The High Hopes
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Inside this issue: Board Cha irman & Executive Director Message The Spiri t of Giving
Spring 2009
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s a part of our 35th Anniversary Celebration we thought participants, staff and volunteers, both long timers and relative newcomers would like a peek at our humble beginnings with some stories about "Then & Now".
Partnerships
Spotlight On Success Participants Then & Now
Ways to Give Wish List Memor ial Garden
From the Horse's Mouth Horses on Trial: The First Phase
Kerry Christiansen
High Hopes Happenings
Pattie Peoples, an original volunteer writes:
Horse Show Days Hoedown Concert
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, The High Hopes Rider is available in alternative formats upon request . Please contact Wendy Knight at Ext. 19.
H I GH
HO PE S
Therapeut ic Riding, Inc. Phone : 860.434 .1974 Fax: 860.434 .3723 www.highhop
estr.org
IN THE BEGINNING... there was a small caravan of dedicated volunteers who believed in Sis's dream. Our jobs in those days were somewhat different from today's volunteers. The day wou ld start by loading our own horses and equipment into trailers and trucks and driving them to w hatever facility was generously giving us time on that particular day of the week. Somewhat like "If this is Tuesday, it must be Belgium." Only for us it was if this is Monday, it must be Westbrook Hunt Club and I will need to bring "Apple" and "Cranberry" and their tack. We had one instructor, Ann Wright, a handful of "horsey" people, a dozen or so steadfast volunteers and a visionary leader, Sis Gould. The numerous barns that gave us ring time or the facilities we leased over the years have incl uded : Westbrook Hunt Club, Huntersfield, Race Hill Farm, Sea Horse Farm, Cricklewood Farm and Kingswood to name a few. We thank them all.
As the program expanded, a grow ing number of volunteers participated and many formed committees which evolved into a building committee, site searchers and fundraisers. Most importantly, we had an ever increasing number of r iders participating in what was then called L.C.V.E.R.A.(Lower CT Valley Educational Riding Association), now known as High Hopes Therapeutic Ridin g, Inc. At last year's horse show I was close to tears watching some of my riders from the 70's and 80's still participating. Kerry Christiansen rode in an independent dressage class. Kerry was 5 when I first met her. Now she is a grown woman and still riding. Sylvia, perhaps one of our oldest riders, rode my own horse "Apple" in the early days, and there she was riding Apache in the 2008 show. Over thirty years have passed since our humble beginnings. What an honor it is to be working side by side with old friends and getting to know new ones. It' s a great pleasure to share some memories about how a grassroots caravan of ho rses and ded icated vo lunteers grew to fulfill not only Sis's dream , but the hopes and dreams of many others. Congratulations to all of you for being a part of this very special program.
Founder
essa
High Hopes Board of Trustees Officers
from the
Board Chairman&
Executive Director Trustees s visionaries, Sis Gould and her merry band of cohorts from 1974 have much to be proud of. The dream of what was then called LCVERAand is now known as High Hopes Therape utic Riding , Inc. has been a w ell founded reality for 35 years. In the last year alone , we were able to d irectly affect over 1,000 people by providing equi ne assisted activities and therapies. Indirectly , we have a dramatic effect on the community through our training and education programs and the more than 29,000 volun teer hours that are given annually to High Hopes.
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Honorary Trustees
Chairmen Emeriti
Advisory Members High Hopes Staff
Our founders and the subsequent leaders of High Hopes have prov ided the guidance and framework for success.Through the commitment of our Board of Trustees, our donors, our participants and our vo lunteers, we have created a solid, well established program. High Hopes is positioned to weather the current economic sto rm, and our commitment to continue providing the quality of services for which we are know n is solid. As you have heard repeatedly from us, we are managing our expenses, tightening our belts and staying the course. Despite the economic gloom, there is vibrant sunshine to be had. Each and every day, High Hopes offers a place of possibilities. Snowy sleigh rides in March, trail rides beneath the budding spring trees in April and great expectations for May. It is these possibilities that we celebrate in this newsletter. We hope that you will enjoy these stories of success:the stories of our riders past and present; the story of our existence, from nomad to property owner; the stories of our partners . We want to thank you for your part in this journey of success.We look forward to continued partnerships with our participants , families, donors and our community as we march forward into the next 35 years!
