Hi everyone! I have some exciting results. I know you all remember how, while you humans (and dogs I hear!) were Walking for Dreams, me and my horse friends were out in the TherAplay pasture Trotting for Dreams. We’d been putting in some extra training for the event and I’m proud to say that all nine of us completed the trot in fine form. (In fact, some of us got a little carried away and turned it into Cantering for Dreams!)

One of the TherAplay horses earned a victory lap

You may recall that we horses decided to keep things interesting by hosting a little competition to see which of us could raise the most funds to help our kiddos. (We even came up with a special prize for the winner.)

Well the results are in!

First I’d like to thank all of our horses for participating and I’d like to congratulate them on their hard work. Would you believe we raised more than $200? That’s what we call horsepower. Well done everyone!

And the winner is…

Our very own Nikkleen! That’s right, lead mare Nikki earned a victory lap for raising $75 in support of our kiddos.

Please join me in congratulating her. We’ll be sure to tell you all about her special day of pampering, which she won for raising the most funds of all the horses.

Way to go Nikki! 

There’s more coming

My human friends are working on a special blog post with their results for Walking for Dreams, and I hear there’s a photo album coming soon to our Facebook page. Stay posted!

Hi everyone!

Hello friends!

Thanks for reading my blog today. It’s one that will allow me and my horse friends help our kiddos even more, so it’s especially close to my heart.

As you know, we TherAplay horses are all about the kiddos. Whether we’re helping them get stronger through physical or occupational therapy sessions, performing equine calisthenics to stay in tip-top condition for therapy, or shining ourselves up so we look our best for the kiddos, the children TherAplay serves are always in our hearts and on our minds.

The TherAplay horses spring into action

That’s why, after hearing the TherAplay staff and families talk about how the Walking For Dreams 5K Family and Pet Walk raises funds to help our kiddos, we were inspired to spring into equine action!

The Children’s TherAplay Foundation, Inc. exists for special needs children and their families but it exists because of our dedicated team of staff, volunteers, families, and supporters.

While each therapy session costs TherAplay $200, insurance generally pays less than half the cost, leaving a significant amount of money which must be made up for in other ways. You can see why community involvement is so vital to TherAplay and the children we serve.

Meet a company with heart

That’s why, each time the work crew from J.C. Hart Co. has walked into TherAplay over the past two years, there has been an audible sigh of relief heard throughout our clinic and barn. Our sprinkler system, pipes, filters, and spigots have all been on the receiving end of the Hart team’s expertise.

This April, for example, they gave our sprinkler system a much-needed spa treatment, removing, flushing, and cleaning every single sprinkler head in our enormous indoor arena. That’s a huge job, made even more impressive by the fact that all those sprinkler heads are 25 feet off the ground!

And J.C. Hart’s in-kind contribution adds up for TherAplay in dollars and cents as well. The generous donation of their time and talent means TherAplay is able to save much-needed funds and apply them to other parts of the program.

Three questions for J.C. Hart

TherAplay: Why does J.C. Hart choose to volunteer?

J.C. Hart: Volunteering is what makes our communities work. Whether it’s in your schools, your churches, or even putting on the Super Bowl, all civic organizations run with assistance from their volunteers. It is an opportunity to feel a part of something larger than yourself and to connect with other people – sometimes they are like minded, sometimes they are very different from yourself, but it’s still a human connection that makes you feel alive and that you’re making a difference in the world.

TherAplay: How did J.C. Hart get connected with TherAplay?

J.C. Hart: A few years ago, Ellen Annela, then CEO and President of United Way of Central Indiana, approached John Hart, the President and owner of J.C. Hart Co., to ask if he would become a contributor to United Way. John enthusiastically said yes and began encouraging the associates of J.C. Hart Company to also support United Way.

To introduce us to some of the many ways that United Way agencies serve their clients, United Way met a committee of J.C. Hart associates at Children’s TherAplay to tour the facilities and see firsthand some of the amazing work they do. The committee was blown away. We ended up having a very successful first United Way campaign and it all started with that tour of TherAplay!

TherAplay: What do you enjoy most about volunteering at TherAplay?

J.C. Hart: When you learn about the countless stories of how TherAplay has positively impacted the lives of children with Autism, Downs Syndrome and other developmental conditions, it makes you feel good knowing you’ve helped the people who are directly helping these children make these positive strides every day. That’s a pretty special feeling.

