My Two Passions Collide in Hippotherapy

Announcing Evelyn Kidd, MS, OTR/L

In honor of National Occupational Therapy Month, we are thrilled to share all about our new OT, Evelyn Kidd, MS, OTR/L, who recently moved to the area looking to continue utilizing hippotherapy as a treatment tool. Prior to joining the Mane Stream team, she was at Heightened Potential Co. in Illinois, where her friend and mentor, Jeanni Bonine, HPCS, showed her the ropes at her farm.  

A busy Occupational Therapist since 2016, Evelyn currently works in early intervention during the weekdays. This is an in-home setting for children birth-three years of age.  Evelyn finds this setting to be extremely rewarding and she enjoys building relationships with families while seeing young children achieve their goals with her help. She also has experience in other settings, including pediatric outpatient and adult outpatient focusing on neuro-rehabilitation (stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, Parkinsons). She is a Certified Lymphedema Therapist (CLT) and an LSVT-BIG certified clinician. She has completed her level 1 Advanced Intensive Mentorship with the STAR Institute for Sensory Processing, as well as the American Hippotherapy Association’s Hippotherapy Treatment Principles Part 1. 

Get to know even more about Evelyn!

Where did you receive your education? I attended the University of Illinois at Chicago for my masters of science in occupational therapy after having attended Stockton College in Galloway, New Jersey for my undergraduate degree.

Did you have previous horse experience before learning about Hippotherapy? I did not have much horse experience prior to becoming an OT and entering into the world of hippotherapy (2016). Hippotherapy collides my two passions of working with animals and people, and I LOVE continuing education!! As soon as I learned about hippotherapy when I was in grad school, I began researching how I could incorporate this into my career.  I have taken Hippotherapy Treatment Principles Part 1  from the American Hippotherapy Association and will be obtaining my Part II this October.

What do you like most about treating at a facility like Mane Stream? I was very "picky" when searching for the right place for me to continue my journey practicing hippotherapy. After some research and visiting a few facilities, I found Mane Stream. I enjoy feeling a part of a team, having mentorship and people to bounce ideas off of. I appreciate the fact that there is a clinic space and that they truly understand the concept of hippotherapy - therapy with the help of horses. 

How does treating at a facility like Mane Stream differ from a regular clinic? It is very different from a regular clinic! The arena dust is the first difference to note! I most appreciate the access to the outdoors, nature, and horses (of course!) in this very unique setting.

Tell us about a favorite memory. Any time a client makes progress, it becomes a core memory for me. I celebrate with them and their families. I have so many favorite memories, it's really hard to pick just one.... but I enjoyed dressing up on Halloween as a dinosaur, and even the horses had little costumes, and the kids were just SO excited for it. 

What do you do in your free time? I live with my husband, two young children and rescue dog in Sussex County and we enjoy going on hikes together as a family and being in nature whenever we can throughout the year. We also visit the shore (and Mommom and Poppop!) often. I play intramural softball in the spring and summer, which I love. I am a very big animal advocate and enjoy getting involved in animal rescue efforts when I can. 

Making Her Debut on FOX and FRIENDS!

Fox and Friends - Highlights Mane Stream

In honor of World Down Syndrome Day, Fox and Friends Weekend Co-Host, Rachel Campos-Duffy, and her three year-old daughter, Valentina, came to the farm. They learned more about how Adaptive Riding and Therapy Services can be beneficial in so many ways, not only for people with Down Syndrome, but for those with a wide variety of special needs.

Take a peek! VIDEO CLIP

Since the two airings (3/19 & 3/21), lots of donations (one-time-only & monthly) and emails have come in from across the nation. We are so thankful to the FOX Network to have chosen Mane Stream!!

Thank you to everyone who came
to help with the filming

This video would not have been possible without YOU all!

Katie & Susanne Higgins; Alexa, Laura & Phil Nacamuli; Stella, Joey & Joyce Andreski; Kloe, Zoe, Lilly, Connor, and Stacy Timko; and adaptive riders Jasper and Emily.

Alison Crowley, Debi Delorenzo, Laura Edelson, Nancy Grossweiller, Karen Kaufhold, Elaine Milano, Janie Murphy, Jeanne Rogalin

and
the Mane Stream staff!

Volunteers are the Heart of Mane Stream

That’s why we celebrated the whole week!

