CONGRATULATIONS Gia & Kayla

Read a previous article on Gia & Kayla: https://bit.ly/3EHjMsf

We are pleased to announce that two of our newest riding instructors (Gia & Kayla) have passed their final exam to become PATH International Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors!!

Undertaking this certification takes commitment and diligence, especially during COVID. The list of requirements is long, from becoming CPR & First Aid certified to completing online courses to teaching hours of riding lessons to submitting a video teaching a walk/trot/canter lesson. The process culminates with the final exam, which is taken at an off-site testing facility.

We are so happy to share in the excitement and so proud of them both. All of their hard work has paid off and it must be a sigh of relief to end 2021 on such a high note.

#GivingTuesday Reaches Goal

A really BIG thanks from all of us to all our
#GivingTuesday donors!

Cynthia Barkman, Larry Berlin, Christine Brenner, Barbara Burke, Charlotte Clark, Catherine Coloff, Maggie Conroy, Suzanne Davies, Gillian Deschamps, Mary Dickey, John Dickey, Laura Edelson, Arden Epstein, Liam Fitzpatrick, Amy Gimbel, Barbara Goodson, Tamela Griffin, Nina Higgins, Maria Holt, Rachel Howell, Kathy Kapiloff, Karen Kaufhold, Tama Lama, Victoria Leone, Eugenia Macchia, Elaine Milano, Kathy Mosquera, Kevin Murphy, Susan Oldroyd, Katharine Page, Tammy Paolino, Jason Pintar, Meredith Prescott, Jeanne Rogalin, Piper Rotolo, Barrie Saltzman, Eleanor Shanley, Rene Slater, Timothy Smith, Stacey Staub, Andrea Stepnosky, Julie Strain, Tami Swartz, Alex Taylor, Mary Ellen Yen, and Maryann Zeira

YEE-HAW! says, Cowgirl Kelly

Yesterday, on #GivingTuesday a total of $5,605 was raised between Facebook, website, and in-person donations. That means we'll soon be ordering the 2 new round bale feeders and our first of many deliveries of hay, all thanks to YOU!

This year’s campaign featured Cowgirl Kelly & Farmer Felix and we hope you enjoyed getting to know what goes on at the farm 😉

If you aren’t on social media or missed your email you can scroll through the images below to get a glimpse of what went on with Cowgirl Kelly, Farmer Felix*, Myrell, Tink, and Minnie during the #GivingTuesday campaign.

If you missed #GivingTuesday you can still make a donation in support of our mission. DONATE NOW

*Get to know more about Felix

Farmer Felix hopes y'all come back in 2022!

The Herd is Wishing & Hoping

We’ve made it easy…shop our Amazon Wish List

Let’s start off on the right hoof in 2022!

We hope you will bring the herd everything on their Holiday Wish List. Whether it's leather conditioner to keep our tack looking good, Himalayan salt licks for the horses--they LOVE these things, or clipper blades to keep those extra furry horses comfortable, we thought long and hard to ensure each of the items will make a difference for everyone at Mane Stream.

We’ve also added in a few games for our Riders and Therapy Clients!

Celebrate Our Community...

…by getting to know them a little better.

At the center of everything we do at Mane Stream are the hundreds of children and adults with special needs who participate in our programs every year. Thanks to the strong support from our community of families, volunteers, donors, and staff, we made sure that our participants had every opportunity to thrive in 2021.

Mane Stream’s programs were in full swing all year to:

• teach skills that built confidence for riders of all ages

• help clients reach their goals assisted by our talented staff and wonderful ponies

• provide both in-person and virtual field trips to school groups, scout troops and senior adults

• give summer campers plenty of opportunities to learn everything there is to know about horses, including which member of the herd wears a tutu best!

• celebrate accomplishments at our Annual Horse Show, which had the highest number of participants in our history.

Your generosity guarantees that Mane Stream will continue to succeed in the future for our important participants. A gift now will positively impact riders like Jasper and Alexa, therapy clients like Carmine and Stella, who are featured here. Get to know why other riders, clients, volunteers and staff love Mane Stream by clicking on the below images.

Click on the images below to find out more about
the Mane Stream Community

Shop Small & Special at Le Fash

le fash: SHOP ONLINE & IN-STORE TO BENEFIT MANE STREAM

Remember this fabulous event from last year? It's back and as glamourous as ever. Pick up a special gift for the horse lover you know or create a wish list and let people know where to get something you REALLY want. And lucky us a portion of all your ONLINE and in-store purchases will go directly to Mane Stream.

