Winter 2019 Newsletter

Thank you to our volunteers for your dedication to our students and to our horses. Our weather has been quite varied in the last few weeks. All of our volunteers have kept our lessons going and our horses happy. We would not be here without each one of you!

Parking Suggestion

It works well if you turn around, pointing out when you arrive. Then we have all of our cars facing the same direction along the driveway. Please try to park along the driveway or near the barn/horse trailer so that the driveway to the house is not blocked. We have family members and deliveries using that area during the day.

German Geese

Hansel and Gretel came from a home where they were not wanted.They do come when they are called, and they know their names. They seem threatening when they hiss and honk! This is how they communicate. They really like it if you stop and talk to them. If you don’t have time, or if you don’t like them, please just ignore them. If you run, they will “follow, not chase” you. Please treat them with respect. Please do not kick or chase them!!!

GREAT NEWS!!

We are the recipients of the Denison Venture Philanthropy Grant! We will use the funds to improve and continue the driveway to the arena and mounting block allowing our riders with walkers and wheel chairs easier access to their horses.We will also receive service hoursgiven by Denison Students. Watch for some new faces around the barn!! We will be able to begin a Hope Farm Literacy Project, making traditional books and e-books with the funding and help of our Dension friends. We are very excited to be chosen for this generous grant!

Volunteer Training with CPR/First Aid

Saturday, Feb. 23 1-4pm

Required for all new volunteers

All volunteers are welcome and encouraged  t

to attend! We will have snacks! ;-)

ASL Training at Hope Farm Granville

Everyone is welcome! There is a Facebook Page for the group. All are welcome to join.

Suggested Donation: $10/adult

                                    $8/children (under18)

6-7pm in the arena 2/21, 2/28, 3/14 and 3/21

Amy Mullins is generously donating her time to teach this class for us. Please feel free to join us. ;-) There will be cookies!Bring a chair or a blanket for sitting. ;-)

November 2018 Newsletter

Thank you to our volunteers who come out each week when our weather is hot, rainy, cold, windy, muddy and snowy!! We could not serve our students without you! Thank you to our donors and volunteers who allow us to provide over 30 lessons each week throughout the year while maintaining the health and excellent care of each of our horses (and Beethoven, our therapy-mini donkey.)

Our annual exhibition horse show was, as always, a very special day for our riders to show us what they are able to do. Riding and caring for a horse or pony is a major responsibility.  Our riders have each made great progress in their strength and learning this year. We are thankful for each success and especially for each smile.

Our final short-session for the fall will finish Saturday, December 15th.

The winter 2019 session will begin January 7th. Please let us know if you would like to make any changes to your schedule.

Hope Farm Granville Fundraiser & Exhibition Horse Show & Open Barn

Saturday, October 20, 2018

1pm-5pm

Tickets are $10

We will have a silent auction and chance tickets for $5.00

Thank you to Wally Chaney, Nancy Arledge and Paddock Stables for donating ribbons!

Thank you to Kussmaul Gallery, Maureen Clark and Libby Chaffee for donations to our silent auction!

Please send donations to:

Hope Farm Granville

3738 Granview Rd.

Granville, OH 43023

Electronically donate:

www.hopefarmgranville.com

Auction donations are welcome!

Please support our riders and their horse-partners!

Gold Sponsor $1,000.00

Silver Sponsor $800.00

Bronze $500.00

Extra special thank you to past donors who helped to fund our indoor arena!

$1,000

Mr. and Mrs. Finkelman

Mr. and Mrs. Chris Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Lou Ginise

Dr. and Mrs. Rick Baltisburger

Licking Memorial Hospital

Horses and Hounds

Kathy Coulbourn Kerr

Saint Gobain

$2,500-$5,000

Dr. and Mrs. Bill Graffeo

Laura McDonald

$8,000-$10,000

Mr. and Mrs. George Partridge

Lancione and Lancione LLC

$10,000+

Mr. and Mrs. Russell Ginise

Winter is nearly over!

On March 21 we will finish our winter session of lessons. Hopefully all of this cold will help us to have less bugs this summer! We are always thankful for our indoor arena with heat, lights and music. The winter is tolerable and even fun!!

     One rider learned to dismount independently this winter. Another learned to ride sitting upright and balancing without using hands at the walk! We are building core muscles, social skills and having a good time!! When we have more confidence in what we can do, we have more confidence in life!

      We are so fortunate to be able to continue our routine for our riders and for our horses. We had 29 lessons each week this winter with a few cancelations for cold and a few for illness.  The winter days are brightened with a visit to the barn and some quality time with our horse-partners.

Favorite Student Quote: “If the mirror is foggy, how will I see my beautiful, beautiful self?!”

Favorite Volunteer Quote: “Is there a special way to get these hairs off after the lesson?”

Special Thank You to our dedicated winter volunteers who brave the roads, the wind, the dark, the rain, the snow and the mud to maintain safety and fun in our lessons!! We could not continue without our volunteer team!

Spring Wish List: Screenings for our path to the arena and for our path to the manure/shavings area.

• Water bottles             

• 1 new manure cart

• Kleenex Boxes

• 1 new manure rake

Changes in lesson Schedule

Most students have made lesson requests. There is still time to work on the spring schedule. Please text or email to let us know of any changes you might like to make.

Volunteers, please let us know your preferences as well. ;-)

There are no lessons (usually) on Thursdays or Sundays.

A New Search:

We hope to find 4 businesses to partner with us for a monthly commitment of a $500 donation throughout the year. In return, we will advertise the business as our partner on social media and in the arena where lessons happen.  The business might like to hold some outdoor retreats or picnics during the year at Hope Farm Granville. We could also offer a “Family Day on the Farm” for the business in the summer for a fun outing! Please help us to find the right partners!!

