Lavine introduces her minis

Next Manes and Tails meeting is Saturday in Caribou
    Meeting the Minis (miniature horses) was the educational element to the February Manes and Tails meeting at Deb Lavine’s farm in Monticello.
Contributed photograph
CRADLES – Deb Lavine cradles one of her miniature horses on her farm in Monticello where she will again offer the Saturday morning ‘Meet the Minis’ for children in the area beginning in May.
    During the warmer months of 2009, Lavine hosted a weekly program for a month, that turned out to run all summer. Young people learned handling and grooming of these little horses, as well as meeting their tiny offspring and choosing other topics to study such as the colors of the horse and the driving equipment necessary for pulling a cart. 
    The visiting Manes and Tails members enjoyed the wonder of the miniature horses and learned that Lavine will offer the program “Meet the Minis” again this year starting in May. Some of the group were coached through a mock lesson of grooming and handling.
    Everyone wanted to make room in their cars to bring some miniature horses home, but with babies on the way, they had to stay with Lavine. 
    Manes and Tails members then proceeded to Shelly Taylor’s home for the business of sharing and networking horse and therapeutic horse activities and trainings.  Manes and Tails has a new Facebook page called Manes and Tails Aroostook, set up by Karen Crouse.  Web site updates are on their way and the organization is always looking for more volunteers to join the team for grant writing, assisting with programs and future fund-raising to support the scholarship programs for participants and for coach trainings.     
    Presently Manes and Tails is looking for equine insurance information for County operations, in hopes of sharing information and resources with all barns of Aroostook. 
     The next Manes and Tails meeting will be, Saturday, April 10, at 3 p.m., starting with a farm visit with Tracy Thibodeau and her horses in Caribou where she will be working with youth again this year. The visit will be followed by the business of networking about equine insurance, business cards or flyer’s swap and updating for printing a new Manes and Tails brochure for distribution. Fund-raising ideas are always welcome.
    Meetings are always open and this one is another great chance for anyone interested in meeting  horses and finding out more about county-wide services to visit and ask questions or make suggestions. Directions to Thibodeau’s is Plante Road, about a quarter mile west of Route 1, north of Caribou, just south of Connor village. Thibodeau’s phone number is 227-6974 or e-mail funnyfarm_19@yahoo.com.
    For more information, call Nancy Dumond Violette at 868 5324 or e-mail ponygirl489@msn.com or call  Shelly Taylor at 538-9365 or visit staylor@houltonregional.org  or www.manesandtails.org.