April 2023

HwH is the Premier Accredited Center in Northern Arizona

Harnessing the proven benefits of therapeutic horsemanship, Horses with Heart (HwH)is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization based in Chino Valley, AZ. We help transform the lives of disabled children and adults, U.S. military veterans, first responders, and seniors as they gain confidence, dignity, and independence by riding our trained horses under the direction of highly-credentialed staff.

HAPPY EASTER from HORSES with HEART!

A Dream Come True

Angelique and the HwH team’s dream has been to provide the space for HwH to grow and flourish for years to come. Thanks to an anonymous donor who helped secure our downpayment, Lisa and Zip Lucidi’s coffee chats, our Development Committee and Board, and sellers Ginny and Kermit Wadham, the Horses with Heart’s family is ecstatic to announce that we have purchased the 4.3 acres parcel to our south. This acreage increases the HwH footprint to Kalinich Avenue to our south and to Road 1 East. Our current driveway runs through this parcel. HwH has almost doubled our acreage with this purchase and protected our location.

This 4.3 acres is a blank canvas for us to plan and design the space. Would you be interested in assisting with this project? We welcome your creativity, resources, and good old sweat equity. Contact Angelique at hwhexecdir@gmail.com if you would like to be part of this exciting new project!

Owe Arizona State Tax? Donate to Horses with Heart Instead!

It’s the time of year to consider making a charitable tax donation to Horses with Heart to cut your state tax bill. Because Horses with Heart is a qualifying charity in the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit Program, you could cut your state tax bill by up to $800 (married couple filing jointly) or $400 (single filing). {QCO CODE: 20347}.The deadline for charitable tax credit donations is April 18, 2023.

Checks may also be made payable to Horses with Heart and mailed to P.O. Box 2427, Chino Valley, AZ 86323. Please contact Bill Waddell with any questions.

Thank you, Helen!

Horses with Heart has received many blessings throughout its 30 years. One of those blessings is Helen Collins who has served as treasurer and bookkeeper for the last twenty years. Positions involving money (including fundraising) are the least popular among our volunteers, but without people dedicating their time to these duties, HwH would not exist. After years of serving as the HwH treasurer and bookkeeper, Helen has retired. She is remaining on the Board and continuing to lend her hand wherever HwH has a need.  Thank you, Helen, for dedicating your time to HwH to keep the lights on and our horses fed.

In Helen’s words of what Horses with Heart means to her: 
“I was in a meeting where Trudy spoke about the mission of Horses with Heart. Because I had just become a widow, and also have a special needs grandson, it seemed a perfect fit for me. I fell in love with the program and spent nearly every day at HwH…volunteering for anything and everything I could.
A year or so later, I was asked to be the Treasurer…I loved being in the arena with the riders, it brought me so much joy to see how HwH was making a difference in so many lives.”

 HwH has a new treasurer, Mike Zenner, and bookkeeper, Great Expectations. Welcome aboard Mike and Great Expectations.

PATH International Reaccreditation Site Visit ~ Thursday, April 6th

Horses with Heart first received its Premier Accredited status in 2017. After five years, each accredited center undergoes a site visit by two PATH Intl. representatives. As a consequence of the backlog of centers due for reaccreditation because of COVID, we were pushed from October 2022 to April 2023.

Being a Premier Accredited Center is not only an honor, it also shows our commitment to the highest level of safety standards in all aspects, administrative and business standards, facility standards, equine welfare and management standards, and activity – riding and ground – standards. We have to meet and exceed close to one hundred standards. Jan, Chelsea and the office volunteers have been working for over a year documenting and organizing; Pam and her facility crew have been working hard on improvements and additions; Sherry and Marcia and the schooling team have been getting our horses ready for our 2023 riding season and holding volunteer training sessions; Bonnie and her grooming team work tirelessly to make our horses look their best; Angelique has been working with PATH Intl. and Markel, our insurance company, to solidify our membership and coverage, and we could go on…We thank all our volunteers, team members, and Board for all you do!

What to expect on Site Visit Day, Thursday, April 6th:

  • Our Site Visitors will arrive around 8:00 am to be welcomed and to meet our Volunteers, Instructors, and Team Members.

  • Be prepared to answer questions they might have about Horses with Heart – of course, be “wonderful” as always.

  • After the welcome, they will inspect our entire facility and see the horses.

  • At 9:15 or so, they will watch the preparation and the actual 9:30 Therapeutic Riding Class.

  • After the class, they will meet with Jan and Chelsea to go through each Standard.

  • At lunchtime they will leave HwH to have lunch and talk about the site visit thus far.

  • After lunch, they may ask to see anything they may have missed.

  • After this, they will meet with Jan and Chelsea to score their findings.

  • Hopefully, they will finish around 3:00 pm.

