Orchid Hill Stables

2012

2012-01-30T16:42:00.000-08:00

Welcome CRISTOL RA, our newest Arabian show horse! 2012 is off to a wonderful start with a fabulous and very sweet new addition to our lesson program. CRISTOL has been shown in halter at Scottsdale and Region 1! He is green under saddle and we are slowly introducing him to our program and the sites and sounds of a busy lesson barn.

Please call to schedule a farm visit or riding lesson and check out our beautiful Arabian horses! Sarah Holton 863-655-1582

Back to School Newsletter

2011-08-25T07:47:00.001-07:00

Good morning and congratulations to all my riding students entering a new grade this week! I wish you all the very best school year possible!
We had such a fabulous summer at Orchid Hill Stables; the weather was not overly hot and when we thought it was a bit too warm the afternoon showers came along to cool the kids and the horses. God really blessed us with a beautiful Florida summer.
I’m adding updates to our calendar at www.orchidhillstables.com this week, and by Friday you should be able to access all of the upcoming camps and horse shows for 2011/2012. Also check out the information I will be posting throughout the year on Orchid Hill Stables Facebook page. It would be great to receive photos of my students riding in horse shows, trail rides, or here at Orchid Hill Stables, as I’d love to share these pics with others who visit our Facebook page. If you want to keep updated on Harper Lynn and the fun things she and I are doing this year follow me, Sarah Holton, on Facebook.
We have not planned a trail ride for this fall, but please let me know if you would like to join us on an adventurous ride through the hammocks and prairies and let’s make a date!
The next horse show is October 29th & 30th in Clarcona. This is one of my favorite events of the year, as it is a very laid back fun Arabian horse show. The grounds are very nice and if you like to camp the RV hookups, are located next to the show arena and barns, giving you the fastest access to your classes. Reservations are still available to those wishing to enter this event with an Orchid Hill Stables lesson horse.
While the year will be filled with many events at Orchid Hill Stables, the biggest “happening” I’d like to share with all of you will take place around April 2, 2012. Harper Lynn will become a big sister! God is so good! Lawerence and I could not be more exited about welcoming another little one into our family. For those of you who were with me taking riding lessons while I was pregnant with Harper, you know that I don’t plan on slowing down too much. Yes, I sat a lot more and rode a lot less, but lesson plans went on un-interrupted, and so did spring break camp (which fell just over a week after Harper’s birth!
Life is truly an adventure, God has an amazing plan and I’m just exited to be a part of it! I’m so thankful that each of you has shared a part of our family’s lives through the activities at Orchid Hill Stables!
Love,
Miss Sarah, and Rio, Mr. Kool, Tony Pony, Buddy, Vic, Ali, & Missy

2011-07-11T15:13:00.000-07:00

Orchid Hill Stables, Inc.

Dear Friends, I hope that each of you are having a wonderful summer and enjoying some vacation time with your families! Lawerence and Harper Lynn and I were able to take two fishing trips since May; while we caught more clams and oysters than fish, just getting to the ocean was a fabulous treat! Harper loves to play in the water, and takes the best naps while being rocked on a fishing boat! She loves the barn as much as the boat and this makes her a perfect blend of Mommy and Daddy!

The summer is warm, but we are still enjoying several hours of horseback riding each day during our summer camp program. Wading in the water trough has proved to cool us in the afternoon. What fun it is to ride the horses to the lower end of the farm, tie them up and jump in the refreshing water. I truly hope to see each of you before summer's end!

Call me at (863) 655-1582 to sign up for a retreat to the farm!

Have a super summer!

Sincerely,
Sarah Holton

www.orchidhillstables.com
visit us on Facebook

Thanksgiving & Christmas Camp

2010-11-16T15:35:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving and Christmas Camp Fun 2010

In Thanksgiving and Christmas’s past we have played mounted games, hunted for hidden Christmas ornaments, practiced for horse shows, and hacked along the cattle pastures. This year how about getting your Christmas shopping done at camp! No not you grown ups; kids I can’t give too many details, but we have some gift ideas planned for your lunch time project hour.

