Heroes On Horseback Summer 08 Newsletter

NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID HILTON HEAD, SC PERMIT NO. 275

HHEROES ON

Rider Spotlight – Davis Loar

How can I help?

• Friend $50 • Sponsor $100 • Red Ribbon $500 • Blue Ribbon Patron $1,000 • Reserve Champion Patron $2,500 • Grand Champion Patron $5,000 • Honor/Memorial • Land • Stock • IRA’s

By Andrea Loar

Please mail your contribution to: Heroes on Horseback PO Box 3678 Bluffton, SC 29910 843.757.5607

Or donate online www.heroesonhorseback.org

• August 18th – Deadline for Fall Rider Enrollment Forms – • August 19th – Volunteer Training Clinic w/Mark Mayer 5:30-7:30pm

ORSEBACK

Enriching the lives of Lowcountry residents with disabilities through equine assisted activities • Summer 2008

ORSEBACK

FALL PROGRAM CALENDAR

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Heroes Hoofprints

• Volunteer Orientation Saturday Sept. 6th 10am-12pm

HELP WANTED

• Volunteers report to work the week of September 9th –November 14th

• Chief Volunteer Coordinator – responsible for organizing the activities of the daily volunteer coordinators

• See on-line calendar for specific lesson dates & holidays

CALENDAR OF EVENTS • October 18th – Spring Island Trail Ride. Support our program while enjoying the best of the lowcountry from horseback. Please see web site for details. • November 1st – Family Fall Festival – games for kids, concession and arts & crafts for sale at the Bluffton Community Center. Vendor Space Available – please call to reserve space or Donate Items. Claudia Ascencio 705-3689.

New Volunteer Openings

• Ground Lesson Facilitator – responsible for facilitating an established ground lesson. • Chief Ground Lesson Coordinator – responsible for lesson curriculum and organizing the activities of the daily Ground Lesson facilitators • Ring Assistant – serves as the assistant to the Instructor – tack safety check, approved for mounting, dismounting and second set of eyes in the ring. • Sidewalkers, Horse Leader, Class Coordinators and Barn Managers are needed for Tuesday – Saturday mornings and Tues, Wed and Saturday afternoons.

Ethan Weber in his first lesson with instructor Laura. Laura is getting Ethan’s attention.

P.O. Box 3678 Bluffton, SC 29910 Visit heroesonhorseback.org 757-5607 office or 757-5612 fax

for us to be finished so he could get up. And his eye Click. A door was unlocked in my son’s brain. contact has improved so dramatically. We attribute And we believe that Heroes was that key. all of this to the activities that the instructors engage the children in during the horseback riding. We know that must sound a little dramatic, but The children really have to focus all their energy on for us, Heroes on Horseback was a bridge between completing the various activities that really require all the therapies that our son, Davis who is 3, is receiving, along with the regular socialization that heavy concentration – its fantastic! occurs at school which he attends 5 days a week. Davis wasn’t very aware of his own body. He had a high threshold for pain and his motor skills When we first began the program in January were delayed and he was quite clumsy, still unable our son was barely uttering one syllable words. to jump with By March, when both feet. While his breakthrough Click. A door was unlocked in riding Hawk, occurred, he began has become speaking 2 word my son’s brain. And we believe Davis more aware of his phrases, and he is own body. The now speaking in that Heroes was that key. instructors have 4 word sentences. been instrumental This program dramatically improved his speech skills because the in this process, always pointing out to him his body parts and the horses body parts while they were instructors really engage the children in repeating mounting him. The children are also engaged in the commands to the horses. His attention span and following directions was various motor skills activities to improve in this area. a terror for his teachers, and not much better for We cannot express how much we love Heroes on us, along with eye contact. He can now actually sit Horseback. We truly believe that it was the final through an entire storybook and really absorb its icing on the cake for Davis – it made him realize contents; beginning to ask simple questions about that he was part of our world, and we were part of the pictures on the page. We cannot begin to tell his world; fi nally, he was ‘with’ us. We will forever you what amazing progress this is. Previously he be indebted to Heroes and Mr.. Larry, Ms. Ann, did not even look at the pages when we read to him Mr. Chris and Ms. Laura. – he would look all around the room just waiting

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Witness the Magic

There is something magical about the partnership of horses and humans. It is a relationship that science and words cannot begin to describe.This is why Heroes on Horseback encourages the community to visit the farm and witness our work in action. Heroes on Horseback (HOH) is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to providing effective therapeutic horseback riding and other equine-

assisted activities to children and adults with physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges. HOH is a premier accredited riding center with NARHA (North American Riding for the Handicap Association, Inc) and a member of South Carolina Special Olympics. Our programs serve individuals ranging in age from 3 to 65 years old. It truly is magic to be part of helping someone make improvements in their life,

Davis Loar with his ribbon from the spring horse show. “Davis and 2 other children with similar challenges were served this spring in newly added lessons made possible by the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry.The community Foundation awarded nearly $50k to enable HOH to expand services.We are slowly restructuring program offerings to touch more lives. Keep checking our website for updates.

especially in things most people take for granted like walking, being able to hold objects, or just holding your head up. Therapists, nurses and doctors all work hard with patients to make this happen, but when they’ve done all they can do, well, that’s when the magic happens; and the magician has four hooves and a velvety nose. HOH is a volunteer intensive program. Our volunteers are a critical

part of our program.Without the generous donation of their time, we could not provide services.Volunteers are inspired by the improvement of the individual’s quality of life in our program.Their contributions are immeasurable and our volunteers are our greatest asset. If you are interested in volunteering please contact our office at (843) 757-5607 and visit our web site www.heroesonhorseback.org.