From Rocky

Hi everyone! I’m so excited to be able to talk with you today, especially since this post is about one of my equine buddies here at TherAplay.You’ve seen most of my fellow horse friends at TherAplay carrying our special needs kiddos with great love and gentleness. Their work, partnering with our therapists and handlers through a therapeutic tool called hippotherapy, brings them out into the arena where everyone can see their contribution.

But there is one very special member of the TherAplay equine family who gives his gifts outside the spotlight. That’s my friend Pepsi.

Introducing the birthday boy

Pepsi is a Morgan horse who just turned 30 years old! He started out pulling carts but all that changed when he met his best friend Sherry on Valentine’s Day 1992 and learned how much fun horse shows could be. Once Pepsi and Sherry discovered they had a talent for eventing, dressage, and hunter/jumper competitions, they never looked back.

You might enjoy these related blog posts

• From our Equine Ambassador Zippy: My Gift
• Our First-Annual Equine Thanksgiving Round-Up Featuring…
  Rocky and Nikki | Gideon and FairyTale | Cinnamon and Padre | Zippy and Pepsi | Moe and Tiger | (Rocky) Wrapping Up the Equine Thanksgiving Round-Up

• (Rocky) TherAplay’s Fall Festival Horsetravaganza | (Rocky) And the Bag of Carrots Goes to…
• (Rocky) The Equine Staff’s Suggestions for the Hoe-Down Menu (Part 1) | (Part 2)
• If These Tools – or Toys, Depending Upon Who You Ask – Could Talk

And be sure to join me and my friends on the TherAplay Facebook page too!

Remember last month when we put the Energizing Indiana donation program to the test with TherAplay’s resident queen of green – both in saving energy and money – and Administrative Manager and Volunteer Coordinator Breinne Lasley?

Well, the results are in!

How much money did she save on her home’s power bills?

Vectren Gas bill:           decreased by $16

Duke Energy bill:          decreased by $6

You may have noticed that that we at TherAplay do a lot of asking: asking for volunteers, asking for your donations, asking for your participation and your time.

Have you ever wondered why?

It’s because we know that every hour that is volunteered, every in-kind service that is provided, every donation that is made means more choices for special needs children here in Central Indiana.

Those of us at TherAplay see the positive strides forward these kiddos take when they come for therapy each week. But we realize you might not have that same opportunity. That’s why we want to share something special with you – this video.

We at TherAplay would like to put in writing, right here on the page, what is always, always in our hearts: Thank you. Because of your generosity, your gifts, your time, your support, we are able to continue doing what we do best, helping special needs kiddos get stronger. Thank you.

You might also enjoy these links and blog posts from TherAplay:

Meet our kiddos
 

 With $25,000 we all win!

From our Equine Ambassador Zippy: My Gift
 

We’re Giving Thanks for Cornerstone Autism Foundation and Their Grant for Our Therapeutic Listening Program!

Matthew and Troop 120 Soar Like Eagles!

Hoe-Down 2012: Together We Did It!

Sad but true...

TherAplay has an immediate opening for the Equine Program Manager. Our AMAZING Equine Program Manager, Shani Sutton, will not be coming back after she has her baby. We are going to miss her tremendously, but we are so excited for her, and wish her nothing but the best with this new chapter in her life.

If you, or anyone you know, may be interested, please check out the below job description to learn about requirements and qualifications.

General Function: The Equine Program Manager is responsible for managing all aspects of the equine portion of TherAplay operations including ensuring timely, quality equine use during therapy sessions; recruiting, hiring & managing personnel; recruiting, training & managing horses; ensuring the health & well-being of horses; maintaining all horse related portions of the facility; participating in & supporting TherAplay special events & outreach efforts.

Education/Experience:

Candidate must have a strong, proven working knowledge of equine behavior, training & care.

Experience with managing geriatric horses is preferred.

Experience with managing key aspects of an equestrian operation is preferred.

Supervisory experience is preferred.

An Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university with a major in equine science, equestrian business management, animal science or a closely related field OR related experience is required.

Certifications: Completion of Level II Equine Skills Workshop through the American Hippotherapy Association is preferred. Email or mail your CV and cover letter to: Lisa Kobek, lkobek@childrenstheraplay.org or The Children’s TherAplay Foundation, Inc. 9919 Towne Road Carmel, IN 46032

Yes, your therapy dreams have come true – there’s another physical therapist here at TherAplay. Please help us welcome Sam Duttlinger!

