HIGH Therapeutic
HOPES
The
Riding , Inc.
High HopesRider
I
Summer
2005
"MY HOPES" Inside this .issue: Board President & Executive Director Message Spotlight on Succes s Multi-Therapy Immersion Camp The Spirit of Giving Volunteer Cis Mattheissen Essex Savings Bank How you can help
From the Horse's Mouth What Makes an Olympic Champion? Hig h Hopes Happenings Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Comes to High Hopes 20th Annual Horse Show Corporate
& Foundation Thank You 's In accord ance with the A mer icans wi th Disabilit ies Act. The High Ho pes Rider is available in alter native for mats upon request . Please contact Judie Driscoll at Ext. 19. Phone: (860) 434-1974 Fax: (860) 434-3723 www.highhopestr.org
Thi s story was c o ntri buted Jo hnson, parent of a ride r.
by Jennife r
My son Marshall loves High Hopes - in fact he calls it " My Hopes". T he first time he said it , I smiled, but I realized that Marshall was right , High Hopes is a place where every week my family experiences a precious hour of laughter and joy. Marshall is IO now, and he has been riding at High Hopes since he was five. From his very first r ide on Doc. Marshall has loved riding. Before Marshall started expressing himself with language, he would cry whenever we drove past the highway exit to High Hopes. At first his cry ing seemed out of the blue. but soon we realized he was consistently crying "there." We knew he wished we were heading for High Hopes.
Mar shall le ads a happy life a nd High Hopes is a huge part of that. It is hard to describe the ways that High Hopes has "helped" Marshall, every week I see his happiness with Cody and his instructors. Over the years, Marshall has gotten physically stronger and more aware of himself in space. At High Ho pes, he has found a place and an activity that he tr uly loves. Mind you . if you've been to the annual Horse Show, Marshall is the kid crying as the staff and volunteers quietly scramble to get him on a horse, even if his class isn't next. But once in the saddle, Marshall is a gleeful, if not cooperative rider. There may not always be focus, but there is always joy. Marshall's instr uctors have worked hard to improve his spoken language. and he learned quick ly to say "walk on." He also understo o d exactly wh at "whoa " meant fo r a long time . but he never wanted to say it. Why stop if you can be moving? On a recent airplane trip, we were waiting on the runway for take-off, when I heard Marshall quietly but clearly say "Walk on ." He obviousl y knows the meaning of those two powerful wo rds1 Mar shall has phenomenal balance
now and regularly swings on t he playground nohanded. He is the same o n horseback, a fan of the no-handed trot and the no-handed posting trot , neither of which are recommended or permitted. T his w inter. Kristen Perna!, one of the many patient instructors who has been teaching Mar shall, just stopped Cody every time Marshall let go. As long as he ho lds on to the saddle, he may trot . He knows t he ru les, but somet imes laughter and silliness st ill w in out. The instructo rs have been creative over the last five years, challenging Marshall and st retching his abilities. His voluntee rs, Bruce and Paul, direct Marshall by stopping the horse and asking him to spell a word. There is great incentive to get moving again, so he is quick with an answer ! T he spelling brings him back to t he present where he is tuned in to the horse, the people around him, and the class. Marshall leads a happy life. and High Hopes is a huge part of that . Now at breakfast when we talk about the plan for the day, Marshall will say "We go to My Hopes." It does seem like the perfect name for the place, r eflecting his hopes and all of our s, too .
Photofrom Annual Horse Show. Marshall is shown riding Ponchowith volunteersCherylHeffernan & Linda Taylor.
FOU N DER Mary K. ··sis.. Gouldt
HIGH H O P ES BOARD OF DIR EC T O RS OF FICERS
President John C. Evans Vice Pr eside nt/Secretary Barbara Earle Ballard Vice Pres ident for Deve lopment Cheryl Kelly Heffernan
T reas urer Deborah A. Welles
D IR ECT ORS Sally H. Aubrey Jane A Bolles Christopher M. Coyle Elizabeth L. David
Message from BoardPresident& ExecutiveDirector
JaneI. Davison Katharine H. Gildersleeve Pauline C. Knoll Judith F. Lightfoot Heather Leigh Norch rop Mark O'Connell
A. Rives Potts Jeffrey Ridgway Anthony C. Thurston Kelvin N. Tyler David E. Walker , MD Claudia T. Weicker Dor inda Winkelman
H O NO RARY DIRECTORS Lytt leton B. P. Gould , Jr .
