Spirit Open Equestrian Program Newsletter

January/February 2016

SPIRIT Open Equestrian Program Inc.

2705 West Ox Rd, Herndon, VA 20171 | Phone: 703-600-9667 | Email: spiritoep@gmail.com pg. 1

Dear Friends, As 2015 draws to a close, we are so grateful and proud of the wonderful

accomplishments and new friends we have made this past year. Your friendship and support have made these moments possible! We look

forward to all we will learn and achieve together in the New Year! Happy New Year!

~ Dada & the SPIRIT Team

Winter Session is Starting Soon! Break out your riding gloves, winter breeches, scarves and cold weather clothes, winter session is starting soon! The first winter session begins on January 18th, just under three weeks away! The second session begins on February 22nd! There is still time to register. Visit the Parktakes website (http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/parktakes/) or Frying Pan Park’s website (http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/fryingpanpark/classes.htm) to register. You can also reach Frying Pan Park by phone at 703-437-9101. Volunteers are always welcome and needed, especially in the colder months and we hope to see you at the park!

Introducing the SPIRIT Winter Dressage Series! SPIRIT is proud to announce our first ever Winter Dressage Schooling Show Series! SPIRIT riders are invited to register with dates in January, February, March and April. Classes will include USEF intro through FEI & USEA tests. Points will include show series and CDCTA year end points! For more information and the registration form, visit the SPIRIT blog and click the “Events” tab (http://spiritopenequestrian.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html)

Update on “Home of SPIRIT” Capital Campaign We are still working hard to raise funds for our “Home for SPIRIT” capital campaign to purchase our own farm to give SPIRIT a permanent home and a safe and secure future. You can donate to this campaign through our website to provide a lasting gift to SPIRIT and our community. (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/home-for-spirit#/story)

Calendar of Events Winter Dressage Series –

1/23/16, 2/27/16, 3/12/16, 4/30/16

Winter Sessions – 1/18/16 – 2/8/16, 2/22/16-3/7/16

Summer Camps – 6/20/16 – 6/24/16, 6/27/16 – 7/1/16, 8/15/16 – 8/19/16, 8/22/16 – 8/26/16

The Season of Giving Continues!

There is still time in 2015 to help SPIRIT this season!

Are you looking for a great

organization to contribute to as part of the CFC? How

about SPIRIT? CFC # 21744!

You can also make a donation directly to SPIRIT through PayPal using the button on our webpage

(http://www.spiritequestrian.org/)

or by sending a check made payable to SPIRIT Open

Equestrian Program to 2705 West Ox Rd, Herndon, VA

20171

SPIRIT Open Equestrian Program Inc.

2705 West Ox Rd, Herndon, VA 20171 | Phone: 703-600-9667 | Email: spiritoep@gmail.com pg. 2

News from the Farm!

Welcome Grace and Saddie! In November, SPIRIT welcomed two new mares to the herd, Grace and Saddie! We rescued both mares from a kill buyer’s pen in Pennsylvania. Grace is roughly 8 years old and still a little bit “green”. She is a dark chocolate bay with white stripe and a chestnut nose. Saddie is 11 year old registered Morgan mare and unlike most rescues, she came with papers and a note from her previous owner! Her full name is RH&MJ’s Saddie Girl and she was previously an Amish working horse. She drove a carriage and knows how to stop at stop signs and stop lights!

Both girls are settling in at the farm and have been led during our off session activities so that they get to know the herd, our volunteers and instructors, and learn the activities of our program. Both girls show great potential and we are excited to watch them grow and to see what they have to teach us!

Grace and Saddie still spend much of their time in the smaller pasture by the farm house where they can meet and interact with the rest of the herd across the fence. Coco and Grace have already made friends while Saddie, who is a queen, happily looks over her new home, kingdom and future subjects!

Update on Lucinda! It has been several months since Lucinda returned home with her owner Caroline Elgin and she is happy and enjoying retirement in the country!

Thank you to Heather Naasz for taking care of the herd, checking their temperatures and medicating Saddie and Grace during their quarantine.

Special thank you to Nancy Brandon for coordinating and running our WONDERFUL Silent Auction at Kalypso Sport Tavern. Everyone had lots of fun, lots of food and many guests won unique and special gifts!

With so many activities going on, cold rainy days, warm rainy days, holidays and vacations, we say a big thank you to all of our volunteers in the office for helping with the Silent Auction as well as closing out our books for the year and planning for 2016 and our farm maintenance volunteers for faithfully trudging through the mud to keep our horses fed, watered, groomed and comfortably housed. Thank you all!

Volunteer Achievements,

Appreciation & Good Works!

Who in the Herd? Think you know the SPIRIT herd? See if you can tell

which horse this is by one of their markings!

Find the answer in the margin on the last page of this newsletter!

Grace

Saddie

Caroline & Lucinda

SPIRIT Open Equestrian Program Inc.

2705 West Ox Rd, Herndon, VA 20171 | Phone: 703-600-9667 | Email: spiritoep@gmail.com pg. 3

Wisdom, Tips & Guidance from the

Volunteer Handbook

Winter Coats Get Extra Dirty As the weather has gotten colder, you’ve probably noticed that the horses are growing in their winter coats! Some of the horses are getting quite shaggy while others coats are looking more like velvet. Either way, their fur is getting thicker to keep them warm this winter and extra fur means extra grooming!

The thicker the horses fur gets, the more dirt and dust it can hold. We’ve also seen a lot of rain this winter and the horses are getting extra muddy! That means more dirt and dust to irritate their skin, especially under a saddle or girth. At this time of year it is extremely important to do a thorough job when grooming the horses to make sure that all caked on mud gets broken off their fur and brushed away. Be sure to take your time when grooming your horse to get them clean and brushed all over. Pay special attention to their bellies, legs and pasterns (the area where their hoof meets their leg).

Do We Still Have Class Tonight?

Bad Weather? Wondering

when we will be having

class? Check the SPIRIT blog

for up-to-date information

on the schedule including

day-of cancellations due to

bad weather. (http://spiritopenequestrian.blogs

pot.com/)

Sign up to receive "Rain Out"

notifications from SPIRIT

through RainedOut.com http://www.rainedout.com/

and also check the Fairfax

County Website at: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/alerts/

“Who in the Herd” answer: That’s Samson’s spot!

Last Edition’s “Who in the Herd”

answer: That was Infiniti’s left ear!

Naomi Gruber How long have you been with SPIRIT? I began volunteering when I started seventh grade, and now I’m going off to college in the fall. It’s been almost six years! What do you like to do when you’re not at SPIRIT? When I’m not at SPIRIT I enjoy riding at my other barn, reading, and obsessing over different TV shows. At the moment that’s Sherlock, Game of Thrones, and Doctor Who. What do you love about SPIRIT? The thing I love the most about SPIRIT is that I would not be the person I am today without it. Spending six years with a family of people and horses alike has taught me so much about myself and others. SPIRIT is the place where I grew up, and I love that I can take the skills I gained here and apply them to the rest of my life.

Lauren Wong How long have you been with SPIRIT? I joined the team in April, 2015. What do you like to do when you’re not at SPIRIT? When I'm not at the farm, I enjoy coaching and playing volleyball all around the country. What do you love about SPIRIT? I love that SPIRIT can push people out of their comfort zone, while achieving an increase in confidence, happiness, and skill. I adore seeing all the smiles surround me.

Max