Open House and Global Campus Project

Within Dream On Curls Riding Center’s community there are numerous agencies that work with developmental disabled individuals to build upon both their physical and emotional well-being. One such agency is Lincoln Street Inc.

Recently, they contacted us to see if we would be willing to work with them and their Global Campus program. The Global Campus program provides an opportunities for their consumers which encourages them to investigate topics of interest and present their research and project to their peers. It is their hope that this opportunity will allow the participants to step out of their comfort zone, build their self confidence and of course learn new things. Each week one of the many Lincoln Street consumers teaches something new to his or her peers. Before the class, the presenter works with their case managers and providers to research information on the topic, write a small speech or talk and then present it to peers.

One young woman LOVES horses, so she chose to present a short talk having to do with this love of hers.

A few weeks before the set date, the “teacher” of the class visited the farm in order to plan out what she wanted to talk about and to see the space. She then went and researched all about curly horses and therapeutic riding, made a wonderful poster and provided all participants with handouts.

Friday, May 7th - a group assembled from Lincoln Street for the presentation. Dream On Curls Riding Center decided to offer a general Open House that day as well in conjunction with the Global Campus assembly.

Dream On Curls Riding Center INC was thrilled to be part of such an experience. What a great way not only to encourage growth, learning, and socializing but to let more people now about therapeutic riding and its many benefits.

Keri Orla -one of the many wonderful lesson horses at the center-- also got the chance to participate so that everyone could see a curly and have a chance to try out some of the brushes explained in the talk. She, of course, also received many kisses and scratches ~ her favorite.

After the young woman's speech, Zoe Lirakis - instructor - delivered a little speech about our program and also about the Curly horses. We ended the wonderful morning with coffee, snacks and hand outs.

We whole heartedly support programs such as this in our community and are always ready to assist and accomodate in any way we can.

We will be hosting 2 events in the month of June --

June 13th we be hosting a Judged Pleasure Ride in conjunction with ACTHA -- read all about it !! We will be joining in to set a World Record !! Contact us if you are interested in volunteering to help that day or wish to partake in the ride.

June 26th !! Save this day -- Dream On Curls Riding Center and Top O' The Hill Farm will be hosting the AAMFEST on the grounds -- Don't miss this fun and exciting music festival !! celebrating Autism Awareness .

I always like to add... your contributions/donations help us help others !!

Don't forget :)

Spring Fundraiser for Dream On Curls !

This will be our easiest and most FUN 'Fun'draiser yet !! All you have to do is show up and enjoy yourself !!

There will be a $5.00 cover charge for each person attending which will go toward our fundraising pot. As you know, Dream On curls Riding Center INC is a 501(c)3 organization and depends on public support and fundraisers to help fill in the financial gaps in providing our service to the community.

The featured band for Friday night, April 2nd, will be a talented local band - HIGH WIRE .

High Wire is a hard rocking three piece band from southern Vermont. High Wire has a repertoire of hard rock hits spanning the last three decades, as well as playing the best in new rock. With veteran musicians Jon Fletcher on bass guitar and Dan Borden on drums, HighWire has tons of experience in getting a crowd up & rockin’. On lead guitar & vocals, Josh Adams is still belting out hits. High Wire will electrify you into a dancing frenzy and zap you out of your work-week blues!

We will be holding some 50/50 raffles through out the evening as well as some other surprises !

As a reminder -- our riding center has many 'invisible' behind the scenes expenses which are part of operating within certain safety regulations, one of these being helmets.

The center provides helmets for our riders, so we have an assortment of sizes- about 2 or 3 of each size available. Each rider is fitted by instructor Zoe to assure the proper fit and protection. We do have many groups which riders are on horseback at the same time.

The helmets must be replaced yearly -- and only with approved and certified head gear.

Now many people think that you replace a helmet only if you have taken a fall of some sort but for those who operate a therapeutic riding center not so. Each year the helmets need to be replaced to ensure full safety of each of their participants. The reason being is that over time the Styrofoam that provides the safety to the rider wears down with normal on and off use, weather and just age. As an entity that provides lessons for those with disabilities, it is important to us, and all centers certified by NARHA, that every level of safety is taken so that we can focus on the rewards.

