Category: News

  • 45 day quarantine for Blue Rider Herd

    45 day quarantine for Blue Rider Herd

    On Saturday, October 11th, we had an incident with a skunk coming onto Blue Rider property during business hours. One horse was bitten, but no humans.

    We called the police and vet immediately. We were able to get the skunk sent off for testing on Tuesday, and received word on Thursday that the skunk was positive for rabies. All of our equines have received yearly rabies vaccinations since they arrived here, and all have received a booster since Saturday. The horse who was bitten is and has been in quarantine.

    We have been reassured by the state, the town health department, our vets, and the local ER, that unless you yourself were bitten by the skunk, you are not in danger. 

    As of Friday, October 17th, we are under a state-mandated 45 day quarantine, with no lessons and no contact with our horses from the public. All of our horses and donkeys are vaccinated as the state mandates, and we had eyes on the horses at all times once the skunk showed up. Our first priority is the safety of the riders and staff and the health of the animals. We are expecting the best possible outcome and appreciate your understanding and support.

    GoFundMe Campaign to Support Blue Rider Stables Through a Time of Crisis

  • Fun Day was a whopping success

    Fun Day was a whopping success

    Fun Day was a whopping success! Everyone who came and participated said they had a grand time. The lines never ended at the pony rides, tractor rides, or fire company. The day was lovely, and it was everything we wanted it to be. We are very thankful to our sponsors and community for this special day.

    Check out this Berkshire Eagle Article about our Fun Day!

    Thank you again to our sponsors:

    Okun Services
    Ed Herrington, Inc.
    Carlson Propane
    Sinopoli Insurance Agency
    Barrington Outfitters

    A big shout out to all the volunteers at Fun Day! Without this quiet work force behind the scenes none of the magic could have happened. Thanks also to the Great Barrington Bagel Company, Harmony Market and Dunkin Donuts for taking care of our volunteers with nourishment. Our Story Teller Ed Hotaling graciously provided a volunteer rest space and set up our bounce houses. There are too many helping hands and kind deeds to mention but without them, this day would not have happened.

  • Workshop Series – Consent & Boundaries

    Workshop Series – Consent & Boundaries

    Join us for our series of workshops on Consent and Boundaries

    How do we find consent with our horses- how can we get our horses to answer yes?

    This workshop looks at communicating with horses through body language and intent, and how the same body language and intent can carry into your daily life. 

    We will discuss the idea and definition of consent, mainly in the context of horses, but applicable to all walks of life. Gain a better understanding of how to set boundaries, and why clear boundaries are beneficial to everyone involved.

    $250 per person

    10:00 to 2:00, light lunch provided.

    There may be the opportunity to ride, but riding experience is not necessary.

    Email info@bluerider.org for more information, or to sign up.

    Workshop dates:

    May 4
    June 29

    July 13
    August 10
    September 14

  • Annual Meeting – Wed., April 9th 2025

    Annual Meeting – Wed., April 9th 2025

    We are holding our Annual Meeting with the Board on Wednesday, April 9th at 6:00 p.m. You are encouraged to join via  Zoom. This is a great way to meet our Board and learn about the governance of Blue Rider.

    The meeting agenda and Zoom link are available here.



  • Scavenger Hunt – April 19th

    Scavenger Hunt – April 19th

    Saturday, April 19th
    1:00pm – 4:00pm

  • Valentine’s Day Raffle

    Valentine’s Day Raffle

    Buy a ticket (or many) and enter our Valentines Day Raffle to win one of five awesome prizes. Specify which prizes you may want to win. Our horses will love the support for Valentines Day as well!

    Drawing will be on February 13th at noon.

  • Giving Tuesday 2024

    Giving Tuesday 2024

    UPDATE 12/4: WE DID IT! ✨️🐎

    Thanks to all of you – everyone in our community – we met, and then exceeded, our Giving Tuesday goal! We had wanted to raise $7,500 (the cost of horse care for the herd for one month). Instead, we raised $8,400 and with a matching grant of $7,500 (thanks to our amazing board members, who matched our donations dollar-for-dollar) our grand total is (drumroll please 🥁) $15,900.

    We are so in awe of the support we receive from you, our friends near and far. It means the world to us and our horses 💙

    Join the global Giving Tuesday movement and make this season one of radical generosity to support our amazing, loving equines with their daily needs.

    In the spirit of GivingTuesday, we are asking for your donations so that we can continue our mission to put people and horses together in a holistic, educational environment where, through their mutual therapeutic experiences, they can broaden the scope of their lives.

    Join the global Giving Tuesday movement and make this holiday season one of radical generosity to support our amazing, loving equines with their daily needs.

    Our cost to feed and provide medical, dental, and hoof care for our hard working horses and donkeys can be as much as $90,000 per year! They are worth every penny of that, but as we all know, money doesn’t grow on trees – or in our pastures – so on behalf of our equines we are asking our community to toss something in the feed bucket for Bella, Fritz, Zora, Mystery, Tonka, Mia, Marcy, Hekla, Rico, Sprite, Billy Boy, Taquito, Arlo, Svadi, and Garuda.

    Our goal is to raise $7,500 (enough for one month of equine feed and care) by Giving Tuesday on December 3rd. Please pitch in any amount you can.

    If you are unable to give monetarily, please help out by spreading the word and encouraging your friends, family, and community members to give whatever they can. Every bit helps to support the important and joyful work we do here at Blue Rider Stables.

    To learn more about the history and mission of the global Giving Tuesday movement, click here.