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(415 KB)Preview of the Student Horse Show: Riders, Ribbons & Horseplay
Mark your calendars for Sunday August 16 when more than 50 riders will participate in the highlight of Three Gaits summer programs-the annual summer horse show Riders, Ribbons & Horseplay!
It's a great day to spend with family
and friends, with entertainment for people of all ages. We're excited
to have magician Nick W (www.nickwmagic.com)
perform during the lunch
hour, and photographer Kristine Fisher will join us to record
memories from the day. In addition, hands-on activities will be
offered by the Madison Children's Museum as well as opportunities to
try your hand at roping, making a stick horse, and helping Three
Gaits to design a commemorative quilt. Riders are asked to bring a
salad or dessert to share with everyone, and lunch will be provided
for all volunteers and attendees. Riders, Ribbons & Horseplay is
a celebration of the spirit and accomplishments of our riders. See in
person how the Three Gaits program changes lives of children, youth
and adults by improving strength, balance and self-esteem.
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Above and right: Photos from Riders, Ribbons & Horseplay
2008.
Volunteers assist riders of all ages to prepare them for the big ride in the horse show.
Special thanks to Short- |
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Fall volunteer training |
Each day at Three Gaits, it's possible to see fantastic examples of the willingness of people to help others for no other reason than that they can. After all, Three Gaits depends on volunteers who, on a daily basis, assist with everything from feeding horses to mowing grass, to walking alongside riders who may need an extra hand. Three Gaits also depends on the generosity of donors who support riders - many of whom they will never meet or even see riding - just because they believe in the idea of Three Gaits.
Recently we had someone who gave generously of their time and resources, and I wanted to take this opportunity to share the story with each of you. But in writing this, I paused, wondering why this person's contribution deserved more recognition than so many other people's generous gifts. I realized that there really isn't a reason - just that it's a symbol of kindness that I hope we can each celebrate.
On Sunday, July 5, during Three Gaits annual horse show, it became apparent that Maggie was quite ill and after having our vet out we heard that Maggie needed a trailer ride. Maggie, our beloved pony, was suffering from colic, and was considered a surgical candidate. She needed to be taken to campus to the UW Vet School. For those of you who haven't been here for a show at Three Gaits' farm on the weekend of our open horse shows, it's an absolute zoo. Typically having someone trailer a horse for Three Gaits is no problem. We have friends and horse owners among our volunteers who have offered many times to trailer for us - and yet this weekend we realized that many of those friends were out of town or unavailable. And we needed to have Maggie transported sooner, rather than later.
A very nice person, Sean, who was attending the show heard about our predicament (and Maggie's illness) and offered his trailer. He had brought friends over to the show, and they agreed to give up their trailer (they were planning to tie their horses to the trailer when they weren't showing) so that Maggie could have a ride to the hospital. Within minutes of hearing that we needed a ride, Sean had hooked up his trailer and we were on our way. We arrived at the vet school, and I asked Sean what Three Gaits could do to thank him. He responded without a blink of the eye with one word "nothing" ... paused ... and then said "or pay it forward."
So I'm asking for another favor for Three Gaits - in honor of Sean (and Maggie!) - please make the opportunity to pay Sean's kindness forward! Wishing you all a great summer - hope to see you at Three Gaits annual student horse show on Sunday, August 16, where there is certain to be lots of "riders, ribbons, and horseplay" again this year!
Dena Duncan
Program Director
A
Special Bakery Gives Back to the Community
By Lynn Hanus
In 2005, Holly Beach, her husband, and
her two horses were newcomers to the Madison area. She ended up
boarding her horses at the same stable as Betsy Kelley, an instructor
at Three Gaits. Holly soon got involved with MARES (Madison Area
Recreational Equestrian Sisters) Club and MoonDance 2006, a special
benefit event the club hosted for Three Gaits. Through these contacts
Holly quickly developed an appreciation for what Three Gaits does.
"I understand the benefits of it and wanted to help out."
