Making Holiday Treats with Mel & Mel

Which Mel Upstages Which?

Our dear friends from the Adult Day Center of Somerset County (ADCSC) have not been able to visit the farm for the past 9 months due to the ongoing pandemic and we miss seeing them! To help ring in some holiday cheer, our Director of Therapy Services, Melanie Dominko-Richards, MS, CCC-SLP, HPCS, partnered with Mel the pony to whip up a batch of tasty horse treats on camera for our first installment of "Baking with Mel & Mel!"

The treat recipe (see below) and video were shared with the ADCSC as one of their virtual holiday activities for their members. The Mane Stream herd enjoyed the treats that we made and they can’t wait to receive the ones made by their friends at the ADCSC!

Ultimate Holiday Horse Treats Recipe:

INGREDIENTS: 1 Carrot 1 Apple 1 Cup molasses or honey 2 1/2 cups of oats 2-3 tbs of vegetable oil Peppermints for garnish DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 325 Grate the carrot and apple Mix together all of the ingredients Place large spoonfuls on a baking sheet Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown Rest for 5 minutes, then place a peppermint in the middle of each treat Cool for a few hours in the refrigerator

Our horses like treats all year long so bring your treats whenever you feel like giving our horses a celebration! Deliver them to Mane Stream at 83 Old Turnpike Rd. Oldwick.

Tewksbury 5th Graders Surpass Shoe Drive Goal

Local partnerships make the season bright!

The original goal was crushed so early on they decided to double the goal to 400 and achieved it in just 1 month!! Awesome job “BIG CHECK TEAM”

Kathryn Lemerich (Katie) came on board as the new Principal of Tewksbury Elementary School this past summer, which had to be difficult given these unprecedented times. But when she called our office a few months ago asking, “What can the children do for Mane Stream?” we quickly suggested our Shoes for Shoes program which raises funds to help pay for our farrier bills. The teachers and children of the 5th Grade realized the shoe drive would be a flexible service learning project no matter how the school days would be run (in school, hybrid or totally virtual).

Several months after the initial call, Mane Stream received a Zoom request from the 5th Grade, Principal Lemerich, School Counselor, Miss Donovan and teachers, Ms. Amato and Ms. Olla. Trish Hegeman, Executive Director and Louisa Bartok, Marketing and Communications Manager, were treated to an extremely well thought out and collaborative presentation by the students who joined the Zoom from various locations including back seats of cars, bedrooms and dining rooms.

It was clear from the start, that the children had worked very hard on this project and we were literally blown away by their presentation. Starting with an overview of what they learned about an amazing place called Mane Stream. “It isn’t just physical therapy but programs for people who need a light shine in their life.  A place to help people with special needs and make them happy and joyful.” A great purpose!

Next up was the marketing team, who told about designing, creating, and distributing their posters around the school. Followed by the morning announcement informative slide deck which ran during the month-long Shoe Drive. Several more presenters described their participation including the child who donated the 200th pair of shoes (their original goal). Considering this goal was crushed so early on they decided to double the goal to 400 pairs and achieved it in just 1 month!!

This announcement brought the next team to the podium, “the BIG CHECK team” who described sketching and final creation of the massive check. This check was proudly held up by Enrico wearing a tie and jacket and his brother from their bedroom/classroom.

The pandemic has really limited Mane Stream’s field trip program, cutting off the staff from our usual influx of local community of all ages. We miss everyone dearly and this Zoom Meeting had Trish and Louisa tearing up (with happy tears) just a little the whole time.

Mane Stream would like to congratulate the 5th Grade and the community of Tewksbury on such a successful and collaborative effort! We hope to have them visit the farm before the end of the school year (keep your fingers crossed). And a special thank you to Principal Lemerich for reaching out to us!

Shoes for Shoes Program:
Interested in starting your own Shoe Drive? Or maybe just dropping off a bag after you clean out your closets? Contact us for specifics. info@manestreamnj.org

Interested in a Summer Internship?