Special Note:

    Beethoven has joined in our dismounted lessons. He is our mini-donkey. He will be 4 in July. He is very proud of his work and his important position on our team! He is still in charge of keeping the coyotes out of our corrals. He has his own halter and blanket now. Congratulations, Beethoven!

Also, during the winter Hope started carrying a rider on her back. She is still learning and working hard each week. One day, she will be in lessons, but for now, we are very proud of her progress and her great attitude. She will be 4 years old in April.Liberty is her mom. Her Sire, Alomar, lives at Southwind Stables in Pataskala.

Hope Farm Granville Notes

Hello Friends,

      We are surviving a somewhat mild winter with an excess of mud! Thank you to all of you for your patience and good humor! ;-) Thank you for supporting our world inside the arena! I am so happy with our lessons! I look forward to each day, and the good friends who come to visit!

       We are working on an updated version of our web site. I am always learning more information and trying to improve upon my lessons, stable management and communication.  I sometimes have great thoughts while cleaning stalls!  I have to work hard to remember to write down what I want to remember!!

    1. Please be sure that all of our riders are dressed for barn work and for cold weather. Gloves that are not too thick, but offer warmth are very helpful.  We get warm working in the arena. It is important to not lose the warmth on our way to the car.  A hat is a very good idea after the riding helmet is removed. Jackets and sweaters should be zipped or secured so that they don't catch on saddles as we mount and dismount. Warm socks are really nice for all of our riders!! Nylon clothing (ski pants, sweat-pants) is not as helpful because it is slippery and sometimes challenges balance. 

    2. All parents, caregivers and observers must remain in the fenced seating area during all parts of the lesson.  Please do not stand or sit in the door way or the grooming area. Extra people and extra activities cause a distraction to our horses and to our riders.

    3. During lessons, please do not "help with the teaching" of the lessons.  If I am ignoring one issue it is because we are focusing on a different issue. Our riders need to focus on their lesson and following my instructions. Please allow them to hear only one voice during this time.

     4. If your rider has had a "bad day" please do not tell me in front of the rider. Hope Farm Granville has a positive environment, and no one learns or improves if they are diminished by something that happened earlier in the day.  Please don't sabotage our positive outlook and efforts to have fun! Please tell me privately so that we do not embarrass our rider!! We don't look back. We look forward! Each lesson is a fresh start to the rest of our day and our week! Please remember that ALL of our riders are aware of how we are feeling and what we are talking about! We need to treat them with great respect! We can ALWAYS improve the day with a ride on a horse.

     5. Reading Acquisition:

     I am working with just a few of our emergent readers during their lesson. In the past I was a certified reading recovery instructor. I do not like to hear that someone will "never" read when the person is so young! Never is strong and negative word.  I believe that there is a path for everyone to learn in life!

     When you are reading with someone, the meaning of the story or information is the very most important part of the activity. If you get bogged down in sounds and rules, you lose the meaning. Don't work on more than one word per page. It is fine to "give" the word to the reader to maintain the meaning and to keep the reading work flowing. Reading should always be a positive experience. If your reader is not amenable to reading aloud, have them follow along with their eyes as you read. You can alternate reading one sentence at a time or one page at a time, taking turns.  You can also have them have place their finger on yours to ride piggy-back on your finger as you point to each word. This teaches one-to-one correspondence and directionality. Always refer to the picture to gain meaning from the text. The pictures are very important. Before beginning to read, it is good to go through the story first and look at all of the pictures together. Then we have an idea of what we will be reading. Remember that there is great value in making our own books to record fun activities, vacations or just experience that we do together. Be sure that the picture is on top and the words are on the bottom of the page. That way, the picture is not covered by a pointer or hand as we read the book. 

       6. Each June, we need updated medical forms from a doctor. In the meantime, if there is any kind of medical or behavioral change in your rider, please let us know. This situation can change the way the lesson is run, and could cause us to bring a different horse our more volunteers out for the lesson.

Thank you so much for making each day so special for us!!

Susan Ginise,

Hope Farm Granville

Hope Farm Granville Notes

****Our Exhibition Horse Show and Open Barn was a huge success once again. Thank you to our very special volunteers who helped to make it possible.

We had 26 riders who were able to exhibit what they have learned in their riding lessons. Each rider received a blue ribbon! The barn animals enjoyed extra treats and attention

***If you need to contact Hope Farm Granville during the day, please text or call: 740-398-1712**** Texts and messages are checked after each lesson.

**** Our current session of lessons will run until Saturday, December 10, 2016

There will be no lessons Wednesday evening 11/30 (I have to attend a Farm Bureau Meeting in Columbus.) The lessons for that day will end at 4:30. No 4:30, 5:30 or 6:30 lessons on that day. Thursday, December 1 and Friday, December 2, Saturday, Dec 3 there will be no lessons. Following the Farm Bureau Meeting, I will be out of town until Sunday, Dec. 4.

The next session of lessons will begin Monday, January 9, 2017 and will run through Saturday, February 24th, 2017. During this session, if Granville schools are not in session, we will not have lessons. I will post it on Facebook and I will send individual texts. There will also be some weekends when we will not have lessons: 1/14-16, 1/28-30, 2/16-2/20.

We will have a short late-winter session 3/6-4/13 with no lessons during the week of 320 (spring break)

The Spring Session will run 3/6-4/13.

Wait-list priority will be given to students who are in the greatest physical/educational need for the opportunity to ride/work with horses.