1986 (Winter) Newsletter

LCVERA

NEWSLETTER WINTER 1986

THE ANNUAL AWARD DINNER AND MEETING W#ere YOU there?

Did YOU miss it?

Nearly one hundred members of the LOVERA family came together at the White House Restaurant in Old Saybrook on October 1st for our annual award dinner and meeting arranged

by Mike Boyd and Sis Gould.

Jlunteers peered at each other myopically asking tentatively "Is that you, Jane (or Mary or Sherley or Sally)?" because the familiar fellow volunteer booted, dungareed and covered in dust and horse hair is not necessarily recognizable when fashionably attired in evening finery, However during the cocktail hour we all had time to recognize one another, to introduce our spouses, and to welcome the attending riders and members.

The prettiest dress (of blue and gold chiffon) was worn by rider Sylvia Lachapelle who had come all the way from Voluntown with members of her family.

Dinner was served by the White House's amiable staff of young people at round tables seating groups of eight or nine

dinner companions.

During desert our president Judy Lightfoot introduced to our members and friends, first the LOVERA staff whose combined efforts have made this past year so extra-ordinarily successful: Judy Lovelace, director; Edi Griswold, Jonnie Edwards, Holly Ridgway, instructors; Carolyn Jagielski, physical therapist; and last, through hardly least, Grace Hamilton, intrepid chairwoman of an incredible committee which created our fantastically successful fundraiser, "Symphony in the Meadows", Over coffee

came the Awards.

The Paul Burkharth Memorial Award for Rider of the Year went to "a young person who sets a wonderful example with a willing attitude, and a constant smile - Lisa Boyd of Madison".

Lisa is an adult rider in the Monday afternoon class taught

by Holly Ridgway.

"Lisa has shown outstanding sportsmanship, she has made extra-ordinary efforts to improve her riding skills, she has served as a model for other students during classes, at our horse show, and at the Special Olympics' riding competition," We all cheered wildly for Lisa after she accepted her gilded horse trophy with a short thank you speech and the happiest smile ever.

(Those of us who have been with LOVERA for a

long time thought of our little friend Paul in whose memory this annual award is given - Paul working so courageously to overcome his fear of falling, Paul singing his riding song in gravelly base, Paul declaring his love for his friend, Chief.)

Lisa's trophy was presented

by Judy Lovelace since Paul's parents were unable to be with us this year.

ANNUAL ELECTIONS LOVERA trustees serve three year terms on a board of fifteen to twenty-one members.

Each year one third of the board seats come up for election.

To replace the outgoing class the following new and incumbent trustees were - nmominated and elected to the class of 1989 at the Annual Meeting.

The award for Most Valuable Volunteer in 1985/86 went to Marion LeQuin of Branford.

"Marion has been a faithful horseleader and side-walker for many, many years.

She has shared her personal horse, Bea, with numerous LOVERA riders, she has given special help to several students, she has acted as assistant instructor when the need arose, and in the past year she has become coordinator of the Wednesday classes, bringing order out of chaos, Marion chaired the first annual LOVERA horse show at Kingswood Farms in May, to superb effect even providing a sunny Sunday for the festivities."

Marion's plaque was presented by Marianne Pfeiffer, the previous recipient, who wished she "could give out seventy-eight awards - one for each volunteer".

New: Patti Peoples, Marion LeQuin, Holly Ridgway.

Incumbents: Bim Christianson, Jonnie Edwards, Grace Hamilton, Frank Hamilton, Greta Jacobs, "Jake" Jacobs, Subsequently at the following trustees meeting, these were elected officers: President, Judy Lightfoot; Vice President, Sherley Furgueson: Treasurer, Stanley Babson; Secretary, Greta Jacobs.

Outgoing presented poem:

LYTT You drive to New Jersey place you know,

be sure

to a

For this school you are e'er the go, What goes with you? THE MINUTES!

The annual meeting followed the awards with the required reports, elections, etc. (see following stories) Judy Lightfoot presided, She ended the proceedings with thank-yous to our many deserving helpers and the dream of dreams - a single "home" for all LOVERA classes - a dream partially realized this September thanks to the wonderful success of Grace's Symphony in the Meadows.

