Max, welcome back to Spirit!

Max, welcome back to Spirit!

Saturday!

Cella is feeling strong enough to ride this Saturday, so we changed plans, and will try to do lesson for her and two youngest riders, too at 10.
Thanks to all Spirit people who confirmed that will come earlier and help about it.

Thank you Theresa, Don and Andrew!

Even lesson was cacnelled, Don and his family came to help about stall duties, and Andrew gave a great walk on hand to Annie ...
Thanks to people like them Spirit program is friendly and warm place...see you at next lesson...maybe tomorrow, if weather permits...

Bad weather at Tuesday1

Forecast says 70% chances for rain and I am afraid that we have to think about cancelation...please, call me if you want to check situation after 4 PM :(

Wish you a great Memorial Day week !

This Monday no lessons with Spirit at PM!

See you at Tuesday as scheduled.

Best to all Spirit people,
Dada

Thank you Karen and Sarah!

What a great day with Spirit program today. Beautiful weather, inspirational moments with kids.
Thank you Karen and Sarah for great moments with all riders today, and here is picture of Patrick relaxed on Colby Dylan...
Special thanks to Andrew, Theresa, Don, Hedy, and of course, Jeff for hard work and support...all of you and all other members of Spirit Team, create almost every day some moments to remember,for our riders, and for their families...Thank you!

Jessica - rider who marked April...

Her inspirational sentences - "I am up! I am not afraid!" - brightened this moment for all of us...and we want to share moment with Jessica on Annie with you....

Sarah in action with Spirit!

SPIRIT Program is proud to have Sarah ....and all other great people helping to fulfill our mission

Congratulation Sarah! Character Award to member of our Team!

Two Teens Receive Character Award

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

The McLean Citizens Association is awarding two teens a Teen Character Award in the 13th annual award ceremony at McLean Day on Saturday, May 16. The award ceremony will take place at 2:45 p.m., at Lewinsville Park on Chain Bridge Road in McLean. Supervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville); School Board member Janie Strauss (Dranesville) and Rob Jackson, McLean Citizens Association president, will present the awards.

This year's awardees are Sarah Mendelsohn, a junior at Langley High School, and Chloe Yazdani, a senior at McLean High School.

Mendelsohn is being recognized for volunteering at Spirit Open Equestrian, a therapeutic riding center. Most Saturdays for the past two years, she has worked with young children, teenagers and adults with special needs, helping them to ride a horse. She helps get the horses ready prior to therapy, assists with lessons, helps make the rides feel at ease and then helps put the horses away for the day. She always arrives early and is typically one of the last to leave. When other volunteers do not show up, she willingly steps in. "Many of the parents of the special needs children have expressed their gratitude and commented on Sarah’s maturity and special care that she gives to their children," wrote Mendelsohn’s mother. "She loves that she can help people learn to love the horses and help them move."

(...)"

Wednesday instead Thursday

Dear all, please, note that we had to switch lessons from Thursdays to Wednesday...it is hard to find a place when all is full of dogs there, so Sydney, Patrick, Nate and Wendy - lessons at Wednesday, please confirm it...
Thank you !

Thursday ?

Again, call me after 4 to make final decision about lessons.
I am so sorry because of this weather, construction, and shows at FPP conditions which keep our lessons blocked...

It is temporary, I know...
Looking forward to seeing all our riders in saddle soon....

Rain again?

Please call after 4.15 PM to check weather situation about riding today, if you do not see anything new here ;)

NEW SCHEDULE

Dear friends, riders, families, helpers...

As you can see, it is hard to keep Saturday schedule as we planed, due to construction work and horse shows at FPP.

We can do lessons at Saturdays without anything going on there, but it seems to be smart to just keep on going and do lessons at week days later PM, to avoid heat...anyway....

It seems to be good if lessons will start at 6 and at 7 PM ( Spirit Team, instructors, assistants, should come at 5.30 to help set up horses) all weekdays.

Tuesday and Thursday will be possible to do lessons even at 5,6 and 7 PM (at 5 will start Karen or Whitney, and Dada will come for lessons at 6 and 7 )

Please, see draft schedule above and contact me on blog, or at e-mail about your preferred times, or with any comments regarding this change.

Red X - possible open spot
? - Volunteers needed


Thank you for your patience, and looking forward to seeing you again...

Waiting for Sun and for the end of construction work at FPP...

Dear friends,
thank you for your patience, and I am looking forward to see all Monday riders next week, assuming that this rain will stop before then...

Still raining...

No one confirmed to come today...and it is still danger of rain...

Let's hope that next week will be dry and sunny...

Jessica and Annie

Jessica said "I am up! I am not afraid!"

Happy Birthday , Patrick!

Today was Patrick's BD...but rain stopped celebration with horses...
Anyway, we wish you a Happy Birthday, Patrick!

Good news!
It seems that we will be able to use indoor if weather does not permit riding outside, but only on week days...There is still a problem about grooming and tacking at open field, so , please , be sure that you contacted me by blog, phone or e-mail about lesson time if it is raining ....

This above does not apply on Thursday PM hours, as FPP has been reserved by dog training organizations...

Suggestion, let's Thursday lessons move to Wednesday...? Please let me know your thoughts...

And treat for the end of this post...Jessica on Annie...

Monday forecast

Please call if you are not sure...but it seems that we will stay at home this Monday...

:(

Third Saturday cancellation ...

Third Saturday cancellation...
:(
Due to construction work, and busy schedule, it seems that we can conduct lessons only at one Saturday in May - 23rd
We should start thinking about better solutions...
For now, please, let me know if any of Saturday riders might come Wednesday PM?
Make a comment or send me an e-mail, please.
Thank you for your patience...