Volunteer Voice - Pegasus Therapeutic Riding

Making horse
treats is fun!
Volunteer Voice
Summer/Fall 2013
Volunteer Help Needed This Fall
Congratulations, Julia and Judy!
Fall program lessons will run through Saturday,
December 7. We still have volunteer needs on certain
days, so if you or someone you know would like to help
with our therapeutic riding program, Wings or the barn,
please contact Volunteer Manager Lynn Peters at
[email protected] or (845) 669-8235 x109 today.
On May 17-18, our annual Pegasus Horse Show was
held at Pegasus Farm in Brewster for the first time in its
32-year history. The celebration included two volunteer
awards for dedication and service to Pegasus.
Thursdays with Pi, Chip and Joey
Many thanks to volunteers Anabeth Bostrup, Alex
Goldman and Jessica Rosenwasser, who spent
their warm summer Thursdays working with therapeutic
horses Pi, Chip and Joey at Pegasus Farm. The group
focused on tasks and exercises designed to keep our
horses fit and in shape for program.
The riders did a great job and
definitely came away with an
understanding of the importance of
continued exercise and training for
the Pegasus herd, as well as some
new insights into the horse they rode.
Anabeth felt Pi was very willing and
In my opinion, I’m not cooperative, Alex deemed Chip ready
at all opinionated!
to go and happy to get on with things,
and Jessica realized that Joey is really very opinionated.
Julia Albrecht was awarded the
Seth A. Armen Junior Volunteer of
the Year Award, given in memory of
longtime volunteer and Board President
Emeritus, Seth Armen. Honorees for
this award are 18 years old or younger,
have volunteered with us for at least
two years, and have demonstrated outstanding service
to Pegasus and our mission. In the words of Instructor
Liz Fortes, “Julia seems to almost immediately
understand the needs of each student she works with,
and she cares deeply about each and every one of
them. She brings an energy and enthusiasm to every
lesson activity, which is contagious to the students and
the rest of the volunteers.”
“All of these gals are wonderful riders,” notes Volunteer
Manager Lynn Peters. “My goal was not to teach them,
but to work with them to help teach our horses to be
better prepared for their jobs. Not only is this a good
experience for our horses, it’s also a great opportunity
for our volunteers to learn about how our horses think.”
Judy Williams received the Peggy
and Bill Larned award for the Most
Helpful Volunteer, given in memory
of devoted Pegasus volunteers Peggy
and Bill Larned. In the words of
Communications Director Christine
Fitzgerald, “Judy has become such an
integral part of our Pegasus team that Thursday in our
office is known as ‘Judy Day.’ Intelligent, quick-witted,
hardworking and kind, Judy is the type of volunteer
you would gladly clone ten times over if you could. She
efficiently handles all of our Rider’s Closet paperwork
and is the first to lend a hand if we have anything else
we need help with.”
Any volunteer interested in becoming a riding
volunteer should contact Lynn Peters. Riders need to be
experienced and there is a riding evaluation process.
Congratulations to Julia and Judy on their muchdeserved honors, and on behalf of all the people you’ve
helped, many thanks again for all you do for Pegasus!
Ring Masters: Ann Garg
Ann Garg has been a volunteer at Pegasus since she was in high school.
She began attending college last September, and this summer she came
back to Pegasus to continue her volunteer work. Many volunteers are not
able to return to volunteering once they begin college, and we wondered
what motivated Ann to stay connected.
Q: When did you begin volunteering at Pegasus?
A: I began volunteering at Pegasus at the end of my sophomore year of
high school, and I am currently entering my sophomore year of college.
Q: Why did you decide to do volunteer work, and why did you
decide to do it at Pegasus?
A: Heading into my junior year of high school, I wanted to get involved
with my community a bit more, and after researching local programs,
Pegasus seemed to be a good choice since I had a few years of riding
experience and I simply adore kids. I liked that I would be able to work
with horses as well as young kids, and that was the factor that made me
choose Pegasus over other programs.
Ann and Mr. Blue take a well-deserved break
together during our Summer Equine Experience
“Cowboy Day” activities.
Q: What impact has the experience had on your life?
A: Pegasus is meant to be a therapeutic program for student riders, but
as a volunteer, it’s also been pretty therapeutic for me. As clichéd as that
sounds, it is something I looked forward to in high school after a day or week of schoolwork, and seeing kids smile from
just being on a horse has definitely brightened up my day many times. It’s made me an even calmer person than I was
to begin with because patience is the key with these kids, and that’s one of the very first things that I truly learned upon
starting my volunteer work here.