With 8 lesson horses in our program there are plenty of equines to go around. Whether you are learning the basics of riding or the beginnings of under saddle horse training your camp experience will be tailored to make your equestrian dreams come true! Don’t worry about sitting around waiting to ride your FAVORITE horse, because the Christmas gift project will keep you entertained when you’re not on a horse’s back. You just don’t know what Miss Sarah has up her sleeve for you this Holiday season!

Thanksgiving Camp November 22, 23, 24, and 26; 8:30-3:30, extended hours available on Black Friday for Mom’s extended shopping spree! Lessons and trail riding available Saturday November 27^th. Lunch, snacks, and water provided to campers. Camp is $75 per day, pick and choose your dates!

Christmas Camp December 17^th ½ day only $40! Full day camps December 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, $75 per day, you pick your dates! Food, crafts, riding, hours of horsemanship fun all provided at Orchid Hill Stables Christmas Camps!

We can’t wait to hear from you!

Sincerely,

Miss Sarah, Mr. Lawerence, Harper Lynn, Valentino, Vic, Missy, Ali, Buddy, Tony Pony, Rio, Mr. Kool, (Angel, & Jody, guests of OHS), JJ, 0Clarisse, Vicious, Jill, Brownie, and Biggie.

www.orchidhillstables.com 863-655-1582 orchidhillstables@hotmail.com

Thanksgiving Camp & Half Day Camps

2010-11-10T06:04:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Camp is coming up quickly! Monday, November 22, 23, 24, & 26 8:30am – 3:30pm

This camp is for beginner to advanced riders! $75 per day for OHS students! Ask about extended hours on black Friday so you can shop till you drop, while your kids horse around!

Half Day Camps every early release Wednesday 1pm – 4pm at Orchid Hill Stables.

Enjoy a half/day of camp for just $40! Arrive at 1 P.M. for 3 hours of riding and horse fun!
Please sign up in advance! Check the Calendar at www.orchidhillstables.com for early release camp dates!

Come out and enjoy the cool riding weather!

Fun Show Weekend!

2010-10-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, we had a fabulous weekend at the Arabian Community Horse Show in Clarcona this past Saturday! Tarryn Paterson and Angel were amazing to watch; they performed in Show Hack, proving to be a wonderful pair to exhibit this very difficult class. This team gives encouragement to any riders working toward a goal. It has taken three hard years of practice and now these two are often winning their under saddle classes! Katie Noon also proved that she has been practicing hard with Rio as the two won numerous classes in walk/trot/canter hunter under saddle. Megan Rae Bowers and Rio were also a winning combination in Western Horsemanship walk/trot; this class included a difficult figure eight pattern which Megan aced! Sabrina Land and Buddy entered the open (non-Arab) classes and won both the grooming and conditioning class and showmanship! Buddy still has tons of energy for a 21 year old horse, and Sabrina had to slow him down a few times! Great riding girls!

The second day of the show was an open fun show and we had two exhibitors showing for their very first time! Katelynn Painter was up on Buddy in walk/trot, winning two of her classes and taking two seconds! Amazing! Also competing for her first time was Julia Cook riding Rio in walk/trot hunter under saddle; Julia and Rio also won two classes and took home two seconds! The Orchid Hill Stables team was really taking home the blues this weekend! An additional compliment to Tarryn Paterson who, with her total of five years show experience, took Beyond Ali into his first classes at a horse show! She worked very hard to make certain that Ali was calm and attentive to her signals. What a proud weekend for all of the parents, the exhibitors, and of course this trainer!

Our next horse show is scheduled for January and will be an A rated Region 12 qualifying show. Everyone getting ready for Regionals in May needs to start practicing for this show!

Hope I’m not overwhelming anyone with this long email, but I also need to mention that we will be giving pony rides at the Spring Lake Homeowners Association Annual Bar-B-Q this Saturday from 10:30 – 2 P.M. If you can come and promote Orchid Hill Stables by passing out business cards, and helping with the horses please let me know. I do have new t-shirts if you need one to wear for the pony rides.