At Mane Stream, Valentine’s Day isn’t just for the participants. This year we wanted to make sure our dedicated volunteers knew just how much we really do care. So, in addition to Valentine’s decorations, Miss Kelly’s shenanigans, decorative headbands for all, and holiday-specific games, our brand new Volunteer Assistant, Renae Flanagan, showed her creative side by transforming pink, white, and red show ribbons into appreciation ribbons for each volunteer throughout the week. Along with the ribbons were bags of Hershey’s Kisses because, well, it’s always nice to have a sweet treat on the way home from the barn.

If you follow us on social you saw the daily stories and all the fun! If not, here’s a taste of what went on, minus all the Instagram stickers and whatnot.

Say Hello to Our New Staff

This month we would like to introduce three more NEW team members. You may have seen them in the office, around the farm, or teaching lessons. One is Buzz’s original owner, another comes to us from Centenary University and TRAC, and the third is our new Barn Manager! We hope you’ll take a few minutes to read their staff profiles and then introduce yourself the next time you see them.

Renae Flanagan

Renae recently joined the team as our part-time Volunteer Assistant. In addition to being in the office every Monday, she also helps the Volunteer Coordinator with hands-on training sessions and additional volunteer-related activities. Renae comes to us with years of varied experience after having managed a Manhattan dental office and coordinated fundraising events for her son’s Montessori school. She started riding horses as an adult and purchased BUZZ as a 5-year-old. They both trained together eventually showing in the Adult Hunters. When it was time for BUZZ to slow down, Renae donated him to Mane Stream in 2016.

In her spare time, Renae has a small business baking decorative cakes and rides her horse, Irish. She and her daughter enjoy riding together so much that they recently joined Pony Club and Renae has since accepted the position of Vice Regional Supervisor for the NJ Pony Club.

angela D'Alessandro,
riding instructor & barn assistant

New to Mane Stream in 2023, Angela is now one of our weekend instructors as well as barn assistant picking up extra shifts as needed. Angela is a recent graduate with an Associate of Science in Equine Studies from Centenary University. During her time at Centenary, she was a work-study student making sure the large herd of horses was happy and healthy all year long. Angela was also an exercise rider for TRAC (Therapeutic Riding at Centenary) and then became a volunteer for the program which she really enjoyed!

As a little girl, Angela always wanted to be a cowgirl when she grew up and she took the chance in high school to follow her dreams. She has worked in show barns and worked horse shows since she was 16. During the summer breaks, she ran summer camp where her love for teaching really blossomed. Having ridden mainly in hunters (2’), equitation (2’), and dressage, she also loves to ride western and practice natural horsemanship in her free time when she has the chance, but usually, she reads, goes offroading in her jeep, plays chess, and spoils her dog.

aLEX wILLARD, bARN mANAGER

Our most recent addition to the team is Alex Willard whose main job is to make sure the herd is happy, healthy, and looking good all year long. She has spent her entire life around horses learning from some of the best in the industry and takes pride in giving exceptional horse care. In 2019, she participated in the USHJA Emerging Athletes Program where she was selected as a Barn Management Alternate for the National Finals. Alex rode competitively as a junior rider, a Coastal Carolina College IHSA athlete, and soon after as a professional rider. She loves teaching in the barn and in the ring where she can share her love and passion for the animal and the sport. Alex also has professional social media experience so look out for fun shots of the herd enjoying their downtime!

No More AmazonSmile, Now What?

On February 20th the AmazonSmile program abruptly ended.

Since 2013, Mane Stream has had an ever-growing group of people “Shopping for Good”. That means they designated Mane Stream as their charity of choice so that 0.5% of eligible Amazon purchases would be donated to our mission. THANK YOU!

What do we do now?
How can Mane Stream make up thousands of dollars in income? There is one way for donors to set it and forget it - just like AmazonSmile. Become a recurring donor! We call these generous people PARTNERS IN POSSIBILITIES. Each person has committed to donating a small amount each month, and just like AmazonSmile, small amounts do add up and can really make a difference.

Join Partners in Possibilities!

Become a Partner


Helmet Recall - CHECK YOURS!

DO YOU HAVE THIS HELMET?

