Winter 2015

The Heartland Hoofbeat
Heartland Equine Therapeutic Riding Academy
HETRA Welcomes 4 New Horses to the Program
Mark your calendars!
HETRA Horse Manager, Maggie Olson, has been busy recruiting and training 4
Participant Award & Volunteer
Celebration
new horses to join the HETRA herd. Three of these horses have already passed
their training and are now working with
participants! The fourth is in training and making
great progress.
January 16, 2016
Resurrection Lutheran Church in
Gretna. Please RSVP to
[email protected]
Get ready for the
Horse of the Year Race!!
The race is off January 4
Start saving your spare change
and bills!
SAVE THE DATE!
16th Annual Blue Jeans &
Dreams
April 23, 2016
Interested in touring the
Gretna Barn?
Go to events page of HETRA
website to sign up for a tour!
The HETRA Tack Shack is now
open! We are stocked with
many great items!
Open: M-F - 9am - 5pm
weekends by appointment.
This Holiday Season,
Shop at Amazon Smiles Earn CA$H for HETRA!
When you shop on
Amazon.com, you can
earn CA$H for HETRA.
Click on the Amazon link
on HETRA’s homepage,
then shop and they’ll
donate a % of your
purchase to HETRA. It’s
that easy!
The first to start equine assisted sessions was
Galiana (aka Ali), a beautiful American
Warmblood mare. She works with participants in
the Therapeutic Riding and Public Riding Programs.
Then Leroy, a Quarter Horse-Belgian gelding. Leroy
(pictured right) is currently serving the Therapeutic
Riding program and is working towards entering the
Carriage Driving Program. The most recent addition
New HETRA Horse “Leroy”
to the herd was Mocha, a Quarter Horse mare.
Mocha is our youngest HETRA horse at 8 years old and is working in the
Therapeutic Riding and Hippotherapy Programs.
Why all the new horses? As the program continues to expand, more horses are
required to meet the ever increasing need. All horses’ movement and shapes
are different due to variations in confirmation, age, and training. One
participant may find comfort in Leroy’s big swaying motion. For another
participant, Mocha’s quiet slow walk is what’s needed.
Want to help support our herd, new and old? You can sponsor or co-sponsor a horse!
See pg 2 for more information on horse sponsorship opportunities
Stall or Treat!
If you missed it . . . there’s always next year!!
T’was the night before Halloween and all through the barn,
The horses were stirring, restless in their stalls.
For down the aisle came, in costumes galore,
HETRA families ready for a party, as none seen before.
Horses and humans dressed as witches, wizards, giraffes, and more,
Had a grand time eating candy, playing games in a night of yore.
A special thank you to the volunteers and staff who helped decorate and to
Rita, Shelby, and Keryl for organizing an amazing night of stall or treat!
Follow us on Social Media
“Leroy” dressed up like a Giraffe
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HETRA Participants Trick or Treating
HETRA l 10130 S. 222nd Street, Gretna, NE 68028 l www.HETRA.org l (402) 359-8830
HETRA Volunteers
December 2015
Want to help support the HETRA herd?
Horse sponsorships are available at the following levels:
· one week:
$70
· one month
$300
· six months
$1,800
· one year*
$3,600
Sponsors will receive recognition on HETRA’s
website, Facebook and Twitter accounts, and in
the Annual Report and Newsletter.
*Sponsors
contributing at the one year level will have a
plaque on the horse’s stall recognizing your
sponsorship.
You can sponsor as an individual or business; or join with family members, co-workers, and friends, and
sponsor a horse together. We invite you to our facility in Gretna to meet our herd of horses and see first-hand
how your sponsorship is helping to improve the quality of life of individuals with disabilities . . . one ride, one
sponsorship at a time. For more information or to schedule your meet and greet with the HETRA herd, contact
Lisa Shkolnick, Development Associate at 402-359-8830 or [email protected].
A special thank you to our current horse sponsors and co-sponsors:
Full year sponsors:
 Reilly Dolan: Sponsorship of Star, in memory of
Jim and Anne Dolan
 Lori Blum: Edward Jones: Sponsorship of Red
 Hubbard Feeds, Inc: Sponsorship of Jessie
 Joan Hennighausen: Sponsorship of Charm - in
memory of Skippy, Lucky & Odie
 Ed and Susan Stuchlik: Sponsorship of Waldo
Half year Sponsors and Horse sponsorship
donations:

Karen Sedoris: Sponsorship of Stoney for ½ year:

Jim and Jean Lindsay: The Lindsay Foundation: for
$1,000 donation toward Horse sponsorship.
HETRA PATH, Intl. Premier Accredited for the next 5 years!
When’s the last time you took an exam and scored 100%?
HETRA did! On September 4th, scoring a perfect score of 100% on our PATH Intl.
Premier Accreditation! (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship).
