Saturday at Reston Town Center - Spirit at Pet Fiesta!

Support Spirit at the Reston Pet Fiesta.
Visit Spirit at Booth 33 this Saturday, May 4th, from 10-4. We'll be introducing Spirit to our local community with posters, brochures, and stuff for sale. Stop by to say hello or help out if you'd like.
Tell your friends to visit the Pet Fiesta, too. The Fiesta has lots of freebies, products for pets and their people, and information on pet health and pet adoptions. Pets are welcome (if on a leash) and it's free!

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   Our great team of volunteers really need some help. Contact me if you want to be a part of Spirit Booth this Saturday at the Reston Town Center.

  
  

Tess

• Update about our Tess: Medicine is doing good to her. Breezy weather also keep her condition and breathing ability very well. There are several options opening and we will try to find the best one for her.

  
  
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  Thank you, all, known and unknown for effort to help this special mare. Thank you, Veronica for calling this morning and insights you gave...

  
  
•  Before Tess lives, we need to find a replacement for her, at the Spirit Herd, too. Do you know any mature but sound horse, willing to take a job to teach and heal with us?

And video...

Last Saturday in April

What a great busy morning today. 10 AM lesson was even bigger, but no one had a camera  Thank you all who created this - instructors Sue and Sarah, and the best volunteers - Spirit Team.

Spirit Volunteers are the best!

April 21-27 is National Volunteer Appreciation Week! April is a time for us to look back on all that our volunteers do to help us accomplish our mission, 365 days a year. 
Each day, Spirit volunteers work at the field, provide our horses with care and love, cleaning, feeding and keeping our small Spirit home nice and comfortable for animals and for people. Some volunteers help behind the scenes doing administrative work, taking photos and videos of our work, and the most of them serve directly keeping our clients in therapy and education safe and creating taste of success for all...
We are able to reach hundreds of families each year thanks, in part, to the hard work and dedication of our volunteer team.
Thank you!

Learn about horses...

Works for people too :)

Influence of stress

Stress is a natural response of the body to something that threatens it whether that threat is mental or a physical accident or a disease.  Even though it is natural we have to think about how it influences the horses and what is the damage that long term anxiety can cause?
Stress over short periods is ok for the horse and s ome of the chemicals that the body releases in such situations are natural steroids which calm damage in the body down whether that damage occurs in the mind or the muscles.  Other chemicals start to prepare the body for taking evasive action i.e. running away quickly. When horses are under long periods of stress this same natural steroids weaken the immune system  and damage the horses overall system. So how do we  manage long term stress in horses or rather how do we avoid it?
We do this with good management and insight into their true needs.

- stability
- social interaction
- adequate nutrition (low sugar feed and high fiber hay or pasture around the clock)
- movement
- security

These are the basic needs of every horse on this planet no matter what he does for a living, what breed he is, or where he lives. They are universal for every equus cabalus on the face of the earth and there is nothing we can do to change that. We as responsible caretakers can only try to meet these needs with proper nutrition, boarding, and overall management.
Stress influences everything and things that you don't even think about right now like problems with feet (that can be a cause of loneliness and isolation for some horses), skin problems, colics, vices, etc.

On more detailed descriptions of how stress influences horses in every aspect of their lives do buy new book from Joe Camp which you can access by the link below on "Horses and stress".
we do recommend this book as it is affordable, can be bought world wide and is a great reading for all people that are surrounded with horses. Do read this book as it will change your perspective and possibly change some horses lives for the better, and send us your impressions and comments on equilistica@yahoo.com or leave a comment on Equilistica Facebook page

Spring time and lessons

What a joy with kids and horses

The Happy Hour this week end at the Spirit Field

Friday lessons canceled

It seems that rain will be heavy today. It is not too fun to try to do therapeutic riding lesson even in indoor, if loud storm is going on. 
I am so sorry, but it seems that we have to cancel lessons tonight. 
See you tomorrow, dear volunteers, and next Friday for riders scheduled for today. 
Take care and stay dry. 
Dada

Indoor today and at Friday!

Thursday and Friday riders and volunteers
Do not be afraid  of rain.
I have great news, we can use indoor ring for Friday this week and we can do our lessons safe.
Only in case of really heavy rain we might cancel, and it will be published here and at the Blog before 3 PM  at the same day.
Looking forward to seeing you all :)

Next week

It seems that will be a weird , possible rainy week.
Do not loose Spirit. Horses will wait for us in stalls, dry and ready to go to do lessons in indoor, at least Monday- Thursday.

Also, new volunteers, and prospective mentor volunteers, please, consider Thursday and Friday as an option to come and help instead Mon-Wed. Wee need Thursday and Friday 2-3 reliable helping people.
Let me know if you can make it.
Thank you!

Great Spring Saturday at Spirit

Thank you Sue and Sarah, thank you great volunteers for this morning at the Spirit Program :)

Condolences to the Mouzavires Family

It is with heavy hearts that we inform you that one of our dear riders lost a family member this week. 

From the family: "Elizabeth Mouzavires is a rider in the SPIRIT Equestrian Program and has benefited from it greatly. One of her other great loves was for her uncle Farrell, who passed away this week. He was a kind, gentle person, who would have wanted people to support this wonderful program." 

In lieu of flowers and donations, the family has requested that all donations in memorium and with condolences, be made to SPIRIT Open Equestrian Program. If you would like to participate, please click the PayPal donate button below and indicate that you are making this donation on behalf of the Mouzavires family or you can mail your donation to:

SPIRIT Open Equestrian Program
P.O. Box 1342
Great Falls, VA 22066

Thank you!

   
 


      

Pet Fiesta at Reston!

Spirit Volunteers of all ages!!!
We have confirmed SPIRIT's presence at the
Reston Pet Fiesta,
May 4, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Will need volunteers to help.

You can work 3-hour shifts or whole day--just specify which.

It is lot of fun with animal and dog lovers around.
Come and promote Spirit in Town Center of Reston.
Face painting artist are welcome.
Contact me to find out about details

This week end - Friday and Saturday no Therapeutic riding lessons

Van Manley Horse Show - Barrel racing at the Park this week end. 
All therapeutic riding lessons canceled for Friday and Saturday. 

Volunteer activities at the field and barn - Friday 5-7 and Sat 9-11 
Let's get ready for the Spring classes starting next week!

This week end horse show at the Park

This week end is a big horse show at the Park.
The most likely it will be impossible to do therapy lessons.
Sorry.
It is about Friday and Saturday, too.
It will be a good time to take care of horses, do volunteer training,  and, maybe, for mentors to do trail ride...
Do not forget, spring class starts Monday April/08.
See you, Spirit Volunteer Team!