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In our research to find out more about the history of the beautiful farm that we call home, we came by a fascinating article that includes detailed plans and photographs of the then named "Shallow Brook" farm owned by J.C. Baldwin. We were amazed to learn the construction was completed in 1918 - exactly 100 years ago! This little tidbit of information helps put in perspective the ongoing maintenance we need to conduct on the facility to keep it safe and in working order.
This winter took an especially hard toll on Endeavor. While our programs have continued (with extra layers, hand warmers, and a whole lot of horse hair), our barn has not fared as well. We are incredibly grateful to all of the local businesses and individuals that have put in countless volunteer hours to kept the barn safe and running.
We are asking our wonderful community to help us cover the expenses for material to conduct the necessary maintenance.
See a project that sparks your interest? We have naming opportunities available for any donor or group of donors that would like to help us!
ENDEAVOR BARN
- Repair stalls: $575/stall (6 stalls total)
- Therapy Room: $1,000
- Horse Shed: $750
More information on the history of the farm and our Endeavor barn repairs in the
Down on the Farm section.
Back to that comment about winter programs. Can you believe we have a busy barn this time of year? You betcha! While our ongoing programs including ground horsemanship, physical therapy, speech and language pathology, and equine assisted psychotherapy continue to run we also have a few new offerings.
Our wonderful team member, Kelly, started a career focused educational Veteran Program for our participants from the Montrose VA. The veterans attend a weekly seminar at Endeavor taught by equine professionals in the area and follow up with hands on work with the horses.
Pound Ridge Elementary School enrolled in our Equine Assisted Learning program and we are having so much fun with this inclusive classroom! We integrate their monthly learning themes into our equine focused curriculum.
Endeavor is firmly rooted in our values of inclusion. This year, we are having a big push to focus on more inclusive programming. Stemming from our commitment to offer services to both individuals with special needs and their able-bodied siblings, we are hoping to grow our camp and one-day programs to include all children and young adults interested in participating.
Lastly, Endeavor launched the Charlie Rose Memorial Fund Scholarship. We are honored to continue Charlie's passionate dedication to the horses and participants at Endeavor and are proud to be awarding this need-based scholarship to participants in his name.
Thank you for your CONTINUED SUPPORT of our farm and our programs. I hope you will join us in rallying around our barn and performing the necessary work!
Warmly,
Emily Wygod Bushnell
Executive Director
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In This Issue
Save the Date!
We have lots of fun things happening on the farm!
February 20-23 &
March 20-23
Horse U Camp
Learn more about our horses, including communication, healthcare, anatomy and training! Full curriculum here.
101 Classes (Grades K-5): 9:30-11:30am
201 Classes (Grades 6+): 12-2pm
Inclusive of all populations. $90/class or $340/week. Max 6/class.
Email
[email protected]
to enroll.
Want to ride with your entire family? Want to spend time at the barn with a group of friends? Here's your chance to ring in spring on the farm! Each session will run for 90 minutes and can accommodate a group of 2-6 people. $250/group
April 2-6
Pony + Play
Parent/Caregiver & Me, 9-10am
Join us for an hour of quality time with your children, other caregivers and, of course, ponies! Activities will be led by an early childhood educator, physical therapist and PATH instructors.
Ride & Pony Care (drop off or join in!) 11am-12pm
Join us for an hour of fun-filled farm activities for 2's, 3's, 4's and 5's! We will explore the farm, meet the herd, sing and dance, and ride! Parents are welcome to stay and play, or drop off.
$45/day or $180/week. More info here. Email [email protected] to sign up.
April 28
Volunteer Appreciation Cookout
We invite all Endeavor volunteers, junior volunteers, and vocational volunteers to a celebratory cookout at the farm to thank you for your support!
May 19
Annual Cocktail Party
Mark your calendar! This party benefits Endeavor's programs and services and is too much fun to miss!
For more information on any of these events, please visit our
website or
Facebook page.
About Endeavor
Endeavor Therapeutic Horsemanship, Inc.'s mission is to empower individuals with a broad range of special needs by providing the highest quality equine-assisted activities and therapies in an inclusive and welcoming environment.
We believe that our horses educate, empathize and empower our participants, their family, and our larger community. We welcome all siblings of active participants to enroll in our programs.
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In remembrance of our beloved volunteer, Charlie Rose, we are honored to offer
The Charlie Rose Memorial Fund Scholarship.
The scholarship was established in remembrance of Charlie's generous and caring spirit to support any participant that is experiencing financial hardship and is unable to pay for program services at Endeavor. These programs include therapeutic riding, ground horsemanship, physical therapy, speech and language pathology, and equine facilitated psychotherapy. The scholarship is need-based and will ensure that all participants are able to afford the programs offered at Endeavor.
Charlie's dedication to all participants, no matter their disability, was truly inspiring. He volunteered at Endeavor for over two and a half years -- from our very beginnings as a center. He helped with so many of our programs, and worked with lots of diverse populations. He was kind, compassionate and encouraging to everyone he worked with, and brought enthusiasm and sensitivity to each participant and equine. He made Endeavor a better place and we miss him everyday. We believe this scholarship will honor his legacy and make a difference in the lives of many.
To learn more or download the scholarship application, click
here. The scholarship committee of the Endeavor Board of Directors will review incoming applications and award scholarships on a rolling basis.
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Volunteer Spotlight -
Franklin B.
