2006 (Summer) Newsletter

The High Hopes

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Inside this issue: Board Chairman & Executive Director Message Spotl ight On Success A Place for Parents to Call Home

The Spirit of Giving Clever Generosity

Ways to Give From the Horse's _ M_puth______ _ Latino : Working with Participants

High Ho_pes Happenings High Hopes Golf Tournament Annua l Meeting Volunteer Social

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act , The High Hopes Rider is. available in alternat ive formats upon request .

Please contact Judie Driscoll at Ext . 19.

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Summer 2006

A Team for a Challenge What do you get

when you combine 5 boys, 5 horses, 5 volunteers, an instructor and a country song by Garth Brooks? A great drill team! Austin Courtney on Apache, Adam McDowell on Domino, Christian Vidal on Filly, Casey Kesselring on Cheyenne and Cahill Cronin on Sugar practiced for 6 weeks with their volunteers to put together a drill to music for the High Hopes Horse Show on June 3rd. This team of boys, ages 6-14, has been riding as a group for a year, while also working on independent riding skills. High Hopes Instructor Lorna Young had grown up being involved in drill teams in 4-H clubs and thought this activity wou ld be perfect for this group of motivated participants. Now, there is more than meets the eye in a drill team performance and the boys worked hard on keeping their horses next to their partners', riding straight lines behind the other horses, and watch ing for the leader to signal them. They learned to guide their horses through a series of movements that required them to split away from each other, ride across the ring and then come back together as a pair ...... all to music! Riding a drill fosters concentration, skill and teamwork and these boys demonstrated it with their vo luntee rs, horses and with each other. Their hard work and joy in the task at hand seemed to exemp lify the lyrics to the song that

accompanied their drill. As Garth Broo ks' song "The River" says, You know a dream is like a river Ever changin ' as it flows. And a dreamer's just a vessel That must follow where it goes. Trying to learn from what's behind you And never knowing what's in store, Makes each day a constant battle Just to stay between the shores. And I will sail my vessel 'Ti/ the river runs dry. Like a bird upon the wind, These waters are my sky.

I'll never reach my destination, If I never try.

So I will sail my vessel, 'Ti/ the river runs dry.

Too many times we stand aside, And let the · waters slip away, 'Ti/ what we put off 'ti/ tomorrow has now become today. So don't you sit upon the shoreline And say you're satisfied . Choose to chance the rapids And dare to dance the tide. And there's bound to be rough waters And I know I'll take some falls, But with the good Lord as my captain I can make it through them all . Yes I will sail my vessel 'Ti/ the river runs dry.

Congratulations to this exemplary team who tackled the challenges befo re them and showed us all how good communication and teamwork can create such a beautiful outcome . Keep your eyes open for more drill team demonstrations coming out of High Hopes in the near future. They 're not to be missed!

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.,,HOP E S

Ther apeutic Riding , Inc. Phone: 860 .434 .1974 Fax: 860.434.3723 www .highhopestr .org

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Founder High Hopes Board of Trustees Officers

essa "Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

These simple words have a special

Honorary Trustees

Chairmen Emeriti

High Hopes Staff

meaning for those of us who work with a great many people who possessthe remarkab le capacity to overcome adversity - childr en and adults who inspire us day in and day out to be all that one can be. It is a constant privilege to see and know people who face what could be overwhelming challenges, and to witness the personal strength, courage and willpower they show in meeting those challenges.

High Hopes is a place where embracing life to the fullest is on everyday disp lay.

We will , in fact , celebrate "Embrac ing Life Despite Ad versity" as the theme of our upcoming Annual Meeting on Sunday, October 13. Paul Spiers, PhD., Board Chairman of the North American Riding for th e Hand icapped Association (NARHA) will join us. Dr. Spiers has had to face his life after surv iving a serious riding a'cciaent' ¡ w hich left him w ith low er-bod y paraly sis. He w ill tell us w hat t hat has meant and how he has dea lt w ith it. Our Annual Meeting is an opp ortunit y fo r the many peopl e w ho make up th e High Hopes famil y t o come t ogeth er t o reflec t on the accomplishme nt s of our parti cipants , t heir fa mil ies, our volunte ers, staff and ma ny friend s during th e past year. It's also a time to recognize certain indi v id uals w ho have gone abo ve and beyo nd . Please come t o celebr at e t hese embraces of all th at lif e has t o offe r w ith us - yo u'll exper ience lots of smiles, laug hte r and most defini tely a few te ars.