Ok, have a wonderful week and look for more updates on our newsletter blog at http://www.orchidhillstables.com/newsletter.html You can even post comments!

Remembering Jack

2010-10-06T07:31:00.001-07:00

It was quiet in the barn this morning, the yapping of our old Mr. Jack was silenced Monday morning. I won’t go into details of how his four legged life ended, but he was with Lawerence and I as he took his last breath.

Most people will remember Jack dog as the Jack Russell Terrier that always seemed to be antagonizing a horse or barking at a squirrel, but for Lawerence and I Jack will always be remembered as our first little buddy. We had only been married 5 months when we got the call that a 1 year old Jack Russell pup needed a new home. The first time I saw his big brown eyes, he nearly jumped into my lap, and I knew we were adopting our first pup as a couple. Jack would soon be seen everywhere with Lawerence on new construction sights around Highlands County. It is quite possible you live in a house that Jack helped build. Work stress melted on the jobs where Jack would be found lying on a cold slab of concrete, or underneath the work truck. On cold winter days Jack had to have his coat and rarely left the warmth of the truck seat. In our own home a stocking hung in the doorway with bones and toys, and was opened on Christmas morning by a happy Jack.

Every vacation we took included Jack. He loved to go fishing with us on Sanibel Island, where he’d nearly come unglued when someone caught a fish for him. Our very first ocean fishing experience was in the Outer Banks (OBX) of North Carolina. We rented a three story house with a pool just for Jack and by that time Jill too. Those two played in that pool for hours. Jill would run around the side and jump on Jack’s head, pushing him under water. It was a game that lasted until their bladders could not hold anymore pool h2o!

All of these wonderful memories are gifts from God! Those sweet newlywed years made even sweeter by our first pup, Mr. Jack. Rest in peace little buddy.

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-05T06:15:00.001-07:00

Wow! June is already over and 3 weeks of summer camp have gone by! Orchid Hill Stable's summer is off to a fabulous start; with kids ranging in age from 5 to 17 having attended our summer day camp! Getting ready for the June horse show was a blast; that week was filled with our 6 show exhibitors practicing with their horses, grooming them, and learning the art of clipping a horse's coat for a show.

Rachel Wolf and Erin Lamb gave us a huge surprise when they presented our stables with a check for $250! Through a program at Hill-Gustat Middle School the girls raised money for feed through "Hats for Horses". Kids payed one dollar to where a hat to school and the proceeds went to benefit a local stables. This year the girls received approval to raise the money for Orchid Hill Stables. It was so cool, the day they presented the stables with the check was also the day that the hay and feed truck came! What appropriate timing! I am so proud of Erin and Rachel for their hard work in raising these funds; there are so many wonderful programs in Highlands County that you can support, these girls are off to a grand start at becoming a positive influence in their community!

Orlando Arabian Horse Club held their annual Arabian Community Horse Show in New Smyrna Beach on June 26. The weather was fabulously hot, but not rainy. This is the first year that we did not experience some type of precipitation. With Eric Wolfe judging our girls took home several prestigious awards! Tarryn Paterson and her horse, Charlies Angel EQ, won halter class after halter class. Erin Lamb and WDF Valentino also won many halter classes and most significantly they took home the Liberty class award Saturday night. Liberty is a class where the horse is set free in the show arena and dances around to music; this class is just thrilling to watch!

First time showman, Savannah Durrance was awarded the Grooming and Conditioning title on Sunday with her miniature horse, Jody's Baron. She also won reserve high point in the walk/trot division on Sunday's fun show with Buddy I Am. Taking the grand high point award was Megan Rae Bowers and Hot Diamond Rio. Hot Diamond Rio and Katie Noonon won the Arabian & Half Arabian Hunter Under Saddle class on Sunday placing first over 11 other entries! Sydnee Crow and Hot Midnight Kisses won multiple ribbons in several Hunter Under Saddle classes as well.
It was a fun weekend and we can't wait until the fall Arabian Community Horse Show at the Clarcona Horseman's Park October 16, 2010.

