While February is a month that is firmly seated in the depths of winter, it still brings glimmers of spring on the horizon. The sun stays out a little longer each day and is getting stronger and higher in the sky. With anticipation of the next season moving closer, February is perfect month to celebrate love and hope. We have an abundance of both love and hope to celebrate at this time, and we hope the same is true for all of you.
Welcome to HoofPrints… scenes from around the farm.
We are thrilled to announce that we will be featuring a regular blog on our website, called HoofPrints. Join Kim Weir, our newest member of the THS team, as she wraps words around her wanderings and experiences here at the farm. She’ll be covering all manner of topics that may include the farm and different functions of the space and services, the inner workings of keeping things running smoothly, the inhabitants and more! Follow our Blog here!
Horse Adoptions
Our adoption program is successfully up and running so be sure to keep us in mind if you or someone you know, are looking for a new equine partner.
We remain committed to our sanctuary horses who will stay here at the farm performing invaluable service in our Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) programs. At the same time, we believe in providing the best opportunities for our four-legged residents who have no restrictions so that they can go on to a meaningful and active life with a loving partner. Recently we have joyfully watched a couple of our horses find fulfillment with their new owners, which is rewarding to witness. Check out our adoptable horse page on the website to learn more about our adoptable horses and contact [email protected] to inquire in more detail.
Horse Highlight: Forest Spirit
We get so much enjoyment from our horses, as do our program participants. Each horse has their own unique personality and traits that endear them to us in different ways, so we want to share some of those important details with all of you who support THS too! Get to know our horses one by one as we introduce them over the course of the year!
This month, we introduce Forest Spirit!
Spirit is a 2017, Thoroughbred gelding who had 19 racing starts, learning $86,351 in winnings. Spirit is a Chestnut with four white socks and a stripe on his face. He is very handsome and quite charming. We love this boy and find excuses to lavish him with cuddles. This month Spirit has played a starring role in our Leap of Kindness campaign. We are raising money to help fund a surgery for Spirit that will address the sinus issues he has experienced due to an impacted tooth issue and cyst that have likely been caused by his ‘Wry nose’. Spirit has an endearing and distinctive face, but when you look closely, you will notice that it is slightly misshapen. This is what is known as Wry nose. It is a slight and benign deformation that he has lived with since birth. Please join us in celebrating our special Forest Spirit this month!
Celebrate and Inspire!
We are blessed to have you all, our followers, cheerleaders, supporters, donors, helpers and ambassadors in our orbit! All of us here at THS are humbled and grateful for the efforts you put forth to help us fulfill our mission. In honor of all of you we are introducing this segment in our newsletter to celebrate special gestures and inspire good deeds in the world. This February, we wish to recognize our ‘Heart of the Month‘, Dr. Carolyn Karlson.
Dr. Karlson has made a meaningful impact on the mission of the THS this month. We invite you to read Carolyn’s story on our website. In a beautiful gesture by Carolyn, all gifts in any amount given to Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga through this memorial fund will be matched (up to $5,000) to double their impact on the THS special veterinary care fund for the horses who are healing humans at THS.
Staff Spotlight: Carrie Harris
In our staff spotlight this month, we are proud to introduce Carrie Harris. Carrie is an Assistant Director here at THS.
Carrie started in the mental health field working with children and families in Schenectady in 2011. After joining ECS in 2013, she began meeting patients at a barn in Ballston Spa. It was clear to her how impactful working with horses was to the treatment of her patients. By 2015 Carrie took on the role of clinical supervisor and began to support others in their goals of using equine therapy in their practice.
Carrie says ” I was so excited when THS was founded in 2018 because I knew it would allow for my love of horses and interest in their role in therapy to expand. Each horse has their own unique personality and getting to spend my days with them is truly a dream come true. I love using equine therapy with the kids and teens I work with and especially love running equine therapy groups for those populations. It is great to see how much we have to learn from horses and each other.”
Interesting Carrie tid bits:
- I do not like to sit still!
- I hike a lot with my family and dogs.
- I love to go line dancing!
We Love our Volunteers
Our farm runs like a well-oiled machine and that is in no small part to the impressive team of dedicated volunteers who lend so much support to the staff and horses. THS Volunteers help with the endless tasks of cleaning paddocks and stalls, grooming, helping on farrier days, filling regular feed slots and sharing the THS story at events and on farm tours. Our volunteer opportunities can also include helping us with organizational tasks, community outreach, thank you notes and more!!
Interested in joining our volunteer squad? Click here to complete our new & improved volunteer questionnaire today!
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