Shop on December 4th

Kick-off the holiday shopping season with a special event that allows you to shop for gifts while also giving back.🎁 Support Le Fash a charming Oldwick store for all your gift-giving needs & a portion of all your ONLINE (all day) & IN-STORE purchases will go directly to Mane Stream.

SHOP IN-STORE FROM 11AM-5PM & ENJOY

🥂Festive refreshments

🎄Limited edition product reveals

🎁 Dream helmet designing with a Samshield Trunk Show

🎟 An amazing raffle (100% to benefit Mane Stream)

✨A portion of ALL online sales during the entire day will be donated.

Curbside pick-up & virtual shopping are available.

Fall Tack Sale EPIC Success

There are only certain times when you can use EPIC to describe something and this is one of them. We didn’t think it was possible to have another sale like 2020 but the local community came through once again donating everything under the sun horse-related.

What was donated?

3 HUGE MOUNTAINS of blankets (almost touching the ceiling), 1 massive mountain of saddle pads, at least 12 tack trunks and enough boots, bridles, halters and miscellaneous items to fill our indoor arena. Let’s not forget about the lovely carousel horse and the Meadowbrook horse carriage.

Who showed up?

The smart shoppers, that’s who!! It’s known far and wide that our Tack Sales are a great place to find some pretty awesome deals on new and gently used name brand items. That’s why people line up at the gate and doors to ensure they are in with the first wave of shoppers.

How does the sale make an impact?

Mane Stream reviews everything that is donated and if we need it for our program we keep it. These donations save us hundreds of dollars each year - THANK YOU! Everything else goes into the Tack Sales where the proceeds go to directly help the mission. We can’t say it often enough but without the Tack Sales and other fundraising events Mane Stream could not provide the quality services year in and out for 50 years as of 2022.

Thank you everyone who participated and helped raise $8K in only 8 hours!!

The Crowd EMBRACES the Mission

EQUUS XXIX a smashing success!

Despite the cool and slightly damp fall weather, 180 excited guests gathered under the tent at the gorgeous Hamilton Farm Golf Club in Gladstone on Saturday, October 23rd to celebrate Mane Stream and our community. Guests at our first in-person event since 2019, had a fabulous time bidding on silent and live auction items, learning about Mane Stream’s programs through participant stories, and dancing well into the night. Everyone was extremely generous with their support, including a surprise major gift from an anonymous donor and we were able to surpass our financial goals for the event.

Planning for Equus began 9 months ago when event chair, Sarah Gore, chose EMBRACE as the theme. “What I envision is the space filled with larger than life sized black and white images of the Mane Stream community (riders, therapy clients, volunteers, and staff). After a year spent attending Board Meetings via Zoom staring at the large photograph behind Executive Director, Trish Hegeman, I realized how that image of a boy standing face to face with his horse had become a symbol of the Mane Stream community to me. He reminds me of the importance of the mission and my position as a board member. In addition to the atmosphere created by the images, I chose the color orange specifically for the meaning of optimism and positivity and the ability for the color to uplift. That’s exactly what Mane Stream means to all who are lucky enough to experience what happens on the farm.”

All these elements certainly had something to do with the success of the event but it’s really the sponsors and the guests who gathered together for a cause. Throughout the evening, the bidding was fierce and at least one person ended up bidding against themselves due to all the excitement! As the biggest fundraising event of the year, Mane Stream relies on the generous giving of the EQUUS party goers to raise enough funds to support the many programs offered including adaptive riding, therapy services (OT, PT, and Speech-Language) and summer camp. This year’s generosity extended beyond the tent as numerous supporters bid on silent auction items from the comfort of their own home. We look forward to this type of support continuing in the future even after the pandemic has receded. Since everyone is now comfortable with logging on to participate, not being able to attend an event is no longer a barrier to supporting your local non-profit organization.