If you DID miss all this, us next year!

secretary Lytt Gould was with an empty notebook and a

on

You go to Maine to take it easy In Long Cove so bright and breezy.

What goes with you? THE MINUTES! On a jet to England you fly To see your little family. Oh My, What goes with you? THE MINUTES!

to join

!!!!!!!!

Your rhetoric is unsurpassed, Devotion to duty not outclassed, As our talented scribe you may step down, But, PLEASE, stay our loyal handyman!

On Sunday, September 14th, Grace and Frank Hamilton hosted a Pot Luck supper for LOVERA volunteers and staff at their Twelve Mile Farm in Hadlyme, A lovely evening with cocktails outside followed by wonderful food and conversation, Thank you, Hamiltons!

!!!!!!!!

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Note to new members of LOVERA: we pronounce this awful acronym L.C. VERA

KINGSWOOD FARM COME SEE OUR NEW HOME! LOVERA has moved to Kingswood farm!

Well, maybe not quite lock, stock and barrel but certainly lock, stock and ba...... with some of the lock and stock still being adjusted.

The Kingswood agreement was signed by Mr. Robert King (owner), John Annello (manager), and Judy Lovelace (LOVERA director) in late September and the move was on.

"Home" is at the rear of the little barn west of the silos at Kingswood Farm on Route 156 in Lyme, Roomy, airy box stalls house five of our horses.

Two more are living in the main barn until a shed is built for them in the turnout adjoining our little barn.

Storage for tack and equipment is in an alley between two stalls.

The set up is cozy and comfortable, The Kingswood staff -Rick Whitehead, Hawk Waldren and others care for our horses with efficiency and continue the necessary work to complete the lock, the stock and the barrel.

CHINA CONNECTION On a recent trip to China, Greta and "Jake" Jacobs were carrying a gift for a young American girl, Johanna Greenburg.

Johanna is in Hospital 301 in Beijing and the gift was a LOVERA shirt.

Johanna, 23, a Guilford resident, was left wheelchair bound after an automoblie accident a year ago.

She rode with LOVERA on Thursday's and impressed all with her friendliness and determination.

She has been in Hospital 301 for five months now, having acupuncture and massage.

Not one to sit and brood, Johanna is teaching English to the doctors, learning Chinese and painting.

She covers five miles a day in her wheel-chair, does laps in the Olympic size pool and in every way is getting stronger, although there is no great improvement in her legs as yet.

The Kingswood lobby and indoor outdoor rings are available for classes and the Kingswood fields hills, for our "trail-rides".

and our and

Having a permanent home with choices of reliable horses available at all classes, with tack and equipment ready, has made a world of difference to instructors and riders.

All emphasis can now be concentrated on setting and reaching each rider's goal,

Johanna is in the same room that former President Nixon used for his hospital stay when he as in Beijing.

Although it does not look a bit like the White House, we can assure all in and out of the State Department that Johanna is the best P.R. per;mn we have ever had in China.

Most of our horses will remain at Kingswood for the winter.

Judy wants to initiate a sponsorship program so volunteers can ride during the winter. ( See article further on.)

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SEMINARS, CLINICS, MEETINGS AND SUCH Judy Lightfoot, Judy Lovelace, Jonnie Edwards, Carolyn Jagielski, Mark LeQuin all attended, as well as Brue~ Benvie, an occupational therapist and volunteer, and Judy Burg, horse-woman and LCVERA mother and backrider.

Some years ago the Kellog Foundation gave a very substantial grant to NARHA (The North American Riding for the Handicapped Association) to initiate workshops, in all parts of the country, on various topics dealing with riding for the disabled.

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Your board of trustees budgets a yearly sum so that our staff and other personal can take advantage of these important learning situations which add to the effectiveness of the LCVERA program.

Recently we sent two instructors to Kellog workshops.

Back riding, hippo-therapy, vaulting, and driving for the disabled were the focus of these workshops.

Jonnie went to the workshop in Michigan in August.

