Board and Staff Member Spotlight
Chesea Barth – Finance and Human Recourses Specialist

Chelsea has been a member of the Horses with Heart team since 2022. She’s motivated by a genuine desire to make a difference in the lives of our participants and to support the organization’s mission of providing therapeutic horsemanship opportunities to those in need.

Born and raised in Prescott, Chelsea began volunteering at Horses with Heart in 2014, which shaped her dedication to serving the special needs community. She believes that everyone deserves access to programs that can increase their confidence and independence, and she brings that belief into everything she does.

Chelsea married her high school sweetheart, Tyler, in 2018 and they welcomed a son in August of 2025. She currently resides in beautiful Wilmington, North Carolina. Outside of work, Chelsea enjoys reading, trying new coffee shops, and visiting the beach.

For Chelsea, being part of Horses with Heart isn’t just about a job, it’s about contributing to something bigger and helping build a stronger, more caring community.

Volunteer Of The Month - JOHN SMITH

John Smith is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet! When we are in desperate need of technical help, John comes to the rescue with his calm, kind and thoughtful expertise. As technology continues to progress, we are in an ever increasing place of gratitude to have him on board. Thank you, John. Your heart to serve is evident in all you do!
1. How long have you been with Horses with Heart? - I started working on projects for HWH in about 2015 after the move to Chino Valley.
2. Why do you volunteer at HWH? I started volunteering to support Mary's work with HWH. My early projects were focused on improving site safety and helping to increase the office's technical capability. I try to fill the support needs where others can't.
3. What is your favorite memory? Going on a mini-program to an assisted living facility.
4. What would you share with new volunteers? You'll have a great bunch of people to work with.

Horses with Heart 22nd Annual Maureen Owen Bowl-a-Thon

STRIKE

Our 22nd annual Bowl-a-Thon honoring Maureen Owen was a HUGE success. 36 bowlers participated in the fun at Antelope Lanes Bowling Alley in Prescott Valley on February 14, 2026.

This event is fundraiser where our HwH participants gather pledges that are placed in a scholarship fund and used towards their riding fees. Pledges from the event are designated by the donor and applied toward scholarships, the Competition Team, and the general fund.

This year our participants collected pledges in the amount of $12,459. These pledges enable so many participants will benefit from our services. Prizes are awarded to participants who gather the most pledges. Landry King, raised the most in the under 18 category. Sutton King, raised the most pledges for those over 18. Both boys received a $50 gift card for their successful campaigns.

A raffle was held where individuals vied for a variety of donated items. The raffle raised $804 for our organization. With the help of Trudy Chapman-Radley we held a 50/50 raffle that raised $300. The winner, who received half, was Karen Richert. Karen donated her winning portion back to HwH. Thank you Karen!

Thank you to all volunteers, parents, supporters and bowlers for participating in this super fun event. With your help the Maureen Owen Memorial Bowl-a-Thon raised approximately $14,500 this year. Maureen is smiling down at us for our success!

Preparing for the HwH 2026 Season

Session 1 begins March 16:

Session 1 begins the week of March 16! We still have a few spots open in our Silver Saddles riding classes on Monday afternoon, Tuesday afternoon, and Friday afternoon. We also have spots in Un-mounted Horsemanship (adults) on Tuesday mornings or Wednesday afternoons.

If you are interested in more information for enrollment in this Session or future Sessions, please contact Aireal Dallam at hwhprograms@gmail.com

February Training

Saturday, February 21st was a beautiful day, and we had a great and fun training for our returning Safety Support Team (SST) members! Over 40 of our volunteers were able to watch a demo class of Instructors and Mentors and let them know what they were doing wrong! ** Please note - we deliberately did things wrong to use as teaching moments! Look for information on our New Volunteer SST and Horse Handler trainings held February 28th in next month's newsletter.

Upcoming Horse Handler Trainings

It’s that time of year again, horses are coming back to Horses with Heart!

Are you new to horses? Would you like to have additional confidence around horses? Do you want to get involved in the Grooming Team or the Marvelous Minis program? If your answer is yes to any of these questions, one of these training sessions is for you!

If you have been, or want to be on the Wednesday morning Grooming Team, this is your training:

March 11th Groomer Horse Handler Training 9:00 AM
Please email your interest to Bonnie Moreau at bchere58@hotmail.com.

If you have been, or want to be on the a part of the Marvelous Minis Program, this training is for you:

March 11th Marvelous Minis Horse Handler Training 1:00 PM
Email your interest to Sherry Hoover at sherryhwh@gmail.com.