We haven’t started looking for camp interns but the F.M. Kirby Foundation, a long-time generous funder of Mane Stream, is seeking exceptional candidates for an internship position. The intern will be a vital member of a dynamic team, providing support to our grantmaking and day-to-day operations. In this role the intern will interface with our staff, our non-profit grantees, and our philanthropic partners, exposing him/her to a wide variety of industries and careers. This paid internship opportunity, pending public health guidelines, will be a full-time, ten-week, in-person internship. Check it out!

Wine Fundraiser to Benefit Mane Stream

Wait! Before you purchase all the wine you'll need for the holiday season, stock up with ONEHOPE wine and 10% of your purchase will go to Mane Stream! Make staying home special with a selection of wonderful California wines. They have a selection of reds, whites, roses, and sparkling, to chose from all while supporting Mane Stream.

This fundraiser was graciously set up by a therapy client's mom who just wanted us to know, "You have done such amazing work with Carmine and we all know how much he loves Mane Stream!" THANK YOU NICOLE!

Designing OT Activities for Results

Level I OTA Fieldwork Student, Robin Mayer, shares her reasoning and results for the activity she designed for Izzy during a recent Occupational Therapy Session at Mane Stream.

THE IDEA: Take Izzy’s favorite song and incorporate activities (dancing, games and drumming) that would work on some of her goals. And make it fun!

THE TOOLS: Drumsticks, maracas, two small conga drums, and the crash pad.

THE ACTIVITY: We started out with a heel to toe walk but quickly moved on to weight shifting in time with our drumsticks (Izzy’s were decorated in shades on pink ribbon). Then came Izzy’s favorite part of the session - Izzy, Ms. Gina, Ms. Kerese and I all formed a train and walked in time to the beat of our sticks to Izzy’s favorite song “Beat It”. When the guitar solo came on we crashed into the pad, maneuvered into a cross-legged position and then resumed tapping our sticks.

By the end of the solo the adults were tired but Izzy’s endurance was spectacular!! When the singing came back on she yelled, “Let’s do that again!” So we got up quickly and started our rhythm train again. It was amazing and I’m really happy she enjoyed it. Izzy’s Occupational Therapist, Gina Taylor, mentioned there were a lot of musical toys in the music box, so we took out the drum heads, clapper, wrist bells, and just jammed for the remaining session time. Of course, her movements still need of practice but most importantly Izzy had fun and wants to do something music-based again.

ROBIN’S EXPERIENCE: When asked about her experience at Mane Stream, Robin said, “It’s been one of the most influential experiences I have had in my life. I couldn't wait to get to the grounds to start sessions and soak up every particle of knowledge from Gina (excuse me, RVCC Professor Taylor), Mel, Katrina, and the team of volunteers, the horses and most of all the children. To have been given the opportunity to observe and then have three sessions where we planned our own interventions for a child, in my case IZZY Warrior Princess was an honor.

WHY STUDY AT MANE STREAM? We know it is imperative to the future of the industry to provide hands-on learning experiences for today’s students. We also like to share the impact therapy (OT, PT, SLP) at Mane Stream can have on our clients. Whether it’s hosting monthly observation sessions or clinical fieldwork opportunities we love sharing the JOY and SMILES and RESULTS that therapy at Mane Stream provides.

#GivingTuesday 2020 Results

The Barn Elf is jumping for joy!!

The last-minute rush of donors (both on our website and on Facebook) and donations from Wednesday pushed us way over our #GivingTuesday goal of $3,500 with a TOTAL RAISED OF $6,928! This ensures we'll be covered for all our 2021 dental, bedding costs, and even help with some of the farrier costs. THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!

With so many valuable charities seeking your time, money, and attention this year, Mane Stream is extremely grateful that so many of you made a gift toward our future.