Thirsty Thursdays

Starting Thursday, April 13 (always weather permitting) HwH will begin a new tradition: Thirsty Thursdays, our Happy Hour, 4:30 – 6:00pm after our last class of the day. These get-togethers are B.Y.O.E. (Bring Your Own Everything) - your own chair, drink, snacks to share, guitar, jokes, stories, yarn, friends, and smiles to relax, converse, and enjoy the fellowship of the HwH family. So many of us are passing ships in the night. We only see the people who are a part of the HwH family on the day(s) we volunteer and/or ride. These very informal weekly get-togethers give us all the opportunity to see members of the HwH family who are here on other days. The Classy Pony Resale Boutique will also be open on these evenings. Come every week, once a month, or whenever your schedule permits and the mood is right. Our first Thirsty Thursday is April 13. Spread the word with your friends, and we hope to see you there.

2023 Boutique Hours

Our Classy Pony Resale Boutique will now be open from 9 am to 3 pm Monday through Friday. We have a great selection of Western apparel, home décor, Horses with Heart merchandise, and more! 100% of the Boutique proceeds benefit our riding programs, so stop by and see the great items that we have available!

Donation Hours

Do you have unused tack taking up space? Consider donating it to Horses with Heart! The tack that we can’t use on our own horses will be sold in our tack sales. 100% of the proceeds from these sales goes towards our riding program! Our tack donation hours are Wednesdays from 9 am to 1 pm, Thursdays from  1 pm to 4 pm, and Friday from 3 pm to 4 pm.

Electricity Use

Since the horses have come back to the property, our electricity has skyrocketed. Please be aware that electricity is costly and make sure to turn off the lights!

Volunteer of the Month ~ Casey Van Balen

Since Casey started with Horses with Heart, her love for the program has been evident.  She is part of several Safety Support Teams as both a Sidewalker and Coach.  She is on the Mucking Team and the Supplement Team.   Casey has over 20 years of (people) body massage background, so this winter she started studying horse anatomy and began massaging many of our horses at their winter homes.   She has since started studying the Masterson Method therapy for horses and continues both treatments at the Ranch to help many of our horses feel the best they can!  Thank you, Casey!

Q & A

1.      How long have you been with Horses with Heart?

I began at Horses with Heart in May of 2022.

2.       Why do you volunteer at Horses with Heart?

I volunteer here to support a great organization, to be around horses, and people who love horses.

3.       What is your favorite memory or moment at Horses with Heart? 

My favorite memory was recent. Meiko and Rocky grooming each other when Meiko was turned out in the back. Meiko was “floofing” Rocky's mane, while Rocky licked Meiko's legs. 

4.       If you could share one thing with new volunteers, what would that be?

I would share with new volunteers that there's a wealth of knowledge here, and to try new things; the great mentors are always there for guidance.


Volunteer Appreciation Week

We appreciate our volunteers all year round, but Volunteer Appreciation Week gives us an extra chance to celebrate the dedication and hard work of our volunteers. This special thank-you week starts April 16th.  Our volunteers will be gifted with delicious goodies and HwH mementos. Please be sure to thank our volunteers for their enduring support of Horses with Heart!

Heroes on Horses West 2023 Recap

Horses with Heart veterans participated in the second annual Heroes on Horses West on March 7th and 8th during the Sun Circuit show. Thank you to Bob and Ingrid Miller and the National Snaffle Bit Association Foundation for sponsoring this event honoring and celebrating our mounted and unmounted veterans.

The Veterans/Horses who rode to represent Horses with Heart were Ron Bowen (Tango), Jackie Byrd (Gladys), Pete Sanders (Swifty), and Kris Volrath (Frankie). We want to thank Kim McElroy for donating her time to coach these riders in preparation for this event.

HwH Veterans who marched in the Parade of Heroes were Bill Arsenault, Margaret Killian, Sandy Meadowcroft, and Jim Radley.

Please visit the link below to see pictures from this amazing event! CLICK HERE

2023 Horse Sponsors

To Download Sponsorship Form: CLICK HERE

Our horses are back! With their return comes spring vet care, farrier expenses, grooming and stable supplies, increased utility costs, supplements, feed, and HAY. The old saying, “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride,” speaks directly to the expense of horse care. HwH does not limit our services to kings. To provide services to all, we need financial assistance with the cost of horse care.

HwH is offering 2023 sponsorship opportunities at the levels shown below. Each of our five riding sessions is five weeks long, with an additional sixth week reserved for weather make-ups. By sponsoring a horse and/or pony you can subsidize the cost of feed, farrier, and vet care. The horses and ponies are on the HwH property and cared for by HwH team members and dedicated volunteers. Reserve your favorite horse or pony to sponsor today. For each session that you sponsor a horse, you will receive one of the great HwH items below. It’s tax-deductible!