Frank Hamilton. Jr. Gr.tee Hamilton
Vvayne 0. Southw ick. MD
P RES IDEN T S EMERITI Shetley Furgueson Betsy Hom
ExecutiveDirectorAlisonZack Darrelland BoardPresidentjohn C. Evans
BarbaraKashanski Judith F. Lightfoo t"
A. Rives Potts* Jeffrey RidgwarRoger M. Smith Kelvin N. Tyle r" t Deceased
Have you ever asked yourself, "What keeps High H opes running1"
• CurrentlyServing as a Director
HIGH HO PE S ST A FF
Alison Zack Darrell, Extcutivt Director Barbara Abrams, Instructor Caro l Brining, AdministrotN~Assmont , & BornStoff Erin Ca in, Instructor Patti Coy le, Instructor Renya Cra ig, ReceptionistI Program AdministrotivtAssis-tont Jo hn D r iscoll 1 Caretaker Judie Drisco ll, DevelopmentAssistant Jonnie Edwards, Instructor Amy Gardner, Ass;«ont Sorn Manager Kat hryn S.Gu er-nsey, Instructor Carolyn Jagielsk i, PhysicalThtropist I Instructor Kr ist in Elli ott Leas, BarnManager Nico le McClu re, Born Stoff Bill N elligan, Instructor D awn Ne lligan, Instructor Jeanna Pelli no, VolunteerCoordinator/ Instructor Kr istin E. Per-nal1 Instructor A nne Peter-son, Instructor Linda Lee• Picazio, Accountant Landon Potts, AdministrativeAssistant Ho lly Ridgway, Instructor Petr-a 8. Shearer, Business Manager Kitty StaJsbur-g,ProgramDirector Lo r na Young, Instructor
vidual gIvIng (annual appeal. benefit event contributions. etc.), 35% from volunteers' time valued at the official rate attributed to volunteering in Connecticut and the other 30% from . for the most part , earned income . foundation grants and corporate support.
It is apparent that a heavy pull comes from the highly qualified and professional staff at High Hopes. and that a combination of individual giving, corporate and foundation support and program fee income play a major part. Bue the heft of volunteer t ime is not so apparent until the total hours given each year are tallied then you begin to see the real deal with respect to what it cakes to fuel the High Hopes engine. When quantified, the volunteer time contributed to High Hopes on an annual basis, in essence doubles the amount of indiv idual giving that keeps us up and running.
Our financial statements don ' t report our figure s this way - volunteer time is reflected in a mere footnote. Some footnote! T he fact of the matter is that 01i.1rvolunteers contribute major weight to our operations. and when their time is quantifi ed and factored into our "financia l picture" , the High Hopes operat ing budget is actually compounded by 35%.
It turns out chat about 35% of our support comes from indi-
This means. that in terms of value added, for every doll ar
that is contributed to H igh Hopes by individua ls, it's value is doubled by the individua l contribution of time that volunteers give to the organization. In t he end, w ithout volunteers, there wo uld be no point in asking individuals to give financia lly and, without individual monetary gifts, there would be no H igh H opes for vo lunteers to serve. That, in a nutshell. is the wonderful symbios is that keeps High Hopes runn ing. To all of you who contribute to the High Hopes engine of success. let t his be a huge THAN K YOU note! - Jack & Alison
Spotlighton Success THE GEORGE C. CAIN FUND BRINGS HOPE FOR INDIVIDUALS HIGH HOPES MUL Tl-THERAPY The number of children diagnosed with Autism has grown in leaps and bounds over the past decade. Many theories exist as to the reason for this increase and many doctors and researchers have dedicated their lives to studying this disorder in order to find its cause and possible cure. In the meantime the families living with a loved one who has Autism want and need healthy activities, and that's where High Hopes was able to step in last summer, thanks to a grant from the George C. Cain Fund. Always looking for ways to further improve the services provided to families, Program Director Kitty Stalsburg partnered with Occupational Therapist Janine Stoner. to develop a specialty camp for children with Autism and their parents. The idea was to provide these families with an intensive experience where they would be immersed in therapeutic activities which would help them satisfy the myriad of needs that accompany the diagnosis. The Mult i-Therapy Immersion Camp lasted three days. with activities for both parent and child. Each day participants had two riding experiences, 1-2 sessions of occupational therapy. and an expressive therapy (art and/or music) experience. The variety of therapeutic experiences offered during each day necessitated the involvement of many professionals and volunteers.
Multi-Therapy
IMMERSION
The occupational therapy sessions focused on helping kids become more engaged and organized in their approach co activities. using sensory integration. Kids participated in specialized therapeutic listening programs, used therapy swings. and took pare in a variety of other activities that provided significant sensory input.
WITH
AUTISM:
CAMP
boxes were a big success!
