How Do You "Give Back"?
Maybe it's presumptive of me, but when I picture the people who read this blog on a regular basis, I see people who are stakeholders in the world of horses:
--People who care not just about their horses, and what they get to do with them, but who also care about supporting the good of the order.
--People who give of themselves--somehow--whether it's via time, knowledge, labor, money, or some combination--in order to support and help perpetuate some aspect of horsedom.
--People who do this so naturally, and with so little in the way of self-congratulation, that they maybe have to stop and ask themselves, "What DO I do that contributes to the horse world in some way?"
I hope that you will prove me right about this, and step forth with a contribution about your favored causes.
Don't worry about seeming immodest. As the saying goes: "If you've done it, it ain't bragging."
Here's one of my give-back efforts that I don't mind talking about: I furnish time and efforts in support of the Appaloosa Museum & Heritage Center, located in Moscow, Idaho--close to where I live. I serve on the entity's board, help produce the annual fundraiser trail ride, and pitch in elsewhere as I can.
Sometimes, that just involves the very fun process of shopping at the museum's gift store--whether it's in the permanent home of the museum, adjacent to the Appaloosa Horse Club in Moscow, or out "on location."
Here, you're seeing the museum's traveling gift booth, set up at last year's base camp for the Chief Joseph Appaloosa Trail Ride. (A trail ride with retail therapy?! Now you're talking!)Other times, "pitching in" is as mundane as vacuuming up the cookie crumbs from the annual holiday open house, where Santa arrives at the museum on a real Appaloosa--to the delight of the many children who attend. (There's some big payback, right there, for being on hand to help out. The looks on those kids' faces...priceless!)
Visit www.appaloosamuseum.org to find out more about the Appaloosa Museum & Heritage Center--and see photos of things like kids with Santa, real horses, and cookies!
Chime in. I think it might make a lot of other readers' day to hear about the generosity side of our horse world.
posted by Juli Thorson @ 2:21 PM
10 comments
10 Comments:
I think most of us contribute first by setting a good example around the barn we board at - showing the kids what it means to be responsible for a horse. The culture at my barn is one of pitching in and helping - it is teaching the kids there SO much!
Beyond that, I contribute dollars to the local equine rescue and am the co-leader of our 4-H club. I wish I had time to do more.
I've also done some volunteer work for the Appaloosa Horse Club museum:
http://picasaweb.google.com/kfingerlos/AprilPhotos/photo#5111000989469105234
That's my gelding, Beau, being used as a "portable live exhibit" for the museum last summer. One of my favorite parts of that experience was a group of 11 from France. They, like many, wandered through and admired the miniatures and drafts beside us. But, when they got the museum booth, they kept the curator busy with questions about the breed for a long time! I then invited them in for a group picture with Beau. That grew into a portrait session with each kid (6 total). It's fun to think of the impact their experience with Beau had on their family album! Later the next day, another group of kids came by when I had Beau saddled. I had Beau doing "tricks" for them--stopping with no hands, sidepassing, pivots, putting his head down with my hands in the air. They loved it! One dad followed up with questions about joining a local 4-H club, which was really cool.
I enjoy riding in local 4-H clinics and judging contests, but I have to limit my preferred participation with the groups to maintain my non-pro status.
I'm considering a new form of giving (for me) for 2008. A friend of mine helps manage Healing Reins, a therapeutic riding center in central Oregon. I'm considering foregoing a year of showing and donating a summer's use of Beau to the program. He'd be their much-needed advanced-student horse--one broke enough to participate in shows for selected students of the program. Nothing has been decided yet, and can't be until I can dig my trailer out of a snow drift!
