communityspotlight
Bringing Kids & Ponies Together at Pink Pony Farm
by Linda Sechrist
“A horse is the projection of peoples’ dreams about themselves— strong, powerful, beautiful—and it has the capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence.” ~Australian poet Pam Brown
F
or the Jimenez family—father John Paul,
wife Joanne, son Jonathan and daughters Juliette and Jilliana— horses are much more than dreams. In fact, they are wholly integrated into the family’s lifestyle, which largely revolves around their two businesses, Jimenez Jumpers and Pink Pony Farm, both in Naples.
While Jimenez Jumpers is John
Paul’s specialty, Joanne runs Pink Pony Farm, which offers camp programs, riding as therapy, birthday pony par- ties and beginning riding lessons. “My husband, a horse professional, is in charge of Jimenez Jumpers, buys and trains horses to sell and teaches adoles- cents and adults how to competitively ride and show horses, while I teach children how to ride and give them
the opportunity to learn to love horses. If children want to continue, they can purchase a pony, train with my husband and participate with their pony in com- petitions,” says Joanne.
The Jimenezes relocated to Naples
from Chagrin Falls, Ohio, in 2005. “When we lived in Ohio, we spent January, February and March in Wel- lington, Florida, where there is an exceptional equestrian center. Horse enthusiasts affectionately refer to Wel- lington as a playground for horses. It’s where all Olympic riders show their horses during the winter months,” ex- plains Joanne, who adds that in Florida, she and John Paul operated Pine Ridge Farm before relocating to Livingston Woods three years ago. To demonstrate how easily children
grasp the concept of riding early in their lives, Joanne points out that Jonathan, who is 12 years old, began riding at age 5. Juliette, almost 4, and Jilliana, 2, are both riders. “Juliette can trot and canter, and Jilliana can post to the trot, which means she can rise up and down in rhythm with the horse,” affirms Joanne. Joanne considers riding as thera- peutic because it nurtures a sense of self-empowerment in children. “Even when small children have the smallest responsibility for a pony, such as brush- ing them, picking their hooves or giving them a bubble bath, it bolsters their confidence and helps them emotion- ally. Riding helps them physically by improving their balance,” she explains. “I’ve also taught children from very dif- ficult family backgrounds,” she notes, adding that she has seen many shy children become more extroverted and confident by taking lessons. “They not only gained confidence after learning to ride, but also blossomed and flour- ished, despite their challenges.” Riding horses is hardly a novelty for
anyone in the Jimenez family. “Horses have always been such a big part of our lives that we all have a tendency to forget that others consider an equestrian lifestyle as something special. This is just one of the reasons that I take the ponies into the community for events such birthday parties or festivals at local schools. I’m passionate about bringing children and ponies together. When kids ride a pony, they are in the moment, en- joy the ride and flash the biggest smiles I’ve ever seen,” enthuses Joanne.
For more information call 239-207-1664 or visit
JimenezJumpersNaples.com. See ad, page 26.
28 Collier/Lee Counties
swfl.NaturalAwakeningsMag.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72