At this season of Thanksgiving we are thankful for so very much here at the farm. Over the course of the fall semester, we have welcomed nearly 20 new clients, including our first in-person school group since March of 2020! This fall's NIH study group concluded their 10 weeks of programming and we thoroughly enjoyed the children who participated in our riding and barn activity groups as part of this important research study! And on October 30th, we hosted a group of 12 vet tech students from York County Community College, along with their professor and lab assistant for a practicum; our horses were amazing as the students learned lots of veterinary assessment techniques!
To meet this demand, we have expanded our volunteer trainings and are welcoming in many new volunteers. It's wonderful to have so many new faces at the farm working in the barn, in lessons and with special projects!
While we are back to operating at full capacity, we are all still navigating the ever-changing COVID landscape. Here is a link to RTT's latest COVID-19 guidance with regard to quarantining/staying away from the farm in the event of a close contact and/or symptoms consistent with COVID.
As always, if you have questions you can always reach out to me via email.
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Pat Niboli Honored as
PATH Intl. Volunteer of the Year!
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RTT’s very own Pat Niboli, is the winner of this year’s PATH Intl. Volunteer of the Year. Normally, she would be honored in person at the Annual Conference; however, due to COVID, PATH Intl. held its Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony virtually. You can click here to see the Awards Ceremony! You'll also see Luke, who was the Region 1 Horse of the Year. We are so very proud of Pat and Luke. (Hint: you can fast forward to 27:40 to catch Pat's special award presentation)
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We welcomed Harbor to the herd at the end of August. Harbor is a 21-year-old Thoroughbred, and is as smart and sweet as they come. He spends his summers at Camp Runoia, in the beautiful Belgrade Lakes region and is a pro at teaching beginner riders the ropes! We plan for Harbor to be with us for the "academic year" and he has settled right into his new job as a therapeutic riding horse, and is well loved by riders, volunteers, and staff alike! |
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In September, Lilly crossed the rainbow bridge. She will always be remembered for her welcoming whinnies and friendly personality. She was such a special companion to so many and brought joy to all the lives she touched. We are lucky to have had Lilly has part of our program for almost four years as a free lease from Brittany Nixon. She is greatly missed and will forever be in our hearts. |
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Earlier this month Denise Clemens, who has been part of RTT for 28 years--first as volunteer and then as a staff person--retired. Denise has been a staunch advocate for the well-being of every member of the RTT herd, not to mention that of the incredibly dedicated group of volunteers whom she has has cultivated, educated and fostered. To honor Denise's high standards of care, the Horse Fund has been renamed The Denise Clemens Horse Fund. We wish Denise the very best in her retirement and know that she'll be back to visit the herd from time to time.
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This fall, we have welcomed two experienced instructors to our teaching staff. Marissa Stewart, PATH Intl. CTRI, worked at RTT before leaving to pursue her doctorate in physical therapy. She has worked as a PT for many years and now is back at RTT on Thursday mornings. She hasn't missed a beat jumping right back into lessons. Marissa lives with her family in New Gloucester.
Tracy Sturtevant, PATH Intl. CTRI and a former Special Education teacher has also joined RTT, teaching students on Mondays. Tracy and her husband have recently moved to Maine, having lived and worked in Australia for the last 6+ years!
In addition to Denise's big news, Julia Hamilton, moved on to a new position at Unexpected Farm as Assistant Barn Manager in early October. To ensure care for our herd, we have two new Barn Assistants who have joined RTT in the past few weeks. Carrole-Anne Edwards, is working for us several days per week and has temporarily taken on some of Denise's responsibilities. She lives in Sebago with her family and has worked at a variety of stables as a stable hand, groom and trail guide. Lina Jordan, long time RTT-er, has also joined us in helping with evening feeds and some additional per diem needs. Welcome Carrole-Anne and Lina!
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Giving Tuesday is November 30th!
On #GivingTuesday, RTT will join nonprofits around the world to raise funds and awareness. Riding To The Top's goal is to raise $10,000 to cover the cost of hay for the herd for the winter months.
A generous RTT supporter will match all gifts up to $5,000 made to "Hay for the Herd" on Giving Tuesday!
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Hannaford Helps!
Windham Hannaford Helps for the month of December 2021, Riding to the Top Therapeutic Riding Center will receive a $1 donation from each purchase of the reusable Community Bag at the Hannaford store located at 797 Roosevelt Trail, Windham Mall, No. Windham ME.
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Shopping from home? Shop for RTT! |
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