Holly attended the one in Florida in October.

Both workshops were well attended by both professionals and volunteers in the field of riding for the handicapped, leading to interesting and informative exchanges on problems and solutions.

Jonnie rates our program exceptional because we have a horse-knowledgable physical therapist, reliable and dedicated volunteers, and successful fundraising, areas which are troublesome in many other programs.

Holly returned suggesting that we bring Sharon Davis, the seminar's vaulting expert, to Connecticut for a clinic open to all New England programs.

Vaulting, a simplified form of basic "stunt" riding promotes cooperation and concentration in all participating riders and is especially valuable for the emotionally disturbed,

WINTER PROGRAM For many years we have discussed the possibilities of holding a winter schoolroom program to supplement our spring and fall riding session, kee¡ enthusiasm high, and build on th.., academic gains made.

This year the idea will finally bear fruit due to a generous grant from the McCrudy Salisbury Educational Foundation which benefits children in the Lyme and Old Lyme school system.

The grant is for "developing and executing a winter school-room program."

As we all know our spring and fall riding program has long incorporated principles important to academic advancement sequencing, space relationships, eye/hand coordination, shape recognition, concentration, listening skills, vocabulary to complement the obvious physical and emotional benefits.

Our winter program must build on the same multifaceted base.

Seven LCVERA members went to the NARHA Network meeting in Massachusetts on October 4th.

Lectures and discussion groups on NARHA networking, initiating a riding program, the mentally retarded, and hippo-therapy were part of the program.

The highlight of the day was the Tellington-Jones Equine Awareness Movement demonstration.

This is an innovative method for training and healing horses through exercise and body-work influencing the horse's nervous system in a positive manner.

This will be an exciting new venture for us.

Judy Lovelace is contemplating an eight week program possibly divide,., into the same student groups and til. slots as the fall riding sessions.

Anyone with creative ideas and the desire to be part of this program call Judy at 767-1974.

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YOU ASKED ???

WISH LIST VCR, camera

A number of people have expressed interest in LCVERA's financial needs and some expressed puzzlement over the need for funds in light of the recent highly successful benefit "Symphony in the Meadows",

coffee tape

pot recorder

shoe a horse

LCVERA is, from a financial point of view, much like other educational and charitable institutions, To meet its operating budget it collects such fees from its participants as are reasonable and affordable, As it is with similar organizations many in the program need assistance to meet the costs, It has always been LCVERA's policy to never turn down one who can be helped because of inability to pay. So there is always a gap between fees collected and budgeted costs,

horse

for winter

sponsor

vaccine gift certificate from telephone company drivers

for students

new bridle new saddle

Unlike the large institutions of learning we have no endowment and no large body of wealthy alumni.

LCVERA must :lepend on benefits and gifts from its friends and benefactors to close the gap between revenues and operating cost, "Symphony in the Meadows" did an admirable job of not only closing the operating deficit gap for 1985-6, restoring the deficit gaps of 1984-5 and 1983-4, but enabled us to enhance our facilities and our equipment, Most importantly, this allowed us to extend our services to a large group of disabled who had been on the waiting list for some time.

FOR SALE: Items with LCVERA logo.

Dec;als, note pads, T-shirts, tote bags, polo shirts (for volunteers only) saddle

LCVERA incurs operating deficits each year and each year they will have to be met by some form of benefit. We hope, that like 'Symphony in the Meadows" these benefits can give pleasure to the participants as well as financial support to LCVERA. And each year we must continue to have our fall membership drive to solicit modest funds from the community we serve. We must continue to appeal to members of the community who feel that the services we offer are useful and important to the neighbors around us who derive hope, confidence, self esteem, and therapeutic value from the program.

WANTED: Stories, pictures, essays, for next Newsletter.

Send to: Marianne Pfeiffer, 132 Whippoorwill Old Lyme, CT 06371

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etc., Road,

LCVERA SUMMER SESSION

FROM THE VOLUNTEER CHAIRMAN

This past summer LCVERA held a five week hippo-therapy session for three riders under the very able supervision of Carolyn Jagielski, PT.