For those who are not horse people - a single helmet runs between $25-$30 for a basic, SEI/ASTM certified helmet, as a center we need to replace between 10-12 helmets a year all ranging in different sizes so that we have a variety of selections for our many ranges in ages and sizes. This adds up to around $400 a year. As our client base increases so does the need for more helmets. This is just one of our many behind the scene expenses that goes into maintaining a quality, safe, fun, enriching learning environment for all.

Anyone who wishes to make a donation spearheaded for helmet purchase can do so by going to our donation page on the web site and clicking the pay pal donation button. Or go here

Hope to see you all at our next event !!

Enjoy ~

Snow, Sleds and FundRaising

The Valentine's Day Poker Run had to be post-poned due to NO SNOW !! and it was not looking great for the new date ... until the Wednesday before the big day.... Vermont was visited by the Mother of all snowstorms and delivered several feet of new snow cover for the snowmobile trails. The Chester Snowmobile Club revved up their Tucker and started grooming for Sunday !


There was a good turn out and fun was had by all. Dream On Curls Riding Center packed all their gear and set up the food booth at the Chester Recreational Field. Hot coffee, hot cocoa, breakfast sandwiches, do-nuts, chili, venison stew, and the standard hamburgers and hot dogs.

Susan Lejonhud, one of our board members, drove from Maine to help out and it's a good thing she did !! After the snow sledders arrived back at home base -- they were a hungry crew and gathered around the two grills with hearty appetites.

Registration table manned by President Stan Chouniere.

We met our goal -- which was raising the funds for our yearly Membership fees for NARHA.. thanks to the Chester Snowmobile Club and their much appreciated support !



******Thank you Chester Snowmobile Club ***

Stay tuned for our next Fundraiser -- Band Night at KJ's in North Springfield !! There will be music and fun for a good cause !! April 2nd, 2010 --- a nice way to heerald in spring.. and hopefully the end of MUD season !!

Enjoy ~

Winter Carnival Fund Raiser

February 14th—the Chester Snowmobile Club is hosting their Annual Poker Run starting with the $10.00 registration fee at 9:00. Dream On Curls Riding Center will be manning the food booth with hot beverages before and after-- PLUS -- do-nuts, breakfast sandwiches, and a belly warming hot lunch when you return to home base, with water, sodas, dessert !! Food sales will benefit the therapeutic riding center, which is a non-profit organization.

MENTION YOU ARE RIDING FOR DREAM ON CURLS RIDING CENTER, CHESTER SNOWMOBILE CLUB WILL DONATE YOUR REGISTRATION FEE TO OUR CENTER !!!!

So remember, for a fun day on your snow sled -- head to the Chester Recreation field for the annual Poker Run and when you register.. remember to say you are there to ride for Dream On Curls !!

Unfortunately - only current VAST members can register and ride.

The Poker Run is just one activity of many which will be going on during the Chester Winter Carnival, so bring the family to enjoy Valentine's Day together outdoors.


2010 Chester Winter Carnival, taking place Feb. 12 - 14. The weekend will begin on Friday, with an outstanding bonfire at Cobleigh Field, accompanied by a skating party complete with lights and music.

Saturday’s activities will begin at 10 a.m. at the Pinnacle with the Sled Races, where you can win an Olympic-style medal for the top awards in each age group. A new addition this year, will begin at 2 p.m. with Snowshoe Softball at the Pinnacle Little League Field. Put your team together in advance, or show up to be included in a pick-up team.

Sunday, the American Legion Post 67 Women’s Auxiliary will kick-off the day, with breakfast from 8 – 10 a.m. Then meet at Cobleigh Field, where the Broom Hockey Tournament begins at 10 a.m. Please sign up your team by calling 802-875-2693 or e-mail cheshdwre@vermontel. net. If you prefer snowmobiling to broom hockey, the Chester Snowmobile Club’s Poker Run is also taking place on Sunday, with registration at 9 a.m. at the Pinnacle.

Please stop by our booth on Sunday to say hello -- have a bite to eat, learn more about our Riding Center, meet the instructor and some of our Board Members. We will have our T-shirts on sale in addition to a few other items.

See You There !!

