August 2022
HwH is the Premier Accredited Center in Northern Arizona
Harnessing the proven benefits of therapeutic horsemanship, Horses with Heart (HwH) helps transform the lives of disabled children and adults—including U.S. military veterans—as they gain confidence, dignity and independence by riding our trained horses under the direction of highly-credentialed staff.
Rain, Rain, Go Away,
Come Again Another Day,
Or Decide to Stay and,
We Will All Still Play!
By Horse Care Coordinator, Deborah Thomas
Horse of the Month ~ Sam
Sam tops the list this month. He so willingly went back to driving after a few years’ break. What a trooper! He slid right in to being harnessed and driven by his mom, Lisa Lucidi. Twenty-three years young looks good on him! Thank you, Sam for being so versatile – driving and being ridden. Sam has also volunteered to represent HwH and his breed, Norwegian Fjord, as part of the Parade of Breeds on August 16th at the CVEP & LASER Chamber Mixer. (Thank you, Kay Lyons, for riding Sam for this event!) Thank you, Lisa, for sharing Sam’s talents with Horses with Heart.
HwH Marvelous Mini Program
The HwH Marvelous Mini program helped to close the Humboldt Unified School District's summer school program on July 18. The students and staff were enamored by our "unicorns!"
HwH Herd Update
Over the summer, we brought in a few new horses. Welcome Butters, Gladys, and Stumpy! EBay is here on trial.
You might remember that Sunshine retired last spring; she has a wonderful forever home with Kathleen Klein and Trudy Chapman-Radley.
Volunteer of the Month ~ Diane Dettman
Diane is an incredible lady who does so much around HwH. She jumps in wherever and whenever needed. Diane is on the grooming team and on Kris D’s tack cleaning team, which she does with incredible vigor and even does so after a morning of grooming. She is a feeder, mucker, and often helps out on the marvelous mini team excursions to schools and care homes. Diane doesn’t stop there, she is also on several SST teams. Super, fabulous volunteer 👏👏👏👏👏. She puts her hand up to do so much to help in so many areas at HwH. Thank you, Diane!
P.S. Diane even took a Silver Saddle class. Here is photo of her on Chili.
Q&A
How long have you been with Horses with Heart?
I started volunteering with Horses with Heart in April of 2021. My husband, Warren, and I moved to Prescott from Wisconsin in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. I had volunteered in WI at a farm sanctuary and loved working outside and with the animals. I saw HwH advertised at the rodeo parade and sent in my application. Voila! The rest is history and my good luck!
Why do you volunteer at Horses with Heart?
I had never cared for horses before but have always had a love for animals in general. I, like many kids, always wanted a horse, but my parents gave me brothers and sisters instead. Now I get to enjoy the best of both worlds! The brothers and sisters are still there, but I have added the joy of volunteering at HwH!
What is your favorite memory or moment at Horses with Heart?
One of my favorite memories was when I groomed Rocky for the first time. I prepared all my supplies, got a clean, wet washcloth and hung it over the rail where I could easily reach it. Then I went and fetched Rocky and positioned him for his spa session. I leaned over to pick up the conditioner, and Rocky reached over, took the washcloth from the rail and tossed it on the ground. From then on, we both knew who was boss!
If you could share one thing with new volunteers, what would that be?
There's no need to count your blessings to be a part of HwH... there are too many of them! You have an opportunity to learn new things, polish your skills, have unlimited fun, and build relationships with an amazing herd of horses. All this while working with the best crew of fellow volunteers you can imagine. This experience affirms the kindness, patience, good humor and generosity that is at our fingertips.
Next Volunteer Orientation and SST Training ~ August 27th
Do you want to volunteer and be around horses? Do you want to make new friends? Do you want to help children, adults, Veterans, and First Responders whose lives are transformed daily with their interaction with our horses? In other words, would you like to volunteer and make a difference in your life and the lives of others?
We have just what you need at Horses with Heart. Ask our volunteers and they will tell you, “What are you waiting for? This is the place where miracles happen, where deep friendships are made, and horses get loved.”
