Field Trip: Meet a Mini at Wunderlich

 

Where: Wunderlich Park, Woodside (4040 Woodside Rd, Woodside, CA 94062)

When: Year round

Who: All ages  

Cost: Free, but suggested $5/student donation

Note:  Wear closed toe shoes as there will be a short walk across some trails, and it might get muddy. 

The Friends of Huddart and Wunderlich Park recently posted a new field trip opportunity called "Meet a Mini". Given that this was the tail end of our year-long Covid-19 shutdown, we chomped at the opportunity to be outdoors with friends. 

Scheduling was easy - fill in a Google form with suggested dates (they ask for one to two weeks' notice), age range of children attending and any specific topics you wanted covered. The volunteer co-ordinator was able to fulfill our first choice of dates. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, group size was limited to 3 families with a maximum of 9 people. 

We assembled at the picnic tables besides the main parking lot. It wasn't a problem to find parking on the weekday mornings/afternoons our groups went, although weekends are difficult. The volunteer first led us to the carriage house/horse boarding area to grab a bucket of grooming tools. Normally, the horse boarding area is off limits to the public so the children were already excited. The Carriage House is quietly imposing - our docent told us the architect was Arthur Brown Jr. who also designed San Francisco's War Memorial and Stanford's Hoover Tower. We got a glimpse of a curious horse.. or did the horse get a glimpse of curious young humans? Hmm. 

The volunteer then led us to a pen where Lightning, a miniature horse, was held. Lightning is in his 20s, extremely docile and friendly. The children were shown various grooming brushes and allowed to curry/brush him. Some groups curried him in the pen, others curried him in the brushing area in front of the Carriage House. 

Lightning asks, "Did you bring treats?"

During the currying, the docent answered questions. We learned about horsemanship facts like: never run behind a horse, eating too much grass or plants makes horses sick so they balance it out with hay, horses must be combed 3x a day, why Lightning has a cloudy right eye (cataracts). Of note to enthusiasts: the Friends of Huddart and Wunderlich have various volunteer opportunities for students16 years old and up, and one of them includes being an ambassador for the Mini program!

When the students had spruced Lightning up to their exacting standards, the docent put a lead on Lightning. Students then took turn leading Lightning up a short trail. This was delightful for Lightning as he enjoys grazing on grass - in fact, the students found out he was surprisingly strong when he wanted to head for the nearest fresh patch of grass. (Tip: let Lightning grab a mouthful of grass before leading him back onto the path).

 

Wild horses couldn't drag me away

Depending on the interests and stamina of the group, the docent may show you the historical aspects of Folger Stables. We learned that one of the older buildings is used as a “fridge” because of the material it’s made out of and it keeps cooler for food storage since it’s built partially underground.

Wunderlich is delightfully quiet. Just yards from where we walked, our group saw deer and rabbits. Another group saw wild turkeys strutting - it happened to be mating season (March/April), when males put on their best displays. 

After a short walk up, with several grazing opportunities for Lightning, we headed back to the Carriage House. Along the way, the docent pointed out interesting areas, e.g. an area where horses were tethered for giving them baths. 

We then walked Lightning back to his stall to rest. The kids were reluctant to say Goodnight to Lightning, but they were able to give him some treats which helped.

One of our groups went around 3:30pm and saw horses being led in for their dinner at 4pm. Seeing the magnificent horses made us appreciate Lightning even more. He was a perfect ambassador for kids to learn about horse safety.

 

Lightning's imposing neighbors

We then finished our trip in the Carriage Room Museum. The museum has carefully curated exhibits on the Folger Stable and its historical context, e.g. lumbering and farming trades, as well as several carriage and equine models. The museum is open on weekends from 12-3pm. 

Governess Cart: small wheels, opens only to the back so children wouldn't fall forwards (towards the horses)

We highly recommend this field trip - all the docents were very friendly and knowledgeable, and the star was (of course) Lightning. It's hard to imagine a better way to learn about horses in such a gentle, hands-on introduction - thank you to the Friends of  Huddart and Wunderlich for making this possible!