Fo llow ing th e resound ing successof our 2006 Symphony i n the Meadows benefi t event, we are particu larly gratefu l for the generosity of Dave McDermott and McDermott Chevrolet who enab led us firstly to raise over $20,000 at the benef it for a new truck and secondly to welcome home a beautiful 2006 Chevy Silverado 2500 truck . W ith the added gift of a rubberized bed liner from Tony and Sandy Thurston, and custom detailing by Impulse Design & Xplore Productions/Essex Television, this beautiful truck will now allow High Hopes to safely transport our staff, volunteers and horses (in the trai ler!) whenever necessary.This truck joins the many fa rm vehicles and equipment that have been given to High Hopes through the thoughtful generosity of our community. The first was our Ford pick-up truck donated by Sis & Lytt Gould (wh ich remains trusty and working onsite). We then received our Toyota pick-up truck outf itted with a dump bed and snow plow from The Cain Family in memory of George Cain. And, to date, our benefit event community has raised the money to purchase a Manure Spreader, Horse Trailer, and a John Deere Tractor.

These gifts fill great needs for High Hopes and we than k you for enabling us to continue the work we do. By making the most of yourse lves, you have helped us do the same for others.

In celebcaUon of Hie,~

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Be sure to check out the photo of our new truck on the back cover of the newsletter!

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ot on1 A Place for Parents to Call Hon1e Much of the focus of day to day activities at High Hopes is on the participants who take part in our programs. However , one of the strong but quiet successesthat is also taking place, is the support and encouragement provided for parents and families. Thi s is something beyond what we often read about as the advantages of therapeutic riding. The world of living w ith a disability can often feel lonely and isolating. It is not always easy for friends with typical children to appreciat e the remarkab le events that occur when disabilit y ente rs you r lif e. Parents w ho come to High Hopes find an instant network of ot hers who have faced unique situations with their children w ith disabilities. Because of t his, Hig h Hope s parent s share a st rong bon d . They can tell stories, share t rials and exchange stra t eg ies. Or, as one mot her put it, "So met imes you just have to laugh!" It's a place to not feel alone and to find solace in others who understand even a little bit of what life is like day after day. As some have said, "It's such a relief to be in a place where no one looks at you differently ...... we can just be ourselves."

The opportunities for parental involvement are boundless at High Hopes. Whether it's attending the annual Horse Show and sharing in the riders' accomplishments through another year of lessons, or making an appointment to meet with instructors to review the goals and plans for their

rider, parent input is welcomed and cherished. Many parents become volunteers as a way to get involved and learn more about the "behindthe-scenes" aspects of High Hopes' operations. (If you're interested in becoming a volunteer, contact Jeanna Pellino at 860-434-1974 Ext.16 or jpellino@highhopestr.org ) Workshops and other opportunities for further education are also available to parents, and notice s of upcoming activities are posted on the bulletin board in the Participant Lounge.

Currently a workshop on Estate Planning for Special Needs Trusts is being planned for the fa l l. Call or contact Renya Craig for more information or to register (rcraig@ highhopestr.org or 860-434-1974).

Parents are one of our treasured resources at High Hopes. They fill invaluable positions on our Board of Trustees as well as in day to day interaction s wi th our instructors and volunteers. We want High Hopes to be a place where parents can get a much needed (albeit brief!) break from the home routine. However, for those who are loo king for support , growth or camaraderie, High Hopes offers that as well. If yo u are loo king for a way to use your experience and talent as a parent at High Hopes, please contact Kitty Stalsburg to discuss the options.

