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afternoon outings . He c learly loved being around t he horses here , a nd hisexubera nce and charm capti vated everyone he came in contact with .
Now, at age 81 and suffe ring from dementia , driving a carr iage at High Hopes is the perfect way for him to have a positive recreational experience and socia l interact ions.
Bob conti nues to enchan t the volunteers and staff that he int eracts with. Though raci ng horses was his profession , he is now timid and has lost the confidence he had years ago . Step by step , Bob is wo rking on Bob came to High Hopes because his caretaker, Heather, drove Blessing, re-building a rela tionship w ith ho rses a retired Standardbred racer in the that w ill e mpower him to drive with carriage dr iving lessons here as confidence and feel t he success that was once a part of his daily life . part of her own therapy following Like Bob , his horse Al is small in a car accident. She then became a caretaker for Bob, a retired trainer sta t ure but full of perso na lity and and driver who in his hey day had a life. The two wi ll work together to stable of 36 pacers and trotters for over build a partnersh ip that w ill help Bob reclaim a sense of independence 30 years. When she saw the promotion for an open house at High Hopes it was and hope fully restore the joy Bob felt the perfect choice for one of their around horses many years ago.
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Who could have known that by donating a young untrained filly to High Hopes 22 years ago a fam ily's generosity would impact the lives of hundreds of ride rs and uncountable volunteers? Today she is our longest serving equine and has earned the privilege of spending her retirement in sunny pastures back on the farm where her journey with High Hopes began. Born May 2, 1988, an unbroken eighteen month old Geri was donated to a therapeutic riding program on Long Island to be auctioned off as a fundraiser. Present at that event were Liz Lightfoot and Nick Clements from Lyme who were the daughter and sonin-law of two of High Hopes' earliest supporters, Richard and Judy Lightfoot. By the end of the auction Liz and
Nick had the winning bid and excited ly ca lled Kitty Stalsburg, then High Hopes Barn Manager, to say that they wanted to donate the filly to High Hopes. Kitty had to politely decline but arranged for Geri to spend the next three years "in school " at the Lightfoot 's home where she was prepared for a life at High Hopes. Over her many years at High Hopes, Ger i has performed in numerous capacities . Her unique quality of movement, a hallmark of her breed, made her an ideal m ount for our Physical Therapist, Carolyn, when conducting hippotherapy. As Geri matured her coat changed from dark gray to almost white , which made her a great mode l when summer campers painted the ir ponies or for instructors diag ramming an equine 's skele ton and muscles . Geri's role as the "first canter" horse for many intrepid riders was invaluable as she provided them with that golden moment , even if it is only a stride or two, that shows a
part icipant w ith physica l limita t ions that they can break free, eve n fly. Geri, because of her even, cons istent gai t and shorter stride, was the horse tha t gave the gift of fligh t to many riders over the years .
While her retiremen t will leave a hole in many hea rts and some b ig hoof prints to fill, it is a lso a joyous occas ion to ce leb rate he r equ ine g ifts given generously for so many years. Now we take the time to ho nor Geri w ith dignit y, respect and best wishes for a well-earned life of leisure. Please plan to join us on Wednesday , Ap ril 15'" at 2 PM for o specia l celebra tion in Geri's honor.
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Nicholas st{f/'hms!t, srdi hms!t, !1<J<dt"'d,:. 71/1<'.I'<' <ti'<'t!w loo/.\'11.l'C'r!lo groom l((il'.\'('.\' mu/ 01 I ligh I lop1'.1· eocli lumw l,a.1· H11bb1·r
Jodi, a vo lunteer and Smokey, our compact Shetland pony on learning to use the grooming b rushes and combs in just the right order.
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its 011 ·11 ,lfH'<'iolgrooming h11l'A'<'I. Do you know the proper order and how to use each one? Nicholas, a teenage High Hopes part icipant with a great smile does. Nicholas has autism and came to High Hopes two years ago when his mo t her, Gwen, was looking for an ac tivity that would address hisdifficulty forming relationships, communicating his thoughts and help him bu ild selfconfidence. With support from High Hopes' Financial Aid program Nicholas partic ipated in the unmounted Equine Learning Program and began learning the correct way to g room a horse.
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In his biggest leap in skill,Nicholas is learning to carriage drive and has a desire to ride in the future.
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The Unmoun t ed Equine Learning Program was a perfect fit for Nicholas given his love of animals. Working with our herd helped him solidify skillsthough horse care , handling , health and stable management. Nicholas worked w ith
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Al and Candy are a familiar sight pu lling thei r carriages around both the Old Lyme arena and at Camp Harkness in Waterford. Now, thanks to the generosity of two donors , Charlotte Gelston, who donated Blessing,a retired
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Nicholas found being redi rected and corrected in his choices was hard. Working together , Nicholas and Jodi developed a relat ionship based on trust and o ne in which making mistakes was okay . Gradually Nicholas developed the confidence to wo rk with horses of different sizes and temperaments in t heir stalls. Nicholas then gained the confidence to go into the paddocks , approach a horse, put a ha lter on and lead t he horse into the barn for grooming and tack.
DID YOU KNOW? ►
Children and young adults with autism are the largest group High Hopes serves. Their participation relies heavi ly on the financ ial aid provided by our donors.
► Autism statistics from the U.S . Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identify approximately 1 in 68 American children as on the autism spectrum - a ten-fold increase in prevalence in 40 years. An estimated 1 out of 42 boys and 1 in 189 girts are diagnosed with autism in the United States . SOURCE : CENlERSFOR DISEASE CONTl!Ol
He has also expressed the desire to ride in the future. But how else has t his pleasant young man , who likesto learn and enjoys his experience with horses, benefitted? Nicholas has learned to th ink sequent ia lly , wh ich iscritical to his academic gains. Nicholas has learned that with patience and kindnesshe can lead and work with his horse and t hat communicat ing in this same manner helps him form relationsh ips with his peers. Bydeveloping the confidence to work with a variety of horses, Nicholas has gained the type of genuine selfconfidence and self-esteem that w ill seNe him well mee ting new c hallenges to come.
Standardbred trotter , and Henri David , who donated a specially designed new carriage in memory of his wife Liz, a former member of the board of trustees, we have expanded our ability to offer driving lessons to the growing number of applicants who can benefit from this acti vity . Blessing is a seal brown Standardbred who came to High Hopes in 2012 from East Haddam , w here he was enjoy ing
work as a p leasure dr iving horse. Born and raised to be a racehorse that pulls a carriage on the track , called a "pacer ," Blessing raced until he was six and earned nearly $40,000 in hiscareer . A positive addition to t he driving program at High Hopes , th is ca lm , friendly , eager to plea se gel d ing easily lives up to his name. Read more about Blessing on our website highhopestr.org/meet-the-he rd .
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PAID HIGH HOPESTHERAPE UTIC RIDING, INC. 36 TOWN WOODS ROAD â&#x20AC;¢ OLD LYME , CT 06371 < <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
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