Thanks to all of 80+ volunteers for the super job they have done, The fall session had run smoothly while LCVERA has been undergoing growing pains,

Hippo-therapy uses the motion of the horse to stimulate the muscles of physically disabled riders thus improving strength, balance, endurance, coordination.

In the case of our tiny-tot riders the motion of the horse stimulates the still developing nervous to pattern new pathways to system replace the nerves destroyed by nature or accident, This summer session was a connector between our spring and fall hippo-therapy programs which take place every Thursday from 11 to 5.

Ideally hippo-therapy should be given three times a week all year long, However even the present schedule results in exceptional progress according to the enthusiastic reports of parents and the private therapists of our patients.

30 new volunteers joined Approximately us and we could not have managed without them.

We welcome their participation and enthusiasm,

Old Lyme Bruce Benvie Willa Fenney Barbara Stevenson CHESTER Linda Ward Linda Hicks Cindy Clark

Richard Butt Karen Brossard Betty Cunningham Ella May English Liz Smith Pam Younger EAST LYME

This summer our patients were two of the tiny tots and an adult recovering from a ten your long coma, Participating at one or another of these sessions were a second therapist, an occupational therapist, a speech pathologist, and of course our usual dedicated, loyal, all-important volunteers, These sessions were exciting learning experiences for riders, volunteers, and professionals alike.

Sue Wagner Durham SOUTHLYME Elaine

Bodge Marilyn

Winter

MIDDLETOWN Dennis Chop Mary Ellen

Webber

OLD SAYBROOK CLINTON Margot Morgan Adrienne Hutt HADDAM

Rosella Illingworth Kathy Rutledge Christine Spinning

Marilyn

WESTBROOK

MacKinnon

The summer program was conducted Lyme at the home of the Lightfoots,

in

John Palermo Doug Jones Peg Tiefenbach

GLASTONBURY Jackie

Onderdenk

HADLYME MADISON Alexandra

Meyns Susan Maroso Lucinda Gray

HELP! Have you seen• LCVERA publicity in YOUR local paper?

Cut it out mark it with name and date of pape;, Send it to Marianne Pfeiffer, 132 Whippoorwill Road, Old Lyme, CT 06371, 6

THERAPEUTIC INSTRUCTOR TRAINING: IS IT TIME TO SPECIALIZE? - Jean M,Tebay, Executive Director Therapeutic Riding Services, Inc,, Baltimore, MD CHALLENGED EQUESTRIANS Winslow Therapeutic Riding Unlimited, Inc.

1986 NARHA CONFERENCE LAS VEGAS, NEVADA On the weekend of October 31 -November 2 LCVERA's Executive Director, Judy Lovelace and Board President and NARHA Board member, Judy Lightfoot flew to Laa Vegas, Nevada to attend the 1986 Annual Conference of the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, Inc, There were over one hundred other participants all affiliated with therapeutic riding programs throughout the country.

There were instructors, physical therapists, executive directors, board members, volunteers and riders all active in therapeutic riding programs and anxious to learn more from the conference experience.

TECHNICAL SESSION SPECIAL EQUESTRIANS 4: AN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY APPROACH - Claudia Morin, MHE, OTR, Assistant Professor Medical College of Georgia THE PHYSICAL PLANT - WHY IS IT? - Susanne Munro Bonner, therapeutic Riding Coordinator, Caswell center, North Carolina A STUDY OF FOUR PHYSICALLY DISABLED RIDERS WITH 25 YEARS OF COMBINED RIDING EXPERIENCE Jane Copeland, Executive Director and Physical Therapist, Pegasus Therapeutic Riding, Inc., and Carol Parker, Head Instructor Pegasus Therapeutic Riding, Inc. DEVELOPMENT OF GAMES FOR USE IN STABLE MANAGEMENT- Lorraine Ernker, Head Instructor, Three Gaits, Inc.,· Stoughton, WI.

The theme of this year's conference was 'Back to Basics' and I quote from the letter of welcome from Speed Davis, President of NARHA and Octavia Brown, Chairman of the Conference Committee, "This year's program might have a subtitle: "Back to Basics" .... This might be thought of as a "whole person" approach to our riders.