You ask, “How and when can I start?” Our next Volunteer Orientation and SST Training sessions are on Saturday, August 27th. Orientation starts promptly at 8:15 am and will conclude at 10:00 am. The additional training for those who want to learn how to help our riders in therapeutic riding classes (SST Training) will run from 10:15 am to 12:45 pm. We also invite anyone who has already gone through a Volunteer Orientation in 2022 and wants to just do the SST Training: now is the time to sign up. To all, please invite your friends and neighbors to join the fun!
To register, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Kelly Holiday but choosing a button below.
Horse Showing Receives Glowing Report and a Challenge
One of the participants of the clinic, Horse Showing 101, has shared some wonderful insights.
“I was fortunate enough to be able to attend this clinic. If it is offered again, I would highly recommend taking it – particularly the Showmanship part. Even if you do not wish to compete in horse shows, the information given was of great value in everyday riding – namely, having a partnership with your horse.
This clinic also gave me a great appreciation for the HwH Competition Team and what these riders go through when they compete. It is not easy physically, mentally, and emotionally. Putting yourself out there to be judged is challenging. Our clinic Instructor shared that she still gets scared when entering the show ring – and that’s after 40 years of riding.
It would also be helpful for the parents and caregivers of our riders to audit this class to have a better understanding and appreciation of what the Competition Team experiences.”
STAY TUNED ~ THREE GREAT HwH EVENTS AHEAD from Debi Covington, the HwH Event Coordinator
Horses with Heart will be hosting a Chino Valley Chamber Mixer AND Open House on September 16th from 5:00 to 6:30 pm with demonstrations and informative tours at the HwH ranch. We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to lead tours of the facility. Additionally, do you know a business owner, therapist, caretaker, or physician who would benefit from finding out more about Horses with Heart? Please invite them to come and see what we do.
The Have a Heart Barrel Race & Poles will be held on September 24th at Olsen’s Arena in Chino Valley. Bonnie Moreau is your contact person for this event.
The silent auction at this event is always a success, and we will be needing new and never-used items. Should you be able to help with this, please bring your item(s) to the office and fill out an In-Kind form.
Please contact Kris Vollrath by clicking the button below if you would like to sponsor a buckle. Winning racers receive these special buckles.
Our final fundraiser for the year will be Sequins and Saddles. This will be held November 12th at the Embry-Riddle Student Union. Plan on joining us for great food, music, and both silent and live auctions. Last year tickets sold out quickly, so please keep an eye out for the event announcement; think about forming a group to sponsor a table! (HwH Volunteers: form groups to sponsor, and your seats will be reserved at the event.) All those who sponsor a table have reserved seats! This also saves you money! (Each ticket sold separately is $100.)
Do you know someone or a business whom you would like us to contact? Please inform Debi Covington or Angelique LeVell by choosing a button below. Besides sponsoring the event, businesses can be asked to donate items for our auctions.
Sponsorship Levels:
If you or a group of individuals sponsor at these levels, you receive the corresponding number of tickets and have reserved seating.
Diamond - $1000 - Eight tickets
Gold - $750 - Six tickets
Silver - $500 - Four tickets
Bronze - $250 - Two tickets
Turquoise - $200 - Advertising without ticket privileges
Session 3 Classes Begin the Week of August 8th
After a short summer break, classes will resume the week of August 8th. HwH Instructors are excited to have many of our riders continue with their riding lessons and to meet many riders new to our program.
Please contact Jan Grise by choosing one of the buttons below – if you are interested in riding in Session 4 which begins the week of October 3rd. We will do our best to accommodate new riders, but please understand that you may be kept on a waiting list if our classes fill. This is a great problem to have, but we earnestly desire to serve all interested participants.
(Photos: KLR Photography)
Happy Hearts Rodeo ~ a Wonderful Time for All
For the twentieth year, special needs youngsters have enjoyed and benefitted from our Happy Hearts Rodeo. This year was no exception. We could not hold this event without the support of our many volunteers and staff. A huge shout out to everyone who came out to help with the Happy Hearts Rodeo. Thank you all for making it such a success!
Much Learned at HwH’s Summer Clinics & Workshops
Volunteers, staff and guests had great learning experiences at our six Summer Clinics. We started with an informative workshop about therapeutic driving. As HwH prepares to offer Therapeutic Driving Lessons in the fall taught by Lisa Lucidi, several volunteers want to try their hand at driving and assisting during the future classes. Additional classes were offered after the clinic to ready our volunteer team for this wonderful, new program.
