'Open barn' event to introduce people to equine friends

A cadre of four-legged teachers named Bart, Newbie, Shag, Target, Smudge, Goober, Patches, Lil, and Cricket are on the hunt for some new students.

But there are some catches.

To begin with, eight of them are a mix of horses and horse/pony crosses. The ninth – Cricket – is pure pony.

The lessons they are ready to teach won't take place in a saddle.

And it's free.

Allow me to introduce the residents of Abrazos Adventure, the business that since 1999 provided countless folks in eastern New Mexico with their first horse experience under the guidance of owner Wendy Toombs.

With an aging cadre of horses (the oldest is 29) and after some health challenges of her own, 79-year-old Toombs has been evolving her business from one with weekly paid riding lessons to a no-cost ground-based experience where others can share her lifelong love of horses and absorb some equine wisdom.

Toombs and her loyal volunteers are hosting an "open barn" from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at her facility off the Bethel highway west of Portales.

It's a little tricky to find, so she's asking those who intend to come to call or text her at 575-760-4444, or contact her via the Abrazos Adventure Facebook page to get the specifics.

"The open house will give us a feel for what we are doing and maybe an invitation to be a part of it," Toombs said.

A native of Chicago and a resident of Portales since 1969, Toombs got her first horse when she was 9 years old and living in Santa Fe, where she spent a lot of her growing up years.

Her appreciation of her hooved companions has continued to grow and change for her entire life.

"When I started the school, I simply thought I would teach people to ride and help them get started with horses," Toombs said. "I had no idea the journey it would take me on, and it is still going."

Abrazos Adventure was born in 1999 when Toombs, the longtime personnel manager in the human resources department at the old Roosevelt General Hospital, was facing a job change.

"We needed income and I wanted to keep the horses," Toombs recalled. "I'd been in an office for 30 years and I'd had enough."

What started as a riding school has "morphed into a school of life lessons with riding as a byproduct," she said. "Over the years I have learned that life lessons happen with or without riding so we can continue to offer that experience even though everyone is retired from riding."

The last time Toombs was on horseback was in 2017. Her mount of choice these days is a weathered golf cart that enables her to traverse the pens, barns, and pastures around her home.

"The things I've learned are built on the premises of being outside," she told me as we bounced along on a recent visit to her place. "If I didn't have all of these horses ... for all the cursing I do ... they get me outside."

And there is simply something magical about horses, according to this seasoned horsewoman.

"I really believe the horse fills a void no other animal can," she said. "They tap something inside of us that is beyond words."

The upcoming open barn includes time to meet, pet, and take photos with the nine nickering residents of Abrazos Adventure, as well as to visit with Toombs, her volunteers, and others with horse knowledge. A farrier, a brand inspector, and a woman who specializes in horse massage are all on the guest list.

As for what comes after the open house, Toombs said, "I have officially closed the business and am now simply inviting people to visit or volunteer. I see this as a 'gathering place,' offering time to visit with other living beings ... me, other volunteers, and the horses ... and find out more about the real world."

She hopes to appeal to those who would like an opportunity to slow down, do some personal reflection and "soul renewal," and discover what others before them already have: "For a lot of people ... this became their happy place.

"It really is hard to put into words what this place has done," Toombs said. "You get beyond words. I could not have planned a better retirement."

Betty Williamson spent several "happy place" hours at Abrazos Adventure last week. Reach her at:

[email protected]