Q: You went to college and came back to volunteer on your summer break. What motivated you to do
so, and what are your thoughts on summer program, especially our new Equine Experience camp?
A: Upon completing my first year at college, I knew that regardless of whatever else I took up over the summer—be it a
job or summer class—I wanted to go back to volunteering at Pegasus. I have always loved the program and the general
environment, so it was a no-brainer for me. The new Equine Experience program is definitely interesting. Prior to this
specific program, I volunteered for the general summer session, and I found the Equine Experience to be that mixed with
the winter Horses & Me program. It’s a lot of fun. Instead of seeing the same people once a week, I get to see them on
a daily basis, and the kids get to ride every day, which I feel is very beneficial for them. They retain the skills taught and
practiced more easily, and they develop an even stronger bond with—and love for—the horses from seeing them more
than once a week.
Q: Has your Pegasus volunteering experience had any influence on your college major choice or your
future goals?
A: When I first entered college, I was a political science major. That soon changed after I took a few science courses,
and my experience at Pegasus also played a role in my decision to change my major to biology. Pegasus has made me
realize how much I love working with kids and how much interest I have in the human body and the science behind
these kids’ disabilities. At the end of the day, my goal is to work in the pediatric field in some way, be it oncology or
general, and Pegasus continues to push me to make my goals come true and helps keep me motivated.
Thank you, Ann, for everything you do for Pegasus—and for taking the time to share your thoughts! Good
luck this year in school. We think you’ll be a fantastic healthcare professional someday soon!
Pegasus is now on Facebook and Twitter! Follow us for photos, news and fun!
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Helping Hands: Peter and Alyssa
Volunteer Riding Lessons at Pegasus
High school students Peter
Janerico and Alyssa Pagliuco
really helped make Pegasus
Farm look beautiful this summer.
Volunteering three days a week,
they worked so hard we lost track
of how many pairs of gardening
gloves they went through!
Though we experienced several
days of oppressive heat, Peter
and Alyssa never complained
and still wanted to come to the farm for their shifts.
They and their life skills coaches
always showed up ready to work
with smiles on their faces, and we
all looked forward to their visits.
With pickaxes and rakes in hand,
Peter and Alyssa tackled the
challenging jobs of clearing the
vegetable garden of overgrown
weeds and grasses, barnyard
clean-up, weeding all the flower
beds around the buildings and
paddocks, and cleaning the
bleachers and ledges in the Ann Pinkerton Arena.
Thank you, Peter and Alyssa, for your hard (and
cheerful) work this summer! Great job!
In response to numerous requests, we began offering
riding lessons for Pegasus volunteers this summer. Kathy
Curran, Jennifer D’Agostino, Linda Meyers and
Mary Zwecker donned their helmets and paddock boots
and got started with their first-ever riding lessons. Each
week they groomed and tacked up their horse and began
learning the basics of adjusting stirrups, checking girths
and how to mount.
All four volunteers developed even greater respect for our
program participants’ skills in use of aids, balancing in a
half-seat position and posting at the trot. All felt they
gained a new perspective on our programs and are now
better equipped as volunteers.
“I’m so proud of what these ladies have accomplished
in only six lessons,” states trainer Lynn Peters. “They
progressed from never having sat on a horse to being
able to post the trot and effectively steer. We all had fun
and are looking to continue the program this fall.”
Clinically Speaking: Autism
Autism is a lifelong neurological spectrum disorder, meaning there is a wide range of impaired social, communicative
and cognitive functions. It is the fastest-growing developmental disorder in the U.S., and some recent studies have
suggested it affects as many as 1 in 88 children. There is no known cause of autism, but scientific evidence leans toward
both genetic and environmental factors. There is a huge overlap among the different forms of autism, which led to the
creation of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It is the range, or scale, to which autism is measured.
It is extremely difficult to decipher whether or not a child has autism by examining his or her physical features. There are
only minor differences, such as deeply set eyes and a thin upper lip. A common trait is an expressionless face. Children
with autism tend to have a range of symptoms that impair their social skills, language and behavior. Socially, poor eye
contact, failure to respond to his or her name, and resistance to any holding and hugging are common traits in children
with autism. Many children also have challenges with language; for example, having trouble starting or keeping a
conversation, delayed speech, and repeating words but not knowing how to use them. Common behavioral challenges
include repetitive movements; unusual sensitivity to light, sound and touch; and the performance of self-harm activities,
such as head banging. Because each child with autism is different, some individuals may have strength in one area and
considerable weakness in another.
