Sneaky Petes News

L a Da w n T h e ra p e u t ic R i d i n g C e n te r

Fall 2012

Inside This Issue

This has been a bittersweet year for LaDawn Therapeutic Riding Center... Tenth Anniversary Celebration

Why We Love Our Horses Celebrating Volunteers

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This summer we celebrated the 10 year anniversary of LaDawn Therapeutic Riding Center! We enjoyed a fun filled day with the families of our program and our community. The day started with a Blessing of the Herd by Elder Ron, followed by a horse parade, games for kids, pony rides, a silent auction, and of course, a big beautiful cake and other scrumptious goodies. The weather was perfect and the barn and farm buzzed with good cheer! It was a fantastic day for everyone! After the children had their fun, it was time to get ready for some adult activity. Nearly 200 people showed up to enjoy some belly laughs with comedian Bob Marley. Who knew

Whats In It For You 3 Will You Give Us A Lift? Quarters for Quarter Horses Grants Help Did You Know?
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About LaDawn TRC 6

we could fit so many cars at our small farm!! He put on a great show and the crowd walked away smilingdespite a few aches in the belly! Special thanks to Blow Brothers, Bob Marley and his team for a great show and to Shipyard Brewing Co. for donating the refreshing drinks and our beautiful banner that helped draw in such a fantastic crowd!

Sneaky Petes Retirement

Pete retired late this summer after 10 years of outstanding service to LaDawn TRC. Pete was the very first therapy horse at LaDawn. He started the program in 2002 and has been an integral part of our success. He has provided countless hours to help children and adults with cognitive, behavioral, social, emotional and physical impairments. The positive impact he has made on his riders cannot be measured. Pete is now 26 years old (That would make him 182 in human years!) and has some arthritis in his shoulder. It is difficult for him to work in a comfortable and safe manner. Its time for Pete to relax! Thankfully, an anonymous donor has provided a lifetime sponsorship for this wonderful horse, which will provide for his feed, boarding, and associated costs of care. Thanks to their generosity, Pete will enjoy the rest of his years with his family here at LaDawn. We cannot possibly express our sincere gratitude for this truly altruistic support!

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Fall 2012

Why we love our horses

We asked our students how our dedicated therapy horses have helped them and how they make them feel. Heres just a few of their wonderful thoughts Happy! Powerful! Stronger, braver and able to communicate! I can do anything! I like to ride because it feels like Im on top of the world! Riding makes me feel relaxed and that I can do something special. It helps my muscles too! I love the motionit makes me feel strong. I have seen improvements in my sons posture and core strength. Therapy that is fun, fun! Being on a horse makes me feel really nice because I feel relaxed. I like riding because I can be in charge! Shakona makes me feel alive. She knows what Im thinking and understands me. Shakona makes me feel special. She has shown me how to love again. She puts all my problems to rest. Thank you for helping me smile. <3 I love you, Donna and the horses!

Spooky Stalls & Candy for the Kids

Hope you werent too scared when you walked through the LaDawn barn this past October! This marked our third annual stall door decorating contest. For a $25 entry fee, people could decorate the stall door of their favorite horse. We had some very imaginative and spooky stalls this year to put us in the spirit of Halloween! Thanks to everyone that participated! We also had a Halloween party for the kids this year. Children from the community came to LaDawn all decked out in their Halloween costumes for games, pony rides and, of course, candy. It was a beautiful morning and the kids had a great time hitting the piata that was set up on our sensory trail!

In an effort to reduce paper waste and support greener pastures, we would like to send future newsletters via email. Please send an email to us at ladawn@myfairpoint.net and put 'e-newsletter' in the subject line if you would like to continue to receive correspondence from LaDawn TRC. We'll get you started right away!

