Homeschool group takes in riding lesson

Cannon Connections photo: Clarence Plank Caleb Chambers, 9, of Clovis, learns how to ride a horse at Abrazos Adventure in Portales.

Cannon homeschool students spent the day learning and riding horses at Abrazos Adventure in Portales on March 25. Five students and their siblings were taught by Brazos Adventure owner Wendy Toombs about what horses eat, how tall they are and how to ride.

Micah Chambers, 7, said he has rode small ponies at carnivals, but this was the first time he has gotten to ride big horse.

“It was cool,” Chambers said.

He said it was like riding a bike, but is a lot slower.

Natasha Nueberger of Clovis is the Cannon homeschool mother who organized the field trip for students.

Nueberger said she grew up with horses and wanted her children to learn how to ride horses.

“So I just decided to use this event for homeschool,” Nueberger said. “We try to do different things, not the common things all the time, just so the children can get real-life experiences because that is a part of homeschooling.”

The Cannon homeschool group is a community for homeschoolers. They get together and organize group field trips, brainstorm ideas for homeschool and are a support system for parents who stay at home with their children.

“We try to do a field trip a month and some months we have a couple,” Nueberger said. “We really believe in life application things. This trip is a big one.”

The homeschool group is open to all military members who want to have a sense of community with other homeschoolers. Home school mom Eva Chambers, of Clovis said this is the type of thing available to do in a place like New Mexico.

“That is what we try to do,” Chambers said. “We try to take advantage of the things that are in the area where we’re located at that time. This coming month we are going to tour a dairy farm in April.”