By coming to us, they grow stronger, more flexible, and better able to move around in a physically correct manner, However, their interest may vary from these goals, In many cases, they come for excitement, for fun, for challenges, to take a risk once in a while, They come as whole people, fitting riding into their lives as part of a whole,

GENERAL SESSION THE THREE R's OF VOLUNTEER A PROGRAM Gail Brown, Executive Director, Three Gaits, Inc., Stoughton, WI THE COMPETITION CONNECTION -Carol Melcher, Director and instructor Steed, Bergen County, NJ and Rockland County,

N.Y. DEVELOPING A MARKETING PLAN FOR A THERAPEUTIC RIDING PROGRAM - Leeann Greetree, Graduate student, Golden Gate University A REPORT OF THE DELTA SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE -Octavia J, Brown, Secretary, NARHA BOARD, Director Somerset Hills Handicapped Riders Club, N>J> AN INTERNATIONAL UPDATE - Jean Tebay A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL FUND RAISER IN CONNECTICUT - Judy Lightfoot, NARHA Board Member, President, LOVERA, Ct

This NARHA conference aims to address this "whole person" concept by showing the multiple ways we can benefit a person by getting him or her near and on a horse or pony!"

The conference began on Friday afternoon with round table discussions of various aspects of therapeutic riding, The formal agenda began on Saturday morning and follows: SCIENTIFIC SESSION THERAPY ON HORSEBACK - ADULTS ONLY - Barbara J, Brock, faculty member, University of Idaho A CASE STUDY : DEBBIE BENEFITS FROM A PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH TO A PHYSICAL DISABILITY - Dr, Katarina C> Digman, Women's Counseling Clinic, Inc,, Honolulu, Hawaii

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The Sunday morning session was the first national meeting of the NARHA Network, The morning began with Chairman Judy Lightfoot explaining the objectives of the Network followed by the reports of Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Texas each having been chosen for

outstanding accomplishments ended with questions,

State this year, an open

Network The morning session for

· TENTATIVE CALENDAR for some 1987 EVENTS and their CONTACT PERSON "The Children of LOVERA" story Reader's Digest February issue author : Andy Jones

The conference was information packed, Both Judy and I returned to LOVERA with new ideas and more understanding of the importance of therapeutic riding nationally, of how proud we are of LOVERA for the highly successful and safe program we run, but aware also of the importance of being flexible and willing to learn from others in what new ways LOVERA can offer even better services to our riders.

Holly's

baby

due:

in

February

Horse Show: MAY contact LeQuin

Marion

Festival in the Meadows: Saturday, June 27, rain date Sunday June 28 contact: June Hotchkiss

It was an exciting three days, We met, We talked, We gambled, We even got some spouses involved, (Dick Lightfoot is now serving on the NARHA Long Range Planning Committee),

Fall Foliage Ride: October contact Patti Peoples

NARHA provides all of our programs and our riders with valuable services, among them ongoing education, safety standards, affordable insurance and credibility.

The only way that a national organization can function is through an informed membership, Please consider becoming a member of NARHA, You will receive the NARHA NEWS, the Annual report and Journal, and other important information as it becomes available, The membership categories are as follows: LIFE ............... $1000

1987 Annual Award Dinner Meeting: October contact: Judy Lightfoot

and

CORPORATE ............. 500 PATRON ••••••••.••••••• 250

OPERATING CENTER...... 60 VOLUNTEERS & RIDERS .. , 10 ALLIED ORGANIZATIONS , 50 INDIVIDUALS ........... 25 Judith

Lightfoot

GUESS WHO! Which LOVERA rider and trust~e demonstrated LOVERA riding te?hmques at the Hamburg Fair in Lyme this August?

U0SUJ0W .A'.pUBS puu .A'.atl!!Jne,uaauoo

GUESS WHO? Which LOVERA rider and staff member appeared recently on TV Channel 26? a::iaraao'"J .A'.pnr pua p.A:oa asn

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