Kitty can be reached at 860-434-1974 Ext 13 kstalsburg@highhopestr.org

Parm/ Jane Bollespow with daughter Li11d,eyand lmm after a lmo11at high Hopes .

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1r1UJ 1v1n Clever Generosity: High Hopes and the Guptill Family

ff igli Hopes has always been blessed with generous donors who have given gifts of mar:iy different kinds in support of our mission. The Guptill family specifically mother, Carolyn and ner daughter, Ann - are examples of extraordinary and creative giving which benefits High Hopes every day.

The growth of Carolyn's Fox Ledge Tack Shop and her relationship with High Hopes is a tale of intertonne<;ting twist.s and, to fully understand, we must go back to the beginning, when Carolyn and her family moved to East Haddam. Carolyn and her husband, Winthrop, (whose last name of Guptill means "dweller at the sign of the fox") were looking for property that had space for their three animal loving children, along with a barn in which to house their expanding menagerie. While out walking a prospective 89 acre site they walked onto a ledge and encountered a pack of foxes that showed neither surprise nor hostility towards these human trespassers within their dwelling space. Taking this as a "sign" of approval, the Guptills purchased the property and quickly became involved in the world of 4H and Pony Club. Their youngest daughter Ann, in particular, showed a natural talent for riding and under the tutelage of event trainer Jan Conant, and later dressage trainer

Pam Goodrich, entered the elite world of international competition, ultimately winning a silver medal at the Pan Am games and participating in several Olympic level competitions .

Ann Guptill has now retired from competition to become a gifted r.iding and dressage instructor . She regularly lends her counsel to High Hopes in advising on horse selection and providing professional development opportunities for our equine staff.

Through the years that her family was leaving the nest, Carolyn contemplated a return to the work place and, after much soul searching , decided to combine her family 's love of horses with her own expertise in retail by opening the Fox Ledge Tack Shop in the basement of the family home. Now, twenty eight years after

its debu t tt.ie tack shop has moved from the basement and into the a id four stall barn that or iginally housed the family 's horses. Each year Carolyn gees the extra mile with her donations of saddles, grooming equipment and other essential horse care items. Many of our riders are outfitted with boots, britches and riding helmets donated

by Carolyn, tnat allow them to look as good as they feel while riding.

Carolyn's annual Anr:1iversarySale is a much anticipated event in I ~ ~.. ,,, .. 1-- ·1i-,..,,_ ~ . I equine cIrc es anu Is specIa to High Hopes because she generously donates 10% of the overall proceeds to support our efforts. Last year the rain literally threatened to br ing the roof down, but that didn't dampen her customers' spirits (or pocketbooks) as High Hopes received anot her generous donation. This year's sale will take place from October 7 through the 14th and we are looking fo r blue skies and sunny weather, so mark your calendar and drive out to visit the Guptill Farm!

You'll witness great horsemanship over at An n's barn and you'll find qua lity tack at great prices in Carolyn's shop. Call Carolyn at 860873-8949 for hours of operation and directions to the Fox Ledge Tack Shop.

Thank you Carolyn and Ann for all you give to High Hopes!

sâ&#x20AC;˘ High Hopes Wishes

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he High HopesWishTreewill onceagain be raisedin our Parti ipant Loungeafter Thanksgiving .and it will be decoratedwith ornamentsof paper cut-outswith a pictureor descriptionof the itemswe are wishingfor. Someare specificto certainhorses,like-a new bridlefor Latino

or a grooming brush fo r Sugar. Other items are needs for our barn and our ther apy programs, as well as office needs. Items can cost as much as $500 and as little as $1. You're sure to find a need to fill every desire to give!

Ways to Give to High Hopes The holidays wil l be here before we know it and if you're looking for some end-of-the-year ways to share with High Hopes, here are a few ideas:

Shop & Give Fox Ledge Tack Shop at 29 Daniels Road, East Haddam

(860-873-8949) will hold their Annual Anniversary sale October 7-14th. Ten percent of all proceeds during that week will go to benefit the programs at High Hopes so go stock up on breeches, riding gear and horse care items and help High Hopes in the process!