Were on the Web www. LaDawnTherapeuticRidingCenter.org

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Fall 2012

Celebrating our Volunteers

Did you know LaDawn is run by volunteers? They come in all ages, genders and occupations. We have stay at home moms, retired plumbers, middle and high school students, small business owners, and everything in between. And boy do they work hard! They do it allclean the stalls, file paperwork, lead horses, data entry, feed and water the horses, put up the hay, run events, sit on the board of directors you name it! There would not be a LaDawn Therapeutic Riding Center without volunteers! Recently, our volunteers teamed up to adopt each one of the therapy horses and raise money for their dental bill, vitamins, farrier, etc. They have been extremely creative in their fundraising and are going above and beyond the call to provide for THEIR horses. Some teams have had bake sales; others are selling homemade I love Sassy! bracelets. They have made it possible to buy apple and carrot treats for your favorite horses at the barn and even had a sponsor a mucker promotion in which people could sponsor a volunteer for every stall he or she cleaned during a certain period. One team alone raised $776...one dollar at a time! They have proven that every dollar truly does make a difference! Thank you again to all our volunteers for their hard work and amazing support! If you would like to get in on the action, we can always use more hands. Please call or email us to let us know how you can help!

Whats in it for you?

We asked our volunteers to tell us a little bit about why they volunteer at LaDawn and what they get back in return. Heres some of what they had to say I volunteer at LaDawn to give back some of what has been given to my family. I enjoy working with the children and young adults and seeing what joy it brings to them. I find it very rewarding watching these young people connect with the horses and see the personalities immerge through their eyes. I come to LaDawn with a gentleman I support. I love seeing him sit tall, balanced and engaged. When I hear him chant while on Shakona, my heart is warmed. People here are so knowledgeable and open and I LOVE being near the horses!! I love to see and help with the horses. It also helps me with lessons because every 20 stalls I clean, I get a lesson. Donna is a great teacher and I love getting taught by her. I enjoy every moment I am here. I love working with other volunteers and kids who come here and being around the horses is amazing! I cant wait for the days I come here! It all started when I got really interested in horses and did major research. When I first started coming here, I was terrified of being kicked by one, but now, I can just walk by them without needing a certain distance. I love horses and love to see them enjoy themselves. I wouldnt mind doing this for a living! I have not been coming here long, but I love it! Im planning on volunteering for as long as I can. The people are great and they care so much about the horses. I know this is going to be a great experience! I was pushed into early retirement, but was not ready to stay home. I love horses and used to work on a farm when I was younger. After driving by LaDawn all the time, one day I decided to stop in and see if they needed any help. Ive been doing this for years now and I love it! I help lead the horses during lessons, clean stalls, barn maintenance, etc. It feels good to feel useful and be active and I love being with the horses.

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Fall 2012

Will You Give Us A Lift?

A SureHands Lift System That Is! To improve our program, LaDawn is raising money to purchase a SureHands Lift System that will allow some of our clients to get on the horses without having to be lifted manually. While we have a 100% wheelchair accessible ramp for our students, this lift will provide immeasurable benefits to some of our clients who will now be able to mount with greater ease. It will help preserve the clients dignity as he or she will be gently and easily lifted onto the horse rather than manually placed there by many pushing and pulling hands. This lift will make the horse riding experience more pleasurable from the start to finish, thus providing even greater and longer lasting results! The rhythmic gait of the horse moves the pelvis in a way very similar to walking. Persons not able to walk are able to simulate normal positions and movements on a horse, thus improving flexibility, balance, posture and muscle strength. But more importantly, they are filled with pride and happiness! The exhilaration our clients with disabilities experience as a direct result of the therapy we do here at LaDawn is beyond description! Our clients need the financial support of altruistic people such as you to make this a reality. With your donations, they will enjoy something that many of them probably thought they would not experience againthe feeling of walking! Please donate if you can.

Quarters For Quarter Horses

LaDawn TRC is networking with some local preschools on an exciting and educational fundraiser. The students will collect quarter donations from friends, neighbors and family to help fund scholarships for children with disabilities that cannot afford Hippotherapy services. The classroom will be given a horses feed bucket to try and fill with quarters. They will be able to see their success each day and be reminded that by doing this they are filling someone elses bucket (i.e.: selflessly doing something for someone else). The fundraiser will culminate with a fieldtrip to the LaDawn Therapeutic Riding Center. While there, the students will enjoy a tour of the barn and property as well as a short discussion about what a therapy horse does and what it takes to care for one. After the tour, each student will be able to take a ride on a therapy horse. We will then post a picture of the preschool students and teachers with Zippy on our Facebook page along with a written expression of our gratitude for their support. This program is a win-win! The preschool students will gain invaluable insight and first-hand experience in a targeted curriculum area and the students donations will help fund a nonprofit organization that positively impacts the quality of life for children and adults with cognitive, behavioral, social, emotional and physical impairments. We have several preschools that are already working this into their 2013 schedule, but we always have room for more. If you know of any schools that might be interested in this hands-on learning opportunity, please have them contact us.

