Winter 2021 In this edition: • Rachel and Jazz • Bruce and Barbara McGhie • Big Tailgate Bash
Horse Human Bond in action: Rachel andJazz The heart of the High Hopes mission is the horse and human connection, and nothing illustrates that bond more than the story of our rider, Rachel, and her love affair with her horse, Jazz. Rachel is 48 years old and resides in Westbrook. She began participating in 2017 and has been a Thursday night staple since! She’s working on improving her attention span, increasing balance, and following directions. Outside of High Hopes, she enjoys working out, taking care of animals, and working at the library.
One of Rachel’s other activities is participating in a writing group at the Acton Public library. This is where she wrote the essay about Jazz, a member of our special herd. In her essay she shares what she has learned about Jazz. The entire essay is a love letter to Jazz and demonstrates the bond between the horse and rider. Rachel loves Jazz’s sense of humor. She noticed
that Jazz likes to look at herself in the mirror in the barn and that she sneezes whenever she trots. She writes that Jazz “likes to sneak grass when being walked back to her paddock, and it’s a no-no.”
Rachel and Jazz’s partnership wouldn’t be possible without the support of a third partner – you! Volunteer service of time and talent, along with financial donations, help keep our fees affordable and allow our participants to benefit from the horse and human connection. Rachel’s participation at High Hopes is supported in part by the Westbrook Foundation, which has been a significant supporter of our financial aid program for years. Over 65% of our participants receive some sort of financial aid, and this includes all of our participants from the town of Westbrook, like Rachel. We thank the Westbrook Foundation and all of our donors and volunteers for their support.