Welcome to HoofPrints – scenes from the farm at Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga!
By: Kim Weir, Director of Strategic Growth – Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga
Today, we are beginning a new blog to share with our extended herd of friends, family, volunteers, clients and Ambassadors who care about the work taking place, every day, at Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga (THS).
In our busy world, we often fall into the habit of using taglines and catchy phrases to capture the essence of things. I’m the first to admit, I love a little alliteration and a good slogan! However, the tradeoff for the punchiness of a good quip is that we miss the opportunity to lean in and learn more… to listen for the deeper, and often more complex, story that hides behind the opening line.
With Hoofprints, we’ll endeavor to pull back the curtain (or the stall door) at the THS farm. We invite you to join us, to walk with us among the paddocks, to join us on our daily chores, to stand with us as we observe the many simple, often silent, moments that really makeup the magic of “helping horses and healing humans” So, let’s get started!
First, a little background to set the stage.
Who am I? My name is Kim Weir, Director of Strategic Growth, and I am currently the “new kid” at the farm having just joined the THS team in late January. As we begin this journey around the farm, I’ll be your narrator for Hoofprints. My goal is to introduce you to all of the talented and caring humans who come to this farm in order to care for the beautiful creatures who contribute to the impact of THS in our community. My hope is that my “fresh eyes” might help me capture what I’m witnessing, day by day, at this amazing place where more than 25 retired horses (and a menagerie of dogs and cats) serve as teachers and healers who are helping our neighbors through equine assisted psychotherapy and other equine assisted learning programs.
What is our plan for this space? Much like a New Year’s resolution, the THS team has an ambitious vision for the role of the blog as a way of engaging our community of friends on a more regular, informative and informal way. We’ll aim for a post at least once a month, and my guess is that we’ll do a few more in these early days with more frequency in the Winter/Spring and a little less during the busy Summer/Fall to reflect the tempo of life in our beautiful hometown, Saratoga Springs NY. Above all, we’ll try to do this just enough to keep our herd connected and not so much that you grow weary of us. We hope to keep this fun & interesting – so please share your feedback to help us along the path!
We’re excited to begin our walk together. Put on your snow boots and your long johns, as it’s pretty wintery here at the farm this time of year. We’ll start our next post with a visit to the feed room – see you there, soon!
Be well, be kind and shine brightly.
“Seek first to understand, then to be understood” – Stephen R. Covey
About Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga (THS)
Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga is a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing retired racehorses and transforming them into therapy animals for various mental health programs. By harnessing the unique qualities of these horses, THS aims to provide effective, equine-assisted therapy options that contribute to the healing and well-being of individuals in the Saratoga Springs community. For more information about Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga and their equine therapy programs, please visit https://thsaratoga.org/.