HETRA is the only PATH Intl. Premier-accredited center in Nebraska, and within a
200-mile radius of Omaha, providing programming in accordance with the highest
professional standards in the equine assisted activities industry.
Participants and families can be confident that as a PATH Intl. Member Center,
HETRA professionals and volunteers deliver safe, effective programing. Our hats
off to all the staff and volunteers that give 110% every day to ensure we are
among the best equine facilities in the nation! We look forward to maintaining our
exemplary record .
SPECIAL THANKS!
Rachel Marsh - donation of a year supply of SmartPak
supplements for Trixie.
Donor Directed Choice Dollars to HETRA – through Thrivent
Financial.
Veterinary Eye Specialists of Nebraska, Tonya McIlnay, DVM,
MS - for donation of complete eye exam for Rocky.
American National Bank, Loans Operations Division – Jeans
Day.
Metro Omaha Medical Society (MOMS) - grant toward
student sponsorship.
Beta Sigma Phi- donation to HETRA.
Family First Chiropractic – donation to HETRA.
James C Semerad Foundation – grant toward student
sponsorship.
Aksarben Friends – grant toward Therapy Room Equipment.
Sports for Kids Foundation – grant toward student sponsorship.
WPS Health Solutions – donation to HETRA in honor of their
employee, Cheyenne Santiago.
Cassling’s Wellness Program - donation to HETRA as their
charity of choice.
Gift Card Karma – various gift cards donated to HETRA.
Jenna Glidden, for selecting a HETRA Drive 2 Ride team to
support in her Faith Project for Confirmation at St. Mark’s
Lutheran Church, Valley.
Issue 4
Memorials from the following families: Eileen Dunham, Joyce
Janis, Micah Thomas, Dr. Dean Dutter.
HETRA l 10130 S. 222nd Street, Gretna, NE 68028 l www.HETRA.org l (402) 359-8830
December 2015
16th Annual Blue Jeans and Dreams
“Where horses and you make dreams come true.”
Saturday, April 23rd at the HETRA facility!
Put on your best boots, buckles and of course, blue jeans for this Signature Event
you won’t want to miss! Join our Honorary Host Couple, Eric and Nikki Crouch, and
Host Couple, Dr. Matt and Paige Rivard for an evening featuring an amazing
barbeque dinner, live and silent auction, and dancing as we celebrate a
spectacular year of student success and raise essential sponsorship dollars for HETRA’s student participants.
“Where horses and you make dreams come true” is more than a theme for this event . . . it’s our reality. We
can’t possibly do what we do without our specially trained horses, and we can’t possibly provide our equine
assisted activities and therapy services for children and adults with disabilities without your support.
There are three fantastic ways you can make a difference at Blue Jeans and Dreams
1. Attend the event!
Reserve a table today or make your personal reservation for Blue Jeans and Dreams at www.HETRA.org
Reservations prior to April 1st - $65 per Person or $550 per Table of Eight
Reservations after April 1st - $75 per Person, or $650 per Table of Eight
2. Become a Sponsor - You’ll be so glad you did!
We offer several levels of support to welcome all individuals or businesses to participate.
All sponsorships include reservations to the event:
Thank you to our first
Sponsorship Level:
Event: $5,000
Denim: $2,500
Gold Gait: $1,000
Silver Spur: $500
Bronze Buckle: $250
Includes:
2 tables of 8 (plus logo placement)
1 table of 8 (plus logo placement)
1 table of 8
4 reservations
2 reservations
Event Sponsor
*All Sponsors will be acknowledged in the Event Guide and other printed materials. A full list of sponsor level benefits
and acknowledgment can be found on the HETRA website.
3. Donate an item to our Live or Silent Auction.
As you know, silent and live auctions require the support of many people in our giving community to
donate at various levels. Items that provide an “experience”, like trips, unique adventures, and one-of-akind opportunities are always a much sought after item. You can also purchase an auction item on our
Amazon Wish List on our website.
All proceeds from Blue Jeans and Dreams support HETRA’s Student Sponsorship Fund, ensuring no student is
ever denied our services based on their financial situation or ability to pay. For more information on Blue Jeans
and Dreams reservations, sponsorship, or auction, please contact Lisa Shkolnick, Development Associate at
402-359-8830 or [email protected], or visit our website at www.HETRA.org.
Group Volunteers Give Back to HETRA in a BIG way!
The Fall months have been abundantly busy with special projects and general maintenance at the HETRA Barn.
From reconstructing arena equipment and toys used during riding sessions, to painting the new HDR Viewing
Room, Therapy Clinic, and stall clean up. The impact of volunteerism has been huge. We’d like to take a
moment to send a special thank you to the following groups:
Union Pacific
Risk Management Division
HDR – selects HETRA for their United Way
of the Midlands “Day of Caring”
AGDirect-Farm Credit Services
Are you and your co-workers looking for meaningful volunteer opportunities this winter. Please contact
Shelby Winnail at [email protected] or 402-359-8830.
