CURRENT HAPPENINGS
the ways YOU can stay connected!
Show name: Keeping it Blue
From the moment this 14.2 hand Palomino gelding came to the barn he was a favorite with riders and volunteers alike. He has a playful personality and loves lots of attention. We are very excited to have him as the newest member of our herd and we send out a SPECIAL THANK YOU to Elizabeth Salituri for donating this amazing pony!
Echoes-Sentinel - LONG HILL TWP.
Trotting to Success: Joseph O’Leary wins first place at Mane Stream
Gripping the reins, Millington resident Joseph O’Leary, 15, nudged his white horse with his heels, ushering his steed into the competition ring. After taking a few deep breaths, O’Leary led his horse into a walk. He changed up the horse’s rhythm, bringing it into a trot and then a canter. Standing in anticipation with his parents, Kathy and Tom O’Leary, an announcement bellowed over the sound system. Joseph O’Leary had won in his…Continue Reading
We're in the news! This time in the Winter 2022 edition of the American Hippotherapy Association, Inc. magazine HIPPOTHERAPY.
Mane Stream Celebrates 50 Years
AHA, Inc. Facility Member Mane Stream is celebrating 50 years of unbridled possibilities. Founded by Octavia Brown in 1972 (formerly the Somerset Hills Handicapped Riding Center) is the 2nd oldest center of its kind in the nation and was the 1st one opened in the state of NJ. Mane Stream was at the forefront of adaptive riding and therapy services…Continue Reading
Joseph O’Leary accepting the Abby Clay Rutgers High Point Independent Rider trophy.
The Annual Horse Show, a highlight and the most heartwarming event of the year, was extra special this year because of the record-breaking number of rider registrations, sponsorship checks, and donations poured in day after day. What better way to celebrate Mane Stream’s 50th Anniversary than adaptive riders spending an action-packed day of competition with family, friends, volunteers, staff, and our amazing horses?
Despite being overcast and a bit breezy, the parking lot filled up bright and early on October 23rd and didn’t empty out until almost 5pm. A bountiful breakfast spread donated by Jeanne Rogalin of Midtown Direct | Keller Williams was available to get the volunteers off on the right foot. The packed day was made even more special by the Family Fun Day activity table filled with fake tattoos, pumpkin crafts, and face painting all graciously provided and manned by the Checket Family.
And to make this year’s horse show feel even more like all the local horse shows we brought in Norma’s Food Truck! From breakfast sandwiches to a variety of lunch options, everyone enjoyed being able to grab a little something hot on a blustery day.
Once the dust had settled and the generous donations were tallied, a recording-breaking $14,000 was raised by 43 riders, 10 volunteers, and 17 sponsors!! The riders bringing in the largest amounts for Mane Stream were Mary Glaser - Adult, Joey & Stella Andreski - Youth, Blake & Colton Checket - Campers, and Tess Coffee - Volunteer.
Special thanks go out to our Judge, Andrea Davies (Dorito’s mom), who spent ALL day alone on the hill paying close attention to each and every rider as they competed. In addition to the ribbons awarded to each class, eight champion and reserve champion ribbons were also distributed by the tiny and tireless Hadleigh Hendrickson.
Abby Clay Rutgers Memorial Award – Joseph O’Leary
Champion AM Adult – Danny Nerone
Reserve Champion AM Adult – Josh Ciccione
Champion AM Junior – Dylan Smith
Reserve Champion AM Junior – Stella Andreski
Champion PM Adult – Ben Burghardt
Reserve Champion PM Adult – David Santos
Champion PM Junior – Zoe Timko
Reserve Champion PM Junior – Myla Schultz
Additional thanks go out to our announcer Justin Hendrickson and all our photographers: Michelle Geise, who captured the day’s competitive events, while Michael Gaugler and Maggie Conroy captured all the smiles and hugs throughout the day. And finally, the Pumpkin Patch Photo Booth was set up by Jeanne and Roger Rogalin so that participants, their horses, and families had an opportunity to have pictures taken together. (tons more pictures still to come)
Our sincere thanks to everyone who made the day such a success!