Shagbark Lumber & Farm Supply at 21 Mount Parnassus

Road, East Haddam (860-873-1946) will display a Christmas tree with various items that High Hopes needs that can be purchased in the store and donated for our use.

The Country Supply website (www.countrysupply.com ) donate s a percentage of your purchases to High Hopes every time you enter our Care Code (high hopes) at the end of your order. You give to our programs EVERYtime you shop!

Throughout the year we attempt to list specific wish list items in the High Hopes Rider, but there are often ongoing . neetfs betwee n publications. If you have items you think may be of help to High Hopes, please cantact Sara Qua at 860-434-1974 Ext. 22 or squa0hl9h opestr.org Items curr ently on the High Hopes Wish List are:

Riding lawnmower

Sliop-Vac Industrial push sweeper ~for sweeping the barn a~sles)

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1n the

on

Meadows

takes a bow!

The rain held off and the music played on, making High Hopes' 2006 benefit concert a huge success.Switching from Symphony in the Meadows to Symphony in the Barn didn't dampen our volunteers' enthusiasm or our supporters' generosity!

Guests at this wonderful event tasted hors d'oeuvres donated by over 30 local restaurants, enjoyed a deliciou s supp er by Pasta Vita with wine s provided

by UST,all while listening to the glorious music of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra.

Best of all, everyone stayed warm and dry in our transformed barn.

All of this was made possible through the hard work of over 100 volunteers, the generous contributions of our corporate sponsors (led by EssexSavings Bank & Essex Financial Services), our ticket buyers, auction, wine and food donors, spirited auction bidders, and the pledges that helped us purchase a new truck . The generous spirit of our supporters helped High Hopes net over $194,000 that will go directly to provide the benefits of equine assisted therapy to people with disabilities of all ages.

Thank You!

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he High Hopes Horse Show is always a special day, and rain cou ldn't squelch the energy and excitement of participants and families alike! After a year of hard work, this was the day for participants to show their new skills. For the more advanced riders, serious competition and stringent judges tested skill and execution.

These riders were awarded

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with the finest riders earning blue ribbons. For some classesthe show ended in a six-way tie, with every rider showing genu ine progress and all earning green ribbons.

Every class received a _. quiet applause of hands

raised in the air, in recognition of the efforts of all participants. Class demonstrat ions were augmented by raffles, face painting, crafts and wonderful food! Be sure to check out the painted rocks now gracing the trai l to "Critter Rock" that were painted cit.iring the Horse Show. They're sure to bring joy as we work our way toward NEXT years show!

Hi there For those of you who don't recognize me, my name is Latino and I am a 16.2 hand Shire Crosswho works at High Hopes. I've been working here since 2_000 {having moved to Connecticut from New York, where I used to be involved in fox hunts, hunter pace and dressage) and I love my work as a therapy horse. I wanted to tell you a little bit about what it's like to work with participants ..... it 's my favorite part about being at High Hopes!

I work with a lot of different participants but I get pretty close to the ones who I see week afte r week .

I tend to be a pretty quiet guy some even say.l'm -T.QO slow! - so, • oftentimes I'm the horse who gets the riders who are kind of scared. I always know I have to be ext ra gentle and pat ient wh ile Reople are getting used to being on a horse's back. One rider I w orked with had had a litt le bit of horseback experience but not since she was·a lftt le girl and t tlis w,asher fi{st ·" exp~r,ience with a horse since slie • •had aeveloped her disability . She tolcf me that some days her body, was really sore and I woulc;l have to wal k carefull y. The tnerap ist and instructors who wo rkEtd w it h as e~plainecl t hat vJnen I start ed and stopped as o irected 'r~der t-0 by t he leader, it p elp,eq learn t o co ntr o l her muscles clnd'make tl\e m stronger. w~w oJk ed t ~~ethe! for v~r a year and ~ knew that QUr ti me together was more than just walk ing aroJnd in a cite~ for hourt 1'd tfear her talk abo!Jt how sne was -brea_ t hif'ig better anti boy, dtd she get stronger! The first time she r de,tsh~ o iy Jpsted& minutes . Bytf\e end &f ouc year together, she cQlild Jo th~ :{\.Illhou~ without a bjeak! Wfiep she'8

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get off my back and return to her wheelchair, I'd make sure to say goodbye and "thanks for a good ride!" by putting my head in her lap.

