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Don’t forget the first annual Beef and Beer on Friday, September 25!
We need a rough head-count by Friday, September 18, so please call Tracey if you want to purchase or sell tickets. September 18 is not a cut-off date, we just need an estimate on attendance for the club by then.
All information can be found here.
See you at the party!
Our own Ebs (Ebony Boy to his admirers) has won the 2009 NARHA Region 2 Therapy Horse of the Year award! Go, Ebs! He will have his portrait sketched for a special poster of all the Regional award-winning horses, and is in the running for National Therapy Horse of the Year.
Keep your fingers crossed for him, and make sure to give him an extra pat next time you’re at the barn!
Look at that handsome boy!
There are a few one-time and short-term volunteer opportunities happening this summer, and we’d love to see you for them!
- July 28: 50 volunteers from Centocor are coming to work on the Sensory Trail and gardens. We’ll need project leaders!
- August 10-14 and 17-21: Summer camp! Monday through Friday, 8:30-1:30. Try to come all week so you can really bond with the campers.
- September 12: Warrington Day at Valley Square (by the Wegman’s) Saturday, 10:00-5:00. We’ll have a table to staff and hand out literature, etc.
- October 25: Harvest Festival at the barn Sunday, 10:00-2:00. Just like last year, there will be a petting zoo, costume contest, and a performance by our fabulous Drill Team!
Sign-up sheets for all events are at the barn.
Please nominate Special Equestrians for the First National Bank of Newtown’s Community Partnership Outreach Award.
You can visit any one of their branches and fill out a ballot nominating us for a $500 cash prize. Every nomination needs to be accompanied by a non-perishable canned food item, so you’d be helping us and a local food pantry! Nominations and food donations must be received by April 30.
A list of branches can be found here: http://www.fnbn.com/about/location.php . There’s one in Warminster on Street Road.
Thanks for helping out!
Spring is slowly creeping in, and things are picking up at the barn! If you are interested in participating in any of the following events, let Anne know via email or phone, or sign up on the sheets at the barn.
- April 5: Advanced Volunteer Training Clinic, 4-7. Come perfect your horse-handling skills with one-on-one training from staff and seasoned volunteers. Open to everyone, regardless of experience.
- April 22 (raindate April 29): CAPMARK Cares Volunteer Day, 12-4. Over 50 volunteers are coming for a one-shot day to work on Sensory Trail and arena maintenance projects. We’ll need our own volunteers and staff as team leaders. Work kicks off at noon with a nice lunch!
- May 2: Warrington’s 275th Anniversary, 12-3. Fun and games at Villiage Square, the shopping mall in front of Wegman’s on Street Road. We’ll have a face-painting booth.
- May 17: Spring Festival, 8-4. It’s our second-annual combined student horse show and fair. We’ll need all hands on deck for the horse show, and all kinds of non-horsey jobs are available for friends and family at the fair. We also have TONS of room for vendors! Anne has vendor registration flyers and forms if you know someone who might be interested.
- May 23: Thorncroft Horse Show. We will be traveling to Thorncroft in Media with two horses and several students to compete at their horse show. Winners will compete at Devon May 24.
- August 10-14 and August 17-21, 9-1. Summer camp at Special Equestrians! We’ll need loads of volunteers to make our pilot summer camp program a success.
Here are some important dates to remember for spring:
- May 17 – Spring Festival at the barn, with student horse show and craft fair (just like last year, only bigger and better!)
- May 23 - Thorncroft Horse Show at Thorncroft in Media (and possibly Devon on May 24) – our first away show since 2002!
Both of these events will require massive planning and participation to make them fantastic. Information and sign-up sheets will be at the barn!
Casino Night is Friday, November 7th, and everyone’s invited to participate! There are several ways that you can help us make this a successful event:
- Come to the event! Tickets are $100 per person, and include $25 worth of gambling chips and an open bar.
- Sponsor the event! There are plenty of sponsorship opportunities still available for individuals and businesses.
- Buy a race horse! For $25, you can purchase and name your own “horse” that will race on the night of the event, and might win you a $50 gift card.
- Fill raffle baskets! We desperately need items and gift certificates to fill our themed raffle baskets. Every item helps us towards our goal!
We need everyone’s help to make Casino Night a powerful fundraiser, especially in these shaky economic times. Anything you can do or bring would be wonderful! Information and sign-up sheets are at the barn.
THANK YOU!
The 2008 newsletter is available at the barn. Pick up a copy in the observation room next time you visit. If you’d like one mailed to you, please let Anne know.
Have you seen the Sensory Trail lately? Thanks to generous contributions, we’ve been able to purchase two huge picnic tables, an awesome bench in Mallick’s garden, a very entertaining Adirondack swing in memory of Cody, and comfy Adirondack chairs overlooking the outdoor arena. The plants are taking root and doing well, and we have the entry bridge ready to be installed.
So, what’s next?
- Planting, weeding, and mulching in existing gardens
- Ripping sod and laying footing for the rest of the trail (we’re less than half-way done)
- Building and installing sponsored items, including the entry bridge, games, and activity stations
We can get this done!
With one more busy work day, we can finish this project and have a terrific Sensory Trail ready for the fall session!
Sunday, July 20, 9-2
We’ll need some pretty heavy hitters to help us on July 20th, but I know we can beg or borrow the power. Machines needed include a post-hole digger, a Bobcat, chainsaws, and assorted power tools. Special talents needed include landscaping experience, weed aggression, confidence with power tools, and experience installing things into concrete-filled holes.
Please contact Anne here or by phone if you can come on July 20th, if you are bringing friends and family, and if you know of landscaping or construction firms who can help us out. Let’s get this done!