Cynthia Barkman, Tess Coffey, Nancy Cunningham, Anne Davenport, Suzanne Davies,
Aimee DiMeo-Fine, Laura Edelson, Lily Fosburgh, Pat Gaugler, Nancy Grossweiler,
Leroy Hunninghake, Gifty Jose, Karen Mikita-Kaufhold, Susan Mallows, Elaine Milano,
Janie Murphy, Mike Murphy, Nancy Poandl, Laura Senator, Emma Yarton, Mary Ellen Yen
Whether you choose our 50th logo or our traditional logo you can keep warm all winter long while showing your spirit for Mane Stream.
We’ve got something for everyone and it will be ready for pickup before the holidays! Dress it up with a button-down shirt or snuggle up with a hoodie and joggers. You’ll find all that and more in 2-3 colors.
Online Store Closes on 11/20 at Midnight so start your holiday shopping now!
For #ThrowbackThursday this week we are honoring Abby Clay Rutgers. A tiny spitfire of a girl who despite being born with a severe heart defect learned to walk, trot and canter at Mane Stream (then Somerset Hills Handicapped Riding Center) from 1991-2001.
Her love of horses all started because of My Little Pony and though she loved all sports and cheered her friends on at their events she was unable to participate until she found riding. The years she spent learning to ride formed her direction for her college where she studied practical horse management, theories of riding, methods of teaching equine science, nutrition, and physiology at Centenary College.
While there, Abby re-connected with Mane Stream's founder, Octavia Brown, who had become a faculty member at the time. By her last year, Abby became an assistant instructor, teaching riders without disabilities.
Director of Therapy Services, Melanie Dominko-Richards fondly remembers one specific trail ride in Cold Brook Preserve. The group of instructors and most advanced students were getting ready to canter up the hill back to the barn, when Abby and her pony Rocket came galloping by; Abby had the biggest smile on her face! That amazing sense of freedom from riding was later replaced by driving her Mustang convertible when she was no longer able to ride
In honor of her passing at the age of 22, the Abby Clay Rutgers Memorial Award is awarded to the high-point independent rider at Mane Stream's annual horse show. Twenty years later this impressive trophy is the most coveted of all awards.
Director of Therapy Services, Melanie Dominko-Richards fondly remembers one specific trail ride in Cold Brook Preserve. The group of instructors and most advanced students were getting ready to canter up the hill back to the barn when Abby and her pony Rocket came galloping by; Abby had the biggest smile on her face! That amazing sense of freedom from riding was later replaced by driving her Mustang convertible when she was no longer able to ride.
Photos taken during the demo at the 2000 ribbon cutting ceremony of the 83 Old Turnpike facility.
Sometimes a simple action can provide the best life experiences. Mary Pat Gallagher visited Mane Stream (then Somerset Hills Handicapped Riding Center) in the mid-1990s and left a note asking about how she could help at the farm. That note led to Mary Pat becoming a volunteer, then an instructor, and eventually a Board member. She shares, “Being involved in this program helped me to become a more empathetic, grateful, and involved member of the horse community.”
She remembers in the early years that “There were great trail-clearing parties efficiently run like a British military exercise! I did a lot of that clearing by myself with the tractor and chainsaw.” Other great memories include “fun-filled horse shows for clients and volunteers alike with blue ribbons galore, driving around Hamilton Farms Essex horse trials collecting fence judge’s cards, exercising ad evaluating potential school horses around the Cold Brook preserve, and turning Beval Saddlery into a circus tent for a fundraiser.”
As a Board member, Mary Pat was involved with the planning process for the new facility and helped the property transform into the Mane Stream of today. Fellow Board member and friend, Jill Thomas, reflects, “Mary Pat never ran when she saw me coming, fully knowing I was again asking for her help doing a not-so-fun job like distributing tickets throughout NJ for the Far Hills Breeders Cup Steeplechase. She brought a sense of humor when it was needed.”
Mary Pat moved from the area years ago but enjoys keeping up with Mane Stream on social media. “The friendships and relationships were the most rewarding aspects besides watching the beauty of the horses performing their magical therapy!” Mary Pat shared “I felt there was always an adventure waiting [at Mane Stream]!”
Thank you Mary Pat for being an important part of our history!
CLICK HERE to contact Jessica Sanders and get your session scheduled!