These sessions were followed by a hippotherapy session in the arena. where a NARHA certifi ed instructor, occupational therapist , and vo lunteers worked to meet the individual needs of the riders using the horse to provide the sensory input needed to improve body awareness and motor coordination. After a quic k snack. the kids participated in expressive art or music therapy. The expressive art program allowed the children to use various media to create group and individual projects. The music therapist used songs and simple instruments, coupled with movement. to help the participants establish rhythm and follow directions . After lunch, t he last ¡ride of the day was done as a group. Everyone brushed and tacked the horses and headed out for a trail ride. The beautiful trails at High Hopes offer a wide variety of activit ies th at are attention grabbing, as well as visually and tactilely stimulating. The hanging "noodles" and the shadow
Immersion Camp at High Hopes
A Poem by Marny Mansfield In mere hours they took flight Instructors and therapists gained insight The paint, the swings, the horse hair Parents and kids out in the fresh air Volunteers shared in the delight As their students did it right A new place they'd go Thanks to Higp Hopes .....
Parents also played a vital role in this program, by supporting their children and participating in activities thro ¡ughout the day. They were rewar ded with individual massage therapy sessions and riding instruction which gave them a chance to receive as well as give. Occupational The rapist Marny Mansfield, who came from Vermont to coinstruct this program said, "The intensive
model using the magic of the horse, music and rhythm, and expressive therapies allowed for unparalleledstudent progress in an extremely short time frame. The students gained powerful and important skills (coordination,self esteem, communication, etc.) both on the horse and carried over into their dailylives." High Hopes is extremely grateful to the George C. Cain Fund for providing the opportunity for the development of a creative and innovative pilot program to meet the needs of families with disabilities in Co nnecticut.
The SpiritofGiving MINl'S MOM HANDS OVER REINS Standing less than 34 inches at the withers, t he miniature horse has earned a special place in the heart of millions and in particular with High Hopes' good fr iend and long-time volunteer Cis Matthiessen of Lyme. Miniature horses were developed by successive breeding of the smallest ho rses from a variety of breeds and eventually emerged as their own breed. Miniature horses were imp o rted into the United Stat es 1925. priaround mar ily to work in coal mines hauling carts. Happily. over the years. minis lost their jobs in the coal mines and became pets, show animals and carriage drivers for families with small children .
mates won over 200 ribbons during those 8 years. Cis has been tireless in sharing her minis for the benefit of High Hopes. She has visited over 20 nursing homes
the H igh Hopes' Old Lyme Midsummer Festival booth , where the interaction between the minis and children of all ages is a treasured sight to behold . Merry , Happy , Stormy, T ony, Barnaby, Lacey. Tr acy, Tony - these are just a few of the Wood Duck Farm m1n1s w ho have been part of the High Hopes experience.
Later th is year, Cis is retiring. She has found homes for the minis now in her herd , Lacey, Tracy, T ony, Merry and Timmy. We will miss them - Cis has prom ¡ised us, though, that she will sti ll be at High Hopes often in her KirinPeaglerand CisMatthiessenwith two of Cis' minis. vo lunteer role . Like Cis pur¡chased her so many who help first minis in 1990. a keep H igh H opes from Madison to Groton, directing mare named Merry and her mom. vibrant and growing, she remains honoraria from these visits to H igh Cis' love of minis developed on three dedicated to our program . Be sure to Hopes. They have marched in parade fronts - at Wood Duck Farm where stop by the Hi gh Hopes booth at the dress behind the High Hopes banner they receive her loving and expert Old Lyme Mids ummer Festival on July in countless Old Lyme Memorial Day care, in Northeast Regional Miniature 30th and than k Cis and her minis for and Horse Show rings and in sharing them all they have given to us. We thank for the benefit of High Hopes at many you, Cis, for the many years you and Hamburg Cove 4'h of July Parades. venues. Over the years, a tota l of 30 your minis have volunteered for High They have come to the High H opes adults and 16 babies have been memHopes. and for showing us the true Annual Horse Show to be petted and bers of Cis' herd. They have lived in spirit of giving. admired. They have given carriage stables specially built for them by C is r ides to campers and to children takand her family , to accommodate their size and needs. A member of the ing part in the annual Fire DepartMiniature Horse Association of New ment of New York Day of Caring held at High Hopes. Cis' favorite England. Cis showed minis from 1994 activity has been their appearances at until 2002. Merry and her stable
CUSTOMERS OF ESSEX SAVINGS BANK CHOOSE HIGH HOPES For the I0th year in a row , High Hopes was part of the Essex Savings Bank's Community Investment Program. As Gregory R. Shook, Presid ent and Chief Executive Officer of Essex Savings Bank explained , "The Community Investment Program is des igned to provide financial support and visibility to these dedicated organizations and their people who enhance the quality of life in our communities. " Each year, the bank donates I 0% of its after tax net income to non-profit organizations and community development projects in its seven town market area.