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Fall 2012

Grants to Help Children

LaDawn received a $5000 grant from The Davis Family Foundation for our Ride For Children Project. This allows us to offer scholarships to children with disabilities who cannot afford our services! We are extremely excited and thankful to have earned this opportunity to help our community members.

Did You Know?

LaDawn Hosts Birthday Parties
Does your child want a pony for his or her birthday? We can give you the next best thing! For $10 per child, LaDawn TRC has a function room for you to celebrate your little cowboy or cowgirls birthday. You can decorate the room how you like, play games, bring food and cakeits up to you. And best of allevery child gets a pony ride! What more could you need to make your childs birthday a magical day? Call the barn to schedule your party today.

Your Bottles And Cans Can Make A Difference

You can pick up your Clynk bags at the barn, fill them up and return them to Hannaford when you shop. Or if you prefer, you can take your bottles and cans to JDs Redemption and tell then you would like to donate to LaDawn TRC. A nickel might not seem like much, but when we pool all of our nickels together, we can make a big difference in the lives of a person with disabilities. Thanks for your help!

We Have Stalls Open For Rent

If youre looking for a place to board your horse or pony, look no further. We have 3 stalls for rent right now in our spacious barn. Your favorite pal will be surrounded by lots of friends, get plenty of love and exercise and will be available for your visits any time you like.

Were Looking For A New Therapy Horse

The horse must be hardworking, able to carry heavy weights, safe for anyone to ride, and a bit on the short side. If you know of any possibilities, please let us know.

L a D a w n Th er a p eut i c R i d i ng Ce nt er
Contact Information Donna Lariviere Physical Address 995 Goodwin's Mills Road Dayton, ME Mailing Address LaDawn Quarter Horses Therapeutic Riding Center P.O. BOX 558 West Kennebunk, ME. 04094 Phone Number (207) 499-0080 Fax Number (207) 499-2597 E-Mail Address ladawn2@myfairpoint.net LaDawn is on Facebook. Please become a friend and check out our latest photos and posts.

Were on the Web www. ladawntherapeuticridingcenter.com

Our mission To serve Maines population with disabilities by fostering horse and human interaction through therapy that will improve our patients physical, mental and emotional lives. Our vision To provide Hippotherapy and Therapeutic Horseback Riding to ALL York County people in need, regardless of their affliction or financial/insurance status. Our program Since 2002, LaDawn Therapeutic Riding Center has provided equine assisted therapy that has helped hundreds of patients better cope with their emotions, relationships, and physical environments. Overseen by a Maine-licensed Occupational Therapist & Licensed Therapeutic Riding Instructor, our indoor and outdoor arena program applies goal achievement timelines that are geared toward reaching each patients maximum potential. The additional coaching that we provide to parents, caregivers, and/or support structure staff seeks to facilitate and further the use of new skills, which in turn improves the quality of life for not only our patients, but also for their families, their clinical workers, and their peers.

Employment and Volunteer Opportunities

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Whether you are interested in a hands-on, experience with the horses, have data entry, newsletter or cleaning skills to share, or are interested in working with our therapy students, we have a volunteer job that will fit your schedule and interests. Please contact the barn at 499-0080. Every little bit helps us to better care for our students and horses! We have a tremendous need for help on Tuesday mornings. If you have any time available to support our many clients who visit that day, we would greatly appreciate it! A resounding THANK YOU! to everyone who lends a hand a LaDawn! (You know who you are.) Without the support of our volunteers, parents and families we would be lost. To each of you who gives from the heart to make LaDawn TRC a program of excellence, Thank you. Your efforts are seen and appreciated.

We on the Board of LaDawns TRC are interested in your ideas and feedback. Please feel free to contact us at the email addresses below: Crystal Lariviere, President: beausfaith@me.com Kelly Canning, Vice President: kcconverters@gmail.com Heidi Piknick, Treasurer: piknih@mmc.org Kim Sayward, Secretary: kmsayward@yahoo.com Mike Campbell: mike@kasprzakinsurance.com Newsletter Staff: Donna Lariviere, Darla McCann, Monique Downs

THE OUTSIDE OF A HORSE IS GOOD FOR THE INSIDE OF A PERSON