A BIG Thank you to our Hospitality Team

Thank you to the Hospitality Team consisting of Lisa Deardorff, Parker Minnick, and coordinated by Nancy Hughes, who served over 170 people at the Returning Volunteer Orientations and the New Volunteer Orientations. Thank you team, for making the events so special!

Volunteer Appreciation Week           

This year, we are celebrating Volunteer Appreciation Week, the week of April 15th.    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.    Our volunteers will be gifted with a special HwH memento, as well as treats!   

Terry Sutton

In Memory ~ Terry Sutton

Terry Sutton, former Horses with Heart Board Member and longtime supporter of Horses with Heart, passed away on March 23rd, 2024 after a lengthy illness. Terry was instrumental in helping Trudy Chapman Radley establish HwH's 501(c)(3) status. She served as HwH's Board Treasurer for several years. Terry also lent her hand during many of HwH's benefit fundraisers including Have a Heart Barrel Race and Poles and supported many other events throughout the years. She will be greatly missed.

Upcoming New Volunteer Orientations & SST Trainings

  • April 1st at 3:30 pm

  • May 1st at 10:00 am

To register, please contact Sherry Hoover at hwhvolcoord@gmail.com or 928-533-9178.

Competition Team Spring Season Begins  

Photos by Karen Richert

The HwH Competition Team kicked off its spring season on March 9th with a team meeting and lunch. It’s great to have the Team back together!  We got acquainted with a new rider and new volunteers, reviewed our safety policies, did a little grooming and groundwork, and of course, had lunch. 

Our practices are on Saturdays (9:00, 11:00, & 2:30) now through May.  We will be competing at Chino Valley Equestrian Park (CVEP) on April 6th, May 4th and June 1st.  We’d love to have you stop by and see us in action. 

Parade News

The Horses with Heart Prescott Frontier Days Parade Committee is looking for one or two individuals to construct two simple wooden archways for the float trailer for this parade to be held on July 6th. The structures must be able to be securely attached to the trailer and easily removed. Donations of rustic wood, or any wood suitable for rustic staining, and used/new horseshoes for this project are welcomed. Please call/text Susanne Baker at (928) 420-6733 or email her at beaucheval59@gmail.com if you are interested in helping with this project or donating wood and/or horseshoes.  Your efforts will be acknowledged with a sign on the parade float. 

Horse of the Month ~ Patron

Photo by Patti Morabito

Patron is one of the newest members of our herd, but he has quickly established himself as one of our most versatile equine partners. He made his debut in Therapeutic Riding, Silver Saddle, Competition Team, and Veterans' classes in the first week of Session 1, and has acted like he's done it for years! He has also made the cover of our new Equine Assisted Learning brochure. Patron is generously leased to Horses with Heart by a wonderful member of our community, and we are very lucky to have him here.

 

Enjoying our New Property

The video below was taken of Clarissa Donnelly, Kris Vollrath and Marcia Gagnon riding on the new property. The dedication for the new "fenced" property is going to be held in the next few months. Stay tuned for more information.

Appaloosa Meadow Tack Sale

Appaloosa Meadows will be holding their spring tack sale in early April at Appaloosa Meadows. See you there.

  • Friday: April 5th: 7:00 am - 2:00 pm

  • Saturday: April 6th: 7:00 am - 2:00 pm

Session One Is Successfully Underway         

Session One 2024 classes began the week of March 18th.  Classes included therapeutic riding classes, Veterans’ classes, HwH’s new therapeutic equine-assisted learning experiences, Silver Saddle classes, and our new non-mounted horsemanship classes. The weather threw a few curve balls, but we managed to safely provide meaningful and fun classes. Led by Program Director, Clarissa Donnelly, our Instructor and Facilitator staff (Sherry Hoover, Marcia Gagnon, Patty Alberg, Kate Adams, Dusty Spitler, and Debbie Marcus) were happy to see all their participants, returning and new.

With the wide variety of programs at HwH, there are so many opportunities to experience the wonderful world of horses.  Whether you participate in a class or volunteer to help with classes, you will see how the partnership with horses will positively change lives.

The Marvelous Minis visit Paulden Community School

Photos by Patti Morabito

Marvelous Minis - Liberty, Brady, and Frosty - visited Paulden School on March 19th. They entertained about 70 students in 4 groups of almost 20 students each, for two hours. Students, teachers, and staff welcomed the minis with oohs and aahs!

Meet Horses with Heart's Marvelous Minis

Needs Around the Ranch

  • We are looking for a 2-3 horse, slant trailer. If you have one you would be willing to part with, please reach out to Clarissa Donnelly at hwhprograms@gmail.com.

  • Our horses need 20 soft, pliable rubber, 40-gallon feed tubs. These soft rubber tubs are needed to keep our horses safe because they are unbreakable and have soft edges. Please contact the HwH office if you would like to make a donation ~ 928-533-9178.