Autism is, in fact, a spectrum disorder. Some people with autism may need constant care through their adulthood, but
others may not. Each person is unique and has specific needs requiring different levels of care.
Clinically Speaking was researched and written by volunteer Emily Barber. Emily is a sophomore at SUNY Fredonia, majoring in communications.
She volunteered at Pegasus with Communications Director Christine Fitzgerald this summer. Emily is also the niece of Volunteer Manager Lynn Peters.
Youth Project Program Launches
Fun Facts About YOU
Pegasus is fortunate to
have many friends of all
ages who strongly believe
in our mission and want to
be involved. Because our
safety guidelines require all
program and barn volunteers
to be 14 or older, we have
had to turn down many
requests from young people
in the past. Wishing we
could do more, we put our
heads together to find a way
to involve these would-be
helpers. In June, we kicked
off our Youth Projects program and haven’t looked back!
During spring 2013 program, 220 dedicated
volunteers gave their time at Fox Hill Farms, Kelsey
Farm, Pegasus Farm and Ox Ridge Hunt Club. More
than 125 volunteers helped make our 32nd annual
Pegasus Horse Show truly special for our participants
and their families and friends. THANK YOU!
All potential volunteers under the age of 14 are invited to
submit an application for a non-program-related project
they would like to complete for Pegasus. Applicants are
asked to explain their goals and objectives, state their
time commitment and guarantee accompaniment by a
parent or guardian. We select and work with one Youth
Project volunteer per program session.
This summer, we were happy to have Jillian
Rosenwasser participate as our very first Youth
Project volunteer. Jillian’s older sister, Jessica, has
volunteered in program for the past several summers.
As an accomplished rider herself, Jillian also wanted
to volunteer in program, both to help our participants
enjoy their riding experience and to fulfill the community
service aspect of her upcoming Bat Mitzvah.
Worth a Read: Dream of Night
This 2010 novel by Heather Henson tells the story of
three survivors. Former champion racehorse Dream of
Night has an undetected injury that leads to neglect,
horrific abuse and imprisonment in a dark, filthy stall
offering no means of escape. Shiloh is a 12-year-old
girl also suffering from physical abuse, rejection and
a lifetime of revolving-door foster homes. Jess DiLima
has spent years working with rescue horses and foster
children, but she’s wondering whether she may be
getting too old for either one.
Night and Shiloh both end up on Jess’s rundown farm
on the same day—needy, angry and incapable of trust.
Shiloh keeps herself from trusting others because she
is holding onto the hope that she will one day be able
to return to her mother. Night has come to learn that
humans are dangerous, and he will do whatever it
takes to protect himself from their touch. Jess’s patience
and persistence eventually help the child and the horse
recognize the anger and pain felt by the other. It’s then
that the healing begins.
Because of her age, Jillian was not able to volunteer in
program, but boy, did she do great things in The Rider’s
Closet! Aside from processing and organizing donations,
Jillian also packed and shipped requested apparel and
became a whiz at the UPS online system. She even
designed her own card offering words of encouragement
and good luck wishes to each package’s recipient.
Trivia Derby
“The Rider’s Closet at Pegasus was such a privilege
to work at and a great experience to be part of,” said
Jillian. “I loved working one-on-one with different people
to organize and ship people their riding clothes.”
Email your answer to [email protected] by 10/18/13.
All correct responses will be entered into a drawing to win a
free Pegasus T-shirt. Good luck!
Jillian’s fantastic work ethic and bubbly personality really
made her a great first volunteer in the Youth Project
program. Thanks a million, Jillian!
Pegasus Therapeutic Riding
310 Peach Lake Road
Brewster, NY 10509
If you know a young person who may be interested in the
Youth Projects program, he or she may contact Volunteer
Manager Lynn Peters at [email protected] or consult
pegasustr.org for additional information.
P: (845) 669-8235
F: (845) 669-5249
[email protected]
pegasustr.org
How many gallons of water does an average-size horse
typically drink each day?
Extra challenge: What is considered “normal” body
temperature for a horse?
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