Mounting Practice

If you are interested in learning how to assist with mounting and dismounting the riders in their classes, we have training for you!

Thursday, March 5th at 10:00 AM

We have room for 10 individuals to have hands-on practice, and if you would prefer to watch and just get a better idea of how and why, we also have space for you!

If you are interested in hands-on training, or to watch, please email Sherry Hoover at sherryhwh@gmail.com by March 2nd.

Arizona Charitable Tax Credit Program

At the Volunteer Appreciation event in January, we gave each volunteer an information card explaining the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit opportunity and how it can benefit Horses with Heart. Volunteers were encouraged to participate.

Recently, all HwH volunteers and supporters received an email reminding them to take advantage of the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit program to benefit Horses with Heart and the taxpayer. The email also asks the recipients to share, via email, the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit opportunity with their Arizona families and friends.

Horses with Heart (HwH) is a qualified charity in the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit Program (Arizona Tax Credit QCO Code: 20347). The state of Arizona provides an incredible incentive for taxpayers who donate to certain qualifying charities like Horses with Heart. Thanks to the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit, you can donate up to $495 per person, or $987 if filing jointly, to a qualifying charity and receive a credit toward your Arizona tax liability, dollar-for-dollar.

This program has endless income opportunities for Horses with Heart. We are encouraging state taxpayers to contribute to Horses with Heart to support our programs, participants, and the care of our horses.

DONATE

Recap on Retirement Party with Pictures

Jazz and Copper asked me to say THANK YOU to all who came out to wish them a happy retirement. They felt truly honored and appreciated all the attention.

Marvelous Minis Update

The month of February found the Marvelous Minis hosting a Girl Scout troop at HwH. The girls were delighted by Liberty, Frosty, Brady, and Rocky! They learned about horse safety, grooming, and gave a try at trick-training. The scouts were thrilled to get to lead the Minis around the arena. At the end of the program, they decided to put all the bows on Liberty!

Rocky and Frosty lent their presence to a Valentine craft-making event inside the Teen Area at the Prescott Valley Library. When the teens started dispersing, we took the Minis into the main area of the library where they were the hit of the day! Kiddos were elated to see horses in the library!

Our MM volunteers protect tiny toes like it was an Olympic sport! Check out the photo showing one volunteer (Sally Gray) using her foot to protect the little cutie who was wearing only a sock.

Mary Smith

SAVE THE DATE! ~ Prescott Rodeo Parade

We will be participating in the Prescott Rodeo Parade again this year! Our Entry is entitled “Freedom in Every Stride - Independence through Therapeutic Riding”. The Parade is Saturday, July 4th, and we will need lots of help on the day of the parade and with the planning process. Our next planning meeting is March 14th at 1:00pm in the Horses with Heart office. If you can’t attend the meeting, but would like to get involved please email Sherry Hoover at sherryhwh@gmail.com.

THANK YOU!

A big heartfelt thank you to True West Landscaping of Chino Valley https://www.truewestaz.com/ .

Your donation of wood grains made our horses comfortable during cold months!

Heart & Hoof Mercantile is Open!

As you enter the HwH office, you will hopefully notice some big improvements made over the winter break. One of them being our merchandise area, now called, Heart & Hoof Mercantile. There are new designs and items available, some may be limited edition. If you do not see your size or have a color preference, please let us know as we continue to increase our desired selections.

Barn Buddies

Being a Barn Buddy is a great way to ensure that your equine buddies are happy and healthy. All donations made through the Barn Buddy program go towards horse care: veterinary care; feed; supplements; bedding; blankets; and other horse care expenditures which benefit our entire herd. This donation can be made in any amount and once or recurring. Your donation will benefit our entire herd.

Visit our site by clicking the button below.

BE A BUDDY

Competition Team Update:

It’s almost time! Team HwH will start their Spring riding session on March 7th with a team meeting at 9:00 and work day about 10:30 to clean tack and equipment. Our riding classes will start on 3/14. We are excited to have two new riders joining us; Welcome David and Taylor! To allow for 10 riders, we will have 3 classes and are changing things up just a bit to hold them all in the morning. The first class will arrive at 8:30 and be ready to ride at 9; second class arrives by 10:15, ready to ride at 10:45; and the third class will arrive by noon and be ready to ride at 12:30. We’d love to have you come out and support us as we prepare for our competitions.

If you’d like more information on the HwH Competition Team, please contact head coach Pam Berry at 928-899-4759.