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Spirit TRC 2020 Review & 2021 News!

In 2020 Spirit TRC has embraced a need to adapt and change for the benefit of the people we serve.  We have all have faced challenges this year however we have focused on what we can do to meet our mission for the benefit of our community. 

We got creative and found new ways to connect with riders, their families and seniors within our community.  We went old school and utilized mail for a Pen Pals program, we invited riders for drive-in visits to connect with their horses in person (from their car and socially distanced), we gave out "Spirit Packs" filled with items needed to carry out virtual lessons at home, we provided horsemanship and virtual lesson activities for riders, families and caregivers, we took our mini-horses out for window visits at senior living facilities, we made some special appearances at drive-by birthdays & community parades and so much more.  

This year we introduced two new mini-members to our herd.  Patty & Sparky are an adorable and loving pair of miniature paint horses who have made a huge difference in our connection within the community.  Like all the Spirit horses they are well mannered, kind hearted and take everything we ask them to do in stride.  Lad, Trapper, Dub, Captain, Patty, Sparky and Tootsie Roll continue to receive loving care with quality feed, regular vetting, exercise, continued training and shelter. 

We continue to maintain the facility.  With fund-a-need money from last year and additional generous donation of time, equipment and labor our horse shelters were leveled and matted and paddocks received ground cover to reduce mud that is sure to come this fall, winter & spring.  Additionally we have continued regular maintenance of arena, fences, etc.  Anyone who has ever owned or been around a horse knows that they are hard on everything they can touch.  We always want the Spirit TRC facility to be safe & clean for horses and humans. 

We are proud of our very limited staff for keeping up with everything. We normally rely heavily on volunteers however we have taken precautions to drastically limit any exposures to & from our facility.  

As you can imagine our income has drastically reduced in 2020.  Unfortunately our expenses have increased a bit since with sanitation, postage and student material costs that we normally wouldn't incur.  We appreciate that our Board of Directors recognized the necessity to do what is best for Spirit TRC riders and families and having faith in knowing that it will come back to us ten fold in the years ahead.  

In 2020 our focus has been on meeting our mission while keeping everyone healthy & safe.

We are looking forward to 2021.  As always we will be working to accomplish our mission of using equine assisted activities to promote independence and focus on capabilities not disabilities of our program participants. 

Following safety protocols and guidelines we will be working to get our riders back in the saddle and a place for volunteers to share their passion for horses and supporting our riders. We will expand our horsemanship beyond the saddle to include more grooming, ground work, connection, and animal care.

We have become very aware of the need for more senior support in our community.  We will continue our senior living facility visits for those who are housebound, as well as, offer programs at our facility for seniors to participate in.  We will focus on combating loneliness and spread joy through the heart of a horse. 

We are also very excited to be working on the development of several programs to help struggling learners.  These include a literacy program that can be utilized by individual students, classrooms and even schools, as well as a “Homework with Horses” program to focus on those kiddos and parents who are struggling with take home work.   

We need help in growing our herd.  The work we ask our spirit horses to do is highly demanding and we have a few horses that are beginning to age and it is time to reduce their work load.  This is not as easy as just purchasing a horse.  We know it will take time to find the perfect match for our program, time for training and getting them ready to carry their special riders.     

We can hardly wait to have volunteers back at Spirit TRC. It just hasn't been the same without them.  We know that with our traditional and addition of new programs there will be something that sparks an interest and calls for our volunteers to share their talents in 2021.

We are super excited to see what the future holds. We are grateful for your donations and support of Spirit TRC. Which makes is possible for us to continue to adapt and serve those who need us most.

THANK YOU for your Support of Spirit Therapeutic Riding Center!