Region 6 Conference

One of the great things about being part of an organization like We Can Ride and NARHA is the opportunities for education and personal growth. This past weekend a few of We Can Ride's Instructors and I went up to Fargo, North Dakota for the Region 6 Conference. The Regional Conferences offer centers in each region a chance to gather for learning opportunities as well as vote on important topics in the region, discuss standards and wording, and brain storm with other centers.

Friday evening, after arriving in Fargo and checking into our hotel room, we gathered together for the beginning of the conference. Michael Richardson www.brokenrranch.com started off the night with an enlightening keynote that covered his abilities as a paraplegic in the horse industry and how having a solid relationship with yourself can take you further in this world than anything else. We followed up his keynote with pizza and beverages and a lot of discussion around the pool in the hotel and the opportunity to bid on several silent auction items.

Bright and early Saturday morning while the state representatives met, we filled up on breakfast and awaited our first session. I attended a talk on Cereberal Palsy and Developmental Adapted Physical Education (DAPE). The biggest idea I took away from this session were some great examples on how to educate our volunteers on what a rider with CP and similar abilities would experience in our program. If you're volunteering on Thursday evenings in Minnetonka you might get hands on experience with my "enlightenment!" I followed up that presentation with one regarding Physical Disabilities presented by an Occupational Therapist. After a great lunch and a meeting to discuss Region 6 matters we zoomed over to the NDSU Sheppard Arena for the barn demonstrations.

We were fortunate enough to have Michael Richardson lead a demonstration on his techniques for working with horses. He worked with two therapy horses from the hosting program. All from his chair in the round pen he exhibited how to work with a "sassy" horse at liberty and get her to the confidence level that would allow her to explore a "scary" tarp on the ground. He also worked with a "pushy" horse on leading and staying the proper distance from the leader. The horse demos were followed be a talk on Equine Chiropractics and Accupuncture led by a Certified Equine Chiropractor as well as a talk on tack fit and how the two things go hand in hand. When these sessions were complete we were free to explore Fargo and find some dinner. We ended up at the Lone Star for some really great steak and a fun waiter that we may have recruited as a therapeutic riding volunteer!

Sunday morning it was back up early as can be for the State Meetings. This is the chance for each state to discuss business, make decisions, and vote on leadership. I guess I was in the "right" place at the right time as it appears I'm now the Minnesota State Vice President for NARHA. We followed up our state meeting with attending the Standards Meeting. This was a place to discuss the NARHA standards and assist with wording so that they are easy to understand and make sense. Finally we attended the Instructor Forum for some lively discussion on various aspects of instructing therapeutic horseback riding. We were limited in time but I'm sure all of the instructors could have talked all day about their centers and ask questions of other instructors on games and classes and any number of topics.

So now we're back in Minnesota and I know the four of us that attended the conference are ready to start a new season of riding with We Can Ride. We're filled with new ideas and reenergized. The Region Conference is a great place to start off a new session and anyone can attend, volunteers, administration, board members, care givers, not just instructors. So maybe next year give it some thought, check out the topics, and put it on your calendar.

How to get ready for a new WCR season!

It always seems like such a long time between your last therapeutic riding session of the year and your first riding lesson of the next year. Never fear! We Can Ride is right around the corner along with spring and warmer temperatures. Just think, this time next week it'll be an hour later in the day!

So while you're patiently waiting for the new session to start here's a few things you can do to get ready:

Clients:
1. Get out that helmet - dust it off, make sure it's a certified helmet, and make sure it still fits! Now is a good time to practice wearing your helmet and make sure all the buckles and clasps are in proper working order. If you've never participated in WCR before, practicing with your helmet is a good way to get in the mood!
2. Start stretching - don't forget that sometimes after your first ride you might be a little sore. Do some simple stretching: reach to the sky! touch your toes!
3. Brush up on your horse parts - do you remember where all the important horse parts are? Where is the horse's head/poll? How about the horse's withers? I bet you remember where the horse's tail is!
4. Remember your cues - do you recall how to ask your horse to "walk on?" How about asking your horse to "whoa?" Don't forget to brush up on your right and left so you can tell your horse which direction to go.

Volunteers:
1. Start stretching - stretching is always a great thing for both riders and volunteers. Have you been sitting at a desk all winter? Take some stretching breaks to get ready for spring!
2. Get strong - don't forget you might have to hold your arms up to steady a rider for a good portion of a class, so start working those biceps so you don't tire as quickly. Now is also a great time to get out for some regular walking to prepare for walking in a riding lesson.
3. Make a list - are there some things about therapeutic riding you'd like to learn more about? Make a list and ask your instructor when the session starts.
4. Dust off those boots - don't forget that the barn isn't neccessarily the cleanest place, get out those old barn boots so you don't have to tip-toe through the horse "apples!"
5. Get some WCR swag - if you want to help support We Can Ride and wear some groovy red and black, check out the WCR Wearables for some fun items!
6. Don't miss the first night - make sure you don't miss the first night during the week of March 24 (call the office to find out if your location is holding this class), you'll have the opportunity to brush up on your skills, ask questions, get a tour, and get to know your fellow volunteers.

I hope these tips will help get you ready for spring. I know all of the We Can Ride staff is looking forward to seeing everyone in a few weeks and ready to start another awesome session of therapeutic riding and driving!

What happens during the winter at We Can Ride?

