Horsing around

Hello! I am Milla, a Finnish comic artist and a ponyfarmer. I need to tell you my story first so you can understand what I am offering, so here we go:

In Autumn 2019 I heard a German saying ”Das Leben ist kein Ponyhof” meaning ”Life is not a Pony Farm” (meaning ”life ain’t a bed of roses”). I had just bought my very first own pony and that’s when I realized: I want that MY life IS a Pony Farm! 💪🦄

So this is what happened: When the Covid started and I broke up with my boyfriend I became a Crazy Pony Lady who bought another two foals: a norwegian fjord horse HALI and another icelandic, an accident-foal, a little evening-star of two old horses... called Vessaharja (that means a Toilet Brush! You’ll understand when you see his hair!).

After many adventures, stress, sleepless nights and lots of horse-books and farm-checkings, I finally found a PERFECT place between two lakes in Tampere, Teisko, the village called Velaatta. A truly Ponyfarm of the dreams!! The final point was to get myself an older horse for the youngsters to teach the adult-horse-stuff so I bumped into a Finnhorse Onni. Nowadays here on the farm lives also an old Estonian horse Bulle and of course the ”official Pony of the Ponyfarm”: a Shetland pony Rokki.

My passion for horses starts when I was a child: I was curious to know every detail of these big, beautiful animals and dreamed of an own horse. Not just to ride but to LOVE and to create an unique way to communicate and just watch, admire and wonder that creature! I was hanging with my relative’s horses and taking care of my friend’s horse, had some wrentals but never my very own. Then at middle school I got so bullied of being a horse fan so I decided to bury the passion deep in my heart.

I’ve always loved to draw (specially comics and stories, specially horses, the Swedish comic artist called Lena Furberg from the magazine Hevoshullu - The Horse Crazy, is my biggest idol) so I studied myself as a graphic designer and during the studies, in 2003, I accidentally created one of the most well-known character in Finland: The Cursing Hedgehog. The little hedgehog made my dream come true to became a professional comic artist and illustrator (also the studies helped, and I did graduate as a graphic designer, but I identify myself mainly a comic artist). My cv is long and colorful: I’ve published only with the Hedgehog 10 albums and then several others, mainly related to animals. I do also logos, posters, advertises, illustrations, portraits, paintings... you name it! I love to draw!

But the horses! Everytime I felt sad or lonely or my heart was broken, I always started to dream about horses. Just being close to these kind and honest animals. In Finland there is a word ”TURPA” that means the muzzle but when you say ”TURVALLINEN” it means at the same time ”the one who has a muzzle” but also ”safe”. So I literally missed that specific feeling with these animals.

But there were no stables where to go do that! Only riding stables! But I didn’t want to do just ”one night stands” anymore. Also I found therapy-stables but they were a bit too expensive and I thought I didn’t need that much therapy any more after my three years of personal psychotherapy. I just simply wanted to hang around with the horses. That is why I needed to buy this place! This is a place dedicated to horsing around. No pressure to do anything, just pure love, fun and curiosity!

Horses are of course not always ”safe”. They are really big and really sensible animals who used to be hunted by for example people in past. They are still the same. So when being around horses you always have to understand that they are many ways different from us and sense everything much much more than we do, for example your heartbeat. If you’re afraid, the horse will know it. You simply can’t and you defenately shouldn’t hide it. Be honest with it. It’s okay to be afraid. Being with horse is about trust. You can touch the horse carefully and the horse might tell you ”it’s okay. You don’t have to be afraid, I wont harm you if you don’t harm me either.” Horses are also many ways same as us: They have all the same basic feelings: Joy, anger, sadness, pain, stress, love...

At Ponyfarm, you can -but you don’t have to- touch the horses. You can just watch them. This is a perfect place to visit for:
- a person who used to be a horse-nerd/fan as a child but then life happened but you still miss the softness of the muzzle or a smell of the poo! 😍💩 Welcome! I have lots of poo!
- a person who has never seen a live horse. Come here and see! They are magnificent creatures (as David Attenborough would say)!
- children who are interested about horses but are a bit afraid of them. Don’t worry! It’s okay to fear. We can watch the horses, I can tell you about these animals and then we can go inside and draw some comics about them!

I have just quite recently started this ”thing”, only lived here for 1,5 years but my plan is to make here a ”horse theme park” including a horse museum, a pony cafe, a horse art gallery, a carousel, hobbyhorses, a horse sauna, places to spend a night... (I have some, so if you’re interested to stay for a night, it is possible).

🦄💖 Ponyfarm - Horsing around for all ages 🦄💖

Ponyfarm visits and prices:

🦄 Meet the horses, pet, brush, smell and loooove (and of course take pictures, everybody looks cute with horses!) them. 20eur/visit/group (max 10).

🦄 Meet the horses and drink a cup of coffee/tea and eat some biscuits inside the cute horse-theme-decorated house or outside. Just chill and enjoy. 25eur/visit/group (max 10).

🦄 Meet the horses, drink a drink AND get DRAWN by Milla: - you with a horse ~35eur (depends how many people).

🦄 Meet the horses + drawing together horses - 1-2 hour workshop with Milla: 50eur/group/visit.

🦄 Horse as a friend? - If you have already experience being with horses, you are not interested about just riding but having horse as a friend and just someone big and beautiful to spend some time with, you can also borrow my horses for that. You can play/train with them, take little walks with them and with Onni some riding is also possible. Come and get to know me and my horses and lets see how it goes and feels. This is a long term thing, so you can really get to know the horse. 186eur/month (you can visit as often as you want).

🦄 Your own kind of Ponyfarm-visit, for example a birthday party, contact me and lets make you and/or your group an unique visit 💖

See you! Check my instagram: @ponyfarmlife and facebook: Ponifarmi

Love,
Milla ”Crazy Pony Lady” Paloniemi.

Ps. This is not a riding stable. My horses are still young and I don´t ride them (yet). We do ride with Onni and Bulle occanionally but we only do it with certain people. For riding and other things there are many nice places. There are many ways to enjoy horses!

Unfortunately I don’t have access to wheelchair if you want to come inside my house for an art-workshop or a cup of coffee/tea/juice. But if the weather is nice we can just stay outside and drink&draw there!

Nobody is allowed to go inside the horse fences without my permission so please consider that. The fenced area is a home for the horses and even they are very used to horse around (nicely) with people they might not like strangers to suddenly touch them when they rest or eat.

The Ponyfarm has an accident-insurance but I recommend you also have your own. Horses are big and strong animals so please consider that and be respectful and calm when you go near them.