[Applause.]

Sam has all of us - kiddos and staff alike - smiling with her sunny disposition, which we especially appreciate during the overcast days that mark mid-winter here in Indiana. We're tickled pink to have her here with us.

Learn more about Sam here.

Rocky is generally the equine eyes and ears of Children's TherAplay, but today we have a different spokeshorse. Zippy is one of the smallest of our equine staff. Although he generally keeps low profile here at TherAplay, his sweet steadiness is evident to everyone he encounters.

Today, in honor of the holiday season, Zippy asked if he could share a few words. In keeping with his stature, Zippy’s post is short and sweet.

From Zippy

We give away gifts every day at TherAplay.

For example, today I was helping a child who isn't able to sit up on his own yet. But my therapist friends and I - and a special back brace during hippotherapy - are helping him get stronger.

There are other gifts we give too, gifts like patience and hope and steadiness and possibilities.

And the special gift I give is love. It is not a loud kind of love that stands up and shouts “I am here!” but the gentle love of a friend holding your hand. This is the gift I give away during each session and I know that, even though it is unspoken, it is still received.

These are not the kinds of gifts you can wrap up or put a bow around, but they are my favorite kind of gift to give.

This week we’re giving our horse friends the opportunity to share what they’re thankful for. Be sure to watch for a special message from each of our ten therapy horses.

Zippy

I’m thankful for all the people who have given their time and best wishes and, most importantly, have given from their hearts so that TherAplay can continue to be here serving kiddos and their families.

Pepsi

Pepsi is one of our therapy horses who served our kiddos gently and joyfully for many years. When the time came for this senior statesman to retire, his mom asked if Pepsi could please stay where he’s happiest, right here at TherAplay, as a boarder. We’re tickled to have our buddy hang out with us while he’s visiting with the kiddos and overseeing the barn operations.

I’m thankful that at 29 years old I’m still feeling good and get to visit with the kiddos and my barn friends. I’m also thankful that TherAplay found room in the barn for an old friend, even though he’s retired, just because they know it makes me happy to be here in this place that means so much to me.

Want to learn more about our equine staff? Click here.

This Thanksgiving we’ve given our horse friends the opportunity to share what they’re thankful for. Rocky’s post wraps up a week of special messages from each of our ten therapy horses.

Rocky

I’m thankful for all of you and I especially appreciate the chance to talk with you each week through our blog and Facebook page! I get so excited to send out my Internet letters because I know that soon I’ll be connecting with another friend. It’s like a hug with each click!

Thanks everybody for joining me and my buddies to celebrate Thanksgiving. We hope that you and your loves ones shared a heartfelt and tasty holiday!

You’ve heard what we’re grateful for. Now it’s your turn. What are you thankful for?

This week we’re giving our horse friends the opportunity to share what they’re thankful for. Be sure to watch for a special message from each of our ten therapy horses.

Gideon

I’m thankful for all my friends who found a way to donate a few extra dollars each month. Thanks to these folks, my buddies and I have had full bellies even though the price of hay was so high this year.

FairyTale

I’m thankful for the Fall Festival Horsestravaganza costume contest. While it was fun to play with the other horses (and win the contest with “The P”) it was even more fun to meet new friends and be able to talk with all of you through the blog and Facebook page!

Want to learn more about our equine staff? Click here.

Our First-Annual Equine Thanksgiving Round-Up Featuring Cinnamon and Padre

This week we’re giving our horse friends the opportunity to share what they’re thankful for. Be sure to watch for a special message from each of our ten therapy horses.

Cinnamon

I’m thankful that at this year’s Hoe-Down 22 different people donated amounts ranging from $2,500 to $50 to make sure I have a warm stall and full belly so I can do my best work here at TherAplay. It’s like having my own extended family, the Big Cinnamon Family! Thanks guys!

Padre

At first I was a little bit nervous about moving to TherAplay because it was so different from my previous homes. But now I can say how thankful I am that I’m able to live and work at TherAplay. I have whole new family of horses and humans and lots of kiddos because of it!

Want to learn more about our equine staff? Click here.

This week we’re giving our horse friends the opportunity to share what they’re thankful for. Be sure to watch for a special message from each of our ten therapy horses.

Moe

I’m thankful for our most successful Hoe-Down to date! Because of you, we’re able to continue helping the kiddos and families we care so much about!