Her love for horses and her mother's experiences as a family
therapist also came into play. "I really support the idea of
people being able to grow and have opportunities," says Holly.
"Animals are such a great way to reach people." Finally,
sponsoring a horse also appealed to the crew at her business, so in
January 2009, the Silly Yak Bakery and Bread Barn became a sponsor to
Mercedes, one of the Three Gaits program horses. "We're happy to
help make a horse available for many people to enjoy and learn
from," Holly adds.
Holly has a degree in health education and started baking in Rochester, Minnesota, in 1994; she began offering gluten-free products in 2002. After the move to Madison she established the business she now runs with a partner, Brian Roberts. The Silly Yak Bakery and Bread Barn is located on Madison's west side on Mineral Point Road. "Silly Yak" is a bit of fun wordplay on an otherwise very serious condition, celiac disease, which is an autoimmune/ digestive disorder. When people with celiac disease eat foods with gluten, even in very small amounts, it causes a toxic reaction that damages the small intestine and prevents food from being properly absorbed and makes the person very ill. Holly's bakery offers a wide variety of products that do not contain gluten, the proteins in specific grains such as wheat and rye. Besides bread, the bakery also offers gluten-free pastries, muffins, scones, cookies, and pizza crust. "The gluten-free bakery is a labor of love," says Holly. "It fulfills a need for a lot of people. We help people with allergies to have pure simple food. We've always loved this area and I feel that we are also a good fit for Madison." Her crew of six full-time and twelve part-time employees also offer other whole grain products. All their baked goods are very healthy, with no preservatives.
| Holly's business is especially busy in summer with farmer's markets. They also have gluten-free products available on the Internet and they ship products across the country. Silly Yak Bakery and Bread Barn also runs a "cookies for soldiers" program, sending cookies and breads to Iraq about every other week. "It's important for businesses to give back to the community," says Holly. Three Gaits is very pleased and lucky that she feels strongly about this and is grateful for the support Holly and her business have given our program. If you'd like to support Three Gaits through a horse sponsorship or other donation, please contact our office for more information at 877-9086 or 3gaits@3gaits.org. |
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Wanted: Good people to share their time and talents! Three Gaits' Board of Directors is currently looking for volunteers in key positions including:
Please Contact Andrea Strayer, President, Three Gaits BOD, at strayer@neurosurg.wisc.edu |
Three
Gaits is on YouTube.com!
In under 8 minutes, this video provides an overview of four
equine-assisted programs offered at Three Gaits: therapeutic
horseback riding, hippotherapy, carriage driving and day camp. Visit
the Three Gaits website to link to the video: http://3gaits.org/video.htm
The video, created for the Chair Affair this spring, features clips from the 2008 Student Horse Show, Riders, Ribbons & Horseplay. The 2009 Student Horse Show will be held on Sunday, August 16, 2009.
These programs would not be possible without the important contribution of volunteers & sponsors. Thank you for your support!
8th
Annual Chair Affair & Art Auction Wrap-up
By Cindy Frank
| The 8th annual Chair Affair & Art
Auction was held on Thursday, May 7th, and raised over $19,000 to
benefit Three Gaits. There was a wide assortment of pictures, pottery
sculptures, quilts, jewelry, chairs and other art pieces to appeal to
everyone. We also sold stamped horse cards and 25 decorated potted
plants made by Chery Theis. The plants were very popular selling out
within 15 minutes!