t deceased
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*currently serving as a Trustee
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Partners for Success
eamwork,Partners, a11a••
a sense of Commurnify."t t these are words artd ••••• !L m~ " •tjI& f')hrasesthat have been a part ,pf' l:figh Hopes dictionary since I to work here as the Development . I Iif ll>irector almost four years ago.JI · I have w orked in development andJ :• fundraising my whole professiona lJlif~ 1 1:i>ut I can honestly say that until I came 1 to High Hopes I never experienced t He true meaning of those words ahd the 1 tremendous power that they have for changing lives. While the relationship between our participants and horses is the most visible example of a High Hopes partnership, other examples can be seen in every aspect of High Hopes' operations . You see it in the teamwork that exists between our volunteers and
staff meml:i>ers,the partnerships we have forg~d with our local schools, group h0mes and community care center ~ and i~ the sense of s~ared understanding and caring felt by the parents a7'd c~regivers who r:neet each week in 0ur participant lounge. / However, each year in my role of Development Director I have the opportunity to witness an amazing example of partnership and teamwork demonstrated by the incredible gathering of talent and committed volunteers working to create our annual spring benefit event. This year's Concert in the Barn will be the culmination of over 16 months of careful planning and creative thinking by 33-_CommitteeChairs and 100 volunteers. Event Chairs, Patty Ganey
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and Uohn Evans, have gathered together a core group of Committee Chairs who not only bring their many talents and strong sense of dedication 1 to the high Hopes' mission, but also db nate countless hours of hard work. Their selfless contributions and sincere desire to see this annual event exceed its critical budgetary goals truly exemplifies for me the word "partner" and the phrase "spirit of giv ing." I would like to list the committee chairs for this year's event but ask that, as you read their names, you realize that there is a small army of volunteers mustered behind each committee chair working on the creation of what promises to be an exciting and successful 2009 Concert in the Barn.
Accounting ..••••.........•.•••.•••.Linda Picazio
Hors D'oeuvres ....................Penny Nelson
Auction Co-Chair .............Sandy Thurston
Insurance/Permits ................ Petra Shearer
Auction Co-Chair ...... ............ Donna Scott
Insurance/Permits ............ Deborah Welles
Beverages ...•••.•..•................... Dave Lucey
lnvitations ................... Sarah Hill Canning
Beverages ..•.••..•..•..•••.•.••...... Matt Sharpe
Invitation Design ................ Mick Marsden
Corporate Sponsorship Casey O'Brien Chair •••••••.•••••.••••.•••..••..••
Invitation Mailing .....................Mary Mille
Corporate Sponsorship Chair •....•..•.•..•....••....••.•.•••..• Hugh Scott
Production & Design Coordination .................•.. Dave Tiffany
Dinner ...................•......Kathy Stephenson Event Chair ......................•........John Evans
Production & Design Coordination ................ Kathy Walburn
Event Chair ..........••..::.............Patty Ganey
Program Content .................... Susie Childs
Event Media ....•.••••:........ Barbara Ballard
Reservations/Seating .... Cheryl Heffernan
Event Presentation ........... Hannah Childs Event Presentation ....................Joe Marini
Sanitation .........Roger and 1Marcia Smith Sanitation/clean up ....••.Carolyn Jagielski
Event Secreta,r .•••.••........ Connie Corbett
Sanitation/clean up •.••.••••••.•...Chris Coyle
Facility Prep ...........................iJeff Ridgway
Scholarship Drive ..........•Alison Ritrovato
Fire and Security .........,............John Evans
Talent Hospitality ..........•••....Judie Driscoll
Grounds .......................
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Master of Ceremonies ........... Bob Ballard
Jim Lewis
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ot on1 In our 35 th Year, we would like to share updates on some of our Riders. Here are just a few stories and pictures from participants over the years. We would like to invite ALL of our riders and families to join us at the Annual Meeting on October 18th for a Reunion . Please mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information in the Fall Newsletter!
Lisa came to LCVERAas an anxious, tin y six year old whe n the program was operating out of Race Hill Farm in Madison, CT. In time , Lisa overcame her fears and
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she learned that she could control her horse, be successful and have fun! After 29 years with High Hopes, Lisa has most recently graduated to the carriage driving program with cont inued success.
t uccess After Apple retired to Emily Fisher's home, Sylvia was one of our first participants t o become invo lved in the driving program and continues to drive today as pictured below left w ith Al.
