1. sports
2. horses

HIGH HOPES
Rider
s p r i n g
2015
WWW.HIGHHOPESTR.ORG
WHAT COULD
Nicholas
Rubber curry, stiff brush, soft
brush, hoof pick. These are the
tools used to groom horses and
at High Hopes each horse has
its own special grooming bucket.
Do you know the proper order and how
to use each one? Nicholas, a teenage
High Hopes participant with a great
smile does.
Nicholas has autism and came to
High Hopes two years ago when his
mother, Gwen, was looking for an
activity that would address his difficulty
forming relationships, communicating
his thoughts and help him build selfconfidence. With support from High
Hopes’ Financial Aid program Nicholas
participated in the unmounted Equine
Learning Program and began learning
the correct way to groom a horse.
In his biggest leap in
skill, Nicholas is learning to
carriage drive and has a desire
to ride in the future.
The Unmounted Equine Learning
Program was a perfect fit for Nicholas
given his love of animals. Working with
our herd helped him solidify skills though
horse care, handling, health and stable
management. Nicholas worked with
The New Math
Donors teach us new math as
one plus one equals three.
Al and Candy are a familiar sight
pulling their carriages around both
the Old Lyme arena and at Camp
Harkness in Waterford. Now, thanks to
the generosity of two donors, Charlotte
Gelston, who donated Blessing, a retired
Spring 2015
Jodi, a volunteer and Smokey, our
compact Shetland pony on learning to
use the grooming brushes and combs
in just the right order.
Nicholas found being redirected and
corrected in his choices was hard.
Working together, Nicholas and Jodi
developed a relationship based
on trust and one in which making
mistakes was okay. Gradually Nicholas
developed the confidence to work
with horses of different sizes and
temperaments in their stalls. Nicholas
then gained the confidence to go into
the paddocks, approach a horse, put
a halter on and lead the horse into the
barn for grooming and tack.
BE MORE
Meet Bob, our oldest participant,
who had a long and successful
career in harness racing.
Blessing is a seal brown Standardbred
who came to High Hopes in 2012 from
East Haddam, where he was enjoying
Now, at age 81 and suffering from
dementia, driving a carriage at
High Hopes is the perfect way for
him to have a positive recreational
experience and social interactions.
DID YOU KNOW?
Children and young adults with autism
are the largest group High Hopes serves.
Their participation relies heavily on the
financial aid provided by our donors.
Bob came to High Hopes because
his caretaker, Heather, drove Blessing,
a retired Standardbred racer in the
carriage driving lessons here as
part of her own therapy following
a car accident. She then became
a caretaker for Bob, a retired trainer
and driver who in his hey day had a
stable of 36 pacers and trotters for over
30 years. When she saw the promotion
for an open house at High Hopes it was
the perfect choice for one of their
Autism statistics from the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
identify approximately 1 in 68 American
children as on the autism spectrum – a
ten-fold increase in prevalence in 40 years.
An estimated 1 out of 42 boys and 1 in
189 girls are diagnosed with autism in the
United States.
source: centers for disease control
He has also expressed the desire to
ride in the future. But how else has this
pleasant young man, who likes to learn
and enjoys his experience with horses,
benefitted? Nicholas has learned to
think sequentially, which is critical to his
academic gains. Nicholas has learned
that with patience and kindness he can
lead and work with his horse and that
communicating in this same manner
helps him form relationships with his
peers. By developing the confidence to
work with a variety of horses, Nicholas
has gained the type of genuine selfconfidence and self-esteem that will
serve him well meeting new challenges
to come.
Standardbred trotter, and Henri David,
who donated a specially designed
new carriage in memory of his wife
Liz, a former member of the board of
trustees, we have expanded our ability
to offer driving lessons to the growing
number of applicants who can benefit
from this activity.
PERFECT?
afternoon outings. He clearly loved
being around the horses here, and
his exuberance and charm captivated
everyone he came in contact with.
Bob continues to enchant the
volunteers and staff that he interacts
with. Though racing horses was his
profession, he is now timid and has
lost the confidence he had years
ago. Step by step, Bob is working on
re-building a relationship with horses
that will empower him to drive with
confidence and feel the success
that was once a part of his daily life.
Like Bob, his horse Al is small in
stature but full of personality and
life. The two will work together to
build a partnership that will help Bob
reclaim a sense of independence
and hopefully restore the joy Bob felt
around horses many years ago.
Green Pastures for Geri
Probably no horse has touched
more lives at High Hopes than
Geranita, High Hopes’ beautiful
Lippizan mare.
work as a pleasure driving horse. Born
and raised to be a racehorse that
pulls a carriage on the track, called a
“pacer,” Blessing raced until he was six
and earned nearly $40,000 in his career.
A positive addition to the driving
program at High Hopes, this calm,
friendly, eager to please gelding easily
lives up to his name.
Read more about Blessing on our
website highhopestr.org/meet-the-herd.
Who could have known that by
donating a young untrained filly to
High Hopes 22 years ago a family’s
generosity would impact the lives of
hundreds of riders and uncountable
volunteers? Today she is our longest
serving equine and has earned the
privilege of spending her retirement in
sunny pastures back on the farm where
her journey with High Hopes began.
Born May 2, 1988, an unbroken
eighteen month old Geri was donated
to a therapeutic riding program on
Long Island to be auctioned off as a
fundraiser. Present at that event were
Liz Lightfoot and Nick Clements from
Lyme who were the daughter and sonin-law of two of High Hopes’ earliest
supporters, Richard and Judy Lightfoot.
By the end of the auction Liz and
Nick had the winning bid and excitedly
called Kitty Stalsburg, then High Hopes
Barn Manager, to say that they wanted
to donate the filly to High Hopes. Kitty
had to politely decline but arranged
for Geri to spend the next three years
“in school” at the Lightfoot’s home
where she was prepared for a life at
High Hopes.
Over her many years at High Hopes,
Geri has performed in numerous
capacities. Her unique quality of
movement, a hallmark of her breed,
made her an ideal mount for our
Physical Therapist, Carolyn, when
conducting hippotherapy. As Geri
matured her coat changed from dark
gray to almost white, which made her
a great model when summer campers
painted their ponies or for instructors
diagramming an equine’s skeleton
and muscles. Geri’s role as the “first
canter” horse for many intrepid riders
was invaluable as she provided them
with that golden moment, even if it
is only a stride or two, that shows a
participant with physical limitations
that they can break free, even fly. Geri,
because of her even, consistent gait
and shorter stride, was the horse that
gave the gift of flight to many riders
over the years.
While her retirement will leave a hole
in many hearts and some big hoof
prints to fill, it is also a joyous occasion
to celebrate her equine gifts given
generously for so many years. Now
we take the time to honor Geri with
dignity, respect and best wishes for
a well-earned life of leisure. Please
plan to join us on Wednesday, April
15th at 2pm for a special celebration in
Geri’s honor.
Spring 2015
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
HIGH HOPES THERAPEUTIC RIDING, INC.
36 TOWN WOODS ROAD • OLD LYME, CT 06371
COMPASSION
CARING
FRIENDSHIP
INSPIRING
EMPOWERMENT
VOLUNTEER AT
HIGH HOPES
Help change a life
through equine
assisted activities.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
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of people like you.
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highhopestr.org/donate for other easy
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INSIDE:
MEET NICK
&BOB
PAID
PERMIT # 119
DEEP RIVER, CT