Did you ever wonder what happens between October and April while you're not volunteering, riding, or driving for We Can Ride? What do those horses do all winter? Don't they get bored? I'll let you in on a little secret, while you're taking a much deserved winter break, the We Can Ride horses are hard at work. Sure they have some time off right after classes are over, everyone deserves a break! But it's not long before they're back to work.

Some of the horses at Minnetonka get to help the residents learn horsemanship skills and riding. They even help residents learn to be good leaders for the Spring, Summer, and Fall sessions. Then in January, a few brave souls travel to the barn to help remind the horses what We Can Ride is all about. Most evenings you can't even recognized the volunteers because they are so bundled up with clothing to keep warm, you can't see their faces!

Some horses need exercise so they get lead, ridden, and lunged. Some horses need refresher courses and how to be polite in the mounting block and how to prepare for a client. Sometimes new horses arrive and they need to start training to become the best therapy horse they can be. A new horse has his work cut out for him. New things like balls, hula hoops, barrels, and poles can be a bit scary when you're a new therapy horse. So volunteers help the new horses learn that toys are fun and can help their clients during riding and driving classes. Corey is new this year and is probably going to work at the U of MN. For now he's at Minnetonka and learning all the ins and outs about being a therapy horse. His favorite thing to do is roll in the dirt when his lessons are over.

There's a few lucky horses that even get to help teach volunteers all sorts of new things: how to become a great leader, what the different parts are on a horse, how to tell if a horse isn't feeling very good, how to find the right saddle for the horse, or even how to find the right horse for each client.

Five Above

The high temp expected today is five degrees above zero... days like today one would need a good pair of coveralls and mittens, hat, boot and boot warmers, and long underwear to brave the outside!

So here's a thanks to those of you taking care of our We Can Ride horses, no matter what the weather. Thanks for looking after everybody during the cold, and every, season. And don't you just love that the horses just do what they do living in this stuff?!

So it's after the holidays, and it's been a month to put everything away, and get settled... is anyone else starting to get the itch to get back to the barn? I am starting to look forward to getting back to seeing everyone, hugs for horses, high-fives for riders. Especially after watching last week's Extreme Home Makeover where they revamped a home and barn for a woman running a therapeutic horseback riding program... watching the warm sunshine and horses and riders and volunteers, I remember why I love it, and miss it.

But hey! If you haven't heard already, there are some great classes going on through WCR in their office and the barn. You can find that information on this very website! I took a bunch of the classes last year- and they were really great. And if you attend any classes in the barn- good place to warm up your hand quickly is right under the mane of any willing horse....

Poem by Guest Writer: Michaela

This poem is dedicated to everyone at We Can Ride. By Michaela Powers.

Hope, something to look forward to
Overcoming, differences, challenges, physically and mentally
Responsibility, learning to take care of horses
Success, sense of accomplishment
Exercises, physical therapy
Break, just be a kid
Attitude, I can do anything
Completion, completing the task
Keep trying

Respect; treat others how you would want to be treated
Independent, freedom from disability
Discipline, determination
Inspirational, have a hero
Never say I can't
Graceful, gentle

We Can Ride Trail Ride Fund Raiser!

I might have to retire my little old digital camera because these photos do not adequately represent the fun we had on the trail ride this past Sunday (and they're a little blurry)! It was a great day for a ride, that's for sure. The sun was out and it was a nice 70F.

Several groups of folks and their horses gathered in the Minnesota Valley Recreation area in Jordan, MN for some food, fun, and riding all in the name of raising money for We Can Ride. I don't know the official count but I think we raised over $1000! We had a variety of horses from cart horses to barrel racers attend the ride. Everyone was welcome and I think everyone had a great time.

Once again this year our very own barn manager, Stephanie, was the top fund raiser! There was also a drawing for door prizes that included saddle blankets, hay bags, and leather halters. Just about every horse from my barn was there, including Tom's newly trained Pintos! Check out the photo of Dick helping Tom get situated before the ride. Stephanie's dad flew up from Colorado to ride with us and we had a pretty good showing for the Thursday Minnetonka volunteers.

If you missed out, you'll have to keep an eye open next year and try to join in. The more the merrier!

Special Olympics!

We Can Ride had a number of clients compete in the Special Olympics Equestrian Event on August 24, 2007, up at Woodloch Stables in Hugo, Minnesota. These athletes have been training for ten weeks at Bunker Park Stables in preparation for the event. It was a beautiful day that Friday and the competitors did a great job; it was fun to watch them compete in classes that included on-lead and independent guiding! Photos will be arriving on the website soon – please check back to see them. Congratulations to all our winning clients!

Here are the results:

Anne Beckering (Age Group 22-29)
Working Trails, 2nd Place
English Obstacle, 7th Place
Western Equitation, 1st Place
English Equitation, 5th Place

Bryan Belknap (Age Group 16-21)
Western Equitation, 3rd Place
Working Trails, 1st Place

Jillian Groen (Age Group 22-29)
Western Equitation, 2nd Place
English Equitation, 1st Place
English Obstacle, 1st Place
Working Trails, 3rd Place

Michelle Mack-Bohnhoff (Age Group 16-21)
Working Trails, 1st Place

Taylor Mattice (Age Group 22-29)
English Obstacle, 2nd Place
English Equitation, 3rd Place

Laura Nelson (Age Group 16-21)
Working Trails, 2nd Place
English Equitation, 2nd Place
English Obstacle, 1st Place
Western Equitation, 1st Place

Nicole Raines (Age Group 12-15)
Western Equitation, 3rd Place
Working Trails, 2nd Place

post by Patti Franz (client coordinator)