The year 2024 has been a great one out at Middle Ranch, home of the Catalina Island Saddle Club a non-profit co-op of horse owners founded in 1998.
We welcomed 2 new horses, Sedona and Samson, after the Los Caballeros Ride in September, and although they were only briefly members, we were happy to get to know Jeff and Monica before they moved their horses to Avalon to begin Catalina Island Horseback Adventures. We wish them success and thanks for bringing horses back to our town!
Islanders may have noticed that CISC did not sell Sees Candy this year. For many years past, we used that fund raiser as a way to help complete the building of a compost facility at our equestrian center in Middle Ranch. We have completed the project, thanks to many generous donations, sales of Christmas candy, and a lot of sweat equity by our members (many helpers, but especially Mike King and John Warner). It is a four-bin 02 Compost project and we are happy to announce the finished product is available for free, please come out and get some for your gardens, house plants, etc. We have empty feed bags and a shovel in the ready pile outside the bins. Auggie, our mini donkey, thanks you for helping us to bring this project to fruition. he’ll give you a hearty bray when you visit!
Our co-op, in addition to thriving as a center for horse owners to care for and ride their horses, also has a chapter of United States Pony Clubs as a member. The kids in Santa Catalina Island Pony Club learn horse safety, care and grooming as well as riding at our facility and on island trails. Riding lessons on their horse and pony (Chaos and Cherokee) are a part of their program, pony clubbers come away with an outstanding work ethic, confidence and assertiveness, not to mention accomplishment and fun as they progress from learning balance in the saddle to cantering in the big arena!
With our compost facility, our barn filled with yummy alfalfa and timothy hay, and our rain water retention system, we are ready for the new year. We have room for more horses and would love to meet island horse lovers and encourage membership. The trails of Catalina are rugged and beautiful, the vistas incomparable, and the joy of the horse and rider relationship is nothing short of necessary therapy for stress – those peaceful hours spent in the saddle are life-renewing. For information on CISC please contact Jackie Warner 310-510-2651.
For information on your child becoming a US Pony Club member please contact Tara Hiniker 213-952-6902.
