Rescue shelter's Pony Parties enable children to spend quality time with farm animals 

As someone who's worked with animals and as an agriculture teacher her whole life, Julie Hilton wanted to share this lifestyle with others. In 2021, Hilton and her two daughters opened up Hoofprints—a farm animal rescue center that teaches children and youth how to work with the animals.

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• Photo Courtesy Of Hoofprints
• ANIMAL LOVE Children ages 8 to 14 can attend one of Hoofprints' Pony Parties to learn more about animal care and spend quality time with farm animals.

"Ideally, it's just basic animal care: how to raise a healthy animal, how to keep them safe, how to keep themselves safe when working with farm animals, to learn where their food comes from, and how it's produced and how to do that ethically," Hilton said. "It's basic farm upkeep and animal management."

The Arroyo Grande-based farm serves families from SLO and Santa Barbara counties, and it will be hosting Pony Parties on July 11 and 25 for kids to meet all of the rescue animals on the farm and learn each of their histories, she said. As of June 15, Hoofprints has five ponies, one donkey, two horses, and one mule, plus chickens, ducks, goats, sheep, and two tortoises.

"The majority of them have been calls and we've gone and picked them up, animal services from Ventura brought animals up, and others have been transferred from other rescues that have been overpopulated," Hilton said. "Our goal is farm animals; we don't do dogs and cats, but we have taken a couple of turtles in, and we had a couple guinea pigs as well."

Pony Parties act as a form of fundraising for Hoofprints—all admission fees circle back into the nonprofit to pay for feed, equipment, shelters, veterinary care, and medicines. Hilton said that they hope to raise $400 per party.

"I think we're set apart from other rescues because our goal is to teach kids and give them meaningful skills that would transfer into their personal lives," Hilton said. "I think kids spend a lot of time online nowadays, and this is a chance for them to get outside and connect with nature and animals."

During Pony Parties, 8- to 14-year-olds will learn how to safely lead, halter, and tie ponies when riding. They will spend time grooming, braiding, and "loving on the ponies," and then the Hoofprints volunteers will set up an obstacle course for the kids to lead the ponies through.

While Hoofprints currently only has events every three months—when it opens up on a Saturday and families can come and play games and get some hands-on animal time—Hilton said she eventually wants to be open for kids consistently.

"I would love to see kids out on a weekly basis and get paired with an animal that they bond with and focus on that one animal and [get] them ready to find a home," she said. "We also have a home garden, and I would love to convince some kids to do some planting, grow some things that maybe they could market or sell."

Specifically, Hilton said she would like to set up a program for youth in the foster care system and open her farm to be a place where CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) workers can meet children in a safe, neutral space.

"I also am a homeschool teacher, and a lot of homeschool families have fostered children or adopted children. I think there's that need for foster children to connect with something or have a skill," she said. "Even just thinking about some of the studies they've done on horses—because of the size of the horse's heart, when you are around a horse, it automatically relaxes your pulse system."

Even letting the animal rest its head on your lap "brings a real sense of peace," Hilton said.

"It's very real. Even with the cleaning and maintenance, the animals don't expect anything from you except to care for them. You don't come into it with any impatience or goals, you just get to relax into the environment around you," she said.

Hoofprints is located at 2080 Heidi Place, Arroyo Grande. Pony Parties run from 1 to 3 p.m. and cost $40 per child; additional children from the same family cost $30. Direct questions to (805) 305-7137 or email to [email protected]. Visit hoofprintsca.org for more information.

Fast fact

The Atascadero Lakeside Wine Festival is coming to the Atascadero Lake Park on Saturday, June 24. The festival will showcase more than 100 different premier wines from across the Central Coast and beyond. In addition to wine, the festival will also feature breweries, food purveyors, live music, and art exhibits. Those who purchase a ticket to attend will receive unlimited tastings and are encouraged to bring a blanket or chair to enjoy the day's activities. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit atascaderolakesidewinefestival.com. Δ

Sun Staff Writer Taylor O'Connor, from New Times' sister paper, can be reached at [email protected].