This recall involves Ovation Protégé model equestrian helmets manufactured from December 2020 through December 2022 and sold in multiple colors and finishes. The Ovation Protégé is an equestrian helmet that is certified by the Safety Equipment Institute (SEI) to the ASTM F1163-15 standard. An SEI certification label, which includes the model name and date of manufacture, is located inside the helmets.  “OV” is printed on the front of the helmets.

EASY REMEDY:

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Ovation Protégé helmets and return them to the retailer they purchased from or to any Ovation authorized dealer for a FREE REPLACEMENT Ovation Deluxe Schooler helmet or contact English Riding Supply for a $60 refund.

The replacement helmet or refund will be provided upon return of the recalled helmet OR proof of destruction of the recalled helmet. (Consumers are not required to return the physical helmet to English Riding Supply.)

To destroy recalled helmets, consumers should cut off the harness straps. Consumers should email a photo of the cut harness and a photo of the interior manufacturing label, clearly showing the manufacturing date and serial number, to helmets@englishridingsupply.com. The manufacturing label is located on the interior foam liner underneath the comfort liner, so consumers will need to remove the comfort liner to access the manufacturing label.

Camp Registration Opens 2/1 @ 10AM

This is your reminder!

Everything is ready and we’re excited to open up registration at 10AM on Wednesday, Feb. 1st. Set a reminder so you will be assured to get the weeks you want. This year in addition to 2 Advanced Weeks we have also created an Adult Week!

Summer Camp Specifics
All daily lessons and activities are specifically designed for children with developmental, physical or emotional challenges, AND for typically developing children. No experience with horses is necessary to enjoy our summer camp fully. Over the 10-week-long sessions, our Summer Camp offers children 4 years and older an excellent introduction to horses and riding in a safe and nurturing environment. We promote independence, self-confidence, team building, and socialization. 

We can accommodate a maximum of 6-8 campers per week. Camp operates Monday-Friday beginning in June and finishing in late August. The day starts at 8:30AM and ends at 12:30PM. No lunch - snack only. The week of July 4th will be a 3-day week.

Learn more

Welcome to the Team!

During the last quarter of 2022 Mane Stream was excited to add three wonderful new team members! You may have seen them around the farm, in the office, and teaching lessons. Two are Mane Stream volunteers that have converted over, and the other came with a long list of impressive local references. We hope you’ll take a few minutes to read their staff profiles and then introduce yourself the next time you see them.


Elkie Phillips,
Riding Instructor

Elke started volunteering at Mane Stream as a leader in January 2022. She was enjoying herself so much that she jumped at the chance to compete in the volunteer class at the Fall Horse Show. And that’s when she showed interest in joining our team of riding instructors.

Elke has many years of horsemanship experience including horse ownership, working as a groom and working student, horseback riding camp counselor, and beginning rider instructor. Bringing the joy of horses to others in a safe manner is her priority. 

Outside of the horse world, Elke has 16 years of corporate marketing experience under her belt. Elke has supported well-known consumer brands in a marketing or advertising function with much success but has always felt more at home in a barn than a boardroom. Working in marketing has helped her develop a clear, concise communication style when working with others, and she loves a good metaphor to get a point across.

Elke lives in Morristown and enjoys riding at a hunter/jumper barn, playing golf with her husband, and wrangling her Labrador puppy and 5 year-old son for outdoor adventures.

Jennifer smith

Jennifer Smith joined Mane Stream as a volunteer during the summer of 2019. She was excited to find a great organization right down the road from her home, where she could combine her love of horses with her past experience as a Special Education Paraprofessional. Jennifer started off assisting Holland Kochanski as a morning barn volunteer, in addition to helping with Adaptive and Therapy lessons. Most recently, she joined the Mane Stream Staff as the Development and Communications Assistant and is excited to be part of such a great team of volunteers and staff.

Jennifer has 2 grown daughters who live in Boston and she enjoys spending time traveling with her husband Steve.

Jaime Katz,
Barn Assistant

Jaime spends her weekends caring for the Mane Stream herd, ensuring they are fed and happy.  This hard worker also has a flexible schedule which is a huge benefit to Mane Stream, allowing Jamie the ability to jump in and cover additional shifts as needed.

Jamie has always known she's wanted to work with horses since she started riding at a young age. She now attends Centenary University where she is pursuing a degree in Equine Science and is a member of the IHSA team. In her free time, you can either find her at the barn teaching tricks to her horse or at home playing with her cats.