THANK YOU #GivingTuesday DONORS

Tori and Tom Anderson, Nancy and Paul Audet, Louisa Bartok, Nicole Bently, Jane Bergman, Peggy Berkery, Christine Brenner, Robert Bridgeman, Laura and Hank Brucker, Cynthia Barkman and Ron Caruso, Carol and Frank Chimento, Mary Elizabeth Cisneros, Patricia Colbert, Nancy Cunningham, Mary and Alan Dickey, Roos Distelbergen-Cecil, Jason Pintar and Rachel Gardner, Sarah Globenfelt, Holly Goodman, Barbara Goodson, Chloe and Doug Hegeman, Nina Higgins, Kathy Hollerith, Suzanne Johnson, Steve and Karen Kaufhold, Dana King, Laura Kinney, Lisa and Ralph Lee, Victoria Leone, Barbara Maisel, Mary McDonough, Pamella Fernot and Randy Mitchell, Kathy Mosquera, Peggy Murray, Ashley Pankow, Debbie Pettrit, Kim Politsky, Anne Poltorak, Jeanne and Roger Rogalin, Piper Rotolo, Lynn Santos, Joanne Schiding, Edward and Virginia Schrum, Mary Schwenkler, Alex Taylor, Melissa Thomas, Catherine Coloff and Doug Verge, Sandra Phillips and Don Vosseller, Maryann Zeira

Did you follow along on social media? If not our Barn Elf demonstrates our “Bedtime Routine” below.

Spending Quality Time at Home

Wish Holland & Hadleigh a happy holiday season! Send an email

It’s true Holland has decided to stay home with little Hadleigh!

After 12 years….we said goodbye to our long-time Barn Manager and Summer Camp Director, Holland Kochanski in the beginning of November. But don’t worry, she promised to come back to visit and may even be around again teaching or covering shifts in the barn.

Everyone at Mane Stream, especially our 13 horses, misses her and wishes her well on her adventures with Hadleigh!

#GivingTuesday: Bedtime Routines

What’s your bedtime routine?
(Brushing your teeth jumping into some warm PJs, and snuggling under the covers)

Follow along on Facebook for more Barn Elf antics!

Now imagine the Mane Stream herd (many of whom are in their later years) snuggling up in a stall of fresh shavings, wearing a warm blanket after they’ve brushed their teeth. Well, that last part isn’t quite realistic but each horse does see the dentist once a year and that cost adds up.

2020 has been tough, but we have met the challenge of keeping program going each and every day (except during the 3 month shutdown). Now we have the cold dark winter to make it through. With 13 hard-working horses in our herd, this year more than any other, we need you to show your love for them by making a gift now. We hope to raise $3500 to help with the costs of bedding and dentist bills for our herd in 2021.

Your gift will help keep, help Mane Stream keep…Buzz, Dorito, Elli, Flicka, Joe, Judge, Justin, Mel, Minnie, Myrell, Po, Sam, and Tink warm, safe and healthy.

Please consider making a donation anytime between now and #GivingTuesday. Whatever amount you decide to give, you are directly impacting the horses so we can continue to provide therapy sessions, adaptive riding lessons, and summer camp in 2021 in spite of COVID-19. Gifts of every size are vital to the success of Mane Stream's programs and are truly appreciated! 

NOTE: There are NO processing fees thru Facebook and your donation made on 12/1/20 only may also be matched by Facebook. Don’t delay! DONATE ON FACEBOOK

For more information about Mane Stream visit us at www.manestreamnj.org

2020 Fall Tack Sale

A year in the making!

When the line of people starts forming at 6:40 am, you know the day is going to be EPIC! And that's exactly what happened on Sunday, November 1st for the Mane Stream Fall Tack Sale.

According to Equine Manager, Jen Dermody and Barn Manager, Holland Kochanski, this was by far the largest Mane Stream Tack Sale EVER, resulting in a whopping $8,500 of sales. Due to the large number of donations accumulated over the past year and the required social distancing protocols, the event spread over the whole indoor arena, storage area, and mounting area. Several shoppers mentioned they really enjoyed the extra space and the way everything was laid out.