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LCVERA in 1983 at t he age of 46. Challenged by spastic Cerebral Palsy, Sylvia showed courage and remarkable trust in those w ho were i nvolved in the early years of therapeutic riding in this country. In 1985, Sylvia trave led to Texas for the National CP Games, accompanied by Jonnie Edwards, Judy Lightfoot and Instructor, Ann Wright, where she went on to wi n a ribbon. Sylvia frequently rode the very special horse, App le. Apple, owned by Pattie Peoples, was loaned to LCVERAand High Hopes and was shared by many of our riders through the years.
=~~}fz{. , at 25 years of age with impressive riding skills. She continues to hone her skills and is often a role model for others as she demonstrates for her classmates. Lisa's passion is competit ion. She competed successfully in the CT Special Olympics for many years. In 1995 she rep resented Team Connecticut in the Special Qlympics World Games,held at High Hopes, coming home proudly w ith many medals. Lisa continues to be an inspiration to all the riders and staff at High Hopes.
Many of you will remember the Reader's Digest Article from 1987 called, "A Boy Who Climbed the Marigold", which featured Paul Burkharth and several of our LCVERAriders. Jenny, one of Paul's friends and an avid horse enthusiast, helped to convince him to participate. Jenny rode with LCVERAfor many years. Her mom, June, served on our Board of Trustees. Although she no longer rides w it h High Hop es, Jenny now comes to High Hopes w it h her cleaning crew from SARAH, Inc. every Friday. It is wo nderful to see her smili ng face and hear of her escapades wit h Special Olympics.
Jake started at LCVERA when he was not quite two years old. Jake could not walk by himself and needed the support of a back rider on the horse. Initially, Jake wanted no part of therapeutic riding and was very upset that he could not be with his mom. His team of horsehandler, therapist and sidewalkers had to sing the entire ride to keep him from crying. As soon as the singing stopped, the crying began. Now, Jake's instructor, Bill, can count on him to be the class leader when the group does games or exercises. He has an excellent memory and will steer unerringly to objects hidden around the arena. Jake is often the first to respond to quest ions and is an active participant in his group lesson. According to Bill, "Jake continues to improve in his riding skills each week and is a pleasure to have in class".
Landon began riding with LCVERA as a very young girl. The extent of her physical involvement required the skill of a Physical Therapist and well trained hippotherapy team. Landon is perhaps most famous, as our "poster child" on the materials for the capital campaign. You might recall her as the very little child on Romey as_seen
from behind, walking through the field of flowers. Her Dad, Rives, has been a very involved member of the Board and was instrumental in the building of our very own faci lity. Landon is now in her ¡1astsemester of law school and will be graduat ing in May. Never one to be idle for long, Landon will be starting a two month Bar study course (the day after graduation!) in preparation for the Bar exam at the end of July. Way to go Landon ... we are all so proud of you an,d look forward to hearing more about your achievements.
Today at 32 Josh lives in Chester with five other young men at Brian House Inc. supportedliv ing home. He works f ull time for AVP, an adult vocational program affiliated with Brian House. Josh wor ks outdo~rs year round in yard maintenance and wood splitting. He is very happy to be living semi-independent ly and he's only ten minutes from his family in Essex. Josh Webster began his therapeutic riding career at the age of four and a half when High Hopes was still known as LCVERA.Ann Wright, his instructor, worked with him one -on-one introducing him slowly and carefully to all the animals and farm vehicles on her beautiful farm in Salem. Up until this time Josh had no expressive language skills. That changed very quickly when Ann first put Josh on a horse. His receptive language skills we re normal and he understood all the commands she taught him. One day, while riding, wide-eyed and filled with excitement, Josh uttered his first word ever ... "W HOA" . What a day! This was the beginning of his expressive language development at age five. Josh progressed from oneon-one sessions w ith Ann to small group lessons and became one of Sis Gould's first carr iage drivers at the newly built facility in Old Lyme. Josh continued in the program through high school.
Josh is very active in Special Olympics and has earned many medals over the years in volleyball, basketball, skiing and swimming. Josh has frequent ly vacationed on western ranches in New Mexico and Wyom ing where he enjoys trail riding with his family "Happy Birthday and THANK YOU High Hopes for the part you played starting Josh on the road toward a successful, happy and independent life." said Sally Mayer, Josh's mother.