Christine Bellport, Morning Show Anchor on NBC 15, served as our honorary Emcee and was one of our contributing artists. Select pieces were auctioned off live by Virgil Westphal and highlights for the evening included an informative video presentation highlighting Three Gaits created by Rudy and Diane King. This video is available for viewing online at www.3gaits.org. Special thanks to committee members, Dawn Clemens, Chery Theis, Andrea Strayer, Dena Duncan, Cindy Frank, Noelle Everson and Mary Ann Zwaska. Preliminary plans are forming for next year's event which will be held in May at a new location. We would love to have your help and encourage you to contact us for more information on how you can become involved in Three Gaits 9th annual Chair Affair & Art Auction. Going ... Going ... Gone! |
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Three
Gaits Hosts Annual Open Benefit Show
By Lynn Hanus
Three Gaits hosted its annual open benefit horse show and this year it was a two-day event on July 4 and 5, with driving both days and Western Halter, Showmanship, and Riding on Saturday, and English Halter, Showmanship, and Riding on Sunday. Besides a couple of light sprinkles on Saturday, we had great weather for a horse show! There were about 150 total participants in the 45 classes scheduled each day. The driving classes continue to grow in popularity. It was a lot of fun to watch drivers maneuver through obstacles and hitch horses ranging from 13 hands high to 17 hands high!
We wish to thank all the show participants, sponsors, and volunteers. Thanks also to the show judges Sandy Vosekuil, of Beaver Dam; Dana Panella, of Hartland; and Wes Licht, of McFarland. Special thanks to the Youth Volunteer Day Campers who worked very hard to make our facility show-ready; to Chris & Jenny Bigelow of C & J Catering, who did a wonderful job providing food for the show and feeding our hungry helpers; to Bergey Jewelry of Oregon for helping us order beautiful trophies at a tremendously discounted rate; to Richard Albert for being our fabulous show announcer once again this year; and to the Stoughton Fire Department for volunteering their time to come out and water the arena both days.
Angela Frank, Three Gaits instructor and show coordinator, is particularly grateful to the dedicated crew of event volunteers who work so hard to make this event possible. "We had so many volunteers contribute," Angela says, "by preparing the facility, helping run stations during the show, and even getting up at 4:30 A.M. to help feed our program horses before the show began!"
Thank you all our show helpers, including Gina Meronek, Jessie Schnurbush, Dan & Deb Oakland, Dan Cobb, Juli Carbin, Mary Machaj, Connie Hazelbower, Bonnie Ackerman, Cindy Frank, Anne Staton, Rosemary Duncan, Vicki Carter, Stacey Anderson, Alicia Sprecher, Brian Strayer, Gail Kluever, Jann Toyama, Sophia Connelly, Ashley Paulick, Janet Imhoff, Kate Rifken, Aliya Finman-Palmer, Bev Punzel, Amy Kamholz, Hillary Johnson, Louise Fransee, Scott Diegel, the Strayer Family, Kris Anich, Renee & Krysta Quale, Anna Beyer, Faye Antolec, Devon Brock-Montgomery, Denise Newell, Megan McCormick, Gabby Komprood, and Jennifer Vernig.
Also many thanks to staff members Dena, Sandra, Rudi (who did a terrific job as ringmaster), and Karen who all helped out during the show. Proceeds from the show help us maintain our high-quality programs for riders with special needs. Thanks!
The We Love Maggie Healing Horse Update
Maggie, Three Gaits smallest equine, had surgery at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine Teaching hospital in the early morning hours of July 6 and is recuperating at Three Gaits. Maggie had the entire staff at the hospital wrapped around her hoof…in one day! They all commented on her personality and said that Maggie seemed to perk up after every visitor. She's doing well during her recuperation, but the two intestinal blockages that were causing her a great deal of pain required abdominal surgery-which is a major surgery for horses. She's going to need a fair amount of rest and time to recuperate, but with all of our well-wishes she's sure to improve quickly! Special thanks to Dr. Judy Batker who covered the emergency calls on the evening of Saturday, July 4-she was on her way home from the Stoughton fireworks with her husband and sons when she received the call; they all came along with her-and who also covered the many calls again on Sunday. Thanks also to the veterinarians and staff at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine for their care and kindness to Maggie throughout the five days she spent with them. Special thanks also to Maggie's family, the Turskis, for continuing to support Maggie through this and for sharing her with Three Gaits. We're so happy to have Maggie back at Three Gaits!
