PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF OCEAN CREST FARM . really shut down fully ,” says Stoukides .
The business partners met through a previous job and established Ocean Crest Farm in early 2019 , and found a Saunderstown property that fall .
Today , the farm provides Interscholastic Equestrian Association lessons for students in grades four through twelve . Modeled after college riding , this type of prep leads to the formation of a team that travels to different barns in the region to compete throughout the academic year .
“ It ’ s totally random ,” Stoukides explains . “ You watch all the horses get warmed up , then you draw a name out of the hat and that ’ s what horse you ’ re riding . It levels the playing field so kids of all walks of life can do it . You don ’ t have to have your own horse or saddle .”
They spend a lot of time making kids feel confident near horses before they even start to ride .
“ Our biggest thing here is encouraging our students to be comfortable around the horses before they get on them ,” says Bonsignore . “ For us , it ’ s a lot of horsemanship .”
Parents have told them those skills have helped their children come out of their shells , learn to manage anxiety and become more assertive .
“ It ’ s not something we teach ; we ’ re enabling them and letting them know they can do these things ,” Stoukides says .
In the future , the two hope to expand their services , whether that includes adding homeschooling programs or inviting day camps to take field trips to the farm .
Ocean Crest Farm .
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l SEPTEMBER 2024 97