WOULD
Bank customers are given the opportunity to select from a list of 68 qualified organizations that made application for this investment program. According to Thomas Lindner , Vice President and Community Relations Officer for the bank, 7, I 55 votes were cast this year, between February I and March 15. High Hope s received 258 votes, making it one of the top ten recipients (a position we have held every year we have participated!) A recept ion was he ld to honor these highrank ing organizations and Program Director, Kitty Stalsburg, accepted a check for $2, I 55 on behalf of High Hopes. These
funds will be used to provide scholarships to children w ith special needs from Chester, Deep River, Essex, Old Saybrook, Westbrook, Lyme and O ld Lyme (the seven towns in the bank's market area), enabling them to participate in programs at High Hopes. Our appreciation and grat itude goes out once again to those at Essex Savings Bank for their tradition of caring for and investing in the peop le of their community. And thanks to those bank customers who voted for us - we appreciate your vote of confidence!
YOU LIKE TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO HIGH HOPES? HERE IS HOW YOU CAN HELP!
Enclosed please find my check payable to High Hopes T herapeutic Riding, Inc. Name: ---
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Increase the value af your High Hopes contribution with a matchinggift. If you or your spouse are employedby a company that offers matching gifts, please request a matching gi~ form from the personneldepartment and mail it with your contributions. All gi~s are tax-deductible .
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Fromthe Horse'sMouth WHAT
MAKES AN OLYMPIC CHAMPION?
Th e foll ow ing art icl e w as w ri tten by Hi g h Ho pes Phy sica l T hera pist C ar o lyn Jagielsk i and Ba rn Manager K r ist in Elli ot Leas, and cho se n as a wi nn er in t he Bl ue Seal Feeds Inc. Seni o r H o rs e Pho to Co nt est. A s a w inne r, D and y r eceived V intage Sen ior H orse Feed and RoundersÂŽ H orse T reats . During the Olympics, it was noted that to be successful. the horse and rider must forge a bond of trust. The horse must do as the r ider asks and have confidence in the rider's judgment. Developing this unique relationship between one horse and one rider is challenging enough. so the prospect of one horse developing this bond with four different riders in three days was unheard of. However. for a very special horse named Dandy Bar King. this was just what he had in mind. In 1995, High Hopes Therapeutic Riding hosted the Equestrian venue of the Special Olymp ics. Horses and riders from across
the country came to perform at this event. Dandy's class of choice was the Prix Caprilli dressage course. which included jumps. The jumps in the course were the same height as the small fence surrounding the course. There were no leaders or sidewalkers in this event, just the horse and his rider. Because of this, many of the horses jumped o ut of the cou rse dur ing their competitive test. But one horse never did. One horse stayed on course for all of his riders. He stayed calm even with hundreds of spectators wavi ng and cheering. He earned blue ribbons for his riders and made coaches ecstatic. T his unique horse that places such great trust in all his riders came to High Hopes in 1993. In 1995, he served the world and came out a winner . And in 1998, he retired at the age of 23. He went to a home where he could have individual atten tion and fewer daily demands; a place where he could teach small children how to ride and how to develop trust in their horse. Dandy was always very careful with children. We t hought that we had given this ho rse the wonderful retirement that he had earned by placing him at what seemed like a very comfortable and safe barn. But the next winter. the Barn Manager received an alarming telephone
call. One of High Hopes' most cherished horses had been neglected and starved almost to death. Dandy was broug ht back to High Hopes that very day. He was dehydrated and could barely stand, was very thin and had open sores on his legs. He was having a great deal of difficulty breathing and the vet was not certain that he would live. T his ho rse always had a deep trust in Man. but Man had failed him. However. there was no way that the Barn Manager and her crew was going to let him down now. After consultation w ith a Blue Seal expert, Dandy was put on a special diet to help restore his weight and strength. His breat hing problems, which are comparable to asthma in humans continued . Now, when his breathing becomes difficult, Dandy must have a treatment from his own horsesized inhaler that fits over his muzzle. Ever trusting, he always stands quietly and patiently while receiving therapy. Despite the fact that Dandy has been abused, he continues to t r ust us. To honor t hat trust we feed him top quality feed, Blue Seal Vintage Senior, and keep an ample supply of his expensive breathing treatme nt on hand. As t he saying goes, he is "worth his we ight in gold" and to keep that weight o n t he high and healthy side we depend on the experts at Blue Seal t o advise us on his nutrit ional needs.