Special thanks for the contributions and memories from Judie Driscoll, Jonnie Edwards, Carolyn Jagielski, Sally Mayer, Bill Prout, Holly Ridgway and Kitty Stalsburg.
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~~~** T'-* ~· Wishes ... • Now that spring is upon us, the horses all need to be dewormed again. Holly tells me we need paste dewormer (preferably Zimectrin or Equimax). These yummy tubes cost $10-13 a piece and we currently have a herd of 26. They are available at most feed and tack stores (Shagbark, Fox Ledge Tack Shop, The Paddock, etc). • Then, as the weather warms up, we need fly spray to keep our herd protected from the annoying flies. Fly spray is available at tack and feed stores for about $12 a bottle or
Memorial Garden
$130 per case. • To keep the paddocks in repair we need three hole locust fence posts. These are available at Shagbark or Ring's End lumber for about $13 a piece. • For our riders we need ASTM riding helmets and cotton riding gloves. • As always we can use stationery supplies of all kinds, paper products, cleaning supplies and beverages of all kinds.
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his spring the High Hopes Memorial Garden will be transformed as the first step in the creation of Sis's Trail of Hope. Two years ago High Hopes received a generous gift from Amanda Rutledge in memory of her horse, Jasmine, who became a much loved member of the High Hopes herd . The purpose of Amanda's gift was to help create a garden that would honor the memory of the incredible
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Open Houses
s the warm wec1ther advanc,:es,High Hopes bids a fond farewell to the eight lnstructo"' Training candidates who spent most of this ast winter with us. Once again, this wc1sa diverse gro4p affrae::ting Tae-Woon Jung and Hee-Kyoung ~im from South Korea, Megan MacNie::hol from Montana, Alex Kalman from New Jersey, Antoinette DeGruccio from New York and Polly Styron, Michele Marrin and Jane Samuels from Connecticut. High Hopes serves as a leader in our profession not only in terms of our program's innovation and quality, but as a training and education center for prospective tfierapeutic riding instructors. We are one of only six independent therapeutic riding centers in the eountry to offer the NARHA approved Instructor Training Course. In order to receive NARHA's approval, we have met or exceeded stringent requirements for content and methods of presentation in our therapeutic riding program. The presence of our Instructor Training students enriches our programs much like resident doctors do in a teaching hospital, and provides a rich cultural exchange within our community. To learn more about our Instructor Training Course contact
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Kitty Stalsburg at 860-434--1974 x 13 .
Winter 2009 ITC Candidates
Back row: Megan, Michelle. Polly, Alex and Antoinett e Frnnt Row: Kim . Jan e and ]1111 g
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his past January and February High Hopes held a series of Open Houses. May be it was the promise of homemade chili or the chance to escape the winter doldrums but we were pleased to welcome many new visitors thru our doors. Hosted by the Annual Appeal Committee our guests had the opportu nity to watch a lessons in progress, tour the busy barn , meet horses, volunteers and participants and have a question and answer discussion w ith Executive Director Kitty Stalsburg and Board Chairman Tony Thurston. We wil l be hosting more of these informal Open Houses in the spring and summer and you can check for dates on our web site. We also welcome visitors any day of the week, so if you have a friend, fam ily member or neig hbor you would like to introduce to High Hopes, please call Sara Qua at 860-434-1974 x 22 or email her at squa@highhopestr.org . We lo ok forward to welcoming you any time!!
Congratulations to everyone and hats off for a terrific job. Spri11 g 2 0 09
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Fron1 the ,
orses out Horses on Trial: The First Phase
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he task of finding new horses to join the High Hopes hercl is a multi-step process that usually begins with a phone call or an on-line submission via the High Hopes website. There is a two-phase process that all horses must go through before they even enter the property. The first step is usually done through a phone interview. The owner, or representative, of the horse answers a series of questions regarding the horse's age, current workload, prior training, temperament , health and turnout schedule in an effort to learn more about the horse's suitability for working at High Hopes. The questions also pertain to any past medical issues as well as the horse's ability to work 10 to 12 hours per week. We require that each horse be able to work at the walk, trot, and canter. Although very few horses canter in program, there are a number of reasons we requir e that they be able to work at all three gaits. The first is that if the horse is not sound enough to walk, trot, and canter it is unlikely the horse will be able to serve the needs of our riders. A second reason is that High Hopes hosts many different events such as registered on-site workshops and certifications, master preparatory workshops, and several instructor training candidate courses which require that our horses are able to walk, trot, and canter. Another reason the horses must be able to work at all three gaits is schooling as it is a very important way for the horses to get a mental and physical break from their daily routine.