Make a Smilebox slideshow Just a quick holiday reminder of the Smiles you can help create with a donation - large or smaller.. our Riders will appreciate your thoughtfulness. You can go here for easy Pay Pal Donation for our Scholarship Fund http://dreamoncurls.bbnow.org/ Wishing all our Riders and their families/caregivers/support staff a very Happy Holiday - and also all those who followed our progress, supported and helped in all ways withour events this year. THANK YOU ALL !! and MERRY CHRISTMAS !!

Therapeutic Riding brings joy to more than just the riders

The following 'historical fiction' was written by our Board President, Sandra Howell. Not only is she a horse lover and owner and active member of the Dream On Curls Riding Center Board; she is also the mother of a child born with many developmental delays and disabilities.

We see this all the time at Dream On Curls Riding Center. The riders smile, chatter, anticipate their lessons with eagerness and happiness. But, the families, biological/adoptive, the caregivers, the staff - anyone related to our riders in any way -are affected by the many benefits of therapeutic riding as well.

Because it's the rider who is the focus, we often forget the circle of support people - those who maintain, nourish and endure through it all. The smile they see, no matter how small or bright... can make a big difference for them in the long road.

One mother of a young rider says- "It's kind of a bittersweet moment for me, my son loves his time riding - but it's the only time I see him smile. " She is certainly grateful for that smile, but yearns to see it more often.

For those of you who have children who smile and dance through life as 'normal' happy imps.. it may be difficult to imagine how precious a small smile can be.

Please remember this when you are contemplating a donation. Your kind gift brings smiles to more than just the riders' faces - but also joy and hope to the hearts of all the people who care for him or her.


A boy and a horse

She lifted the young boy high onto the horses back. He was quite heavy as he was wearing bulky leg braces and he did not have the ability to help.

The young horse, Wil, stood quietly, waiting for the boy to mount. Wil was the perfect horse for the child to ride. It was as if he sensed that the boy needed him to stand patiently as he threw one weighty leg over the side of the saddle, grabbed onto the saddle horn and sank into the seat. The boy felt no fear and instinctively knew that Wil would take care of him.

The horse and boy knew each other well, and had spent many quiet moments in the barn and in the field while the woman worked with the other horses. Their bonding was built on mutual trust, quiet moments and wordless communication. Many times during his younger non-verbal years, the boy had offered treats to the bay-colored colt. He had held the treats in the palm of his small hand as he waited for the touch from the colt’s tender lips to take his offerings. The colt’s soft nose would tickle his fingers and a subtle smile would acknowledge the boy’s delight.
This was the big day for the horse and the boy and it seemed to have come as suddenly as wind quickly moves in and blows through the trees. The woman knew that this was the day that she had been waiting for and it would mark an important passage in the young boy’s life. This would be one of the many milestones that would mark the boy’s life, but it would be this particular moment that would stay with her and one that the woman would always hold close to her heart.

Four years before, this moment in time, she had stood in the quiet of the day staring down into the crib where her son lay sleeping. He was a handsome two year old but even in sleep his bottom lip quivered as if he found no comfort in his baby dream land. She willed herself to stay in the moment, with no distractions, as she faced the harsh reality that something was wrong with her baby boy.

Since the day of his birth, the woman had tucked her innate feeling of unease into the back of her mind and she had continued to cling to the hope that all was well. Now, looking down at the sleeping boy, she knew deep in her soul, that something was wrong with her youngest son. She confronted the truth that she had denied for two years and she faced with certainty what her heart could not bear. Her plans for this child would not be the same as those for her other two sons and her mind conjured up all possibilities as her thoughts raced ahead and she wondered where to begin.

Tears trickled down her cheeks, ran onto her chin and began their flow of sorrow. She was overwhelmed by the realization that her son would always struggle to make his way in the world and that her dreams for his future would be always be elusive. Time stood still and her tears continued to flow until her heart felt empty and hollow.

Four years later, the sun was shining on her son as he sat proudly on the warm back of Wil. His legs found the warm place on the horse’s body and he spoke softly to his longtime friend. The woman picked up the lead line and began to walk slowly through the field of tall grass. Wil moved off with a rocking rhythmic gait while the young boy held tight to the saddle horn. She looked back at her son and saw a small smile of contentment come to his lips and the joy of the moment began to fill the empty place in her heart.