Tiger

Hi everyone. Thanks for joining all of us at the barn to share in our thanks-giving.

I’m thankful for this very special place where my horse friends and I can partner with our human friends to help special kiddos do their very best. That’s exceptionally rare in this world, which makes us appreciate it even more.

Want to learn more about our equine staff? Click here.

I love all the holidays but Thanksgiving has an extra special place in my heart. There’s something wonderful about the way our kiddos talk about it. Their eyes get big when they tell me about the wonderful sights and smells and tastes that are part of their families’ traditions.

I especially enjoy hearing about how so many of our kiddos and their families take a moment to share what they’re thankful for. In fact, it’s a tradition we horses have adopted here at the barn.

In the past, we haven’t really had a way to share our thanks with you but this blog has opened up a whole new world for us!

Each day for the next week we’ll post a note – some will be short, others longer – from one of my equine friends and that horse will have a chance to share what he or she is thankful for.

We’re not able to sit around the table, hold hands, and share our thanks in person with you this Thanksgiving, but we hope that our words will find their way across the blogosphere and into your heart this holiday season.

With that being said, I’d like to pass the keyboard to my good friend Nikki.

Nikki

I’m very thankful that I’ve fully recovered and am feeling so much better. The surgery and recovery period were pretty tough but even through all of that I could feel you cheering me on. That was pretty special and it fills my heart just thinking about it.

Many of you even pitched in to help fund my treatment. That’s something I’ll always be grateful for too. Thank you.

And I know I say this one every year, but I’m going to say it again because it’s true! I’m thankful to be here with my family doing what we do best: helping the kiddos.

Thank you all. And I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving wherever you are!

Nikki

We are blessed to have some of the best physical and occupational therapists on the planet. They’re always on the lookout for new ways to help our kiddos achieve their goals.

For instance once our therapists found out about therapeutic listening, there was no holding them back. Quicker than Gideon can gobble a carrot, they were fully trained and applying this new modality at TherAplay with great success.

We aren’t the only ones who were excited about our kiddos’ successes. Last week David Ide, Co-Founder of Cornerstone Autism Foundation, stopped by with a very special gift: a $1,000 check to fund equipment for our therapeutic listening program and lending library.

Thanks to David and Cornerstone Autism, we’ll be able to expand our therapeutic listening offerings so even more kiddos and their families can benefit from this innovative therapy.

Thank you David and thank you Cornerstone Autism Foundation!

You’ve heard of humans dressing up in horse costumes, but what costumes do horses wear? Find out through our TherAplay Fall Festival Horsetravaganza!

Since I am a gentleman, I’ll introduce my fellow contestants first, but – and this is very important – please know that this is serious business. Each equine entrant gets a carrot but the grand prize winner of the costume contest gets a whole bag of carrots! (No word yet on what percentage of the bag will go to the humans.)

OUR CONTESTANTS

The Princess and the P: FairyTale with physical therapist Jen

When’s the last time you saw a costume that was glamorous and funny at the same time? Look no further. I proudly present to you our very own Princess and the P!

We knew FairyTale was a princess – she reminds us all the time! – but Jen really brought out her inner sparkle, all the way from the tip of her custom made crown to her princess pink toes. And in case you couldn’t tell, FairyTale is loving it! In fact, she has suggested that she wear this every day. And Jen is rocking that P. Great job Jen and Fairy!

Pumpkin Patch: Gideon and occupational therapist Olya

I must say I find this to be a very clever costume. It has an autumn theme and a game all rolled into one. Olya and Gideon are a pumpkin patch – see the colorful leaves and the pumpkin? – but I can’t find my pony friend because he’s being funny and playing a game of “Where’s Gideon?” You can see Pumpkin Olya but if you want to find Gideon you’ll have to look really hard. He’s a good hider!

I don’t’ know if it will work in a photo, but in the pasture all you have to do is yell, “Who wants a treat?” and Gideon will come running. This works with the rest of us too and we’ll be happy to demonstrate – just remember to bring the treats!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame: Tiger, Padre, and our student occupational therapist Laura

You might not be aware of this, but we at TherAplay are big fans of major league baseball, especially when it comes to Detroit and San Diego. Wondering why?

Wait for it….

Because, as Laura and our boys so clearly demonstrate, those teams are the TIGERs and the PADREs!!! Thanks to Laura and our home run horses for making this clear for all to see.

