Little Sisters learn how to ride

Foxfield program

teaches kids

the basics

Over the past four decades, the Little Sisters program at Foxfield Riding School in Westlake has helped young ladies develop the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to effectively train horses.

Little Sisters is more than just a summer camp for kids, Foxfield owner Joanne Postel said. For some families, it's a longtime tradition that's been passed down through the generations.

It's also a program that gives young girls a foundation for the intricacies of caring for a horse, Postel said.

"We needed to teach these girls the basics, the grooming, the breeding, the general care of a horse," she said. "The little girls look up to and learn from their Big Sisters. For years this has perpetuated, and we wouldn't stop it for anything. It'll go on as long as there is Foxfield."

The girls, ranging in age from 8-12, entered the program with a basic skill level handling horses.

Each of the 10 Little Sisters was assigned a Big Sister and a Helper or two.

FLYIN' HIGH-Above, Oak Park High junior Brook Steininger, 15, demonstrates the proper technique for jumping a horse. Above left, Big Sister Kimmi Hewson Budnik shows several Little Sisters how to measure the distance between jumps at the Foxfield Riding School. The Helpers are mostly girls that graduated from the program the previous summer. Big Sisters are teenagers that have already completed Little Sisters and have spent one or more years as a Helper.

The Big Sisters will spend several days each week working oneon-one with their Little Sisters. It's a training routine that began this month and will last until the end of August.

"They kind of take the kid under their wing. It's all volunteer based," Foxfield stable manager Jessie White said.

"They just teach them all the basic horsemanship skills- grooming, lunging, horse show stuff, kind of a little bit of everything," White said. "It's a chance for these kids to get some handson experience."

In addition to the work with the horses, the girls also attend a lecture each week as part of their training. They take notes and ask questions in preparation for a classroom test that'll be given closer to graduation.

On Tuesday afternoon, White, a Little Sister graduate in 1991, gave the girls a lecture on show entries, classes, courses and faults.

Ten-year-old Michelle Magnusson of Thousand Oaks, who was front and center for White's 6 p.m. lecture, has had a pony for the past year. Since school's out, she's been spending a lot of time with the horses at Foxfield.

Although she's only been a Little Sister for a couple of weeks, Magnusson said she's already learned a lot of interesting things.

"I learned how to launch a horse and a bunch of other stuff from my Big Sister, Kimmi Hewson Budnik," Magnusson said. "I braided a horse, too . . . I like my group."

Hewson Budnik, 16, is in her second year as a Big Sister. She said she plans on becoming a trainer one day and that the Little Sister program was a wonderful way to learn leadership skills and gain teaching experience.

"Last year was great because I learned about the kids' patience and how they learn," Hewson Budnik said. "I think this year is going to be easier to help teach everything. It's so much fun to share knowledge. I love it."

Making new friends is also an important part of the experience, Hewson Budnik said.

"Last night we had a sleepover. We get to hang out at parties that we have with all the Little Sisters and Big Sisters," she said. "Everyone just makes friends. It's actually how I met my best friend. We went the same year and met each other and grew closer."

The Little Sisters will take their written test on the lecture material Sat., Aug. 19. They'll spend the subsequent seven days vigorously preparing for the Final Competition and graduation ceremonies the following weekend.