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HETRA l 10130 S. 222nd Street, Gretna, NE 68028 l www.HETRA.org l (402) 359-8830
December 2015
10130 S. 222nd Street
Gretna, NE 68028
Blue Jeans &
Dreams
April 23, 2016
Drive 2 Ride – Exceeds Expectations . . . and still going!
There has been so much excitement, and enthusiasm behind this year's Drive 2
Ride campaign, and it's all thanks to our HETRA families, friends, donors, and
community support. “Drive 2 Ride” is one of HETRA’s main fundraising events for
the year, and 34 HETRA families led the fundraising effort that supports HETRA’s
Student Sponsorship Fund. Last year's Drive 2 Ride Campaign raised $43,000. Our
Goal for this year was $45,000.
HETRA is PROUD to announce we have not only reached our campaign goal . . .
we are exceeding it! Our totals as 11-10-2015 show $53,000!!
And funds are still coming in through the end of the year! We have several
families that are continuing to raise funds to meet their Personal Team Goals. All
donations received through the end of the year will be allocated to their Drive 2 Ride Team totals, and will
absolutely count toward these families earning FREE HETRA Sessions.
Your donation matters now more than ever. Please visit our website at www.HETRA.org and select Drive 2 Ride
to view all the teams and personal HETRA stories, and make a donation to help them reach their goals!
The Student Sponsorship Fund provides the critical support to HETRA that enables us to keep our student fees
to our families as low as possible. Through Drive 2 Ride, HETRA is able to replenish this fund for next year, and
continue to provide our equine assisted activities and therapies at greatly reduced rates for all of our families.
* The total above does not yet include matching gift donations made by donor's
employers, so you can count on this total to continue to rise! If you have already
made a personal donation to a Drive to Ride team, or are planning to make one
now, THANK YOU! Please be sure to check with your employer to see if they
participate in Gift Matching. It's no additional cost to you, and doubles your
donation impact!
Many, many thanks for making a direct impact for our HETRA Families!
Issue 4
HETRA l 10130 S. 222nd Street, Gretna, NE 68028 l www.HETRA.org l (402) 359-8830
December 2015
DOUBLE
Can you tell
the difference?
If you have been to the HETRA barn lately, you might
think you’ve been “seeing double”... You’d be right!
Jonathan and Alex are 4 year old identical twins, both with a diagnosis of autism. From the instant they first
arrived at HETRA, Stacy knew she had found a place that was going to help her boys reach their next
milestones. From the barn came a welcoming “neigh”. In response, from the back seat of the car came the
word “Horsey”. For most of us a 4 year old saying this would not be such an extraordinary moment. But,
consider for a minute, your 4 year old is essentially non-verbal. An unprompted, appropriate word out of a
non-verbal child is in a word . . . extraordinary!
“Saying something as simple as “I want _ _ _ _” is difficult for them,” mom says. “The boys can sing songs,
rattle off the alphabet, count to 30, and recite entire Sesame Street skits, but using their language as a form of
communication has been significantly limited. “
Two and a half months after their first session we are seeing amazing progress!
Jonathan, who did not interact with us initially, is now reaching for rings, handing
them to the volunteer next to him, or placing them on the corresponding color on
the ring tree. Alex, the less verbal of the twins, is more consistently telling his horse
to “walk on”. Both boys are engaging in more eye contact with their therapists
and volunteers, and are interacting with their environment throughout their session.
“Oh yeah,” mom says, “HETRA was a game-changer for us! Prior to HETRA, my boys
were becoming so frustrated when they couldn’t get their wants across. Now, I’m
starting to see less frustration and so many more positive interactions than I have
ever seen during this journey we’ve been on the last 3 years.” possible . . .
Mom reports activities in the barn have translated to activities at home. “Both now
look at me when I call their names and sometimes they even come up to me.
Jonathan is more willing to work with me. Not only does he look at me, but also
smiles and answers my questions! Just the other day, Alex took me by the hand to
the pantry, looked at me and said “I want” and then used my hand to point to the
snack he was after. It’s like HETRA unlocked the door and now the communication
is starting to flow.”
Your donation unlocks the door for all of our HETRA families . . .You can make a difference!
Donation Amount $_________________________
□ My employer will match this gift
Name: ______________________________________________________
List your Name or Business as you would like it to appear when recognized
Address: _____________________________________________________
City_________________________ State:_________ Zip______________
Phone: ______________________________________________________
Email: _______________________________________________________
Check enclosed
Please process my credit card:
□ In Full
□ Monthly Payments on _____day of the
month for ______ months
__________________________________________________________
Credit Card #
___________________
Expiration Date
To give a gift online, go to www.HETRA.org “Make a Donation” at the top of the screen or to charge by phone, call 402.359.8830
Please return this portion to HETRA at:
Issue 4
HETRA l 10130 S. 222nd Street, Gretna, NE 68028 l www.HETRA.org l (402) 359-8830
December 2015