Help Needed In The Caloundra Area

**The Joker** · 15-02-2011, 12:39 AM

I am need of some help - well, not me really, more my daughter. We moved up to Little Mountain in the middle of last year. For myself, my wife and my youngest daughter, everything is fine. However, my eldest daughter (19) is struggling. Unfortunately, she hasn't been able to get into any kind of social scene and make friends. The main problem is that she owns horses, so is up early and feeds and cares for her horses, then works at a stables then goes back to her horses in the afternoon and feeds and rides them then gets home for her dinner at 6:30 or so and that's it. She doesn't get to interact with many (if any) people in her age group.

She had friends (and misses them heaps) where we used to live but that's a couple of hours drive away. So any tips on where we can get her to go to meet up with some others in her age group. She is a bit shy, so unlikely to go on her own. It is killing me as the rest of us are really enjoying our move but she is suffering in her isolation. I am getting her to do a TAFE course later in the year to help her mix in a bit but some help in the meantime would be hugely appreciated. We haven't really established a circle of friends here yet either as we have been working on renovating our property and getting used to the beaches and environment.

I know we can't choose their friends for them or make them like someone but without any real exposure to others she is never going to make friends. Cheers good people.

**calNgary** · 15-02-2011, 12:48 AM

Is she a member of a pony club? I find the sport groups enjoy the socialisng as much as the sports,lol, so could open some doors for her.
Also is she a member of 'Horseyard' there is a forum on there and she could ask if there any teenagers in your area who she could meet up with rides etc.

Cal x

**The Joker** · 15-02-2011, 04:33 AM

Cal - thanks for that. Yes, she is a member of the pony club but they are pretty young at the Caloundra one. I will tell her about the Horseyard forum. She probably knows about it but may not have thought to ask if anyone lives in the area and would like to meet up.

**calNgary** · 15-02-2011, 08:09 AM

Is there not an adult club too? We have a kids pony club and adult riding club down here. The adult one seems more focused on dressage 'i think' ,but if she is into that it might help help her meet older people.
Cal x

**The Joker** · 15-02-2011, 10:44 AM

No - the clubs up here aren't that big and so all kids and adults are members of the same club. It's just that there all lots of young kids and their parents and not a lot in between. In fact, even the club she came from down in the Redlands was still just one club for both kids and adults but had lots more in her age range in there.