Thoughts from the Program Manager . . .

2

Welcome Maria Roshon!

Alejo & Emily at Quentin. . .

3

Making us sparkle . . . ODC and E-town College Students . . .

4

Then the painters came . . . Highland & First Presbyterian Churches give their best! ...

5

Thank you Brownie Troop! 6

Save the Date . . .

Welcome Campers! . . .

7

Thoughts from the President . . .

8

Inside this issue:

Volume 7, Issue 2 Summer 2012

. . . you can follow us on

Facebook. Just type “Greystone Manor TRC” in

your search bar from your home page. Don’t forget to

“like” us!

Looking for gift ideas? Gift Certificates

available Request by email:

gen_info_gmtrc@yahoo.com

or in writing to:

Greystone Manor TRC PO Box 10724

Lancaster, PA 17605

Our Vision . . . To grow and be acknowledged as a diverse therapeutic riding program of distinction that is recognized in our community and beyond.

Wonder why they call it a horse show? After all it’s

more than just showing off horses! Don’t get me wrong . . . we LOVE our horses to bits . . . no pun intended. But our Annual Horse Show is a time to let our riders show off their learned riding skills to their families and friends. And it wouldn’t be a horse show without

YOU because you make it special!

Registration forms will be mailed to all riders who have been involved in classes during 2012. We anticipate a fabulous show again this year and due to its popularity, you will need to register before August 27 to get a guaranteed spot in a class. So please don’t wait . . . these classes fill up

quickly!

The Horse Show is a great fundraising opportunity through program ad sales. We need your help to make this year’s event another great success. Once again our board president, Elizabeth Newell, has offered to coordinate

efforts to sell advertising opportunities as well as enlist businesses and/or families for class sponsorships. Each year we have had incredible support from the community and we forecast

that this year will be even better!

Stay tuned to your email, Facebook and to the website for updates on the

Horse Show event.

Admission is FREE. Join the fun! There will be great food provided by The Chuck Wagon and The Sweet Treat Caboose and an opportunity to buy some great logo wear hoodies and T-shirts. Please mark your calendars now and remember to invite your families and

friends!

Annual Horse Show Saturday ~ September 29

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Then hang around and eat up the

goodies or get some great bargains on beautiful plants used for the show!

“Riding” on last year’s huge success at our 30th Anniversary Gala Silent Auction, mark your calendar for

this year’s event — ‘The Mane Event Gala and Silent Auction’. As our program has grown, so has need for more substantial

fundraising. This is our major fundraiser for the entire year and we are excited to host this event with the support of our sponsors, auction donors and attendees who bid generously on our wonderful auction items.

We need your help to raise much needed funds. If you know of any individuals or businesses who might want to sponsor a table, purchase event tickets or provide auction items, please contact Sandi Pearsall, Mary Ann Dabek, or any committee member. (Listed on Page 7)

Thanks for all you do to make Greystone Manor TRC a place where we can enhance the lives of individuals with special needs through equine assisted activities.

Saturday, October 27, 2012 at Bent Creek Country Club

Greystone Manor TRC presents our biggest event of the year!

Ride With Pride Page 2

G reetings! WOW! It’s been a bit hot in Lancaster County this season – I thought I left the hot weather in S.C.! However, I am so enjoying the beautiful

farms, flowers, trees, plants and life here. We do live in an incredibly lush area.

I’m sure that you have all noticed that we have had several horses come and go on trial. Some have stayed and joined our program and some have had to return to their owners. It is important to understand the process of finding horses that are suitable for our work. Often we’ll get calls from well meaning people who want to donate his/her horse to serve in therapeutic riding. However, after going through a short interview process we may find that the horse has been lame or the horse hasn’t been ridden in a couple of years, or the horse has only been used on trail and has never worked in an arena, let alone an indoor arena. Other factors that we must consider are the horse’s age and size. Although we appreciate the generosity of these horse owners, our horses are carefully selected for soundness, age (>10 y.o) temperament, size, breed, experience/training and conformation (how horse’s body is built, moves, etc).

Free Lease is Best

The best situation is to free lease horses. A free lease is when an owner lends us her horse to work in our program – we care, feed, cover farrier costs, worming, seasonal shots and supplements/medication (within reason). We sign a mutual contract stating that the horse is free leased and that anytime it doesn’t work for the program or the owner wants the horse returned, we honor the request (with advance notice). All horses whether donated or leased are on a trial period up to a month, in some cases, a bit longer.