Horse Sponsorship:

  • One Session: $500

  • Two Sessions: $1000

  • Three Sessions: $1500

  • Four Sessions: $2000

  • Five Sessions: $2500

Pony Sponsorship:

  • One Session: $250

  • Two Sessions: $500

  • Three Sessions: $750

  • Four Sessions: $1000

  • Five Sessions: $1250

Sweet Pea ~ Retiring to a Great Home

Sweet Pea has served HwH for two years, having been donated by some special friends, Ellen and Steve Carpenter, who couldn’t take her when they moved to Texas. She is a favorite of many of our riders, but she was telling us that she is ready to retire.

Her new forever home will be with Laurie Walker, a long time volunteer, our current Safety Support Team Substitute Coordinator, horse owner, and a winter foster volunteer for HwH. Laurie fell in love with this horse when Sweet Pea wintered at her home. Without hesitation Laurie, spoke up and said she’d love to have Sweet Pea permanently. Thank you, Sweet Pea, for being a wonderful horse - and to Laurie for being her new “mom”.

Blue Ribbon Moments

Horses with Heart has a new volunteer appreciation program this year called Blue Ribbon Moments. We want to recognize all the great day-to-day accomplishments of our volunteers. Nomination cards are located in the office, so when you see a fellow volunteer who is going above and beyond, please write down their name and drop it in the container. We will hold a drawing each Friday we’re in session, and the winner will receive a $5 gift card to Starbucks or Overflow as well as a $5 gift certificate to HwH’s Classy Pony Resale Boutique!

Week of March 20th Winner: Mike Zenner

Walk & Roll Move for Autism

Our Marvelous Mini Team will be at the Walk & Roll Move for Autism Event on Friday, April 7th. We would love to see you there!

Barrel Race

Horses with Heart’s 8th Annual Have a Heart Barrel Race is scheduled for Saturday, September 30th, at Olsen’s Grain in Chino Valley. More details will come soon, but make sure you mark your calendar for this great event!

Horses with Heart’s 30th Anniversary Celebration

We are gearing up to celebrate Horses with Heart’s 30th Anniversary on Sunday, June 25th, from 1 to 4 pm (yes, we did change the date)!

This will be a time to celebrate where we have been and where we are going. Friends, family, current and past riders, current and past volunteers, and anyone else you think might have an interest in what we do here at Horses with Heart are invited. Join us for lunch -- brats, hot dogs, and accompaniments will be served. There will be “trail bosses” around the facility to share our past and our growth of these past 30 years, and our future hopes and dreams.

So please come and share your experiences, hear from others, visit with old friends, and maybe make a few new ones!

CVEP Horse Shows

To download the Show Sponsor Packet: CLICK HERE

Sequins and Saddles 2023

It is never too early to begin planning for this event. Currently our most pressing need is to acquire auction Items, both live and silent. If you are willing to approach possible donors via letter, email, or in person and to follow up on these, we have a volunteer spot for you!

Sponsors for the event are always appreciated. Please contact Angelique for questions and inquiry.

Where to Find HwH News?

 

Around Our Center

Heads up, more improvements in the works!  

Rain gutters have been added to our horse shelters and "hooves crossed" they will make a big difference in how soggy our horse pens get during the next rain.  

We've finally received our permit from the town of Chino Valley and construction of our hay barn, horse shelters and tractor barn are underway.

Welcome home, Butters!  She has finished her staycation at Boulder Mountain Therapy in Phoenix and is now home ready for Session 1.

Spring Office Hours

While our official office hours remain 10 am – 3pm Monday-Friday, our Team Members will have new office hours starting the week of March 13th.

  • April 6th ~ PATH Intl. Reaccreditation Site Visit

  • April 15th and 16th ~ Chino Valley Equestrian Park Horse Show

  • April 16th – 22nd ~ HwH Volunteer Appreciation Week

  • April 26th ~ Volunteer Orientation

  • May 20th and 21st ~ Chino Valley Equestrian Park Horse Show

  • June 24th and 25th ~ Chino Valley Equestrian Park Horse Show

  • June 25th ~ Horses with Heart 30th Anniversary Celebration

  • September 30th ~ Have a Heart Barrel Race

  • November 11th ~ Sequins and Saddles

HELP US MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR OTHERS

From donations to sponsorships to SHOPPING for holidays, birthdays or weddings you can make a difference for others and Horses with Heart.

FIND US ON FACEBOOOK and INSTAGRAM!

Event Coordinator Needed

Debi Covington has stepped down from her role as Event Coordinator. Thank you, Debi, for all of the hard work and countless hours that you dedicated to making Horses with Heart’s events a success over the last few years.

We are looking for a new Event Coordinator! If you or someone you know is interested in the position, please contact Angelique LeVell at hwhexecdir@gmail.com for more information.