And even though only the Tigers made it to the World Series – better luck next year Padres – we’re all on the same team here. The C on their caps is for Children’s TherAplay. Go team!

Pirates: Yours truly with occupational therapist Jaime

In case you couldn’t tell, I am the Rocky, swashbuckling Captain of the TherAplay Seas, and this is my first mate Jaime.

I thought Jaime outfitted me as a pirate because of my adventuresome spirit – did I mention that I used to be a barrel racer? – but she says it was something completely different. Apparently it hasn’t gone unnoticed that I’m a smooth character with the ladies and have even been known to swagger a bit in the presence of females. And I thought I was being subtle!

NOW FOR THE IMPORTANT PART: CARROTS VOTING!

As I mentioned earlier, there are carrots at stake, so please remember to vote. Here’s how:

• Click the link to the VOTE HERE! Fall Festival Horsetravaganza photo album on our Facebook page.
• Enjoy the photos of my friends in their fall costumes.
• As you look through the photos, if you see one that really speaks to you, click the Like button next to that photo. That counts as one vote!

You can invite your Facebook friends to vote too! After all, the more votes there are, the better the chance that I will win a whole bag of carrots the more fun we’ll have!

• At the bottom of the album page, click Share.
• Then, in the box that pops up, enter “Vote for Rocky your favorite costume!”
• Click Share Album.

A few important notes

• You can vote for as many horses as you like. Heck, my friends look so great in their costumes that I just may have to click Like for all of them!
• Feel free to cheer on your horse friends by leaving a note of encouragement under their picture. 
• The official voting period ends at noon on Monday, November 5, so vote soon!
• And more photos are on the way. Stay tuned to our Facebook page for lots of fun pictures of me and my friends.

Here’s the wrap-up of the equine notes to the Hoe-Down committees below. As you can see, we horses are not only good-looking, we have also got some serious smarts!

2008: Great call on adding extra carrots to the hors d’oeuvres table last year. We were so glad our guests were happy to share their carrot sticks with us enjoyed the veggies! This year we have an idea we know is going to wow you. Two words: carrot cake (emphasis on the carrot).

2009: To our human friends: We think it’s wonderful that Craig recycles all of our manure by taking it to a place that turns it into compost, and we horses want to do our part to help Mother Earth too! To that end, we have found an ingenious way to reduce the amount of water used to wash up after the Hoe-Down. This year we horses will be licking the serving utensils and platters clean. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.

2010: Hey folks! Something we’ve noticed in our personal lives that really makes the difference between Average and Extraordinary is fresh breath. And by that we mean minty breath. And by that we mean horses love mints. So how about we hand out dinner mints to all our guests? As usual, we horses are all eagerness to eat each and every last mint before you can blink twice help, so please count on us to sweet-talk the guests into feeding us their mints give out mints to our guests.

2011: We don’t know about you humans, but we thought the humans had exceptionally nice breath by the end of the event last year. Naturally we horses have put our heads together and come up with a show-stopper for this year! Crème de menthe martinis for our wild martini bar! P.s.: If you need help testing the recipe, we will be happy to keep tasting those mint martinis one after another until the recipe is just right! We want only the best for our guests!

2012: We heard that Rocky nearly got a taste of an apple martini from a guest at the Hoe-Down last year know you can always use more volunteers, so we have called for a vote and are pleased to say the horses have come to a unanimous decision: we will be happy to move the Wild West Martini Bar into the barn and staff it for you. By the way, we noticed the apple martinis are especially popular with Rocky the guests, so we’re thinking the rest of us would like a chance to taste them as well it would be a good idea to make sure we have three times as many apples this year – oh, and the little frou-frou umbrellas too. Those would look awesome in our manes! You know we’re always looking out for you humans!
 

While our primary role at TherAplay will always be helping the kiddos through hippotherapy, we horses contribute in more ways than you’d expect. Here’s an example of the equine contributions to the Hoe-Down over the years.

If you’ve enjoyed the tastiness that is the buffet at the Hoe-Down, you can tell that sometimes our human friends listen to our suggestions and other times they don’t seem to understand, but that doesn’t stop us from cranking out one great food-related idea after another!

2003: Hey that Hoe-Down thing was really fun last year. How about this year we make some adjustments to the menu? We think it would go over really well if you added more apples.