When the horse first arrives, we pasture her in Paddock C (small paddock directly outside the indoor arena) and have another horse (usually a pony or 2) in the paddock with the new horse. We do this to observe behavior with other horses, and give her time to settle in. After a suitable period of time (which can vary for each horse – usually 2-3 weeks) we will then put the new horse, if a gelding (guy) in with the geldings in Paddock B or if a mare (female) or larger pony in Paddock A.

During the trial period, we work with the horse on the ground seeing her response to horse leader and sidewalkers. We’ll do ‘mock lessons’ where an instructor or staff member will pretend to be a participant in our program and will have a horse leader and 2 sidewalkers exactly like a lesson. We’ll observe reaction to balls, toys, ground poles, music, fly spray, take her on a trail ride with other horses and observe ground manners when grooming/tacking and leading/ mounting in and out of the mounting ramp. We fit her for saddles, bridles, halters and fly masks. Only instructors and staff members are permitted to ride a horse while on trial. She will be ridden during schooling classes – exercised and conditioned a few times per week. Once it is determined she is ready for our program, we start scheduling her for classes so she can make her riders/participants happy and secure.

We Extend Our Gratitude

Lately, we’ve had a few horses come and leave in a short period of time. We were looking for the ‘perfect’ horse – which, as with people, there isn’t one. But we sure want to get close to perfect! Our need was for a larger size horse that could carry some of our riders. Smokey and Cherokee were here for a short time but were not well suited, although both sweet guys. Safety is our number one concern especially with the larger horses. Recently, I answered a sale ad for Jett Lagg. Jett, a 16 y.o. Clydesdale Cross, was in Downington, PA at a state park facility. I knew that we wouldn’t be able to purchase him but I thought that the owner might consider free leasing him. Virginia and I went to meet him on a Saturday and he arrived the next day! His owner, Mary, graciously and generously agreed to free lease him to us. As of this article, Jett has been ridden by 2 of our riders and he was incredibly gentle, easy going, solid, trustworthy and appeared to enjoy his new job. Mary, as with our other horses who are free leased, wanted him to have a job that he could do. Sometimes owners want to jump or do things that their horse isn’t able to nor trained to do. When they find out about Greystone Manor’s work they want to help us. I am so grateful to all the owners who are free leasing their horse to us: Neptune, Dandy, Lilly and now Jett. And to those owners who permitted us to try their horses: Cherokee, Smokey and Diesel, we

extend our gratitude.

We Love Our Horses and Their Caregivers I hope you have found this helpful. I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have and certainly if you hear of a suitable horse, please let me know so I can follow up. We are very fortunate to have the great herd we have and the staff and volunteers to care for them.

Please stay cool and see you at the barn!

Mary Ann and Jett

Ride With Pride Page 3

A fter working in an office setting for the last 13

years, I knew I wanted a change, but didn’t know where to look. I met Mary Ann by chance and after hearing all of the wonderful benefits of therapeutic riding, I knew I wanted to be a part of the program. I have loved horses for as long as I can remember and started riding at age 14.

Through the years, I’ve gotten experienced riding English and Western.

I have an English degree from Shippensburg University and 10 years of marketing experience. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my husband Jason and

daughter Jess, leading Jess’s Cadette Girl Scout Troop, singing with First United Method Chancel Choir and working in my garden. I’m very excited to be at GMTRC and look forward to meeting all of our volunteers, riders and their families!

Maria Roshon’s

Garden

With Patti and Ted Draude’s generous offer to trailer Wrangler and Neptune, our riders had an opportunity to demonstrate a special riding pattern giving onlookers a real treat at therapeutic horsemanship. For some in attendance this may have been their first introduction to Greystone Manor TRC. The weather was perfect and so was the demonstration!

Thank you Alejo and Emily for a great demo. You were awesome!

Alex and Board Member, Lois, at the information stand.

Front from left: Sandi, Madison, and Patti

From left: Mary Ann, Alejo, and Patti

Above: Emily and Staci

Below: Emily, Karen, and Staci

Ride With Pride Page 4

Looking for rewarding and meaningful ways to

serve? We’re looking for YOU! Immediate openings.

Contact Maria at vol_coord_gmtrc@yahoo.com if

you would like to volunteer for special projects or

barn duty at 7:30 a.m. or 3:30 p.m. Thank you!

Download our volunteer application at www.greystonemanortrc.org Or call 717-615-9222 to schedule an appointment.

The Occupational Development Center was established in 1956. GMTRC has had the pleasure of working with their mobile crew for the past year and will continue to do so into the future. The mobile work crew consists of approximately 45 individuals who go out into the community and experience different working environments. The mission of ODC is to enrich the lives of adults with developmental disabilities in Lancaster County by providing high quality and cost effective vocational training and employment opportunities. This year our crew consists of 5 hard workers who help us keep the barn, arena, and yard area looking good!