Thank you to everyone who attended our bar-b-q for Harper Lynn Holton on May 22. It was a beautiful day and the kids thoroughly enjoyed the water slide we rented from Homemade Creation (www.homemadecreation.com). These slides are awesome and worth every penny to rent for your party!

Camp is still on for the rest of the summer! Call to set up a day of riding!
Have a great summer everyone!
Miss Sarah
(863) 655-1582

orchidhillstables@hotmail.com

www.orchidhillstables.com

Bar-B-Q for Harper Lynn Holton May 22, 2010

2010-05-04T09:09:00.000-07:00

Come celebrate the arrival of our little girl, Harper Lynn Holton! Lawerence will be barbecuing chicken for all of our guests to enjoy! Water Slide for the kids, so bring clothes you can get wet in! Great time for everyone! May 22, 10:30am-1:30pm, just stop in when you can! Orchid Hill Stables, 419 Ranchero Dr. Sebring, FL 33876; for more details call Sarah at (863) 655-1582

Invite a friend and show them around your favorite riding stables! There are lots of beautiful Orchids blooming too! Chuck Jabas (our wonderful handyman) has been working on the barn and in the tack room, check out all the new improvements!

What an exciting time to be a student at Orchid Hill Stables!

3 Hour Trail Ride

2010-04-22T05:58:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! It has been a very long time since Orchid Hill Stables ventured out on one of our 12 mile trail rides at a scenic location. Well, get ready! On May 8th we will be taking the lesson horses out for our first bar-b-q and trail ride since last autumn!

Bar-B-Q lunch is served around Noon. We will have one group riding before this fabulous meal and one group riding after. Horses are transported to the trail head, saddled, and ready for you to ride. Your guide, Sarah Holton, knows how to make sure everyone has a wonderful time.

We do recommend that you take one lesson or a one hour trail ride at Orchid Hill Stables before you venture out on our 3 hour ride. Our horses are experts at taking good care of their riders and are capable of handling riders from ages 5 to 75! Don't miss out on this unique adventure!

Space is very limited, so reserve your horse as soon as possible!

Reservations are $150 per person and includes lunch for rider and family members joining us at the park (riding or not).

Visit www.orchidhillstables.com for more information or email Sarah at orchidhillstables@hotmail.com

Baby & Spring Break

2010-03-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

Orchid Hill Stables, Inc.

This is a quick update on Harper Lynn Holton, while she is down for a nap! Our visit to the cardiologist yesterday went very well and I am more than excited to say that Miss Harper has a PERFECT HEART!!! Her sleep apnea monitor records her heart rate and each month her Dr. will read these recordings. Harper's respiratory rate is also recorded. This is just precautionary because they do not know exactly what caused SIDS in Chloe.

So, Lawerence and I have been resting up and are slowly returning to work. Orchid Hill Stables will be hosting spring break camp next week. There are plenty of openings for campers, as well as for any adults who would like to volunteer to assist me out in the field. Sitters for Harper Lynn have been scheduled, although I will be making frequent trips into the house for feedings.

I am very excited to get outside and breath in some fresh air. Please feel free to call me at 863-655-1582 for more information about camps and/or to set up riding lessons.

Sincerely,

Sarah Holton

March Newsletter

2010-02-24T09:48:00.000-08:00

With JJ & Brownie curled up beside me on the couch, I read “Bubba and Beau Best Friends”. This tale of a baby and his pup seemed appropriate for a child who will grow up surrounded by farm animals. Baby Girl enjoyed it very much, her little hands felt like they were reaching for the puppies that she’ll soon be meeting. Call it nesting, although Lawerence keeps telling me I’m not a bird, but then he also says I’m fixing to hatch. I’m confused, but then I did put the milk in the cupboard and the cereal in the refrigerator yesterday, so it probably doesn’t take too much to get me these days. Anyway, the house is ready for the baby and this email is reaching you so that I can get the horses ready for baby too.

