The Animals of Ballentine Farm

The Horses

Cisco is a 25-year-old Quarter horse gelding. He spent many happy years living about a mile down the road from the farm with a friend. He grew up with his rider, and together they learned how to master English and Western pleasure. Cisco came to Ballentine Farm several years back when his loving rider had grown up and was beginning her new life. Since then, he has become a beloved part of our programs here at the farm. He has a passion for running and loves to lick! Cisco is a sweet soul who enjoys sharpening his skills with our taller riders.

   Cardigan is a 19-year-old Welsh cross pony gelding. He has been with us from the age of 1 when Ms. Sarah took him in as her own to train him to be ridden. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with diabetes (or IR), and since then he has perservered with a strict diet and a smile (most of the time).  During his time at the farm, Cardigan has befriended all types of animals. From cows, to dogs and cats, to people...he is always curious to greet all sorts of new friends!

Lucky is a very special 8-year-old Welsh pony gelding. True to his name, he was born 8 weeks early out in the pasture at Glynmagic, where he was incredibly lucky to survive thanks to dedicated efforts by The Hergers. He has since developed into a perfectly healthy colt. Lucky came to Ballentine Farm this 2 years ago and is now the pony who heads our riding program. Lucky is a very curious and friendly pony, so stop on by to say hi! 

The Cows

 Named by theme each year, our Black Angus Heffers arrive every April and graze to their leisure along with the horses and goats until November, when they moo-ve on to their next farm. There, they will be bred to have calves of their own. We house females only and serve as the middle-man in their development.

The Pigs

Our pigs are purchased as rather large piglets from a local 4H swine breeder. These porky pals LOVE to slather on the mud! Their favorite activities are EATING, sun bathing in the spring, and lazily napping in the shade come summertime. Our pig friends move onto greener pastures in the fall, before the cold weather sets in. 

The Turkeys

Tom and Harriet are our 4-year-old Heritage breed turkeys, the same kind of turkey found by the Pilgrims when they first came to the Americas. These two have a remarkable story. Their parents were attacked by a neighbor's dog a few years back, and unfortunately they did not survive. Mrs. Ballentine collected the eggs left by their mother and put them in the incubator, not yet knowing if they had been fertilized. As luck would have it, a male and female did hatch, and that's how we got Tom and Harriet! We've been enjoying their loveable nature ever since. 

The Ducks

This past spring, six new ducklings arrived at the farm. They are mixed breeds, so we don't know yet how they'll look when they are full-grown. These feathered friends live in the duck pen next to the chicken and turkey coops. In the spring and summer, they like to roam the grounds and play in their duck pond. 

The Chickens

Woody, Buzz, Rex & Sarge are our  1-year-old male roosters. These fine fellas make sure all of our girls are well protected and well behaved. Our lovely ladies, however, consist of the following 3 breeds: Buff Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, and Barred Rocks. They enjoy long walks free-ranging through the fields and being spoiled by visitors with yummy green leafy stuff!  Their favorite foods are pumpkins and  veggie table scraps!

The Goats

Crunch is our 6-year-old "mama" goat.  She is very friendly and well trained, and she provides the farm with goat milk every morning, which we then use to make goat cheese and goat milk soap. In early 2012 she gave birth to three baby girls: Tasha, Tara, and Abi. The three youngsters still reside with her and are very spunky.

The Dog 

Carter is an 11-year-old Boxer-Collie mix. He was found in a box on the side of the road with the rest of his litter at a very young age. A good samaritan brought the pups to an adoption agency and thankfully, they all found loving homes. Named after Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, the famous boxer, Carter is one of the sweetest, goofiest dogs we've ever known - he's always got a smile on his face!

The Cats

You may have noticed that there are no pictures of the cats on this page. This is because our barn cats, Jordy and Erin, are elusive little critters -- they skedaddle pretty quickly when the farm fills up with kids excited to explore the grounds. If you're lucky (and quiet), one of them might just come up to you and ask to be pet.

Our Golden Rule on the Farm:
treat others the way you want to be treated.

Cisco

Cardigan

Lucky

 The Cows

The Pigs

The Turkeys

The Ducks

The Chickens

The Goats

Carter