Left to right: Nancy, Brenda, Kelly, Phil, Kristen, Debra MacDonald (former GMTRC Volunteer Coordinator); back row: Shaun (ODC Mobile Supervisor)

Y ou Rock! GMTRC would like to extend a HUGE

THANK YOU to several Elizabethtown College students for the great work they did in cleaning and

scrubbing our Volunteer Break Room and Multi-Purpose Room on Friday, April 27th. By the time they were finished, we were ready for some photos in Good Housekeeping magazine! They really did a fantastic job and the rooms were ready to be painted on Saturday by another group scheduled to volunteer. (More follows in the next article.) The E-town students plan to come back to help out again in the fall . . . and to that we say “Yeah, Man!” From left: Jenell Abram, Jamie Thurmond, Lauren Moritz, Ali

Ward and Erin Whayland

Volunteer Orientations

Sat., Aug. 25 1:00 pm — 3:00 pm

Sat., Oct. 20 1:00 pm — 3:00 pm

Volunteer Practices

Wed., Aug. 29 5:30 pm — 7:30 pm Tues., Oct. 23 5:30 pm — 7:30 pm

Ride With Pride Page 5

What a difference paint makes! Following on the heels of the E-town students who vigorously scrubbed and cleaned the Volunteer Break Room and the Auxiliary Tack Room — the Saturday crew artfully applied paint and VOILA! . . . our new rooms look fabulous! We send a hearty thank you to Linda Leiden (by the way who is also an Instructor-in-Training!) for her careful guidance to the group as they worked hard through the end of their church’s youth group 30-hour fast — and gave of their time and energy to brighten up our world. Some of the crew attends Linda’s church at Highland Presbyterian

Church . . . we’re so glad they offer ministries like this one to benefit others. These improvements not only freshened up the rooms, but it exposed our facility to new faces in the community. We are always interested in folks who have a heart to serve and the energy to do it.

Opportunities are Available! If your church or organization would like to offer a volunteer project . . . complete with the volunteers — contact

Mary Ann. There is always much work to be done at the barn!

Many thanks to Highland Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Orange Street for

providing opportunities of service to the community.

Troy, hold still while I clean your glasses so you can paint better!

Our Mission, Vision and Values Mission: To enhance the lives of individuals with special needs through equine assisted activities.

Vision: To grow and be acknowledged as a diverse therapeutic riding program of distinction that is recognized in our community and beyond.

Core Values:

Dignity—We treat everyone in our Greystone Manor TRC family with the highest level of dignity and respect everyone’s contribution to the program—whether large or small.

Safety—We promise to “do no harm” either therapeutically or environmentally.

Professionalism—We utilize trained instructors and volunteers to ensure program excellence.

Community—We cooperatively work with members of the community to build upon the network of opportunities available for individuals with special needs.

Transparency—We operate in an environment of trust and integrity offering full disclosure of our program.

Health and Happiness—We strive to provide a fun environment for all participants in conjunction with a focus on the health and happiness of our human and equine stakeholders.

Special thanks to Troy and Staci for completing the painting. And thanks also Staci for donating all the paint! You both truly have a heart for the program at GMTRC!

Ride With Pride Page 6

On Saturday, May 19th the grounds at

Greystone Manor TRC took on a beautiful garden-like transformation when Brownie Troop girls and their leaders planted spring flowers. We love, love, love it girls!! Thank you Terri Kutz, Greystone’s forever volunteer . . . for helping to coordinate this special event for us.

Front left to right: McKenna Sensenig, Arianna Long, Delaney Castagna, Jaden Hagelgans, McKenzie Feeser, Jillian Miller, Sophie Welch; Back row: Volunteers—Katrina Kloepfer, Joanne Bridgett, Terri Kutz, Laurie Robinson

Front left to right: McKenna Sensenig, Arianna Long, Delaney Castagna, Jaden Hagelgans, McKenzie Feeser, Jillian Miller, Sophie Welch; Back row: Leaders — Lorie Sensenig, Nicole Castagna, Sherry Miller, Grace Long

Hmmm . . . wonder when the volunteers will be here.

Hobbit enjoying all the attention from Brownie Troop #70051. You did a great job girls! We love it!