A detailed feed list has been posted on the refrigerator in the barn. If there is a particular day and time of the week that is good for you to volunteer for feed and mucking duties please let me know. Also, if you have never done any of these chores please call me to set up a time that I can go over the routine with you!

Lessons are still being scheduled for this Saturday, February 27, email or call me to set up a ride time. Private and group lessons are available. Anyone, scheduling a lesson for Saturday or any day next week, please reply to this email with the best phone number to reach you at, in case we have to cancel. My doctor says to just keep to my normal routine, but that it is not going to be much longer before the baby arrives.

Thank you so much for your help and support. I only plan on taking 5-7 days off after the baby is born. We are planning for an Amature Arabian Horse Show March 20-21 (entries close March 11), and Spring Break Camp is scheduled for the last week of March. Details for both of these events are listed at www.orchidhillstables.com

Call me at 655-1582 or email orchidhillstables@hotmail.com for more information about upcoming events and riding lessons. Sincerely, Miss Sarah

Spring Break Camp

2010-02-09T13:59:00.000-08:00

Sign up now for our Spring Break Day Camp! March 29-April 1, 2010, 8:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M.

Get more details about our Horsemanship Camps at www.orchidhillstables.com visit Camps!

Or call Sarah Holton at 863-655-1582

Feb. 19 CAMP DAY

2010-02-09T13:57:00.000-08:00

February 19, 2010 we will be holding a day camp for children ages 6-16 from 8:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. For more details on day camps at Orchid Hill Stables visit our Camps page or contact Sarah Holton at 863-655-1582.

December Newsletter

2009-12-01T12:57:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from Orchid Hill Stables!

We truly hope that your Thanksgiving was wonderful! The day was bitter-sweet as we remembered spending last Thanksgiving in the Orlando Florida Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with our daughter Chloe Lynn. We continue to remember how each of you assisted our family through gifts, gas cards, and cash which we used to pay for tolls, parking, and food. Most of all we are thankful to each of you who continue to pray for our family as we experience our first Christmas season without our precious baby girl. The Lord has given us strength and we have chosen to dwell on the happy memories of the eight weeks He blessed us with a little heavenly angel.

For everyone wondering, we are expecting another baby girl in March! What an exciting time! Join our family in the coming months as we continue to host holiday camps, trail ride, show, and manage a fun filled New Year!

The Sebring Christmas Parade is this Friday the 4th at 7 P.M. If you’d like to walk with us or ride on our float, call 655-1582 or email orchidhillstables@hotmail.com A.S.A.P. We are also hoping to participate in the Lake Placid Parade on December 12th. Call for more details!

Christmas Camp is coming up soon! December 21, 22, 23, & 24th. December 28, 29, 30, and 31st. Cost $75 per day (OHS student price). Treasure Hunts, Mounted Games, Horsemanship patterns, and Trail Rides. Do you remember when we took stockings and had to fill them with treasure hunt items? Let’s do it again it was so much fun!

I’d love to plan another cool trail ride at a park too; send your suggestion dates and we will make it happen. Camping in January or February could be a lot of fun too; again date suggestions are all we need to put the plans in motion.

SHOW New Smyrna Beach January 23 & 24. This is an “A” rated show, anyone wishing to attend Region 12 in Perry, GA this year needs to show at this competition! Please inquire about our very inexpensive lease program so you can ride the horse you are competing with any time!

Leasing a lesson horse is a great way to tune up on riding skills without extra riding lessons. For less than the cost of board you can ride your favorite horse anytime you want! A lease contract is available to anyone interested in this special program.

As we wrap up Prematurity Awareness Month we would like to thank everyone in Highlands County who attended the March of Dimes Chefs Auction where $27,000 was raised to support the research that continues to save the lives of premature babies! A special dedication to Chloe Lynn was made at this event and the Orchids, donated in her honor, brought a very special $1,000 donation from the Crutchfield family.

