Our Ponies
Why are Ponies so crucial to Camp Elderberry?
Camp Elderberry is more than just a place—it’s a destination and a meaningful part of community engagement. At the heart of our program are our ponies, offering a multi-faceted approach to supporting children and adults with varying abilities. These gentle animals provide a unique opportunity for individuals to reconnect with themselves, serving as the true healers—while our facilitators simply guide the experience.
In the world of horses, it is often said that they act as mirrors to the soul. They sense emotions and respond instinctively, yet remain willing to connect and engage. Participants are free to observe how the ponies react to them, listen to their subtle cues, or simply enjoy the interaction. Time and again, children express that the ponies are their favorite part of Camp Elderberry, eager to return for more. While ponies may not be what everyone seeks, they can play a vital role in guided therapeutic interventions, helping individuals develop essential skills for emotional regulation and personal success—one interaction at a time.
Koko Rose of December
“Koko” is one of our original ponies and is part of the Personal Ponies of Idaho and Oregon LTD. She is the been there done that kind of mare. She is my go-to pony, and I can always count on her to set the tone of the herd. She is always willing to go anywhere and do whatever I ask. Her coloring is described as a brown roan with white spots on her top line. As she has aged, her color shows increased black and whiter areas on body and face. She is Alfa of the group and is always the first pony to meet me at the gate, ready to go or ask for treats. She is a once in a lifetime pony and it saddens me to see her age. She has competed in 4H, FFA – local and Oregon State Fair in Driving, In Hand Trail and Showmanship.
Classey Cowboy
“Cowboy” is one of our original ponies and is part of the Personal Ponies of Idaho and Oregon LTD. He has the attitude of a big gelding and tends to forget his size when he interacts with larger horses. He is very handsome and knows it. His smile is perfect, and he tosses his long, beautiful tail and mane to make sure everyone notices him. His coloring is described as a soral. His weakness is vision depth perception and color differences in surfaces. He believes the color differences are very deep holes or canyons. He will avoid or jump over the shadows to safety. This can be problematic at times unless I can ensure he feels safe and then he will proceed.
Gidget, AKA Baby
“Baby” and his mother “Mama” were gifted to our program by Dr Jenny, a local veterinarian. Baby’s mother was a veterinary school surgery project. The vet students discovered the pony (Mama) was pregnant and they stopped the surgery, and Mama was immediately adopted by Jenny. She graduated from Vet school and the new veterinary welcomed a new foal at her parent’s farm. Jenny and her husband relocated, and they donated their ponies to our program.
Baby and his Mama arrived at Camp Elderberry with big attitudes and were not excited about our pony activities. They lived a different life before Camp Elderberry. Mama was the first to adjust and I could pair her with novice handlers. She soon started to show her age and health issues became a concern. She crossed the Rainbow Bridge with her son Baby watching over her. Baby was a challenge from day one. He was hard to catch, refused to walk with a lead rope, kicking and biting was his trademark and I have the scars to prove it. We began our training and sometimes I wondered if I could mold him to what I needed him to be. However, finally our hard work paid off and I am now proud to include him when we visit facilities or planned events. I must be mindful to match the correct handler with him and it is usually me.
His color is described as a Chocolate Palomino, and he is very flashy. His mane and tail are a lighter color than his body and he is very handsome. He was a very good son and always ensured his mother had space at the feed trough. He would chase off the other ponies to ensure she was able to eat. The last 2 days of his mother’s life he stayed by her side and would push away the other ponies as they tried to approach her.
Dolly
“Get a white pony and it will be fun!”, they said. White ponies are beautiful, however, maintaining her white coat in show condition takes a lot of work. Dolly requires the most bathing and is the pony that does not enjoy the extra bathing. After we prepare and groom her to perfection. The minute we return to the pony pen she is the first one to roll in the dirt.
Dolly is the youngest of the herd and has become a key member of the visiting team. I am always impressed by how she responds to public situations and look forward to expanding her training. We have multiple creative costume options when we prepare for events- unicorns, rainbows, mermaid colors and of course glitter and more glitter add that special touch. One of our donors blessed Camp Elderberry with Dolly. Dolly is the pony that traveled the farthest to join our herd- Seven Oaks Farm located in Ohio. We remain in contact with the pony farm and update her on our training progress. As Kodo ages I can predict that Dolly will become the Alpha Pony and that will be hard for me to watch.
Molly the Mule
We always like to add a bit of humor and fun to our herd. Molly has fulfilled that expectation. She was gifted to our program by Judy Worle because she wanted her mule to have a fulfilled equine life. Molly has a unique personality- she adds comedy to all situations. Sometimes it is her own type of humor that is not always appreciated except by her and her “Mule Ways”. The day she joined our herd she was not very happy and only engaged with our daughter. It was impossible for me to catch her, however, not for the little girl. They have a special bond that helped her adjust to the new herd. The bond created between my daughter and Molly help support other relationships Molly allowed, always Molly’s way. I understand the phrase, “Stubborn as a mule.” She loves her chest scratched and stands still and smiles when she is groomed. Molly now joins us on facility visits; however it is on her terms, and I don’t expect much from her except that she adds personality to the visits. We keep her previous owner updated on her progress and adventures.
Lady
The Strawberry Roan Mare POA (Pony of America). She is a larger pony that has joined activities when we need an extra horse. She is a borrowed ranch horse that is just the right size for older handlers that are not intimidated by the larger type of pony. She joins Camp Elderberry activities when needed- paint the pony or trail course activities. Lady has willingly engaged in any activities that she is asked to join- very sweet pony and really enjoys engaging with the kids and adults. Lady is from a working cattle ranch and her riders have all grown up and she needed a job. When the owners reached out, we were very excited for her to join the group.
Our daughter rides Lady and uses her as her 4-H and Ranch Horse project. Lady’s life is much different at Camp Elderberry compared to ranch life. Instead of working with cows and long cattle drives in the mountains, Lady is now learning showmanship, equine competition skills and has frequent baths, groomed and pampered by a little girl. The owner of Lady is an active Camp Elderberry volunteer, and she enjoys watching her horse adjust to a new horse life and adventures away from the ranch.
Other Ponies
Jackson Perkins (JP), Mama and Sophia. Each shared their special personalities that added to our herd. Some stayed and lived their life on the farm while others moved on to other homes.