Gosh, I've done quite a few of these "give back" projects, now I think of it; from voluntarily sitting on the Board of my local App club, orchestrating petitions to carry to the Nationals meetings, moderating breed message boards, volunteering at the shows (and not just within my own breed), helping Girl Scouts earn their horse badges, donating equine mags to our local library, and speaking to school aged kids about working in the horse industry. I've volunteered at the state horse fairs and supported a LOT of breed shows by being a spectator and buying raffle tickets or supporting the vendors. I've supported local clinics as well as university clinics, encouraged friends to come along, and normally drag my children's friends to some horsey event or another. There's a LOT of volunteering in this industry that needs doing....got some idle time at a show? Give the gate person a potty break! :D
Along with providing (barefoot hoof care and rehab) services for rescue and rehab horses, I actively promote rescues on my blog, Oh HorseFeathers!. We take in horses in need when we can, and try to raise awareness of the sheer numbers of horses in a bad way right now.
My Dear Husband and I also educate on horsemanship as much as possible.
I wish there was more we could do... But i have not htought of it yet...lol
I serve as an officer of our state horse/equine association. We started the group back in 2004 to promote horse events, education, etc. throughout our state. In all that we do, we appreciate our members, especially those that volunteer, the most. Those that volunteer at events to let others have an enjoyable time, that help us distribute educational fliers, that sit with us at booths to answer questions. Sometimes it is a lot of work putting together clinics, rides, etc. However, when you are there seeing how much people and their horses are benefiting it is worth it. If I could encourage one thing from every horse owner it is join a local horse group and volunteer your time. The easiest way to get involved is attending events the group puts on. If you like the group, show up at meetings and before long you'll find yourself involved. Without the time and effort of people that give their time back to the community there wouldn't be much to do with our equine friends. I and our horses send big pats on the back to everyone that volunteers their time in some way.
I've given back in more than one way both as a 4H leader, horsemanship instructor and steward and all around "go-fer" for my state QH organization....wouldn't change a thing!!!
My husband and I started a natural horsemanship web site called GotHorsemanship.com to improve the lives of horses by connecting horse owners with natural horsemanship clinics and clinicians. We list clinics and clinicians for free by state and in Canada. How many horses live unhappy lives with owners who have no idea how to communicate except by force? How many more have gone to slaughter because they were deemed "unmanageable"? We hope more owners will become better educated because of our site resulting in happy owners and happy horses!
I also do my local saddle club's web site and volunteer at their events. And I just found a horse for my friend to show this summer who couldn't afford a horse of her own. Thanks Juli for letting us brag! Dana
I don't get to do nearly as much as I used to, or would like. However, one thing that I can't stop doing is TALKING...especially to non-horsepeople, about horses. Granted, I try to do it if they seem interested (LOL) so I don't bore them, but I'll often share tidbits about my equines at work, and usually that sparks a few questions or two..."Whoa...that's a nasty bite....WHY did he bite you??" whereupon I can launch into a soliloquy about how my horse is a show veteran and is very bored and miserable at home right now, especially in this season, etc..... People that don't have horses usually have really neat questions--and it's stuff that we more seasoned horse people don't think about, because either we do it/know it automatically, or we're too close to it to see the question.
I also have had an excellent time doing this at fairs with our dairy cows. It's great to just pull up a lawn chair between the 'girls' and chat with passersby.
Having been a PR major in college, I think it's really important to reach out to NON horsey people....not to 'convert' them necessarily (though that can be great!) but to educate and inform. If we, as an industry, don't speak to the general public....someone will speak for us. And it may not be who we want.
Love the stories, everyone! Great topic Juli!
In the past I have donated time to our local 4H group. For the past year I volunteer 1-2 mornings a week at High Hopes Theraputic riding. I get so much more out of it than I put into it. The people and animals are all wonderful to work with. It's one of the highlights of my week.
I've been riding for 22+ years now, but it's only been in the last 4 that I've actively volunteered for a horse-related cause. I have to say I've had some of my most rewarding experiences with the rescue horses that come through the farm (lastchanceranch.org). Watching horses, who come in physically or emotionally broken, heal through a few weeks or months of TLC and then become completely new horses with positive outlooks on life is just fantastic.
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