2004: Hello human friends! Thank you for giving each horse each an apple last year. Although it was less than what we originally had in mind, it was a great start. This year we’re thinking our guests would just love it if we added more apples to the dessert bar. You know, apple strudel, apple pie, apple sauce, caramel apples. We’ll be excited to see what you come up with!

2005: We’re with you 100%. Cookies are an excellent thing. We like them too (although we didn’t get any) and they seemed to be a hit with our guests last year. Perhaps this year we could also add some horsey cookies to the dessert platter? P.S.: we are especially fond of apple, mint, and carrot in our cookies and we think our guest will love them too!

2006: We have been giving this a lot of thought and, you know, by the time late September rolls around people feel like snuggling up with comfort food. And what’s more cozy and comfortable than a nice bucket of oats bowl of oatmeal? So how’s this for an idea: an oatmeal bar at the Hoe-Down! We are sure that for years to come our guests will look fondly upon this unique experience of feeding their oatmeal to us horses.

2007: Hola human Hoe-Down planning compadres! Thanks for meeting with us a month earlier than usual. We wanted to make sure you had plenty of time to bring our suggestions to life. We are thinking that the theme for this year’s Hoe-Down could be 2005: The Year of the Carrot. We horses would be happy to assist by eating distributing the carrot goody bags in the barn.

If this swing could talk it would tell you, “I work with our therapists to help with vestibular input. This helps kiddos feel more secure in their physical movement and more comfortable in their body.”

But our kiddos don’t think about that. They’ll tell you, “This isn’t work. It’s fun! If I could, I would swing all day long.”

If this therapy ball could talk it would tell you, “I team up with the therapists to strengthen stomach and trunk muscles which help my kiddos breathe more freely and walk tall.”

But our kiddos aren’t thinking about therapeutic gains. If you ask them about the ball, they’ll tell you, “When my therapist helps me sit on the ball it’s so much fun that sometimes I get the giggles.”

If this trampoline could talk it would tell you, “One of my specialties is proprioception. Therapists and I work together to help our kiddos become aware of where their bodies are in space. This helps them relax in their day-to-day movements and learn to complete common tasks without having to rely on their eyes for input.”

But our kiddos aren’t focused on that. They see something else when they look at the trampoline and they’ll tell you, “I love it when I get to bounce, bounce, bounce and bounce some more!”

If this therapeutic putty could talk it would tell you, “I’m made of special material to help our kiddos strengthen their fingers as they pinch, pull, stretch, and grip me. I build finger muscles!”

But our kiddos aren’t thinking about their fingers pumping iron. If you ask them about therapeutic putty, they’ll tell you, “I love to search for the toys my therapist hides in the putty. My fingers find them every time!”

If this horse could talk he would tell you, “Because I am a living, breathing, caring being, I am unique in the therapeutic environment. Through me our kiddos receive highly organized multidimensional movements and multisensory input. In addition to helping build core strength and comfort in experiencing different body positions and directions, I help our kiddos’ bodies learn, through the natural movement of my pelvis at a walk, how to walk more efficiently themselves.

But “therapeutic equipment” is the last term our kiddos would use to describe their equine therapists. Instead, if you ask the kiddos they will tell you, “I love my horse friend so much that when I wake up in the morning the first thing I ask is, ‘Is today the day I get to ride my horse?’ He helps my heart feel happy.”

If these hands could talk they would tell you, “I am always looking for creative ways to help our kiddos achieve their goals while having fun. Each day I guide little bodies to reach their goals.”

But our kiddos would describe them differently. If you ask the kiddos about these hands they will tell you, “They hold me and help me so I can do things my family and I never thought possible. These hands care for me. They are my friends.”

One of my favorite jobs as equine ambassador is to introduce people to TherAplay and help people understand what we do here. After all, it’s one thing to talk about hippotherapy but it’s something else to see it in action and get to meet the “hippos!”

After giving it some thought, I placed a call to the Hamilton County Council – yes, we do have a phone in the barn – and asked to make an appointment with the representative for District 1.

I could barely believe my eyes when I saw who walked through the barn door a week later: Meredith Carter and his wife Nellie! Meredith is a board member for Janus Developmental Services.

