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In This Issue...
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It’s Raining!! And Some Guest Input….
 Yep – for the first time for a long time, it’s raining in winter at Yarrabin! Many are predicting that July will be very wet, and that we will have a wonderful spring! Bring it on we say!! A big Yarrabin welcome to all our new subscribers – we now reach out directly to over 6 000 people in over 10 countries!!! Please forward widely and encourage others to subscribe. So what have we been up to? Time always seems to fly here at Yarrabin! The June Kids Camp was a blast, with some regulars joining and some new kids to bring into the Yarrabin family. The riding was exceptional and even the weather held off for us. Many said the highlight was the day ride to Wisemans Creek. July school holidays were oversubscribed, but did manage to share Yarrabin with some regular guest and some new ones which we hope will return. In May, we had a memorable weekend with some Mothers and Daughters from Sydney – here’s what one of the mothers, Sue Whitnall, had to say: “May 19 - 21 2006 saw a group of 10 mums and 11 daughters from Boronia Park School in Sydney, make the trek to "Yarrabin" for their inaugural " Mother's and Daughter's weekend". What a success it was! The daughters swam , spa-ed, ran free, played tennis and giant chess, fed baby animals and of course, went horse riding.. The "older girls" relaxed, read, had coffee by the fire ..and also managed a spot of riding. Excellent pairing of horses and riders meant everyone enjoyed themselves although some of us were a little sore after the final ride!! After 4 rides and excellent instruction, our daughters now feel like they are straight out of "The Saddle Club". Hearty food and clean country air meant a good night's sleep and we all departed on the Sunday feeling well fed, well rested and well exercised. Plans are now afoot to make this "Yarrabin" weekend an annual event ..look out Annie and Graeme! A big "thankyou " to all at "Yarrabin" for making our stay so enjoyable.” If you'd like to share an inspiring story or idea that we might use in an upcoming newsletter, please email us at holidays@yarrabin.com
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So What’s Coming Up?
 Sounds like the start of our puzzle section! But we thought we would give you an idea of some great events on Yarrabin drawing board. Please call or email if you would like more info! Our “Adults Only Weekends” are a hit – imagine Yarrabin with just adults, lots of riding, parties, spa, pub visit and the chance to make some new friends! The dates of the next ones which have some space are 25 to 27 August, or 15 to 17 September. Or what about enjoying a Yuletide break in August – makes more sense to have big hearty roast dinners when it’s cold, doesn’t it? Well, we have 2 weekends available for Yuletide, and we’d love you to join us! As a very special offer to our ezine readers, we’ll throw in a free ride per person! AND we will waive our usual “2 night minimum stay” rule – so come up after your kid’s Saturday sport…. Just mention you read it in this ezine. We also have a few groups booked in for the next few months. If you are keen to get some folks together, we’d love to help you. Maybe the complimentary massage for the organiser may tempt you? Or why not escape with your kids during the September school holidays. Limited space available so be quick. Ever thought about being part of an “Active Horsemanship” workshop (23 to 26 October) where not only will you take your riding to places you only dreamed of, you’ll receive complimentary champagne and a massage! And then there is the Riding For Disabled (RDA) charity ride – a day long ride with over 100 horses on Saturday 28th October. Spaces are limited and we have placed a few conditions on joining us. We’ll also be having a big official launch of our latest development program, Leadership & Horses, in November. If you’d like a complimentary spot, we are offering a number to HR and media people. Then we race into December and KIDS CAMPS!!! Yihaa!! All camps are filling fast, so again you will have to get in quick with a booking. Please call us on 02 6337 5712 or email holidays@yarrabin.com .
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A Great Job Offer – Join Our Wonderful Team
 Looking for a new challenge? Or living in the city is just getting you down as you yearn for fresh air, no stress and real people? Or maybe you know someone like this? Well here’s your chance to join our wonderful Yarrabin team!! Your primary role would be as our cook, but you would also be involved in horse riding, office work and general running of our holiday ranch. The cooking is not that hard, because we have all the recipes and systems in place. The position is live-in, so all your living expenses are included. Could well suit a single parent, as your child would grow up in a unique country environment where you would see each other every day. Depending on their age, we would also be able to teach them to ride as well! Don’t just think of the saving, but think of the super foundation they would have for life, and away from the distractions of the city. Please call us for more information, or forward this email to anyone you may think is interested or suited. If you can’t commit to a full time position, consider our “working holiday” positions. We offer working holiday escapes – where you can live with us in our idyllic surroundings, ride horses every day, help around the farm, get in touch with your inner child, cleanse AND even tone up and lose weight!! (ever wondered why Annie is so slim???) Here is your chance! An escape to Yarrabin. You don’t even have to be a great rider – all we ask is that you are quick with a smile and work well in a team…. Let us know if you (or your boss!) needs this chance to re-focus your life.
