Horses With Heart— June 2024 Newsletter

Remembering Pete Sanders

Horses with Heart is deeply saddened by the loss of long-time volunteer Pete Sanders. Pete was an important part of our family, assisting with our facilities, dragging the arena, and helping wherever he was needed. Pete was also passionate about Heroes on Horses. He participated as a rider in 2023 and supported staff in 2024. Pete made a huge impact on everyone that met him, and Horses with Heart will not be the same without him.

Wrangler Luncheon Sign-ups!

Now that you have logged all your Wranglr minutes, it is time to use them! Our Wranglr Luncheon and Wranglr Raffle will be held at Horses with Heart June 26th at 11:00. Please RSVP to hwhvolcoord@gmail.com or sign up in the office by June 14th. We will be serving BBQ hot dogs, hamburgers and sides!

Have a Heart Barrel Race and Poles

Planning has already started for the 9th Annual Barrel Race and Poles, which will be held on September 28th at Olsen’s arena in Chino Valley. This event is always fun!

We have started soliciting sponsors and gathering themed baskets for the silent auction. If you have companies or individuals you would recommend to be contacted for sponsorship, please let us know. Gather your friends to arrange a themed basket to be auctioned at the race. In 2023 we had baskets for pet grooming, barrel race Items, just for her, a gift card assortment, work accessories for him, young adult horse books, etc.

The next committee meeting is June 5th, 2024 at 2:00 pm. Contact Bonnie Moreau if you would like to help with this super fun event to raise money for the many programs and horses at Horses with Heart.

Parade News

The Horses with Heart entry to Prescott Frontier Days Parade is well underway - and just wait to see what the team came up with this year! Would you like to help purchase decorations? Donations of decorations can be purchased through our Amazon Registry. The last day to make the purchases is June 10th!

If you would like to help decorate the entry and be in the parade on July 6th, please email hwhvolcoord@gmail.com or sign up in the HwH office.

HwH Competition Team update:

The team began preparing in March for competitions in April, May and June. Unfortunately, the April show was postponed due to weather but that allowed us more time to be ready for May. On May 4th, 11 HwH riders (and seven horses) all competed in Showmanship, Equitation and Trail. Kudos to Autumn, Lilly, Sutton and Landry for competing in their very first horse show and also to Kris and Jeremy for stepping up to the Ranch Riding Division. Although she doesn't practice with the team, we also want to shout out Clarissa, HwH's Program Director, for representing HwH (and winning!) in the Ranch Trail walk/trot/lope class.

Our next horse show will be Saturday June 1st at Chino Valley Equestrian Park. We're looking forward to another full day of teamwork,competition and smiles. Due to a scheduling conflict we will not be able to participate in the rescheduled April show, so this will be our last competition for this session. We would love for you to come out and cheer us on. We'll get started at 9:00 but classes will continue throughout the day.

Thank you to Chino Valley Equestrian Association for sponsoring and supporting Team HwH!

To finish out our Spring Session, the Competition Team will finish up on June 8th with a beach party, the one time each year that we are in the arena without helmets and boots. Although we can't promise to have turtles, we can promise lots of "wet" fun and food. Fun starts at 11:00! If you'd like to join us for lunch, please RSVP to Pam hwhcompteam@gmail.com. HwH will provide the hot dogs and drinks. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share.

Sequins and Saddles

We are happy to announce that the Sequins & Saddles Gala will be held at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on October 12, 2024. Come join the fun and help raise funds to support the Horses with Heart programs. The committee is hard at work preparing for this wonderful event. Dinner will be provided by Up in Smoke BBQ in Chino Valley, AZ. The “Rim Reign” band will be providing country music. Silent and live auction items as well as raffle items have started to be received.

We have acquired software that provides a separate website for Sequins and Saddles. The software will track all areas of the event including registration, ticket sales, sponsorship and donation opportunities, item tracking and quick and easy checkout. This will be a wonderful improvement for our guests and the staff.

We have also hired a professional auctioneer, Larry Cohen, whose talents and experience will maximize our fundraising opportunities. Funds raised at the event come from corporate and individual sponsorships, ticket sales, raffles and silent and live auctions.

We need your help gathering auction items that our guests will be excited to bid on. Do you know of a local business to contact for an auction item donation?

Here are some previous popular auction items:

Resort Mini-Vacations
Custom Pet Portraits
Dinners
Paintings
Jewelry
Dance Lessons
DJ Party
HVAC Services

You do not need to contact the business personally (unless you’d like to) but with your permission we will use your name when contacting the business. Donor letters and donation forms, as well as sponsorship packets, are available in the office. Please send us your ideas with contact information where possible. So many of us know creative people and deal with businesses and companies who care about HwH and our mission. Think about auction items and services, such as professional photographs or custom car detailing, that you would love to win. Your ideas will help make this fundraiser another huge success!

You are the key to the success of Horses with Heart. Everything you do, every bit of help makes us thrive. Your commitment is amazing in every way. It has kept us growing and thriving for 31 wonderful years. The dedication of our volunteers and supporters will carry us through the next 30 years.

Our Sequins and Saddles website is https://auctria.events/sequinsandsaddles
Please forward your questions and item procurement ideas to: Bonnie Moreau @ bchere58@hotmail.com

New Instructor Teaching Tool

The Horses with Heart Instructors have received a wonderful gift - a way to teach horse footfalls for the different gaits. The clever design and construction were done by Ally Toombs’ grandparents, Dave and Terry Felando. Dwyane Toombs spearheaded the project and provided the brackets and holders so each board could be hooked to the arena fence. Thank you to the Felandos and Dwayne for this visual teaching tool!