The highlight of the evening was when Joyce Andreski and husband John shared the heartfelt story of their life with daughter, Stella. A different life than they had expected when they learned they were pregnant but how special it has become and how absolutely meaningful finding Mane Stream has been for every member of the family. This includes Joey (their son) who attends summer camp along with Stella. Joyce ended her speech with a descriptive story that really hit home for everyone in attendance… Welcome to Holland - By Emily Perl Kingsley (it’s worth the read - seriously!) With everyone drying their eyes the Andreskis ended their presentation with a self-produced video of the family which highlights how “every day at Mane Stream is SUPER SPECIAL, not to mention a joyous place with the filling of being one big family. You just can’t help but get hooked.”

Thank you to everyone who attended this special event and an extra-special thank you to everyone who raised their paddle for “Adam Friedland’s Helping Hands” pyramid. Funds raised through the pyramid go directly to support participants in all of our programs, our wonderful horses and talented staff. Thank you to Charles Antin, our auctioneer, for giving everyone in tent a chance to be generous.

Thank you to everyone who gave generously this year especially our Sponsors!

Platinum Sponsors
Sarah Gore & Chris Cox, Kathy & Hal Kamine, Kirk Kellogg & Emily Maillet, Red Tail Farm

Gold Sponsors
The Greifeld Family Foundation, Hawk Pointe Golf Club, Karen & Steve Kaufhold, Betsy & Stan Parman, Elizabeth & Jonathan Sobel

Silver Sponsors
Frazier Industrial Company, Jeanne Rogalin - Midtown-Direct Properties,
Seal-Spout Corporation, Kevin & Betsy Sullivan

Bronze Sponsors
Maureen & Steve Bezer, Deborah & Robert Brucker, Linda & Steve Fischer, Gus and Bucky's Car Washes, Linda & Steve Fischer, Nikki & Philip Marks, Merck Animal Health, Michael & Melissa Renfer, Stephen & Adriana Silver, Catherine Weinstock & Gia Esposito

ADDITIONAL THANK YOUS

EQUUS COMMITTEE
Sarah Gore - Event Chair     Beliz Crook - Committee Chair
Laura Brucker, Erin Chesson, Jill Dolan, Beth Durden, Laura Edelson, Gia Esposito, Erika Green, Karen Kaufhold, Diana Levy, Emily Maillet, Nancy McCaffrey, Jamie Murphy, Betsy Parman, Jeanne Rogalin, Marianne Saladino, Kristen Sameth,  Merina Schweiger, Liz Sobel, Kim Turiansky, Beth Vartuli, Rael Welsh

VOLUNTEERS
Ryan Bunting, Juliet Dermody, Laura Edelson, Nancy Grossweiller, Cate Hegeman, Justin Hendrickson, Kerry Scholz, Gina Taylor, J.KimPhotographyNYC

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ARE YOU READY FOR THE SPRING EVENT?

Save the date for the casual bash called Boots on Bourbon Street 2.0
Saturday, May 21st 2022 to be held at an off-site location

Who is that Cutie in Field #1?

We are so excited to welcome Peanut to the Mane Stream herd!

It's been almost a month since 18 year old Peanut has been working with our therapy clients in their treatment sessions and he's super curious about all that goes on with new job. This handsome and sturdy 13.1 hand Haflinger is going to be a great asset to our 4-legged team! Thank you Barry Saltzman for sharing your dearly loved pony with Mane Stream. He will soon be a favorite to many of our clients and volunteers alike!

31 Competitors for Horse Show

LOTS OF LOVE & JOY

It was a beautiful September day for the 31 riders showing off their skills for family and friends. This joyous event was made even more special with riders Cliff, Dagmar & Germaine, and Danny back in the saddle again after almost 18 months. They helped make this show one of the largest turnouts ever! Instructor, Kelly Champion texted her feelings about the day…Lots of LOVE (heart emoji)!! And we agree Kelly!

Pair the amazing attendance with the generosity of the sponsors, donors and all the riders, many of whom created personalized fundraising webpages, and the Horse Show raised over $10,600 for Mane Stream’s programs. The individual fundraising webpages allowed for riders to receive donations from far and wide. Stella & Joey Andreski went above and beyond their computer screens and spent an afternoon collecting donations in front of a store and raised almost $700 in 3 hours! They were joined by previous Mane Stream client, Matthew Fertig, who shared his years of experiences with those who stopped by their table.