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Once the initial questionnaire has been completed, the next phase of the process is for the 0wner to fill out more detailed paperwork and create a video of the horse being groomed and ridden. Once submitted, the staff reviews the video, paying particular attention to the personality and gaits of the horse which will help the staff decide if the horse is appropriate fo r further consideration. There are so many people - staff, volunteers, and participants - who have to handle the
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horses, it takes a horse with an exceptional temperament to come to High Hopes. The next step in the process involves scheduling a visit with the horse during which we watch the horse being groomed to make sure that the horse will stand quietly. The next part of the visit entails riding the horse at the walk, trot, and canter in each direction. This is the time that we see
how sensitive the horse is t0 leg and voice aids. High Hopes generally looks for horses that are not overly responsive to leg aids so that the horses will be able to serve a variety of riders. Once the horse has been ridden , the next step is to attach a double-ended lead line to the bridle and lead the horse with a rider. Some of the prospective horses that we visit are not comfortable being led while a rider is on their back. Then we add a sidewalker to help simulate what the horse would be doing at High Hopes. The final step is to show the horse a few of the toys that we might use at Hig h Hopes. Many of these experiences are new for the horses as the y have not usually been ridden or led w ith hu la hoops around their necks or rings hangin g off of their ears!! Thr oughout the who le process we are evaluating the horse's responses to what we are asking of them. We do not expect the horses to have no reaction, but we are looking for a "sensible " react io n to new stimuli. The fina l step occurs w hen we return to High Hopes. The staff meets as a team to decide w hether the ho rse wo uld be appropriate for the program and could help improve the quality of our herd. With this decision comes the completion of the first phase of the prospective horse trial process. Look for a detailed account of the horse's day to day schedule once they have come to High Hope on trial in a future article! Until then ... Happy Trails!!!
High HopesAnnual
ollowing the successful format initiated last year the High Hopes Horse Show will be spread out over a full week. Thi s allows every participant to show off their skills within their regularly scheduled class time with their regular eq uine partner. Special activities for the week include:
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• Awards for all our riders • Refreshments & goodies for riders, families and friends • A teacup raffle of goods and services • VIP guests, ribbon presenters and the opportunity to highlight rider skills for families, neighbors, teachers and friends • A commemorative program filled with a schedule of the week's events along with the good wishes of individual and business horse show supporte rs.
Sponsored by the George C. Cain Memorial Fund
Show classes run Monday-Friday from 9:30 am - 7:30 pm & Saturday from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Come on Down to the High Hopes Hoedown! Saturday , Sept. 12, 2009
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his fall High Hopes is launching a major new, family -oriented event, the High Hopes Hoedown . The fun kicks off at 2pm w ith games and activities for all ages, team competitions, area fire department displays and riding demonstrations . Then we all move into the arena for an amaz ing barbeque supper provided by Outback Steakhouse of New London and da ncing to the music of Smokehouse . For information on tickets , putting together a team or becoming a corporate sponsor contact Sara Qua at 860-434-1974 x 22 or ema il squa@highhopestr.org or visit our web site at www .highhopestr.org .
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Contributors to the
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High HopesRider Spring 2009 Photos & Articles:
Judie Driscoll, Jonn ie Edwards, Lauren Fitzgerald , Carolyn Jagielski, Sally Mayer,
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igh Hopes is pleased to present one of the hottest bands on the West Coast, The Swing Kings, in concert to benef it our programs and participants. Step into ou r transformed barn on June 13th for a fabulous evening of great music, dancing, delicious food (catered by Dinners at the Farm) and an enticing selection of travel getaway 's and one -of -a-kind offerings. To learn more about The Swing Kings, visit their w ebsite at SwingKings .com For tickets and more information cont act Jennifer Piner-Wyman at 860-434-1974 x 23 or email jwyman@highhopest r.org
Patt ie Peop les, Bill Prout , Sara Qua, Holly Ridgway, Kitty Stalsburg, Holly Sundmacker, Tony Thurston Editor: Sue Chodorov Designer: CDesign
This newsletter is underwritten by
or visit our web site
==~ www.high hopestr .org .
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