  • We are working on a list of volunteers who can haul horses in emergencies and to shows and other events.  If you have your own truck and trailer and would be willing to help us in these situations, please contact Sherry Hoover at hwhvolcoord@gmail.com.

Heroes on Horses Recap

Photos by Karen Richert.

On March 6th, Horses with Heart veterans, volunteers, staff, and friends participated in the Heroes on Horses Parade of Heroes carrying flags in honor of our country.  Veterans from the western states rode in the Western Pleasure class including HwH’s own Kris Vollrath and Sandy Meadowcroft.

Heroes on Horses West is a special project of the NSBA Foundation sponsored by Bob and Ingrid Miller.

Lynn Valenti

Volunteer of the Month – Lynn Valenti  

In addition to being on several Safety Support Teams and one of our horse schoolers, Lynn was an integral part of Heroes on Horses.  She generously offered her horse Rocky for our veteran rider, Sandy Meadowcroft, to ride.  She hauled him over twice a week for practices for a month and hauled both Rocky and Cowboy, Kris Vollrath’s horse, to Westworld in Scottsdale for the show.  She stayed there for 4 days, helping with everything from feeding, mucking, exercising, and keeping Rocky tuned up for the show.  She was an invaluable help and a pleasure to have with the team.

  • How long have you been with Horses with Heart? 

    I've been with Horses with Heart for two years now.

  • Why do you volunteer at Horses with Heart?  

    I grew up with horses, and they have always been my passion. I have experienced first-hand the connection between horse and rider, and I love to share that experience with others. About 15 years ago, I volunteered with a therapeutic riding organization working with abused youths and watched those children learn to put their trust in these magnificent animals and how the interaction with the horses helped center and calm the riders. When I learned about Horses with Heart, I knew right away that this would be such a rewarding volunteer opportunity. I love working with the horses and riders helping them find that connection.

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

    One of the riders I work with used to get so distracted when riding, so I let them know that the horse feels that distraction and that the rider's focus helps the horse focus. My rider was so taken with that information that they immediately tuned into their horse and, much to their delight, found that the horse started responding to the lightest cues! The rider called out to the mom, "Look, Mom, Butters can stop just by me thinking 'stop'!" My rider couldn't stop talking about how smart Butters was after that and became a much more focused rider.

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

    It is always a good idea to ask about any quirks a horse new to you may have, so don't be shy about asking questions. All the Horses with Heart staff are really friendly and helpful and want everyone to have a great experience!

Wranglr Assistance    

Wranglr, our volunteer timekeeping system, is crucial for recording our volunteer hours. This is vitally important because our submitted hours help HwH qualify for grants and donations. Secondly, volunteers also receive some fun benefits.  If you need assistance with Wranglr, please contact Annette DeMarco at cyngrrl@gmail.com.

National Snaffle Bit Association (NSBA) Coaches Summit

The Coaches Summit was held at the Temple Grandin Equine Center at CSU Spur in Denver, Colorado on February 19-21, 2024.  Clarissa Donnelly and Chelsea Barth from Horses with Heart attended this three-day workshop.

This yearly workshop is a special project of the NSBA Foundation for equine industry professionals, therapeutic riding center coaches, staff, volunteers, or anyone interested in exploring opportunities for the engagement and expansion of current or new riding programs for Equestrians with Disabilities.  The three-day program featured instruction from industry professionals, post-secondary educators, therapeutic riding instructors, and business and industry professionals.

The theme of the event was "A Model of Inclusion for All Riders". Instruction concentrated on the value and inclusion of competition for Equestrians with Disabilities and veterans using horses as a form of therapeutic riding and also included grant writing, fundraising, strategies for building industry networks, and open discussion panels for each topic.

Photo by Rebeca Sloan Creative

Blue Ribbon Moments

Horses with Heart has a volunteer appreciation program 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, and the winner will receive a $5 gift card to Starbucks or Overflow Coffee.

  • Week of March 4th:  Winner: Parker Minnick

  • Week of March 11th: Winner: Mary Smith

  • Week of March 18th:  Winner: Jerry and Robin Znetko

Calendar of Events

  • April 1st ~ Volunteer Orientation & SST Training, 3:30 pm

  • April 6th ~ Horse show at CVEP

  • April 13th ~ Pinwheel Party at Prescott Valley Civic Center, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm

  • Week of April 15th ~ Volunteer Appreciation Week

  • May 1st ~ Volunteer Orientation & SST Training, 10:00 am

  • May 4th ~ Horse Show at CVEP

  • May 13th - June 17th ~ Session 2 Mounted & Unmounted Classes

  • June 1st ~ Horse Show at CVEP

  • June 8th ~ Beach Party at HwH

  • July 6th ~ Prescott Frontier Days Parade

  • July 26th ~ Wranglr Luncheon

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