GUESS WHO'S BACK, BACK AGAIN?

Hay Hands and Hearts for Horses fans! We are finally back with another edition of our “Neigh”borhood Horse Blog! Summer was an extremely busy time for us at the barn. In our last entry, my friend Lily revealed her identity and stepped aside as our blogger, and I am taking up the reins.

Blog Reminders

Each week in my blog there will be one hidden clue to my identity, so make sure you tune in and read my blog every week for another clue! REMEMBER, if you think you know which horse I am, shoot us a message or email Stephanie at stephanie@handsandheartsforhorses.com ! Don’t spoil the mystery for our other followers by posting your guess publicly! Can you piece together the clues and figure out which horse I am? Because I’ll never tell, well not until enough of you have guessed my secret! Once enough correct guesses have come in, I’ll post a summary of the clues that should have led you to guess my identity and we will do a big reveal!

The first person to guess my identity correctly will win a Hands and Hearts for Horses sticker and a piece of pretty Hands and Hearts for Horses themed jewelry created by our very own boss lady (or as the humans call her executive director) Susie’s own mom! So, tune in for those clues and get those guesses in! One guess per person, per week please!

Great ways to figure out which horse I am are coming to volunteer, being one of our riders, or investigating on our social media or website!

Guess Who’s Back, Back Again?!

I have to tell you Hands and Hearts for Horses fans, there has been a LOT going on at the barn since we let out for break in August! It’s my job as your blogger to keep you up to date on all of the happenings.

Spaz says Hi!

Meet Spaz our new barn cat! She is super sweet but still getting used to the barn and is still quite shy!

NEW FRIEND ALERT!

First off, we have welcomed a new cat to the barn, Spaz! Spaz is a female cat who is super sweet natured. We horses think she is the prettiest cat ever! We are slowly getting her used to being at the barn, so for now she is in the office with the humans. Until she is used to being here we ask that anyone entering or leaving the office open and close the doors quickly, make sure they shut all the way, and keep an eye out for Spaz. To help keep her from getting out we are currently keeping the front door of the office (the one entering into head honcho Susie’s office) locked, so you will need to go around to the other door!

Herd Updates

Unfortunately, my friend Kit Kat had a stressful end to his summer. He developed a bad ulcer in his eye which the humans immediately sought medical treatment. Despite rigorously following the treatment assigned by our wonderful veterinarians, his eye got to the point that it had to be surgically removed. He had the procedure a couple weeks ago and is healing up wonderfully! He is back in his pasture with me and his other friends. Don’t worry friends Kit Kat is still able to be part of our program!

Kit Kat is Handsome as Always!

EVERYONE SEND KIT KAT SOME LOVE!

An interesting fact about horses is that we use both monocular and binocular vision to see. Our monocular vision lets us see 200-210 degrees around the body at a time. Where these fields of view intersect in front of us, we have about 65-80 degrees of binocular vision. We have a blind spot in front of us that prevents us from seeing right under our head, in front of our forehead, and below the body in front of our face! So, this means we can’t see the food we eat, or fingers giving us treats or touching our faces, or if someone ducks under our lead rope. This is why our Hands and Hearts for Horses human staff asks people not to pet our faces, duck under our necks, or give us treats in their hands. Having this monocular vision means that if we lose one eye, we still have 200-210 degrees of sight, and we have depth perception without both eyes, so we are different from humans in this!

Horse Vision

Horses have both monocular and binocular vision!

The most important thing to remember when humans handle Kit Kat from now on, is to be aware that he cannot see out of his right eye, so it is best to approach from his left side. If you are on his right side, always talk to him so that he knows you are there! We all love Kit Kat and are so happy he is healing up well!

Expanding!

Over the summer, our new building was busily being constructed! We are nearing the end of the process with finishing touches being put on it, and then we will be ready to move in. We ask that everyone please use our existing facilities for now, until we announce that the new building is complete! As you will see at the barn, our new hay barn is complete! We also will be moving the human staff members’ offices into the new building, in the area adjacent to the hay barn. The room in between that and our classroom will be devoted as a clinic space for our occupational therapist Caroline to use, and will also have a new, more accessible bathroom for participants and families to use. Our current offices are planned to become a larger, air-conditioned tack room and our current tack room will become part of a bigger, expanded feed room. We are so excited about all this growth as it will mean we are able to work more efficiently, and hopefully expand our services.

Buy Tickets or Vote for Homecoming Court Today!

Click the Links Below!

Tailgate 2024

We are gearing up for our big annual fundraiser! This is always such an AMAZING event for the humans and horses! Last year was a joint effort, but this year Hands and Hearts for Horses is back to hosting the event solo. And that means me and my herd mates’ favorite part of the event is returning for Tailgate 2024! That’s right readers, the Therapy Horse Homecoming Court is coming back this year!! Every dollar of a donation you make for your favorite horse counts as a vote for the horse of your choice, I sure hope I am the big winner this year! The top 3 horses will be crowned at our event!

Donations can of course be made at the event, or can be made in advance at the link below

Buy Homecoming Court Votes NOW!

This Tailgate Party will be jam packed with food, football, and fun all to show support for all the programs offered by Hands & Hearts for Horses and our work changing lives through therapeutic horsemanship. Purchase your tickets or tables NOW at the link below!

Buy Tables or Tickets for our Tailgate Today!

We hope to see a lot of you there for great music, food, and company!

Well Hands and Hearts for Horses fans, that’s a lot of the updates on the happenings at the barn, stay tuned for next week’s blog entry and another clue to my identity!

XOXO.

Your Friendly “NEIGH”borhood Horse Blogger