For those riders who are interested in showing, a practical and fun workshop was organized by Kati Anderson and presented by Jorden Galen and Diane Goddard. Participants learned the ins and outs of showing - from preparation to actual performance with horses.
Several HwH volunteers and parents attended the Disability Workshop presented by Angie Levin, Director of ASCEND. ASCEND is a K-12 school, Adult Program, and soon-to-be residential program for children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and related disabilities. ASCEND structures the program on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) principles.
Angie and parent, Shawn Jerrells, shared practical information about the ASD spectrum and effective strategies for working with individuals on the spectrum. This informative workshop was so well received that HwH plans on inviting Angie Levin back to share more.
Two Horse Leader workshops were presented by Riding Director/Instructor Jan Grise and Instructors Sherry Hoover and Marcia Gagnon. HwH volunteers who desired to learn how to be a Horse Leader on a Safety Support Team attended, as well as many seasoned Horse Leaders. Helpful tips, techniques, procedures and safety considerations were covered. Attendees were given opportunities to learn and practice in hands-on experiences with HwH horses.
Lizz McCoubrey of High Desert Vitality described the benefits and demonstrated the Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) therapy to several horses at HwH. Lizz donated a portion of the proceeds to Horses with Heart. Thank you, Lizz!
The last of HwH’s workshops was Trailering Safety presented by Allen King. Driving a truck and trailer is not necessarily that easy especially for novices. Attendees walked away with new and safe skills to apply in their everyday lives. Thank you, Allen!
Fry’s Food Stores Rewards ~ Horses with Heart Enrolled
Horses with Heart is happy to announce that we are enrolled in the Fry's Community Rewards program. If you have a Fry's Food Stores' account, your Fry's rewards can benefit HwH. Just go to the Fry's Food website; log into your account, search for Horses with Heart or WH099; then click enroll.
Classy Pony Resale Boutique Update
HwH’s Classy Pony Resale Boutique is now getting outfitted with shelves, display cabinets, racks, etc. It won’t be long before it opens. (September 1st is the target date.) We are looking for volunteers to help in the shop whenever it is convenient for them. One hundred percent of Classy Pony’s sales goes to HwH’s programs. What a valuable cause to donate your time or items (equestrian and/or Western) -- and/or shop. Stay tuned for the Grand Opening!
Happy Trails Moonshine
Our beloved Moonshine passed away after having many months of loving attention and retirement at the Neilsons’ home. She gave so much love and acceptance to our riders. Her sweet disposition and large, loving eyes drew many a volunteer and rider into a wonderful relationship with her. She will be deeply missed.
Gas Card
Our June winner of the $25 gas card was Bob Preller. Congratulations!!!!! The August winner will be announced on July 30th.
Please put your new ticket in for August’s drawing. (Please, only one ticket per month.) The container and tickets are on the volunteer shelf in the office.
Around our Center
(aka Pam’s Pet Peeves)
The horses have returned in preparation for Session 3, and some new faces have joined the fun. Just a quick reminder that new horses are in quarantine for two weeks after their arrival. Everyone is welcome to meet and get to know them, but please remember the quarantine protocol: no nose-to-nose contact with HwH horses, and be sure to sanitize after contact with a horse in quarantine.
Calendar of Events
August 8 ~ Session 3 Therapeutic, Veteran & First Responder, Silver Saddle begins
August 16 ~ Chino Valley Chamber Mixer Hosted by CVEP and LASER (See Flyer below), CVEP, 5:00-8:00 pm
August 27 ~ Last New Volunteer Orientation & SST Training of 2022, HwH, 8:15 am
September 3 ~ Fall Session of Competition Team begins-Team Meeting, HwH, 10:00 am
September 5 ~ HwH closed for Labor Day
September 14 ~ Chino Valley Chamber Mixer & HwH Open House, Wednesday, 5:00 – 6:30 pm
September 24 ~ Seventh Annual Have a Heart Barrel Race, Olsen’s Arena
October 3 ~ Session 4 Therapeutic, Veteran & First Responder, Silver Saddle begins
November 12 ~ Sequins and Saddles, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
December 6 ~ Volunteer/Wranglr Hours Event and Christmas Luncheon
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.