Jessica Sanders and Gianna Trotter are so excited to present this holiday fundraiser for Mane Stream! Please see below for all of the details and email Jessica at jessica@jessicasandersphotography.com to get your barn on the calendar!
There is a minimum requirement of 3 horses/participants per barn.
$350 per horse (or dog!) includes:
a $50 donation directly to Mane Stream NJ
3 digital images for sharing and printing up to 4×6
your choice of black background or natural portrait (one or the other per horse – no combinations)
selection of holiday garlands
25% off all wall art, prints, and custom holiday cards
25% of all print and product sales will also go to Mane Stream!
This fundraiser ends December 10th, 2022, and images will be delivered via private password-protected online gallery within 3 weeks of session date. Check Jessica’s website out for more glorious shots!
Written by: Madelyn Dunn, friend of the family & wife of Dennis Dunn our Facilities Manage
Cliffie and his mother June Murtha have been impressed with Mane Stream for more years than she can remember! She is impressed with the ladies who volunteer, week after week, regardless of the weather and who have learned ‘survival’ American Sign Language just so they can communicate with Cliffie.
Cliffie’s challenges during his 53 years have been vast; he was born profoundly deaf with extensive neurologic issues. Unable to suck at birth, Cliffie had to be fed upside down. Everything was difficult and as a child, if he thought he could not do something, he did not even try.
June’s dedication to making Cliffie’s life the best it can be, drove her to extensively research ways to help Cliffie. She found Everas Community Services, which had the perfect Group Home for Cliffie. June is a long-time Board member of Everas as well. June’s research also led her to the Mane Stream program over 20 years ago. When June signed to Cliffie that he was going to ride a horse, his initial reaction was NO! Thankfully, he was blessed with a very persuasive mother and he finally agreed to try it!
Thursday is Cliffie’s lesson day and it is a pivotal day in the week. June brings him to his weekly lesson. They arrive early and listen to opera or classical music while they wait for his lesson to begin. While Cliffie has had some of same team of volunteers for years, he is open to meeting new people and this summer a new young side walker joined his lesson! June likes watching Cliffie enjoy his life and interact with his “friends”, who he loves, as he signs at Mane Stream.
June commented, “Cliffie’s life, when he leaves me as I drop him off someplace, is an unknown to me. He takes the offered support from the Mane Stream team and takes off, never looking back.”
Cliffie has mobility challenges and uneven ground under his feet stops all forward progress. He just stands and wobbles as his depth perception is impaired due to his loss of vision and his loss of balance. Mane Stream has allowed Cliffie to ‘Go where it is impossible to go.’ On a horse, he can take a walk thru the woods with ease. Imagine what the smell of autumn or the feel of a gentle breeze on his skin accompanied by the steady rhythm of his horses’ gait can do for someone like Cliffie.
Perhaps most importantly at Mane Stream, Cliffie accepts change without question, whether it be an aide, a sidewalker, or a new horse. The only exception: his unwillingness to ride in anything other than a bareback pad! One of the few arguments Cliffie has won with his team while at Mane Stream.
June shares that her most favorite moment at Mane Stream was when she saw Cliffie kiss his horse. Madalyn’s favorite moment was when she was visiting with June and Cliffie, and his long-time sidewalker, Debi, appeared in a golf cart. Debi told us about a time when she was driving Cliffie and he insisted that the golf cart be stopped. Caught by surprise, Debi said Cliffie reached over, put her seatbelt on and then signed “I love you.”
Cliffie cares deeply about his ‘friends’… the ladies! He cannot wait to ride and looks forward to taking them to dinner at the Tewksbury Inn. June is so appreciative and takes immense pleasure in watching him “jabber” with the ladies and delights in the interaction and concern they have for him.
Mane Stream is an incredibly special place in the lives of both Cliffie and June. It is one tradition June hopes will continue for a long time.
Mane Stream invites individuals living with Parkinson's Disease to an Open House to learn more about Horses for Healing PD, a new FREE program based on our successful Horses for Healing program for individuals living with cancer.
Come meet the program director, take a tour of the facility and learn more about how interacting with horses has both physical and emotional benefits. This program is set to launch in early 2023 and we are actively recruiting participants. See you at the barn on Monday, October 31 at 1:00pm. And remember to dress for the weather!