You may have seen the boys from Lincoln Hall helping around the farm; they do everything from repairing fence boards, to cleaning water troughs, to building helmet cubbies. Thanks to a grant from
Changing Leads Foundation, a non-profit organization that connects underprivileged and at-risk youth to the wonders of horsemanship, the boys are able to come each week through the United Achievement Award program at Lincoln Hall Boys' Haven. They split their time between learning about and working with the horses, and doing volunteer tasks.
This fall, we initiated a new portion of the program, where interested Lincoln Hall participants could begin volunteering in therapeutic riding or hippotherapy classes based on their attendance and performance at Endeavor, and their horsemanship knowledge and skills.
Seventeen-year-old Franklin B. was the first to achieve this new volunteer role, and took to it with incredible dedication and compassion. He side-walked in physical therapy classes with Program Director, Melissa, and brought joy and support to all he helped.
Franklin was one of the very first students to receive the Lincoln Hall United Achievement Award, which focuses on serious long term commitment to a positive cause and personal growth in achieving long term goals. In his acceptance speech, Franklin expressed his feelings about all he learned at Endeavor working with the horses and the children: "Working with these young children in equine therapy made me realize that anything is possible if you work hard enough." Franklin graduated from Lincoln Hall earlier this year, and plans to enroll at SUNY Rockland for the Fall 2018 semester. Not only that, he says his goal is to become a physical therapist!
Congratulations, Franklin, we are so proud of you! Keep on going, and don't forget to come and visit all your friends at Endeavor!
To learn more about the Lincoln Hall program at Endeavor, click
here.
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Meet Our Team - Caroline Black, Board President
Though she's been a part of the Endeavor team since the very beginning, we are honored to introduce Caroline Black in her new position as
President of the Board. She is such a vital part of who we are, and we are so grateful to have her (and her whole family!) on our team. Did you know her husband also volunteers at Endeavor as a photographer, and both her sons participate in our programs? It's no wonder this smart, passionate dynamo won the
2015 PATH International Volunteer of the Year Award (and no secret we think she's the best in the world). Here's some more you may not have known about Caroline:
How did you first become involved with Endeavor?
I became involved with Endeavor when it was just an idea...back in 2014. As a parent of a child with special needs, I was aware there was a real need for a therapeutic riding center in Bedford. The small group of us who founded Endeavor wanted to create a dynamic, nimble, responsive, creative and most importantly, an inclusive center - and we built just that, literally from the ground up.
Once we had the vision in place, amazing horses and devoted staff were drawn to Endeavor. The property came to us organically, too. I kept a horse one summer at the Endeavor barn about 8 years ago. The stalls were in terrible shape, but the bones of the barn were incredible (it was the barn of the former Baldwin Estate) and the property was just magical. When the time came for Endeavor to put up our shingle, 1 Succabone Road immediately came to mind, and we negotiated a long term lease on the 50 acre property.
What do you do for your "real job"?
I am the Program Director at The Pollock-Krasner Foundation. The Foundation was established in 1985 for the sole purpose of providing financial assistance to individual visual artists. Since inception, we have awarded over 70 million dollars to artists in 77 countries. I oversee the grant program and it's been such a privilege to work with my colleagues at The Foundation for the past 20 years.
Which Endeavor program are you most passionate about?
Fostering an inclusive environment has been so important at Endeavor. Our sibling program is really important to me. I have always been bringing Will in one direction to a special needs activity and Luke in another direction to a regular, mainstream activity. At Endeavor, my boys can ride together and participate in ground programs together. This is such a relief for me as Will's Mom - he's not singled out - he's at the barn participating with his brother. They are on equal footing. It's such a blessing.
Thank you for your unparalleled guidance, direction and enthusiasm, Caroline, we love you!
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Featuring Pelusa
Many of our horses had noteworthy careers before joining the team at Endeavor, and Pelusa is no exception. This Thoroughbred mare was born in Argentina (her name means "Fluff" in Spanish), and then went on to become a polo pony at the Yale Polo Club, where she stayed for many years. Not only did she play the sport, she went on to teach new riders how to play as well (including some of our Endeavor volunteers!).
As the gentle leader of our herd, Pelusa rules with intelligence and wisdom (maybe it was that Ivy League education!). She is also the oldest of our equines at 23 years, and she has worked in every program offered at Endeavor.
We are so lucky to have this sweet and sage lady at Endeavor!
Thank you and we love you, Pelusa!
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Down on the Farm
Endeavor is seeking donations to cover the following improvements to our barn. We hope you will join us in keeping this historical farm safe!
ENDEAVOR BARN
- Repair stalls: $575/stall (6 stalls total)
- Therapy Room: $1,000
- Horse Shed: $750
All donors will be honored with a plaque on the item donated. The naming rights will be on a first come basis. If we are in the lucky situation that too many donors want to support the work in the barn, we will contact the donor to see the best way to honor the donation.
Did you know?
- There are miniature stalls behind the barn? These were originally a root cellar!
- There are remnants of a stone path that was used for a manure trolley for the aisle behind where his prized Jersey Cattle lived (the most famous being named Sybil's Gamboge 3rd)
- The second floor was created for the farm workers including a small balcony to enjoy the summer evenings.
- The farm used to host Moonlight Concerts to benefit local charities
- The original Baldwin estate was disrupted in 1949 with the construction of the Mt. Kisco-Bedford Highway (Route 172)
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