately retired early due to an injury. He is super sweet and loves to play games with you when you go out and visit him and his number one lady, Juno!
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Juno
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Jynx
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Juno is the other half of Raynham’s royal couple! At the age of 28 she is still the best at her job and has endless patience. She is one of our most beginner-friendly horses and shows riders from early on that there is nothing to be nervous about! She will listen to your aids and movements and do everything she can to make sure you feel safe! She’s a total pro and is still ready to teach the next generation of riders!
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Jynx is known for her crazy (but very stylish) mane! Did you know Jynx used to be shown by one of Raynham’s favourite people, Nikki! Jynxy is known for being very speedy, but can you blame her? She’s just so excited to do her job! She has now secured a role in helping the younger students learn the ropes and does it with style.
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Mike
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Patches
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He may be large, but Mike is an absolute sweetheart who would never hurt a fly! Whatever you want to learn, Mike is eager to teach you! Whether you’re a new rider looking to build some confidence or you’re ready to head off to your first show, you couldn’t find a more willing partner. Mike is a perfect gentleman who never puts a toe out of line!
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Also known as the Gentle Giant, don’t let his size scare you! Patches is the biggest sweetheart. He always tries his heart out and is one of the safest horses to learn on. This guy can do it all from teaching beginners how to ride or jumping around a course. Outside of the riding ring, he loves getting apples and carrots and being grazed while soaking up the sun!
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Purdy
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Richelle
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Purdy is obedient, kind and one of the best listeners around! Her specialty is helping riders gain their confidence! Even if you have never ridden her before, she will make you feel safe and taken care of, whether it be on the flat or around a jumping course! We cannot thank Purdy enough for helping our riders grow and learn each and every day!
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Richelle is a beautiful Palomino that loves to be brushed and spoiled. Richelle can sometimes get excited when jumping, but makes up for it by being perfect with beginner riders. You would never guess that she is in her 20's and has even had a baby! She looks and acts like a youngster with boundless energy and giving 110% effort at everything she does.
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Royal
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Rumba
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Bred by Lindsay, Caryn, and Nikki, Royal was the first horse to be born at Raynham! A successful dressage horse of Nikki’s for many years, she sadly faced a career-ending injury, however she is still a treasured member of the barn family! A beautiful chestnut mare who turns heads everywhere she goes, she is full of character and adores cuddles and attention.
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Rumba is a sweetheart! Not only can she quickly jump around a course with an advanced rider, she can safely rock a flat lesson with a beginner. After successfully doing up her girth, grab a treat and ask her to smile. She loves to show off her pearly whites for treats! Rumba is such a steady girl and will always have you leaving the ring smiling!
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River
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Sampson
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River is a beautiful dapple grey gelding who turns heads wherever he goes! Although he is retired from competition, he had an amazing work ethic and always tried his best. He prefers living outdoors and loves attention. You will probably find him trying to dig into your pockets looking for treats! Just be careful of your zippers and velcro on jackets as he loves to play!
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Don’t let his tough guy attitude fool you, Sampson is really a gentle giant who loves kisses and treats. Just don’t tell his buddies! He has taken many students around events and is always eager to work in his lessons. He’s got a lovely, long stride and a nice smooth jump too! Sam is the Man!
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Scooby
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Smokey
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An adorable dark bay gelding, Scooby is another ex-racehorse who found his home at Raynham. Last year he competed in Entry level Eventing, coming home with a ribbon at almost every show and finished 3rd overall in all of Ontario at the end of the year! A very loving horse, he adores pre and post-ride snuggles (and treats), and enjoys nothing more than a fun lesson on the flat.
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Smokey is another new addition to the Raynham Stables crew and he has captured everyone’s heart from the moment he arrived. His fan club is growing by the second! He has the sweetest personality and loves to tickle your hands with his muzzle for treats! Although he is green, he’s learning more and more each day and we can’t wait to see how much he can teach our riders.
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Snoopy
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Sunny
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Snoopy is a puppy trapped in a horse’s body. Don’t be fooled by his baby face because this guy loves getting into mischief. He is a master escape artist who loves sneaking out of his stall at night to go on midnight adventures for food. Be careful when grooming too as this nosey boy loves to grab the zippers on your clothing and play with them! Snoopy is a favourite for any level of rider.
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Need a confidence boost? Sunny is your girl. Sunny can usually be seen safely bopping around Raynham with riders of any level, and is a favourite of kids and adults alike. If you’re lucky enough you will even see her whipping around a horse show! Sunny can sometimes be opinionated but give her a treat or two and this girl will be in your pocket for life. Not to mention she is definitely Raynham’s comfiest horse to ride!
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