WINNERS CIRCLE

Abby Clay Rutgers Memorial Award
(High Point Independent Rider)
Laura Karg

Gracie Memorial Award
(High Point Junior Rider)
Stella Andreski

Adult Division
AM Champion – Katie Higgins
AM Reserve Champion – Mary Glaser
PM Champion – Daisy DeSimone
PM Reserve Champion – Laura Karg

Junior Division
AM Champion – Stella Andreski
AM Reserve Champion – Joey Andreski
PM Champion – Madeline Peach
PM Reserve Champion – Alex Verge

Volunteer Class
Maggie Conroy, Laura Edelson, Anne Poltorak, Emma Yarton, and Julia Yarton

Raised the Most $ — THANKS!!!
Mary Glaser - Adult Rider
Alex Verge - Youth Rider
Anne Poltorak - Volunteer

From the list of 31 adaptive riders only 8 had the opportunity to go home with Champion and Reserve Champion ribbons. From there only two receive the top honors of the day (Abby Clay Rutgers Memorial Award & the Gracie Memorial Award). All award winners are listed in the “WINNERS CIRCLE”.

In addition to the 31 adaptive riders who competed, this year Head Instructor, Jen Dermody shook things up a little by offering a Volunteer Class at the horse show. Five volunteers signed up and whether they were teens who currently compete on the circuit, a retired riding instructor, an experienced rider in both Western and English, or a novice who last rode 5 years ago, they were ALL smiling from ear to ear.

Dedicated volunteer and novice rider, Laura Edelson shared, “What an awesome experience. All I wanted to do was to ride one of the fabulous Mane Stream Herd! My wish came true!!!”

Experienced teen rider and volunteer, Emma Yarton shared, “I’ll admit, it was strange to be the one riding the horse but Po was so intuitive. He knew I was nervous, so he went slow with me. These horses have a silent, effortless way of communication with the rider that I found soothing. After riding the Mane Stream horses you will gain a new appreciation for the services that they provide in a daily basis.”

THANK YOU SPONSORS

HORSE SHOW SPONSOR
Pine Woods Farm
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RIBBONS
Mary & Alan Dickey
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CHAMPION/RESERVE ADULT (AM)
The Higgins Family
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CHAMPION/RESERVE CHILD (AM)
Michael & Melissa Renfer
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CHAMPION/RESERVE CHILD (PM)
The Verge Family
(In loving memory of Eva Verge)
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DIVISION 1, 2, 3
The DeLoca Family
(In loving memory of Ed DeLoca)
Horses for Healing 2.0
(In loving memory of Lori Zecchino)
Karen & Steve Kaufhold
Liz & Jason McFadden
Midtown Direct Properties | Jeanne Rogalin
The Rogalin/Peckham Family 
(In loving memory of Kevin & Kay Neville)
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VOLUNTEER CLASS
Frances & Andy Pinto
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PRIZES
Sandra Phillips
DECORATIONS
Greg Tucker

How does this event run so smoothly? We couldn’t do it without our amazing volunteers! This year 13 dedicated individuals came to assist the riders making this event run like clockwork.

THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS
Maggie Conroy, Sofia Criscola,
Laura Edelson, Nancy Grossweiler,
Tina Hernandez, Kelsey Hernandez,
Olivia Iskra, Karen Kaufhold, Elaine Milano, Janie & Mike Murphy, Anna Squindo,
Emma Yarton, Julia Yarton

Additional thanks go out to our four photographers of the day! Michele Geise, who handled all the shots in the ring during the competition (more still to come), Susan Magaziner who captured everything outside the ring and some ribbon awards too. And Jeanne & Roger Rogalin who once again set up their “Pumpkin Patch” photo booth so riders could take home a picture of them and their trusty steed.

There were two other people without which this event would not have been the same… our Horse Show Judge was none other than avid rider and previous Mane Stream Physical Therapist, Taylor Forbes, and the smooth voice that was heard over the AV system was Justin Hendrickson (Holland’s husband).

OUR SINCERE THANKS TO EVERYONE
WHO MADE THE DAY SUCH A SUCCESS!

Look at this Stunner!

Look at that long flowing hair...it's Fabio!

No wait...it's Bennie the Gypsy Vanner. We are excited to announce that Bennie is now part of the Mane Stream herd! Big and strong with a puppy dog personality, Bennie already has a full contingent of riders who think he's the bomb (not to mention all the volunteers in his fan club).

Thank you Cheryl Kelly for letting Bennie continue his career at Mane Stream!!