CURRENT HAPPENINGS
the ways YOU can stay connected!
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!
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.
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.”
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).
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!!
2021 Summer Camp was a smashing success thanks to the volunteers, college intern, staff and hard-working herd who made it an amazing and safe summer for all.
After our revised version of camp last year, we listened to your suggestions and extended the day just a bit (8:30am-12:30pm) so that the campers could get in a short snack time, and also make sure to have a craft/activity each day. This year we also mixed fan favorites (Tie-Dye Tuesday) and some new activities like Horse Costume Parade (a new favorite) and Equestrian Bingo!
The two Advanced Rider weeks also went well with everyone trying their hand at braiding manes. Throughout the week they worked on cantering over rails, jumping small jumps, changing leads, and counting strides.
Every year we like to have at least one college intern to assist with the day-to-day activities of camp. This year we were lucky to have Kylie. Always smiling and super experienced with horses, this year's summer camp intern, Kylie Stangle has now headed back for her senior year at East Stroudsburg University after completing over 140 volunteer hours. Due to the pandemic, she couldn't intern last year, so we were extremely glad she was still up for coming this year.
According to Wikipedia, “It takes a village to raise a child” is an African proverb that means an entire community of people must interact with children for those children to grow in a safe and healthy environment. We think this saying applies to Mane Stream Summer Camp too. When the Camp Director, Camp Administrator, 4 Instructors, 1 Intern, and dozens of volunteers are all working together it shows on all the smiling faces.
Many campers have already registered for the Fall Session of Riding and as of press time, 10 will also be competing in the Fall Horse Show on Sunday, 9/26.
ALL Campers Welcome! Register to compete in the Camper Class at the Fall Horse Show on Sunday, 9/26. Register Here.
We would like to thank Diver Dan and the rest of the Dominko Family for thinking of Mane Stream when it was time to part with the Handyman Van. Goodbye, old Astro!
Our goal is 10 vehicles, so who is going to help us get there before December 31st? Will it be you?
Questions about donating? Check out the FAQs and Year-End Donation Tax Deduction Information.
Why not donate your vehicle today? All you need to do is to complete the simple online form. The organization that handles it, CARS, will take care of the rest. They will pick up your vehicle, arrange to have your donation towed, and provide you with a tax-deductible receipt, all at no charge to you!
We are absolutely excited to have two new riding instructors, Kayla Thau and Gia-Raquel Esposito on board for this fall! Gia will be teaching on Mondays and Thursdays, and Kayla on Saturdays, bringing our team of instructors to 9 strong. Head Riding Instructor, Jen Dermody, has scheduled weekly riding lessons for 62 riders and counting. That’s a new record!! Whether riders are just beginning their journey or learning to jump, Jen takes many things into consideration when creating a schedule to achieve the best results: rider availability, horse use, instructor availability, and more. We believe every rider should not only enjoy their time at Mane Stream, they should be reaching their goals and making connections.
Please take a moment to get to know both Gia and Kayla and then welcome them when you see them at the farm.
Gia-Raquel Esposito, Adaptive Riding Instructor
Gia-Raquel Esposito has loved horses since she was a young child. She owns Airs Above Yoga, LLC, and tailors her sessions to equestrians, and also focuses on injury rehabilitation. You will find Gia working as a real estate sales associate for Turpin Realtors in Oldwick. After becoming a Mane Stream volunteer in 2019, she was encouraged to start the process of becoming a PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor. This allows her to combine her passion for horses and her teaching experience as a Yoga instructor!
Having lived in Philadelphia, New York, and most recently Santa Monica, California, her heart has always remained where she was born and raised. Deciding to return home to Hunterdon County, New Jersey has allowed her to keep rooted in the land she loves while giving wings to her love of helping others all over the country.
Kayla Thau, Adaptive Riding Instructor
Kayla Thau is a recent graduate of Centenary University with a degree in Equine Studies. She spent all four years working closely with their therapeutic program (Therapeutic Riding at Centenary or TRAC). She was also a member of the IHSA team, so it is pretty safe to say, Kayla spent all of her time at the barn. Before going off to college, Kayla volunteered at Mane Stream. It was here that her passion for instruction became apparent and she knew what she wanted to do “when she grew up”. Now that Kayla has completed her teaching hours and passed her video test, she only has one more step to become a PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor…her written exam.
Log your volunteer hours with the Equus Foundation and receive a chance to win a $270 gift certificate for a pair of Ariat boots. No matter what your style Ariat has something for you.
Ariat International donates gift certificates each quarter to individuals who achieve Champion status. Each quarter, a drawing will be conducted where five (5) Champions will each receive a $270 Gift Certificate for Ariat Boots. The earlier you achieve Champion status, the more chances you have to win.
Sponsored by Ariat International, the Champions program is an incentive-based equine service program to stimulate and reward volunteerism on behalf of horses.
NEW this year…Volunteer Class!
Are you a current volunteer with 20 hours of service this year? Have you always wanted to ride one of our wonderful horses?
Well here’s your chance. The first 14 volunteers* who register will get to compete in the Fall Horse Show on Sunday, September 26th. Come on, it’s just for fun and you know the riders will be there to cheer you on. There will also be an award to the volunteer who raises the most money.
After you register you can “Become a Champion” and create your online fundraising page to collect donations.
How could you not click the button below and grab your chance to put a big smile on your face?
*Honor system - weight restriction of 250lbs
Since you’ll be riding in the Horse Show why not help volunteer too! Contact Rebecca at volunteer@manestreamnj.org to save your spot to help out.
That's just the first six months of 2021! Rather than continue to let their vehicles sit in sad neglect, these families donated them to Mane Stream. Now they have new homes and turned their gifts into significant funds for our programs.
Thank you: Cynthia Barkman & Ron Caruso, Jane Books, Joy Kochanski, and Jeanne & Roger Rogalin!
Questions about donating? Check out the FAQs and Year-End Donation Tax Deduction Information.
Why not donate your vehicle today? All you need to do is to complete the simple online form. The organization that handles it, CARS, will take care of the rest. They will pick up your vehicle, arrange to have your donation towed, and provide you with a tax-deductible receipt, all at no charge to you!
This advanced rider is now taller than her instructor and is ready to move on. We are going to miss seeing Silvia weekly, considering she has been a consistent fixture at Mane Stream for 10 years!!
Silvia first came to Mane Stream for therapy sessions but I guess you could say she fell in love with horses and started to learn to ride.
During her years at Mane Stream she has moved up through the ranks, becoming a fully independent rider who is learning to jump! Not only has Silvia ridden consistently all these years, but she was also one of those campers who would sign up for multiple weeks and just couldn’t seem to get enough. It isn’t just fun for Silvia, she also has a competitive side. In 2015 she started competing in our Annual Horse Show and since then she has achieved both Reserve Champion and Champion ribbons, and has even been awarded the Abby Clay Rutgers Memorial Award for high point independent rider.
That’s some serious commitment and she obviously has a real love of horses and now she’s starting the next phase of her life. In July she and her family moved to Alabama, where she is currently looking at barns to find the perfect fit to continue to improve her horsemanship skills. Silvia proudly told us she is excited to start writing a blog about her riding and we look forward to reading about her all her experiences in Alabama.
Good luck Silvia!