Longtime
Three Gaits Rider Now Holds the "Chariot" Reins
By Lynn Hanus
Little did the Wilson family know
that, eleven years ago, an Edgerton Middle School field trip would
bring life-changing experiences. That was when Chris Wilson, son of
Rick and Sue, first visited Three Gaits. With more information and
help from Chris's teacher, they pursued therapeutic riding. According
to Rick, "When he started at Three Gaits, Chris was dubious and
timid. But as he got familiar, he grew very self-confident. He made
tremendous progress, becoming very independent, riding with no
side-walker and lead rope. Chris has a great time with
carriage-driving lessons. There's been a lot of laughing going
on-that's a good thing." Chris is quick to add, "I
agree."
Over the years, Chris has ridden many program horses, including Billie, Hank, Howdy, and Snowcap. Now he has developed a good relationship with Nora, our driving horse. The driving program has been in development at Three Gaits for several years, with instructor Sandra Faust's work to receive her certification as a driving instructor from the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association and to train Nora, the acquisition of the carriage, tack, and other equipment, and the training of volunteers to assist. Chris was eager to be one of the first in the pilot program last fall. As for the carriage, "I call it my chariot," Chris says. Some of the main things about driving are, he says, "Make sure you know where your hands are, for steering and using reins properly. Nora listens to me very well."
Driving has many benefits, including helping balance, hand/eye coordination, spatial awareness, and sequencing. Sandra hopes to drive more outdoors as conditions permit because they can set up more obstacles, make the steering more challenging, and enjoy more trotting. Rick feels that the one-to-one driving instruction with Sandra is a big benefit to Chris. He is proud of Chris's progress and impressed by his son's efforts. "Like a lot of parents, I found that a child can do more than you sometimes think he can, given the chance."
Chris has many ribbons from past Three Gaits Student Horse Shows and he took part in Midwest Horse Fair demonstrations. He's pleased when friends and family watch him. Chris graduated from Edgerton High School in 2003. He works through Opportunities, Inc. at a credit union and dental office and has done packing and shipping and helping with billing statements and mailings. Chris loves baseball and is fond of several teams from the Padres to the Brewers. He is involved in Special Olympics basketball and has a silver medal. He also participates in Special Olympics bowling, track, and bocce. Rick is the coach of their bowling team and Chris is his assistant. Together they manage 70 bowlers. Chris also loves the Packers, which sometimes conflicts with Three Gaits. If Chris rides on a Monday evening when the Packers play, he needs some special consideration- he needs to be the first to dismount from his horse so he can get home in time for kickoff!
Rick is also involved with Three Gaits as a volunteer. He has helped with grounds maintenance and bookkeeping. Three Gaits clearly has a positive impact on the Wilsons. "I like Sandra," Chris insists, "because she respects me, supports me, is loyal, funny, and kind." Chris adds that he also really likes Dena Duncan, program director. "Three Gaits has become a special place for us over the years," Rick says, "and we are grateful that there's a program like this for Chris. It offers him opportunities he just couldn't get anywhere else."
Above: Chris Wilson driving his
"chariot" with instructor Sandra Faust
by his side, providing one-to-one instruction and encouragement
as lessons
get more challenging.
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Three
Gaits is a Premiere Accredited Center of the
Three Gaits Mission, Board Members, and Staff
Three Gaits Mission:
Three Gaits, Inc., is a nonprofit, tax exempt organization whose mission is to provide a safe and effective therapeutic horsemanship program for children, youth, and adults with disabilities and special needs. Therapeutic horsemanship uses equine-oriented activities to promote and enhance the development of each participant's cognitive, physical, and communicative abilities, and positive self-esteem.
Three Gaits strives to serve interested individuals within Dane County and the surrounding area. It is the policy of Three Gaits, Inc., to promote equal service and employment opportunities for employees, clients, board members, and applicants to the agency.
Equal service and employment opportunities means the treatment of those categories of people mentioned above without regard to their age, race, sex, creed or religion, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, color, disability, ancestry or political affiliation.
Board Members:
Staff:
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