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A New Yarrabin Competition!
We have received such a great response to our previous competitions that we have decided to hold an annual photo competition. The prize is a free weekend for 4 (with one free horse ride each). If you win, you can donate it to charity or even give it to a friend. All you have to do is send us your best Yarrabin photo. It can be of anything, as long there is something “Yarrabin” about it. Just email, post, or send on a CD, as many photos as you like. We will have an independent panel decide the winner. Entries need to sent to us by 1 Dec 06, and we will announce the winner in our December ezine. Could be a fantastic Christmas present for someone……
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Our Puzzle Section
 So who goes straight to this section when you receive our ezine?? You have to be quick to be in the running for a free horse ride. One of our loyal subscribers did point out some anomalies with how we were running the competition (thanks Mike!!) so we have changed the rules. We will now take entries right up until the publication of the following month's ezine – generally in the middle of the month. All correct entries will be placed in a barrel and the winner selected at random. So you don’t have to be quick on the draw! Good luck with this month’s puzzle. The winner of a free horse ride from last month was Rachelle Bowden from Gosford - congratulations Rachelle! The answers: What can run but doesn't walk, has a mouth but doesn't talk, has a head but doesn't weep, has a bed but doesn't sleep? A river Mr Smith eats two eggs every day. He never buys any eggs, nobody gives them to him, he doesn’t steal them from anyone, and doesn’t keep hens. Where does he get his eggs from? He has ducks! Now for July’s puzzles: 1. There’s a group of people. If 70% have lost an eye, 75% an ear, 80% an arm and 85% a leg, what percentage at least must have lost all four? 2. What gets wetter as it dries? If you think you know the answers to both, email us! Good luck!
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Kids Camps for 10 to 15 year olds are one of our most popular camps. And we have been running them now for over 5 years. Which means there are kids out there who are now too old (or too cool??) for Kids Camps. So we have come up with a very special camp – and we’ve called it “Cowgirl Adventures!” It’s just for girls aged 15 to 17. Sorry guys….. And we will be doing waaay more than what we do on Kids Camps – longer rides, much more concentrated lessons in the arena, “big girl” activities such as fashion, make up and an introduction to yoga, and of course all the ole favourites like the day ride and gymkhana. (The gymkhana will even have some new and challenging activities for you!) The dates of our inaugural Cowgirl Adventure Camp is Mon 15 to Fri 19 Jan 07, and we are already half full! So get your act together, get your friends on board, and join us for some great fun, riding and laughter!!! “Cowgirls Rule!!!”
The birthday gifts keep rolling in! Many thanks to all who have taken the time to send us some special pressies for their special horse. We won’t tell you which horse is the most popular, but we are sure they will enjoy some juicy treats. One guest even sent us a birthday hat to put on her favourite Yarrabin horse. There’s still time to send something – Tuesday 1st August is the official horses’ birthday (can anyone tell us why??) and we are planning a big party. Of course, there is one really special horse in our mob – that’s Snuggles (in the photo)! She is our oldest horse and will turn 30 on 18 October this year. Annie and all of our children have ridden Snuggles, and also many of our guests. She now goes on the occasional ride (we haven’t actually told her yet that she is 30! She still runs like she’s a young filly!) and also does her fair share of the lead pony work. On the departing horses front, we are deeply saddened with the loss of Kruger, our wonderful Anglo Arab with that special blood mark. He had to put down after breaking his leg. Sherry also has moved on – and is now the paddock pony of a family in O’Connell. We are always on the lookout for superb riding horses (but not thoroughbreds please) so if you know of any, please give us a hoy.
CHILL OUT! Horses can sense when you’re feeling on edge and will often play up. If you’re feeling angry or upset, it’s probably best to postpone getting in the saddle until you’re a bit calmer. But for those times you’re feeling nervous (say just before a show event or a big Yarrabin Day Ride) take a slow, deep breath and hold for three or four seconds before exhaling slowly. Repeat until you’re feeling a little less stressed. Works wonders! You can practice this, and learn much more about riding, on our “Active Horsemanship” Workshops run by Annie. Our latest graduating class is shown here…..
Ever wanted to own a slice of our paradise? Well here is your chance – and probably the only chance given that we love Yarrabin so much and our kids are even plotting to take over and run it for many years to come!! We have a beautiful wooded block for sale – almost 10 acres – which borders on Yarrabin. It has power running through it, plenty of firewood, and some good views over O’Connell Valley and Yarrabin. And it’s only 1 hour 40 minutes from Penrith so close enough to build a weekender. We could possibly even offer a special rate on horse riding and meals at Yarrabin for the new owner…… You probably won’t ever get another chance like this…. So call soon to find out more if you are interested. Thanks again for subscribing to our newsletter! See you soon at Yarrabin!! HAPPY TRAILS Annie and Graeme Phillips (Ph 02 6337 5712)