I’m a big fan of Janus for two reasons. First, as our TherAplay families understand, sometimes it can be difficult for people with disabilities to participate in the community; thankfully, Janus really helps these folks get involved. Second, the folks at Janus came out to discuss volunteer opportunities – thanks guys! My friend Pepsi got so excited – he loves volunteering – that he asked to join the meeting. Of course one thing led to another and Pepsi felt soooooo good while the Janus folks loved on him that he drifted off into a very nice nap!

So now you can understand why I was excited to meet Meredith and Nellie. Not only did I get to thank them for sharing their Janus friends with us, I also got to show them hippotherapy up close and in person, and I had something special for them!

An invitation to my party the Hoe-Down! (My Lisa is laughing because I was trying to be thorough and lick the envelope, but it stuck to my tongue. People, when you have a tongue this size, envelope-sticking-to-tongue incidents happen!)

Thanks again for coming out to see us, Meredith and Nellie! Be sure to stop by and feed me a carrot see me at the Hoe-Down!

P.S.: For my buddies who are reading this and wondering if they’re invited to my party, Well of course you are! Just hop out to the Hoe-Down webpage to learn more.

Things have been especially exciting around TherAplay this past month.

The Hoe-Down is the biggest horse party fundraiser of the year for TherAplay, not to mention my absolute favorite! Music, dancing, delicious treats we horses are often able to talk the guests into sharing with us, and apple martinis which I especially enjoy of course have never tasted! What’s not to love?

Things are moving right along behind the scenes, but it seems to take forever for those apple martinis September to get here. Sometimes it’s just tough to be patient.

That’s why we were so excited when the invitations arrived from the printer last week. Our administrative manager Breinne sent out an email to our volunteers and before I could twitch my tail lots of our friends had whooshed in to help stuff, seal, and stamp every single invitation in record time. Thanks guys! It really feels like the Hoe-Down is getting close now!

So here I was in my stall, feeling especially warm and happy inside, thinking about how the invitations to my party might be in my friends’ mailboxes right this minute. Then guess what happened?

My Lisa and Dasha happened!

Our lead mare executive director Lisa and one of my kiddo’s Dasha had something special for me.

I could see it had my name on it but I couldn’t quite reach it. Lisa helped Dasha be tall so I could see what they had for me.

There it was, my very own Hoe-Down invitation! I was so busy helping send out the other invitations that I forgot to save one for myself!

Thanks guys! I’ll get to work on that Hoe-Down RSVP ASAP! Now who has a pen?

Guess who won the Walking For Dreams award for most walkers...WE DID, WE DID!!!

How, you ask...because we have the most awesome staff, families and volunteers in the whole wide world.

Special thanks to Dylan's Angels for walking with TherAplay. We had an angel watching over us and blessing us with a beautiful, sunshiny day!


 

Our Occupational Therapists are now certified in Therapeutic Listening and after only two weeks of using this new tool, we are thrilled to report some great success stories! 

One of our kiddos diagnosed with autism has, among other goals, one to expand his verbal range beyond his ability to vocalize one or two sounds.  After his first therapeutic listening session at TherAplay, this kiddo is now chattering away with all sorts of new sounds!  While there are more goals to meet, this breakthrough is the jump start we’ve been looking for!

Another kiddo who is diagnosed with a chromosomal abnormality has been unwilling to walk for more than 10 – 15 steps before reaching for assistance or sitting down.  While her parents report they have seen some good progress this spring, they have seen nothing like what happened just last week at TherAplay!  After 10 minutes of Therapeutic Listening, this kiddo literally “took off” – with ear phones and MP3 player attached.  She walked non-stop for nearly 15 minutes enjoying the mild weather and taking in the scenery around the TherAplay grounds!  It was a beautiful day in more ways than one!

TherAplay needs to purchase additional Therapeutic Listening modules to build upon the success we have already seen with our kiddos.  On average, a module costs $45.  If you would like to donate funds to help us purchase additional modules and support other programs and services, click here now.  Thank you!   

More about Therapeutic Listening:  Developed by Vital Links, Therapeutic Listening is a research based tool for treating people who have difficulty with processing sensory information, listening, attention, and communication. High quality music, recorded specifically for Therapeutic Listening, is altered to exaggerate the sounds that naturally capture attention and tap into the parts of the brain involved in regulating bodily functions, relating to others, and organizing behavior.

