Ride-A-Thon

September 4, 2010

The Ride-A-Thon is High Horses’ major fundraiser for the year. After collecting pledges, riders embark on a beautiful trail that is clearly marked. Please support us in this endeavor.

Staff members and our horses participate in this event. They welcome and encourage your support. Please consider choosing a participating staff member or horse and collect pledges in their honor.

Flyer & Entry Form

Horse Sponsor Forms

First Giving

Volunteer of the Year

Ann James

Every year High Horses selects a volunteer of the year from our very dedicated, and hardworking team. Ann is a long time volunteer with over 16 years, who has dedicated countless hours in the ring. As one parent expressed, “Ann exemplifies all of the ideal characteristics of a High Horses volunteer. She is capable, reliable, helpful, cheerful, punctual, concerned, experienced, and always ready and eager to learn. She treats everyone with courtesy and respect: riders and their families, horses, staff, and fellow volunteers. She is also fun to be with and has seemingly limitless energy.” Thank you Ann.

WISE/High Horses

High Horses and WISE will pilot a six week program for WISE clients during our Spring 2010 session. Specific equine facilitated activities help participants increase self awareness, develop strategies for personal safety, and better manage stressful encounters. Program staffing will include WISE staff member, Abby Tassel, and High Horses staff members, Lasell Bartlett MSW, LICSW and Susanne Haseman, LCMHC, CEFIP-MH.

Vermont NARHA Horses for Heroes Collaboration

High Horses is one of four Vermont NARHA certified therapeutic riding centers that have partnered to serve veterans by bringing NARHA Horses for Heroes to all of Vermont. NARHA Horses for Heroes is a national program designed to provide equine facilitated activities and therapies to veterans.

Pilot work done by Walter Reed Army Medical Center made it clear that equine assisted activities and therapies were beneficial psychologically and physically to war wounded veterans returning from the Iran and Afghanistan conflicts. The veterans showed improvements in balance, range of motion, mobility and self confidence. Over the past few years NARHA Horses for Heroes was developed for personnel who have served the country in the armed forces. Guidelines and standards were set to ensure safety, understanding of unique needs, and growth for this stimulating program.

Vermont has a large base of personnel who have served our country both recently and in the past, yet as a rural state, finding services that can assist upon the return to civilian life can be difficult. For this reason four NARHA centers have brought Horses for Heroes to Vermont. As Dr. Paul Spiers, a Clinical and Forensic Neuropsychologist wrote in support of their efforts, “… Vermont centers are helping NARHA develop a model for how services can be provided to as many veterans as possible where their population is not concentrated around an urban center.”

Each center – High Horses, Dream on Curls, Rhythm of the Rein, and CHAMP – has collaborated over the past year to streamline access for veterans. Each center individually offers equine assisted activities and therapies year round in different regions of the state.

More information on each center is available on these websites:
CHAMP: www.vtchamp.org
Dream On Curls: www.dreamoncurls.com
High Horses: www.HighHorses.org
Rhythm of the Rein: www.rhythmoftherein.org

Vermont NARHA Horses for Heroes at High Horses

We are honored that funding from the Hartland Foundation, Inc is enabling 5-6 veterans served by the White River Junction Veterans Affairs (VA) to participate in the Connections program at High Horses for six months, the result of a promising collaboration between High Horses and the VA.

Looking toward securing future funding to benefit veterans, we will carefully assess participant progress toward measurable functional and psychological goals met through the equine assisted mental health activities provided in Connections.

High Horses is one of four Vermont NARHA certified therapeutic riding centers that have partnered to bring NARHA Horses for Heroes to all of Vermont. NARHA Horses for Heroes is a national program designed to provide equine facilitated activities and therapies to veterans. More information is available on our website and at www.NARHA.org.

VSA Arts of Vermont

We are excited to continue our collaboration with VSA Arts of Vermont (www.vsavt.org). Expanding from our 2008 pilot program, in 2010 all of our instructors will be able to incorporate the therapeutic music expertise of a VSA member, for all riders one week a month for four months: May, June, July and August.

Like before, the therapeutic music specialist will spend time in the ring enhancing the rider’s experiences by mindfully using musical instruments known to stimulate and/or balance a rider’s physical, emotional, and mental states. Simultaneously, the specialist will be educating staff, volunteers, and interested family members because we want our riders to continue making functional gains with the help of music beyond this four month program.

We were delighted by the enthusiastic response to our pilot program in 2008. Riders, riders’ families, and High Horses staff members all noted the positive influence of the live music which elicited improved posture, calmness, focus, and attention.

February Break Camp

This winter our instructor, Sharron Garreau, developed the February Break Camp for High Horses riders over the February school break. Four of our ongoing riders were able to participate in the three consecutive days of riding and horse related activities.

This new program gives our riders an opportunity to ride during the two months we generally do not provide lessons, as well as riding three days in a row and for longer than the usual half hour individual lessons.

It was an exciting experiment to see what is suitable for our riders, and we look forward to doing it again in 2011.

Staff Training with Judy Cross Strehlke

High Horses provided a 2-day centered riding clinic for all staff last fall. The purpose was to enhance staff teaching skills and strengthen communications while allowing staff to actively engage in experiential learning for both unmounted and mounted activities. Judy Cross Strehlke generously shared her Level IV Centered Riding expertise to facilitate changes in our knowledge and awareness to benefit us and guide us how to pass along our gains to our High Horses riders. For more information on Centered Riding, see www.centeredriding.org.

Facility Upgrades

Changes! During the winter months when regular lessons were suspended, we initiated some major changes at Brookside Farm.

The ring we use for our May through October lessons is now elongated, allowing for riders to experience the benefits of riding and therapy activities along the straight sides for more strides before moving into the turn at the end of the long side of the ring. Although the ring width was simultaneously reduced, it is still about as wide as the indoor arena.

The indoor arena now sports a 4 x 8 mirror! Traditionally used in equestrian training facilities, mirrors allow a rider to visually self-monitor balance during riding activities. We will be installing a mirror for lesson use in the outdoor ring as well. Our riders quickly found enjoyment looking at themselves astride the horses during their lessons.

High Horses extends a big ‘Thank You!’ to the Norwich Women’s Club, the Church of Christ at Dartmouth College, and an anonymous donor who together made these mirrors possible.

Annual Horse Show

October 2, 2010

The Horse Show is an incredible event held at Brookside Farm on Route 5 South. All High Horses riders are encouraged to showcase their remarkable gains and invite family and friends to witness their joy and hard work. Please note the date on your calendar.

Click here to view and order professional photos taken by our volunteer, Judith W. Bowen. judysphotographs.com

Special Olympics

September 26, 2010

High Horses Therapeutic Riding Program, Dartmouth Riding Club and Special Olympics of NH (SONH) will host the Fall Equestrian Games on Sunday September 26 at Morton Farm in Etna, NH. We encourage all riders with special needs to consider entering as an athlete. Please access the registration forms and event rules from High Horses’ web site or through SONH. The events for the games and the order in which they are scheduled are as follows: Pass the Baton, Equitation, Obstacle Race, and Barrel Race.

Registration starts at 10am with opening ceremonies beginning at 10:30am.

This year our team, coached by Mary Gerakaris and Michelle Lague, includes Olivia G., Travis S., Emma D., Bo H., Joe S. and Klarey B.

High Horses would like to especially thank Brookside Farm for donating ring time for our team practice.

Tuck School of Business students volunteering on their annual "Tuck Day of Impact"