To the editor:
Horses Healing Humans is one way to put it. Many other phrases or terms include Hippotherapy, Equine Assisted, Equine Facilitated, Therapeutic Equine Activities, Horse Therapy, Special Needs Equine Services … they all mean the same thing: Horses and ponies are a valuable asset to helping people better themselves, families, teams and their world.
Yes, there are several places in Aroostook County where human facilitators and their equine staff are doing some or all of the above. In my opinion, any time with a horse can improve one’s life; yet people seeking Equine Services may feel more comfortable with a particular location due to many factors, including the facility itself, how the service is presented to how far they can travel.
When the non-profit, Manes and Tails (MT) was formed in 2003, the goal was (and is) to encourage and support the use of horses in a therapeutic manner throughout Aroostook. So far the organization has been able to increase public awareness through media and educational events. MT has also obtained funding through fundraisers, grants and donations, to offer financial support to people seeking therapeutic equine services with tuition scholarships to participate where they choose. MT has also been able to support facilitators to attend trainings in efforts to improve services offered. MT is a networking supportive group, not competitive or governing.
The most recent Manes and Tails scholarship fundraiser has been a two-month bottle drive. Every 5 cents counts as several thousand empties have been donated north to south. Although volunteers in Monticello, Caribou and Van Buren will continue to accept empties at any time, the collection bins at Tractor Supply Stores in Houlton and Presque Isle will be removed March 30. Media support, TSC stores and communities deserve tremendous thank yous for the success of this project. It has been a joy to meet so many people wanting to help the cause.
As the 2012 season begins, Manes and Tails has already received several funding requests for children with special needs to attend Equine Services, that our volunteers are stretching to fill, with many more expected. Our next fundraiser is a Barn Dance in Caribou on June 2. Due to the small number of MT volunteers trying to help the entire county, we are excited for the extra volunteer community support coming in on this project.
However, with an entire county to send to the barns, much work is still to be done. Help is needed. Scholarship Fan Club tickets still need to be sold and requests for donations are always a work in progress. In 2011 one anonymous donation actually exceeded all other fund-raising efforts. Donations are tax deductible and can be specified for a certain participant or location. MT still needs to come up with another $3,000 to meet the 2012 goal and needs.
On Sunday, April 1 MT is meeting at 2 p.m. at Equine Inspirations on the Plante Rd. in Caribou for a barn dance planning session. The educational element will be meeting the new mobile veterinarian, Victoria Swanson, of New Sweden and observe her at work with Tracy Thibodeau’s animals.
As part of our MT public awareness and education efforts, our farm in Van Buren (489 Main St) known as Perfect Ponies Learning Center, will be hosting “brush hours” again this spring. This is a free open house on Saturday afternoons from 1-3 p.m. starting April 7, meeting each week until June 9, rain or shine. We encourage children to bring their grandparents to watch, pet, brush and interact with our horse and pony staff who adore the attention. We had a lot of positive feedback and people coming over and over in 2011 with visitors from all over Maine and Canada. All are welcome, sturdy old shoes or boots are suggested.
Often we are asked “why horses?” Because: Encouraging relationships between people and horses that improve the mind, body and spirit of both, is too rewarding not to do. FMI contact me at 868-5324 or via e-mail at ponygirl489@msn.com.
Nancy Dumond Violette
Manes and Tails
Van Buren