Some still available: a selection of BRAND NEW EGo7 apparel in a variety of sizes from Show Coats, Paddock Boots and Half Chaps as well as an extensive selection of KEP Helmets that are all DEEPLY DISCOUNTED!!

As the first 50 people streamed into the arena the great deals on saddles, tack trunks, Baker blankets, girths, and bridles were scooped up well before 10am. In addition to the generous donations from the surrounding horse community this year we also received a HUGE selection of BRAND NEW EGo7 apparel in a variety of sizes from Show Coats, Paddock Boots and Half Chaps as well as an extensive selection of KEP Helmets that were all DEEPLY DISCOUNTED!!

We still have a selection of styles and sizes so contact Jen Dermody if you are interested in purchasing for the Holiday Season.

The @silly.girlzz were there too! Selling their NEW fall line of cute bracelets. We all got one how about you? Check them out on Instagram and find out where you can get yours. All proceeds go to Mane Stream and these amazing girls have already raised almost $3K!!

Thank you to everyone who helps spread the word about our Tack Sales, you made this one an EPIC success! Tell your friends and share on social media - it makes a big impact. THANK YOU and keep it up!

Don’t forget Mane Stream accepts donations of tack and other horse related items ALL YEAR LONG. You can help make the Fall Tack Sale a success by donating now or setting up a tack drive at your barn or school!

Contact Jen Dermody jen@manestreamnj.org if you need to schedule a pick for large quantities.

Exercising During the Pandemic

It’s good for the body and the soul!

What can we say? 2020 has been an interesting year. Pretty much achieving anything seems a little more challenging than it used to. For Mane Stream, the pandemic has meant no orientations, no training sessions, no fundraising events. And sadly we have not been able to invite all of our riders and therapy clients back to the farm as we move through our “Phased Reopening”.

In the Adaptive Riding portion of our business, this has provided an opportunity for some. We now have an ever-growing number of riders who have signed up for 2 lessons a week and are enjoying the extra time in the saddle.

Everyone knows that exercising multiple times a week is beneficial in many ways, like increasing your strength and flexibility while reducing your chances of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Then there are the mental benefits of exercise which let’s face it, during a pandemic don’t we all need a little help dealing with day to day life?! Some of these benefits have been listed as mood-boosting and reducing depression and anxiety.

Our Head Instructor, Jen Dermody enjoys teaching riders twice a week. “It means I can introduce something new on the first day and then continue working on it the next day. Shorter time between lessons increases muscle memory which usually helps achieve results faster.”

So we went straight to the source and asked our riders…why they chose to come more than once a week, what are they looking forward to most, and what outcomes are they hoping to achieve with a more consistent regimen.

Here’s what they had to say…

“The biggest reason we do twice a week is simple…Laura loves to ride! :) With the pandemic, it was a good safe activity so we decided to do twice a week because she also needed the exercise. Most of her other activities are indoors, thus we are nervous about sending her. We feel very safe going [to Mane Stream].” Marilyn Karg, Laura’s Mom

“It’s fun & I learn more with 2 different instructors & different horses.” Tess Coffey, “Since music lessons and school activities are all virtual, lessons at Mane Stream has allowed Tess to socially & physically interact (with social distancing) while doing what she loves. In these unusual times, being able to engage more than once a week has been a great emotional benefit too.” Tess’s Mom, Colleen

“I need to get more exercise and riding is my best option. I think [riding twice a week] will help me improve before the horse show. I've [occasionally] ridden twice a week in the past, and I found I make much more progress. I am hoping for improved strength, balance and more fun!” Victoria Leonne

“I love riding twice a week! It's great to see the horses (and people!) more often. Riding different horses, and having the opportunity to build up "muscle memory" is a wake-up call for me...I have a much clearer idea of what I need to do to ride well. And of course, it's fun!” Sandra Phillips, H4H 2.0 Rider