Barn Manager Highlight – Kim Martin

By Dan Roark

When you have a herd of 11 horses and a mule, two goats, and a pig, you would think that the barn manager was the hardest working person on the property. With Kim Martin, barn manager at New Hope, you would be absolutely correct.

She manages the people on the feed crew – which is a paid position. Kim also turns out the horses, which is more than just opening the paddocks and letting the horses run. Some of the horses have special diets. Missy, for example, wants to be fed her special diet by hand, as you see in the picture. Kim is feeding Missy before she turns out the other horses. The other horses with special diets get theirs in their paddock in feed buckets. The special diets are in addition to the hay that the feed crew supplies. Some horses need a certain percentage of alfalfa over hay. When the horses have colic – like four have had this summer, they can only eat alfalfa, and have their feeding monitored. Kim keeps track of all that. But wait – there’s more.

Therapy horses need therapy, too. Each horse (and mule) has it’s own issues. Not to mention the day to day bumps, cuts and bruises that occur from horses being horses and part of a herd. Inside the back door of the barn on the shelf to the left, is “Kim’s bin.” It contains various creams, ointments, lotions and so forth. Fortunately, they’re pretty well marked for those of us who lend a hand occasionally. But Kim knows everything in the bin. She can tell you which one is better than others and which ones are good in a pinch.

Then there is the shower stall with the large plastic “trunk” of things pertaining to giving the horses showers and horse care. Not to mention what’s on the rail on the outside of the mounting stall. Things like fly spray (which is also in various other places on the property), alcohol spray, Dawn, different kinds of shampoo and Alushield for wounds. Various towels, brushes, and things needed for cleaning and drying off a horse. They all have their place. Kim knows where that place is and why it’s there. If anyone moves things around, it simply makes it harder to do her job. Which is complicated enough as it is. Did I say there’s more? Keep reading.

As if the above duties weren’t enough, there are the menial tasks that are as essential to a working equine therapy center with a herd of horses (and a mule, two goats, and a pig) as caring for the horses physically. Everything the horses wear (fly masks, fly sheets, fly boots) and the towels and so forth need to be washed. As a person who likes having laundry done, but doesn’t particularly like doing it, I can’t conceive of the number of loads of laundry she does.

All of that is the gist of what Kim does in any kind of weather – which is above and beyond the call. Thanks Kim! – from all of us at New Hope!

 

Ride on and ride for hope.

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