Thank you and God bless each of you as we continue to do what we can to support families with babies in NICUs across the country especially during the holidays.

Sincerely,
Sarah and Lawerence Holton

November Newsletter

2009-11-04T22:40:00.000-08:00

There are many activities taking place at orchid hill Stables this month as well as around Highlands County. Take your time reading this newsletter; many of these events are listed in the paragraphs below. You can also keep track of important dates by checking out our Calendar at www.orchidhillstables.com

Buddy graced the cover of the Heartland Sun Times last week! Buddy and Sparky the Fire Dog were promoting this weekend’s Home Show and Green Living Expo held at Lakeshore Mall, November 7^th & 8^th. Orchid Hill Stables will be giving pony rides for $5 and taking photos for $2. Pony rides, bounce houses, Alpacas, and more will be located in the grass area behind lakeshore Mall. In preparation for the holiday season many businesses are offering great sales, you never know what deals you might find for your home

This morning’s inside page of the News Sun newspaper displays a photo of Chloe Lynn Holton, her story is shared as we prepare for the 11^th Annual March of Dimes Chef’s Auction. Much of the research conducted to help treat premature babies and prevent infant mortality is funded by the money raised through March of Dimes functions. On November 12^th, beginning at 6 P.M., restaurants from around our community will serve samples of their finest dishes at the Four Points by Sheraton Sebring Chateau Elan. Mingle with friends as you bid on over 60 silent auction items ranging from spa treatments and hotel packages to gift baskets full of goodies you can wrap up for Christmas! The silent auction will be followed by the big ticket live auction. Included in this auction are AirTran Airways tickets, Disney tickets, Sony 32" TV, a week of Horsemanship Day Camp, and much more! All purchases made with your MasterCard will be matched by MasterCard! I have tickets to the auction, cost is $35 per person, or you can purchase them online at www.marchofdimes.com

Trail riders... it is finally cool and we are planning ahead for a bar-b-q/trail ride on November 21^st. Lease a lesson horse for this 3 hour excursion through beautiful hammock and prairie landscape for $150, and for those prone to saddle sores a 1 hour lease is available at $75. Please call ahead so that we can plan your trail route. (863) 655-1582 or (863) 381-7719

We will be attending the largest Arabian horse show in the state of Florida on Saturday November 28! The Thanksgiving Arabian Horse Show, held at the Tampa fairgrounds, is a display of the finest Arabian and Half/Arabian horses. This year we will be watching and learning in hopes of competing at this event in 2010. We’d love for your family to join us for this special day of great entertainment! Call Orchid Hill Stables for more information or visit the event website at http://www.ahaflorida.org/

CAMP Dates: Thanksgiving Camp November 23, 24, 25, & 27. All day horsing around begins at 8:30 A.M. and commences at 3:30 P.M. Cost: $75 per day.

Christmas is coming and here are the dates for this very special camp: December 21, 22, 23, & 24^th. December 28, 29, 30, and 31^st. Cost $75 per day. Treasure Hunts, Mounted Games, Horsemanship patterns, Trail Rides, and tons of FUN!!!

Next Horse Show: January 23-24 2010 New Smyrna Beach, this is a USEF Arabian Horse Show. If you are wanting to show at the “A” level, or qualify for the 2010 Region 12 Arabian Horse Show in Perry, GA, this is a qualifying point show! I have been told that this show is very similar to the Amateur Arabian show we attended in Ocala last March. We are very familiar with the Silver Sands show arena in New Smyrna Beach and are really looking forward to competing in January! Prize list will be available soon at http://www.companionarabians.com/

I hope to hear from everyone, especially if you have any questions about these wonderful upcoming events! Please contact me via Orchid Hill Stables at (863) 655-1582 or on my cell phone at (863) 381-7719 If you choose to email me at orchidhillstables@hotmail.com please call one of our phone numbers if I do not reply to your email within 24 hours. Also please CALL if you are cancelling or scheduling a riding lesson.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Sarah Holton