Seeking Riders for FREE Program

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Erin Hennessy of Somerset riding Joe, “Horses for Healing (H4H) has been the highlight of my week, each week, and such an important part of me KICKING CANCER TO THE CURB and getting strong.”

The spring session of Horses for Healing (H4H) starts in April.

One of the only programs of its kind in our area, Horses for Healing is for individuals living with, recovering from, and living life after cancer…and it’s FREE!

Over the six-week program, participants will find new ways to deal with difficult and stressful health challenges through bonding with the horses and learning a new skill in a supportive environment. H4H combines groundwork, riding lessons, and horse care as it creates community among the participants.

For one hour each week, program facilitator, Kelly Champion, a PATH Intl. certified instructor, will guide the small group of participants in overcoming their personal challenges, whether physical or emotional, and teach them to ride a horse. For some, it may be the very first time on a horse, for others it will be a return to a much-loved hobby. In fact, for many participants, part of the attraction of the program is the desire to regain a skill or recapture a memory from before their cancer diagnosis.

Time spent with the Mane Stream horses is a wonderful aid to recovery, bringing joy and helping participants to relax and feel less stressed. Weekly activities are tailored to each person’s capabilities based on how they are feeling that day. Participants may spend all their time grooming and bonding with a horse or move on to more physical activities.

For more information contact Kelly Champion at kelly@manestreamnj.org or 908-439-9636.

Welcome to the Team!

Meet Emily DeJong.

If you volunteer on the weekend you’ve probably already met her. She is currently a weekend Barn Assistant, which includes helping with field trips on Fridays and adaptive riding on Saturdays. Emily also steps in to cover our Barn Manager, Anna, as needed.

Emily is a recent graduate of Cazenovia College in upstate New York. She has a Bachelor of Professional Studies in Management with a specialization in Equine Business Management and a certificate in Equine Reproductive Management. But her love of horses and the sport all started back in middle school when she went off to horseback riding summer camp! While in college, she participated in the Cazenovia College IHSA team in western horsemanship and had the opportunity to become involved in reining classes as well. In her downtime, Emily enjoys working on embroidery projects, hiking, spending time with her cat, and tending her succulents.

Please introduce yourself the next time you see her in the barn!

Show your Spirit! Shop Online

Celebrate the NEW Year with NEW Spirit Wear

We are starting out the year with 16 items in Mane Stream colors of black, blue, white and we've thrown in some grey too! All with the 50th logo!!

Remember, they aren't just for volunteering at the barn. Show your spirit at the gym, school, and everyday living. Take a peek and get shopping in support of Mane Stream.

We’ve also got YOUTH sizes in several items so we’d love to see all those therapy clients and adaptive riders showing their spirit too!

The online store closes at midnight, Tuesday, 2/1 so don't delay!

We're Celebrating our 50th!!

The second oldest facility of its kind in the nation...Mane Stream!

It all started 50 years ago thanks to Octavia Brown and a dedicated band of volunteers and donors. Much has happened since those early days and we are excited to share with you throughout the year the stories, images, and achievements that have made Mane Stream what it is today... a PATH Intl. premier accredited facility that provides diversified equine programs, including adaptive horsemanship, therapy services including OT, PT, and SLT, a camp for all abilities, as well as school and vocational programs.

Get ready for the journey!

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!