TRUE COLORS WILL BE SHOWN AT THE 20TH ANNUAL HORSE SHOW Mark your calendar s for the 20 t h Annual H igh Hopes Horse Show on Satur day, June 4, 2005 when our r iders w ill show their " T RUE C O LO RS" and impress us w it h all th ey've accom plished. In addition to tradit ional Equitation & Command classes, th is years show will include an O bst acle Course and a Car r iage D riving demonstrat ion. Arts , crafts & r efres hment s w ill also be available fo ,- everyone. T he Ope ning Ceremony begins at 9 am, so do n't miss this f un, family event! Walk ON!
HighHopes Happenings BIG BAD VOODOO A name like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (BBVD), probably doesn't conjure up images of fedora hats and classic I 940'sera suits. However . that's exactly what this dynamic group is renowned for , in addition to their lively swing style music. Audiences of all generations fill concert halls across the nation for shows that transport them to a more gentlemanly and wholesome per iod. In 1996 BBVD was tagged as one of the hottest, hippest. coolest bands around after the release of the movie "Swingers " thanks to BBVD's scene-stealing performance and three songs on the soundtrack album. In 1999 BBVD performed in front of 80 million viewers when they appeared during the Super Bowl halftime show with Stevie Wonder and Gloria Estefan. A household name at The White House. BBVD has bipartisan approval having played at private events for the current and former President Bush, as well as former President Cl inton . BBVD has made three appearances on The Tonight Show and has been seen on stages of the world's biggest and best Music Festivals, Jazz and Blues Festivals. Night Clubs, Symphony
DADDY COMES TO HIGH HOPES! collaborations, Black Tie Events and awards shows including the Grammy Awards. Billboard Awards and Espy Awards. They carry on the tr adition of
legendary big bands such as Glen Miller Orchestra, Benny Goodman and the Count Basie Big Band with constant touring and performing more than I 00 concerts each year in world-w ide venues. After a trip to New Orleans in 2002.
BBVD released Save My Soul to crit ical acclaim. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Live was released following more than ten year s of non-stop touring and constant cries from fans who wanted something they could take home with them to help them keep r eliving the concert even after it had ended. The seven member band of retro-cool performers will be appearing at High Hopes o n June I I, 2005 for a benefit concert in support of High Hopes programs. The event wil l begin wit h cocktails and hors d'oeuvres outs ide on the lawns of High Hopes, followed by guests moving in to High Hopes' indoor arena, converted to a glamorous cafe, for a seated dinner and concert. Tickets begin at $125. Come hear this amazing group of men who bring out the fun and optimism in everyone who hears them. To purchase tickets or get additional informat ion. please contact Judie Dr isco ll at 860.434.1974 Ext. 19. So grab your dancing shoes and come join Big Bad Voodoo Daddy in support of High Hopes!
Than I<you to Sovereign Bani< for "stepping up" as the lead sponsor for the High Hopes benefit event!
THANKYOU~THANKYOU~THANKYOU We thank the following Corporations and Foundations for support ing the High Hopes mission in the following special ways Uuly. 2004 - Apri l. 2005) The Community Foundation for Greater New H a ven - TherapyServices Concordia Foundation - GeneralOperatingSupport The Equus Foundation - VocationalTraining Citigroup Foundation - VocationalTraining The Henry Luce Foundation, Inc . - GeneralOperating Support Bodenwein Public Benevolent Foundation - SchoolGroupScholarships Essex Savings Bank - HighHopes newsletter SBC Employees' Community Services Fund - GreaterNew Haven Scholarships Thomas J. Atkins Memorial Fund - MiddlesexCountyScholarships Casner Family Foundation - GeneralScholarships Telaka Foundation, Inc. - GeneralOperatingSupport SBC Eastern Region Community Services Fund - General OperatingSupport
CONTRIBUTORS TO THE H IGH HOPES RIDER Photo s & Articles: Alison Zack Dar rell. Judie Driscoll, John C. Evans, Carolyn Jagielski, Jennifer Johnson. Kristin Elliott Leas, Marny Mansfield, Heather Leigh Northrop, Petra Shearer. Janine Stoner
Editor: Heather Leigh Northrop
De s igner: Kate Stephenson
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Old Lyme, CT Permit # I
High Hopes Ther apeutic Riding. Inc. 36 Tow n Woods Road P.O. Box 254 Old Lyme. CT 06371-0254
A Traditionof ExcellenceinTherapeuticRiding