Parents, teachers, and therapists worldwide have seen significant results by using Therapeutic Listening including:

• Increased Focus and Attention
• Better Moods
• Balanced Energy Levels 
• Greater Tolerance to Noise                                        
• Improved Sleep                                     
• Better Handwriting
• Fewer Tantrums
• Less Anxiety

Nikki is home and doing even better than we expected. It was amazing the way she relaxed the minute she walked off the trailer into her familiar arena.  We are so grateful to Janssen's Vet Clinic for taking such great care of her and for all those who stopped out to visit or made monetary contributions for her medical expenses. We also want to give a special thank you to our amazing Barn Manager, Shani Sutton. She has gone above and beyond in making sure Nikki is comfortable, safe and spoiled rotten.


 

Another visit with Nikki this morning. We're not sure when she will be able to come home, but she was happy to be groomed and even happier about all the apples and carrots:) Please continue sending her love as she adjusts to life without her left eye, which is quite a challenge for a horse. Nikki is hopeful to get back to work soon so she can show all the TherAplay kiddos that life goes on even if you have a "special need".

TherAplay is still happy and grateful to accept donations for her medical expenses. If you are interested please click on the 'donate now' button below.
 

Our faithful therapy horse Nikki had an accident last night leaving her with a detached retina, bone chips and facial fractures. Our special girl is undergoing emergency surgery this afternoon so she can continue to be a loving companion and therapy horse for TherAplay kiddos. Please send good wishes and positive thoughts to get Nikki back up and galloping. If you would like to contribute to Nikki's medical expenses please donate now. All monies will go toward her care and her fellow four legged staff who will be stepping in for Nikki during her recovery.




 

We just wanted to give a special shout out to all the AWESOME United Way staff members that volunteered at TherAplay on July 26th. They battled through the heat to help us clean our barn, our flower beds, our clinic, and even our horses!
 

This year's golf championship was one for the record books! We had so much fun, the weather was amazing, and we discovered a new TherAplay ROCK-STAR! TherAplay's very own Ally Owens started the day off with a speech listing everything from her favorite TherAplay horse to some major milestones she's reached at TherAplay (tying her shoes, standing on one leg, carrying her tray across the cafeteria without dropping it, etc...) She then wrapped things up with a hole in one putt that rocked everyone's world!

Oh, and we also played some golf and raised some money for TherAplay:)

A very special thank you to Tom Merrell with Industrial Dielectrics who generously donated his winnings back to TherAplay.

Many thanks to Wood Wind Golf Club for making the day run so smoothly!

TherAplay would like to thank all of the TherAplay families and friends that supported us at this year's Walking For Dreams fundraiser. We were humbled by the generous donations and elated with the plethora of walkers that showed up to support and represent TherAplay. Special thanks go out to the Indianapolis Indians who graciously donated a family foursome (box seats and all) for each family that raised over $250. Not to mention they gave Rowdie the day off to come play with all the kiddo's at the walk! And for those of you who were intending to walk or donate the day-of but got scared off by the rain - you're in luck - we're still accepting donations!

Stay tuned for next weeks post about our Golf Outing - if we all don't melt!!

For 4 solid years, Marcia Rose, has been extending her time and talent to TherAplay on a consistent, almost religious basis. She has been there for everything from the mundane data entry and envelope stuffing to the hustle and bustle of numerous Hoe-Downs and Holiday Festivals.

When asked, “What keeps you coming back?” she doesn't say a word, she just simply points to the kids working hard in the clinic.  Marcia exemplifies a perfect volunteer; she is self motivated, does what needs to be done, and we have yet to hear her complain. Therefore, we’d like to thank Marcia and honor her as TherAplay’s Volunteer With Cheer!

Check out the great article about Breinne and TherAplay from this past Sunday's Indianapolis Star.

TherAplay manager is enjoying the ride

When Breinne Lasley needs a break, she escapes to the stables of The Children's TherAplay Foundation Inc. in Carmel to visit Rocky, her favorite horse, who acts more like a dog.

"He loves attention, and sometimes his tongue will stick out the side of his mouth," she said.

As the administrative manager at TherAplay, Lasley is responsible for making sure funds keep coming in order to continue to provide physical and occupational therapy. To keep costs down, she and her staff do most of the cleaning themselves -- this includes the bathrooms. Barn workers take care of the stables.

Lasley serves as TherAplay's volunteer coordinator, event planner and decision maker. She is on the planning committee for TherAplay's three biggest fundraisers: a Hoe-Down and Casino Night held each September, a golf outing and the Walking for Dreams Family & Pet Walk.