Ride With Pride Page 7

A barn is where the heart is . . . or rather Camp is . . and for Chris, Emily and Courtney, there is

no place they would rather be. All three participated in our Summer Horsemanship Camp again

this year. We are so proud of their achievements, attitude and fortitude! The relaxed and longer

periods of “barn time” allowed more hands-on activities including grooming, tacking, leading, learning

about horse care/behavior, crafts, games and of course daily riding! We were thrilled to have the

opportunity to spend some special time with these riders and our volunteers. YOU can make it special

for a rider or

participant . . .

give a

scholarship!

To learn more,

contact Mary Ann

or go to our

website. Your

contribution is

tax deductible . . .

and will make a

positive

difference in so

many lives!

Welcome back Chris, Emily and Courtney—Camp 2012

“Let’s Play” is the theme . . . and that they did! It’s all play with a little work!

Saturday, September 29 9 a.m.—3 p.m. Admission FREE! At Greystone Manor Stables.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Event open to ALL GMTRC families and supporters. More info to come soon!

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Crystal Mills Georgina Condran Susan Lazun Terri Kutz Tracy Becker Sandi Pearsall Mary Ann Dabek Elizabeth Newell Ann Swartzbaugh Linda Leiden Jill Musser Sandi Keim

Many thanks to Seprena Thompsett and

family for once again volunteering to manage our

food stand — The Sweet Treat Caboose and The Chuck

Wagon. It’s all good . . . and you’re ALL invited!

Time to celebrate our riders and volunteers! We hope you will plan to join us

in this special time of celebration.

Sunday, November 18

Board of Directors

Elizabeth A. Newell, president

Mary Beth Schweigert, secretary

Drew Hostetter, treasurer

Georgina Condran Marguerite Hartman Lois Herr Tim Keller Crystal Mills Ann Swartzbaugh

Program Manager—Mary Ann Dabek

A

full

calendar

of

events

is

available

on our

website.

Horses leave

footprints on

the heart. PO Box 10724 Lancaster, PA 17605-0724

Phone: 717-615-9222 www.greystonemanortrc.org

Sandi Keim, Editor Send comments to: gen_info_gmtrc@yahoo.com Thank you!

As the articles in this edition of “Ride with Pride” make very evident, Greystone Manor Therapeutic Riding Center could not exist without the generous support of our community. We are incredibly fortunate to count on more than 115 volunteers who give of their mornings, afternoons,

evenings and weekends. Last year our volunteers logged over 3,890 hours working in support of GMTRC’s mission! From the dedicated volunteers that are at the barn each and every week, to the groups who donate a day for a big project, we rely on your time and talent to keep our facility looking great, our horses healthy, and our riders safe.

In addition to your assistance in making sure our programs are able to run smoothly, we also rely on the members of our community for financial support. Though they are an essential part of our annual budget, the fees we collect from riding lessons provide only 30% of our operating costs. The remainder of our budget is largely funded through grants and contributions from foundations and private individuals who recognize the importance of the services that GMTRC provides. Many of these contributions are raised through two major annual fundraising events. Our annual Horse Show, which will be

on September 29th this year, consistently generates funds

through sponsorships and program ad sales. Our first Gala was a great success last year, and promises to be even bigger in 2012. This year’s “Mane Event” will be October 27

th. The many individuals and businesses that attend,

serve as sponsors, purchase ads, and donate auction items for these events enable us to provide our riders with an excellent riding experience.

At present, the Board of Directors is looking for new ways increase our community and spread the word about the wonderful things that happen at GMTRC. GMTRC is participating in a variety of events that will increase our name recognition, such as the Lancaster Hempfield Rotary “Businesses that Care” Expo (see above) and Community Day at Quentin Riding Club (see page 3). We are also expanding our fundraising outreach in new ways, such as participating in the 2012 Gifts That Give Hope Fair which will be Saturday, November 17, 2012, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at the Farm and Home Center in Lancaster. We will also be part of the Alternative Gift Catalogue produced by Highland Presbyterian Church. Stay tuned to future “Ride with Pride” newsletters, as well as our website and Facebook page to learn more about these, and other, future activities. Please help us cultivate new GMTRC enthusiasts by spreading the word about your wonderful experiences with us!

Elizabeth Newell

2012 Businesses That Care EXPO—Saturday, May 12

Thanks to all of YOU who stopped by to vote . . . we won an awesome $2,000. It was a wonderful opportunity to network with other not-for-profits from the community as well as tell all those who visited our booth our story and mission. (We love talking about you!)

Many thanks to Orthopedic Associates of Lancaster, Ltd. for sponsoring us in this Expo. And a big thank you also to the Lancaster Hempfield Rotary for organizing the event at the Lancaster Farm & Home Center.

In photo from left: Elizabeth Newell, Mary Ann Dabek, Virginia Coco