P.O. Box 3678 Bluffton, SC 29910 Visit heroesonhorseback.org 757-5607 office or 757-5612 fax

HHEROES ON

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Executive Director Celeste Pruit [email protected] Program Manager Kendra Twitty [email protected] Equestrian Director Laura Kinsey [email protected] Barn Assistant Mary Allen Board of Directors Rebecca Morris – President Emily Newman – Vice President Deborah Drury – Secretary Maxine Uttal – Treasurer Board Members Denise Bishop Joan Clear Linda Davenport Shayla Ellenberger Thad Lane Elizabeth Loda Jim Rozmajzl Immediate Past President Bernie Bernstein HAHRA Registered Instructors Denise Bishop Laura Kinsey Nancy Pickering Leslie Sullivan Maxine Uttal Rhetta Yount

Our Mission

• Heroes on Horseback, a non-profit premier center of North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) fosters: • Safe, professional and ethical equine assisted activities for individuals in the Lowcountry with Physical, mental or emotional disabilities without regard to race, color, creed or financial need. • Educational opportunities for all individuals interested in equine activities. • Research to enhance and contribute to the field of equine assisted activities.

From the President I am honored to be serving as the new president of Heroes on Horseback. From the very beginning and to this day, volunteers have been the backbone of the organization. They serve as side walkers, site coordinators, fundraisers, horse groomers, administrative assistants, and board members. I look forward to working with this team of wonderful people. I am also excited about working with our dedicated, talented staff whose personalities, experiences and professionalism bring so much to Heroes on Horseback. Heroes on Horseback is young organization and is facing all the challenges and frustrations of growth. We recognize the need to diversify offerings, improve fund raising efforts and the need for board development activities. With a grant from The Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, we are working with the Ostroff Group from Boca Raton, FL to conduct organizational and board assessments with the goal of creating plans for board development, staffing needs and fundraising. As we’ve grown, we’ve faced many challenges but have never lost sight of our mission. Our programs remain exemplary, and individuals with disabilities experience physical, emotional and mental growth as a result of participation in our programs. Please view our web site, www.heroesonhorseback.org or, better yet, visit our site at Running W Farm in Pritchardville to see how Heroes on Horseback is changing lives one stride at a time!

It will be another busy and exciting year at Heroes. I welcome your thoughts, questions and suggestions. I appreciate all of your interest and support. Each day of involvement with Heroes proves to me that there is just no better place to be! - Rebecca Morris

To our Donors

Please accept our Gratitude and Apologies At the beginning of the fiscal year we switched to a new software system that is used to record donations. The transition created a little chaos with our data. As a result of the confusion we committed the sin of failing to acknowledge some of your generous donations. Please accept our most sincere apology if you did not receive a letter of appreciation for a donation or contribution this year. HOH is funded entirely on the generosity of our friends and neighbors. We could not provide this unique and valuable service to our community without your help. We have identified the flaws in our system and have implemented processes to prevent this from happening again. If you are in need of a receipt please contact our office. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR MAJOR FUNDERS

Riders from PEP Strive camp strengthen balance, coordination and advanced riding skills. They were challenged to keep their horses moving while keeping a noodle between them as they rode.

• Community Foundation of the Lowcountry: $50,000.00 for growing program services in Southern Beaufort County • Children’s Relief Fund: $15,000 for Tuition Assistance for Southern Beaufort County children • Hargray Caring Coins: $10,000 Your coins do count! Thank you for your support

Sue Sigler is proudly working on advanced independent riding skills.

From the Immediate Past President My term as president of this wonderful organization has come to an end. It was an especially rewarding year for me as I worked with clients, volunteers and new staff as they began the journey of leading Heroes on Horseback to a new and exciting level. Best of luck to our incoming president, Rebecca Morris, who I know will add her non-profit experience and wonderful personality to the office. I expect that Dr. Paul Spiers, president of our national organization, The North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, will not mind if I share with our readers some of his wonderful letter from the summer 2007 issue of STRIDES magazine. He wrote: “As any of you who have watched The Horse Whisperer or read The Man Who Listens to Horses will know, when Monty Roberts gets a horse to “join up,” it means the horse is ready to participate in the activity or training that he wants to teach.The urge to join up stems from the social nature of the horse. As a species, horses naturally want to be bound to the herd. As humans, we are not so different. Our species also has a social nature, and most prefer to be part of a group.” Come on readers, “join up” with Heroes on Horseback. The joy you will see on our clients’ faces as they ride or groom our beautiful horses will raise your spirit to another level. Trust me, I’m speaking from years of wonderful experience. Thanks so much for your thoughts, Dr. Spiers. The rewards for volunteers are priceless. Bernie

P.O. Box 3678 Bluffton, SC 29910 Visit heroesonhorseback.org 757-5607 office or 757-5612 fax

Heroes on horseback wants to sincerely thank all that have supported our mission to provide therapeutic horseback riding and equine assisted activities to people living with special needs in the lowcountry.

Davis Loar after receiving ribbon at the spring horse show. Shown with volunteer team Ann, Larry & Chris.

From the Horses Mouth Our herd says thank you from the bottom of their barrel bellies to all the volunteers that cared for them while we rested the pastures.You all know who you are and we love the time that you gave to us.Thanks again – and please keep coming back to give us treats!

Blake from the PEP Summer Strive camp learning to groom a horse.

Volunteer Spencer poses with the wooden horse he made for HOH. The horse, Rosie, is used to help students get the feel of being in a saddle before getting on the horse.

P.O. Box 3678 Bluffton, SC 29910 Visit heroesonhorseback.org 757-5607 office or 757-5612 fax