Want a pony ride? Well you have one last chance at Abaris Arabians

By Tim Goodwin - Aug 26, 2014 | 0 comments

We didn’t know barn cats ate hay just like horses? Wait, they don’t? Well that makes sense.

Who knew horses also played rousing games of tag?

M&M (the bunny) and Luna (a cat) are good buds and the unofficial keepers of the Abaris Arabians barn.

Emma Dusavitch of Concord takes Eta for a spin under the watchful eye of barn manager Linda Smith.

Go to the Abaris Arabians barn and you’ll quickly make a few friends.

There’s Luna and Lucy – the barn cats – who roam the grounds chasing away mice, chipmunks and snakes – as well as keep a close eye on the riding lessons. M&M, the dwarf bunny, isn’t all that dwarfy and can be found taking a rest just about anywhere near his food bowl.

But the true stars of the show are the horsies. And if you’ve never been on a galloping equine (or even one that slowly walks around an indoor ring) there’s just one final chance to take Prince Charming for a spin. Sorry ladies, we apologize for getting your hopes up, but this is not the man of your dreams – but it could be the pony you’ve always thought about riding.

So if you don’t have any plans for Labor Day (our plans consist of planning to do nothing) head on over to Abaris Arabians at 46 Appleton St. between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. for the last pony ride session of the season. It’s something that began last year and runs every Monday and the first Saturday of each month through the summer. Last week saw the highest rider total of the year, and what better way to send the summer off than with a quick jaunt around the riding ring. It costs just $5 a ride and who knows, maybe it will be the start of a lifetime of riding or a once-in-a-lifetime experience. That’s for you to decide.

“It’s a good way to get a kid on a pony,” barn manager Linda Smith said.

Many of her current students have come from the pony rides. Get a child on a horse and soon it will turn into a weekly trip to the local barn – at least that’s what Smith told us. There are 14 horses that live full-time at the barn off Appleton Street, and just four of them belong to owner Susan Levesque. Two are show horses and the other pair are for lessons, while the 10 remaining are all owned by riding enthusiasts who trust Levesque and Smith to provide the proper (and constant) care.

“It’s 24/7, 365 days a year,” Levesque said.

So each day, Smith and Levesque man the stables. In the morning, the horses can be seen roaming through the grassy fields chomping down on some grass. Hey, it’s a lot easier than pushing the mower every week. But when they’ve eaten too much, it’s off to the dirt ring for some good ol’ romping around. The horses usually stay out until early afternoon before the tail starts whipping around to keep the bugs away. And if you’ve ever wondered if horses sleep lying down or standing, it’s both.

“When they go to sleep standing up, they’re knees lock,” Levesque said.

There’s a lot of horse droppings to clean up and hay to spread around, to the tune of 800 bales every three to four months – and don’t forget about the kitties and bunny. They need plenty of pats and treats in order to keep up with their daily duties.

Levesque moved the business from Londonderry seven years ago to the 8-acre Concord property, but since it abuts conservation land there are trails for miles that give riders plenty of options when exercising their horses.

“Generally between the hours of 9 (a.m.) and 9 (p.m.), seven days a week they can come play with their horses,” Levesque said.

When it comes to lessons, it’s all about the horse (and of course a little about the rider). This isn’t a place where you just hop on, ride for an hour and then go home. No, there’s lots of pre- and post-riding requirements, like putting on and taking off the saddle, bits and bridles. Brushing is mandatory after a session, and don’t forget about taking care of that pile horses tend to leave behind.

“It gets them so they’re accustomed to handling the animal,” Smith said.

Smith does almost all of the lessons, with students ranging from ages 3 to over 50, and just about any experience level. And what are the two most important elements to riding a horse you ask? Steering and stopping. But don’t worry, the horses are well trained in the moving department, and if you fall off, it will be fine, especially since the indoor ring has rubberized flooring.

“When the kids fall off, we ask ‘did you bounce?’ ” Levesque said. “It’s a fact of life, if you’re going to ride horses you’re probably going to go down.”

It sure can be scary to get on a horse for the first time, but falling off happens to even the most experienced riders. Although that won’t happen early on, since Smith leads the lessons with a lunge line.

“So they get used to the movement of the horse,” Smith said. “A lot of people think it’s easy and it’s not easy. There are all sorts of skills you can learn.”

But if Lucy the barn cat can do it, we’re pretty sure you can too.