Volunteer of the Month – Janice Shanks

Janice has been a dedicated, dependable volunteer for many years. In addition to being on several Safety Support Teams, she is an important part of the team who coordinates our annual benefit Barrel Race. Also, several years ago, she chaired the Bowl-a-Thon committee and started making the vests for our volunteers’ five-year anniversaries. Janice exemplifies how a volunteer can use their special talents to benefit the organization!

How long have you been with Horses with Heart?
This is my 12th year volunteering at Horses with Heart.
Why do you volunteer at Horses with Heart?
I get more than I give as a volunteer. I have learned about horses, their care, and especially people and their giving and kindness. Seeing how much others give from the heart helps me with life’s challenges.
What is your favorite memory or moment at Horses with Heart?
There are many precious moments but most recently I have loved how the riders sing along to “Rhinestone Cowboy” in the saddles and sing and dance at the close of the session to “On the Front Porch Swinging.”
If you could share one thing with new volunteers, what would that be?
Share your talents. You will receive more than you give.

CHA IRD Certification Clinic

Horses with Heart hosted an Instructor Certification Clinic through the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) the week of May 5th. Seven candidates from many states received certifications to teach riders with disabilities. One of the seven was HwH's own Kate Adams. Congratulations, Kate!

It was a busy week filled with lots of learning, practicing, and teaching. The Hospitality Team (Laura Smart, Malenna Gonsalves, Denise Doty, Nancy Hughes, and Lisa Deardorff) planned, shopped, prepared, and served breakfast and lunch all six days. Many Safety Support Team volunteers helped groom, tack, and warm up the horses. They also served as horse leaders, coaches, and sidewalkers during the many classes. The facility was in top-notch condition every day. We thank the many volunteers who helped host this clinic. We could not have done it without our wonderful HwH volunteers and staff!

Horse of the Month ~ Cowboy

Cowboy, owned by volunteer and Veteran rider Kris Vollrath, has been showing his versatility in the past month! He has proven to be a fun and engaging partner in Equine Assisted Learning, demonstrating herd dynamics with his buddies Meiko and Rocky. He has also been working in the Therapeutic Riding and Non-mounted Horsemanship classes! At the CVEA horse show in May, he successfully competed in Ranch Riding and Ranch Trail with his mom, Kris. Way to go, Cowboy!

Save the Date! Lameness Clinic Fundraiser with Madelyn Melchiors, DVM

We are excited to host our wonderful veterinarian for an educational clinic at the ranch on Saturday, June 22nd from 9:00am to 12:00pm! This invaluable clinic is a fundraiser for Horses with Heart, and will include both a lecture and live demonstrations. Please reach out to Clarissa Donnelly, Program Director, at hwhprograms@gmail.com for more information or to sign up!

Needs Around the Ranch

We now have an Amazon wishlist! Visit this link to support Horses with Heart by donating supplies that we need.

The Sequins and Saddles committee is asking for donations of clear vases taller than 11 inches to be used as centerpieces during the gala. If you have extra vases around the house that you are looking to get rid of, please bring them to the Horses with Heart office!

Marvelous Mini Update

The Marvelous Minis and their entourage had four scheduled programs in the month of May. We visited Good Samaritan Windsong Villas in Prescott Valley, and Blue Iris Assisted Living, Granite Gate Senior Living, and Good Samaritan - Willow Wind in Prescott.

Among these residents we met a man who had trained horses, another who raised and raced Thoroughbreds, several who had pleasure horses until they moved to assisted living, and, of course, the many stories of having a pony when they were kids. They all so appreciated us bringing the minis.

The photos are from Blue Iris and Windsong Villas. (Photo credit: Mary Smith)

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.
Horses with Heart now has an Amazon wishlist! Visit this link to support Horses with Heart by donating supplies that we need.

Horses with Heart Art Contest

Horses with Heart participants took part in an art competition where they drew pictures depicting their favorite memories at Horses with Heart. Congratulations to all who participated, and to our winner, Kayla!

Parade News

The Horses with Heart Prescott Frontier Days Parade entry is well underway - and wait to see what the team came up with this year! Would you like to help purchase decorations? Donations of decorations can be purchased through our Amazon Registry. If you would like to help decorate the entry and be in the parade, look for an email later this month to sign up!

Blue Ribbon Moments

Horses with Heart has a volunteer appreciation program called Blue Ribbon Moments 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 a couple of sentences about what they have done, and drop it in the Blue Ribbon Moments container in the office. We will hold a drawing each week, and the winner receives a $5 gift card to Starbucks or Overflow Coffee.

Week of April 29th: Winner: Heidi Harvey
Week of May 6th: Winner: Annette DeMarco
Week of May 13th: Winner: Marcia Gagnon
Week of May 20th: Winner: Margaret Kilian

Upcoming New Volunteer Orientations & SST Trainings

If you, or someone you know would like to explore volunteer opportunities with Horses with Heart, please join us at the next Volunteer Orientation & Safety Support Team Training on June 6th at 3:00 pm. To register, please contact Sherry Hoover at hwhvolcoord@gmail.com or 928-533-9178.

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 or 408-210-3259.

Thank You, Sponsors!

Please join us in thanking the following businesses who support Horses with Heart! For more information on becoming an HwH sponsor, please contact Anne Spiess, Executive Director, at hwhexecdir@gmail.com.