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Do you enjoy wrapping books in pretty paper? Like getting Scotch tape stuck on your clothes? Want to support SE in a totally new and fun way?
Then a gift-wrapping party at Borders in Warrington may be just right for you! Borders has kindly invited us to bring 3-4 volunteers for several hours of wrapping. Borders customers will give us their purchases and we’ll wrap them. We’ll have a tip/donation jar and information on the table, so it’s a great way to let the local community know who we are and what we do.
We haven’t picked a date yet – we’re waiting on response from you about how many people are interested and when they can come. The opportunity exists from Black Friday through Christmas, on any day or evening.
Call Anne at (215) 918-1001 x. 103 if this sounds like fun to you. Anne thinks it’s fun! Anne will be there! Come too, and bother Anne! Yeay!
Hi everyone! Winter Session is upon us, starting November 16. Break week is November 23-28, and there will be makeups on at least that Saturday. Where did fall go?!?!?
Below are the needs for the coming session. The most critical times are in red. Call Anne at (215) 918-1001 x. 103 to sign up!
Monday
3:00 – 7:00
Tuesday
3:00 – 7:30 – REINS starts at 6:30!
Wednesday
10:00 – 1:00 – New Youth Connections groups start Nov. 18th!
3:00 – 8:00 – New group from 7:00 – 8:00 needs help!
Thursday
8:30 – 1:00
3:00 – 7:00
Friday
3:00 – 7:00
Saturday
8:30 – 3:00
4:00 – 6:00 – Close barn
Sunday
8:00 – 10:00 – Open barn
4:00 – 6:00
It’s that time again! Thank you to everyone who made our summer session, and especially the 2 weeks of summer camp, such a smashing success!
Fall is an exciting time for us, with a record-breaking 97 students and the running of our R.E.I.N.S. program for children with Autism. We’ll need tons of help to make each day safe and educational for our riders, so please come out as much as you can!
Times in red are the most critical… but any day would be just fine!
Mondays 7:00-9:00 (open barn) 3:00-7:00
Tuesdays 7:00-9:00 (open barn) 3:00-8:00 – Lots of lessons, and R.E.I.N.S.!
Wednesdays 9:00-12:00 in September for Youth Connections 3:00-7:00
Thursdays 8:00-1:00 3:00-7:00
Fridays 7:00-9:00 (open barn) 3:00-6:30
Saturdays 8:00-3:00 4:00-6:00 (close barn)
Sundays 7:00-9:00 (open barn) 4:00-6:00 (close barn)
Please call (215) 918-1001 x103 to set up times! We’ll see you at the barn!
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!
The new session is upon us! Classes start Tuesday, August 26, with a record-breaking 86 clients scheduled. Please note that times in bold are when we have at least 3 lessons running at once and need LOTS OF HELP!
Monday: 3:00-7:00
Tuesday: 3:00-7:30
Wednesday: 9:30-12:00 and 3:00-7:00
Thursday: 8:30-1:30 and 2:30-7:00
Friday: 3:00-6:00
Saturday: 8:00-12:00 and 12:00-3:00
Call Anne at (215) 918-1001, x.103 to adjust or confirm your schedule!
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!
Okay, I’m not one to count my chickens before they’re running around in the yard and laying eggs, but…
When I did the regular tally of volunteer hours for the past week, I checked up at the top of the self-adding spreadsheet, and we are just shy of 5,000 hours for the first half of the year. If we keep this up, another hours record will be set in December - this time at 10,000!
On the other hand, one should always value quality over quanitity. Good thing S.E. volunteers are the best in the business. Thanks, everyone, for making this place a part of your life, and for contributing so greatly to the successes of the program.
*sniff*
I’m all choked up now. I’m going to go brush Zeus. Keep up the great work, everyone! Here’s to another record-breaking year!
