Holiday Gathering in the Barn

What makes a party special?

Good company, good food, and amazing ponies! On Tuesday, December 21st we had it all. A constant flow of riders, therapy clients, campers, volunteers, board members, and staff gathered once again to celebrate the holiday season. This time the party was limited to the barn and, though it was a slightly smaller event than in previous years, we were happy to celebrate to everyone. You might think that the person who traveled the furthest would go to the former rider, Silvia who moved almost 1,000 miles away at the beginning of the summer. But that’s not the case! We were excited to see volunteer, Sam Gonzalez, who was home for the holidays from England where she attends “Uni”.

The 2nd ingredient is good food, and there was plenty of that to be had. From baked brie to gluten-free brownies we had something for every hungry tummy, and that included the horses! A full buffet was set out so that everybody’s favorite horse or pony could partake in the holiday festivities. Many participants also came with pockets and bags full of sweet treats ensuring that the herd could have a little extra something while on their holiday break. Justin even had his own special low sugar treats so he didn’t feel left out.

Ingredient #3…our amazing horses and ponies. They never fail to make the day brighter. This is the one time of the year where the horses are free to be silly (you know that’s not true) but really it is the one time we encourage taking a selfie with your favorite pony. There were definitely several people who spread the love and grabbed a shot with every single member of the herd. We’re pretty sure Peanut was a fan favorite with his own special brand of “lip service” but the two new horses, Tux and Mickey got a lot of attention too.

Thank you to everyone who came to make our 2021 end on a high note.

Thank You from the Herd

The cupboards are bursting at the seams!

Thank you to the MANY Wish List donors! Almost every single item on the list was purchased - ensuring that 2022 will start off on the right hoof. Our pile includes leather conditioner, show sheen, helmets, games, toys, and a big pile of Himalayan salt licks (you know they luv'em). Please note not all items received were photographed - some items were put directly into service - thank you for making that possible.

WISH LIST DONORS

Cynthia Barkman, Christine Brenner, Carol Chimento, Andrea Cicchino, Patricia Colbert, Cathy Coloff, Mary Dickey, Joyce Eckert, Laura Edelson, Erika and Maya Green, Renee Marchetti, Silvia Marchetti, Sandra Phillips, Victoria Ponte, Piper Rotolo, Lynn Santos, Marianne Scharf, JoAnn Schultz, Allison Steele, and Mary Ellen Yen

DIDN’T SEE YOUR NAME LISTED ABOVE?
Many Amazon packages were delivered in the month of December without any indicator of who had graciously purchased the items. We’d love to thank you! Please let us know.

If you didn't get a chance to make the season brighter for Mane Stream, now's your chance. SHOP NOW

You Aren't Seeing Double!

It’s Tux and Mickey the NEWEST members of the Mane Stream herd.

TUX (Best Dressed) & MICKEY (McJagger)

The continuing search for additional horses to keep up with the growth of our Adaptive Riding program brought these two nice greys to Mane Stream. TUX, whose show name is Best Dressed, is a tall Argentinian Warmblood and MICKEY or McJagger, is a large pony. We’ve branched out in breed with the addition of Mickey, who is an Irish Connemara. This breed is known for its athleticism, versatility, and good disposition.

Tux had a long career in the Hunter Jumpers, while Mickey competed in the Pony Hunter division. Now both these experienced steeds will be teaching riders of all levels with the added ability to teach those learning to canter and jump small jumps.

TUX (show name: Best Dressed)

MICKEY (show name: McJagger)

Thank you Becky Cannon and Red Oak Farm respectively for donating Tux and Mickey for their important career change to help children and adults with special needs.

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


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