Sometime later, this rider was not feeling strong enough to ride on my back anymore but she still wanted to work with me so we worked on teaching her to lead me from her power wheelchair. There were lots of new things to explore on that big red chair and at first I had to take a few nibbles on the joystick just to investigate! I learned that that was NOT something to eat though! My rider worked on learning all the part s pf my tack and I learned that I had to help her reach my tall head, so when she held t he-ofia le aiia askecrme t o· - " lower my head, I would do so, and we could get everyth ing buckled on and be ready for our wal k. Our sessio ns .

always ended with a wonderful grooming, which is my FAVORITE!!

Even though this experience was different than my other sessionswith riders I looked forward to it and when I would hear my rider's voice and her power chair coming around the corner of the barn, I would come to the door of my stall and knicker a greeting, so she'd know I was ready to go to work.

Whether someone is sitting on my back, practicing their vaulting moves, or I' m walking beside their wheelchair, I like knowing that I'm part of the team that helps our participants feel better about themselves in so many ways. It makes me feel good too! In case you thought us horses didn't w hat was goi ng bn/ 1ju st really l<now want ed to let you know that we listen and help where we can. It 's part of our job - and w e'r e g lad to do it !

Another Chance to Swing â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘fore'' High Hopes Nort h Stonington, CT offers ro lli ng terra in, island greens an d tees and extraordi nary views, all blending w ith the incredible natural landscape of th is 90 acre facility. The Golf Package includes : 18 ho les of go lf with cart, a welcome package, continental breakfast, participation in Longest Drive and Closest to the Pin contests as well as lunch and an awards ceremony at the conclusion of the tournament.

on't miss the opportunity to experience wor ld class golf wh ile supporting the riders of High Hopes! The High Hopes Third Annual Golf Classicw ill be held at the Mashantucket Pequot Lake of Isles North Course on Wed nesday, September 20, 2006. This private course located in

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There will also be a Silent Auction offering exclusive golf packages and other exciting sports experiences.

Individual players foursomes are $1,000 and Corporate Sponsorship foursomes begin at $2,000. If interested, please contact Sara Qua, Director of Development, at 860-434-1974 Ext .22 or squa @highhopestr.org

Volunteers Please mark your calendars!

You are invited to join the High Hopes staff and Board of Trustees as we celebrate our incredible and invaluable corps of vo lunteers at the High Hopes Fall Volunteer Social. Th is casual gathering w ill take place on Thursday, September 28th from 6-8 pm.

Please come and enjoy some light refres hments , visit with fellow volun teer s and allow us to celebrate YOU!! !

Please join us for the 32nd Annual Meeting of High Hopes Therapeutic Riding, Inc.

Sunday, Odober 15, 2006 At the Sis Gould Center for Therapeutic Riding 36 Tow n Woods Road, Old Lyme

3:00 pm - 5:00 pm 3:00

Annual Meeting & Presentation of Awards

4:00

Guest Speaker, Dr. Paul Spiers, President, North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) "Embracing Life Despite Adversity"

5:00

Refreshments

Please RSVP to High Hopes at 860-434-1974

by October 9, 2006

Contributors to the High HopesRider August 2006

This newsletter is underwritten

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Photos & Articles: Jane Bolles, Gary Borla, Alison Zack Darrell, Judie Driscoll, John C. Evans, Jennifer Johnson, Wendy Knight, Kristin Mason, Heath er Leigh Northrop, Jeanna Pellino , Sara Qua, Lorna Young Editor: Heather Leigh Northrop

Designer: Kelley Cahill

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