Please visit our web site for more information about our program. We have a donation page on the site.
http://www.vermontel.net/~top/dreamoncurls.htm

Also, you can find out more information here for donations - http://dreamoncurls.bbnow.org/index.php

Did you know if you use the iGive search bar for all your internet searches http://isearch.igive.com/toolbar.cfm it's very easy. Sign up for Dream On Curls Riding Center as recipient of your searches.

Also - through iGive, you can do your holiday shopping on-line using their coupons and discounts. You can facilitate a donation and save money !! Over 700 of the web’s best stores participate in this free program, and up to 26% of each purchase benefits our cause.

Please support our program. Even a small donation mounts up if many give.

Many thanks !

Here's a photo of Sandy and her American Curly Horse- Wil, one of the stars of her short story.

Sandy is currently authoring a novel. You can keep track of the progress by reading her blog - http://curlyhorsenovel.blogspot.com/

National Disability Mentoring Day at the farm

Wednesday, October 21- National Disability Mentoring Day. We were pleased and honored to take part again this year. You can read about the goals and mission of this important date here -

http://www.dol.gov/odep/programs/dmd.htm

The day began with a breakfast for all 'employers' and participants. Some of the individuals who attended the breakfast were riders we already knew. Others had heard about our facility and came over to talk about their wish to someday participate. The biggest hurdle for most of these individuals is funding-- which is another topic.. but please keep in mind the importance of our new scholarship fund to assist these folks in their dreams. Visit our web site to read more about donating.

We had a great turn-out - of all the participating sites, Dream On Curls Riding Center hosted the highest number of participants ! We were also blessed with a gorgeous Indian Summer day- probably some of the nicest weather we've experienced in weeks ! (maybe months!)

A little introduction by instructor Zoe and then some saddle cleaning along with discussion of types of saddles and their use.

taking time out from cleaning tack to record the day with a photograph.
This woman was a return visitor to the farm- having participated in last year's Mentoring Day. She remembered a lot of what she learned last year and was a great help in supporting her peers in their new experiences. When asked later what she got out of this rewarding day she stated “it made her feel important to help other people learn about the horses.” When working with a group-- it's not always about the horses, but also the interaction that takes place between the human members of the session.

After the saddles were cleaned and oiled - the FUN part of the morning commences.. the horses are brought up for grooming. Another introduction and explanation of the tasks ahead.

Everyone has an opportunity to curry and brush the horses, learning at the same time the importance, purpose, and benefits of grooming for both horse and groomer.

once the horses are properly groomed- the next step is cleaning the hooves.

Zoe shows everyone the proper way to approach the horse safely and how to pick the hoof up and hold it for cleaning.

This important step in preparation can be intimidating for many- but this group was incredibly enthusiastic to learn and eager to try it!

4 horses - 4 hooves each-- plenty to go around !!

Here is a quick study-- she enjoyed it so much she did more than one horse.

Same with this young man ! For most of the participants, this was their first experience with such large animals and they all displayed respect and willingness to learn and try all the different steps.

Some did need a little assistance- dealing with hooves and co-ordinating yourself in a new way requires practice.

Some of the attendees found great satisfaction with this more physically demanding interaction with the horses and their care.

And there were those who preferred to find their gratification in another manner- just being close and 'cuddling' -- bonding through touch.

Both horse and handler are relaxed and smiling.

All those who attended found that being around the horses was very relaxing and enjoyable-- and could see many of the benefits immediately - from increasing stamina, to reducing stress, to just plain having a great time.

This proved to be a day that reminds me that all my hard work has a purpose ! While instructor, Zoe gets to see and witness times such as this daily in her interactions with riders and participants-- I am generally busy managing the farm and horses. Today, I put aside my normal work-a-day routine and became a 'volunteer' fetching horses and helping out - in addition to being there to memorialize the event in photographs. It is immensely gratifying to personally take part in the enjoyment and appreciation of participants such as these individuals.

One of the women proclaimed at the end of the morning's session - "This was the BEST day of my life ! " How rewarding is that ??