SPIRIT Open Equestrian Program

SPIRIT Board of Directors

Hedy Glen, President
Louise Peterson, Vice President
Michele Camden, Treasurer
Leslie Painter, Secretary
Gibson McMahon, Officer

Counselors: Colleen Zanin, Whitney Fitzgerald
Program Director : Davorka Suvak

MEET THE SPIRIT TEAM

The riders are certainly a treasured part of the SPIRIT family. Please meet our SPIRITed Riders on their own page.

Teamwork is the very heart of SPIRIT. Each team member (staff and , volunteers, horses, riders and their families) both contributes to and benefits from participation and we are blessed to have such a dedicated and enthusiastic team.

It is hard to name all wonderful people who helped to set up SPIRIT, with an enormous amount of time, energy or other help and support, but SPIRIT will be always thankful to:

Ramsey Pavitt
Kate White
Whitney Fitzgerald
Hedy Glen
Richard Smith
Sam and Theresa Grant
Courtney King White
Washington Forrest Foundation
Bacas Family Foundation
Miriam Tsantes
Mary Tartaglione
Laura and Stuart Mendelsohn

and to all other volunteers, supporters and donors.

VOLUNTEERS

SPIRIT could not exist without the support of a large and dedicated corps of volunteers, many of whom contribute exceptional life experience and special skills. There are too many volunteers to profile on this page, and the numbers are growing, so we will salute each in this space over time.

For volunteer Angela Bandemehr, here is what SPIRIT means: "As the parent of a special needs child, I find that I haven't had a chance to give back to the community until now. Helping others gives me the strength to keep helping my own family. I do it for the smiles on the children's faces and, admittedly, because I'm addicted to the smell and feel of horses. :)"

For Jeff, "the smiles on the riders' faces once they are on a horse" is also what keeps him coming back to SPIRIT. "I came to SPIRIT along with a friend who had volunteered at a previous therapeutic riding program. I continue to volunteer with SPIRIT because I enjoy working with the horses, helping people" and those smiles.

HORSES

Each of SPIRIT's three mounts has been carefully selected based on health, size and temperament and each has joined SPIRIT through donation or rescue.

Spirit, a founding member of the SPIRIT team and namesake for this organization. Spirit is free in field after first year of hard work.

We also remember other horses who have moved on but were key members of SPIRIT: Louie (Leader of the Band), a Morgan gelding and Angel, a TB mare.

Pin Oaks Infiniti, known simply as "T", joined SPIRIT in late Summer 2007, thanks to the generosity of her former owner, Courtney White, who has since become an active and indispensable member of the SPIRIT team and board.

T is a Morgan mare, with all the excellence of her breed, a high level of training and a great temperament for our riders.

Colby Dylan is a nice palomino gelding with the constitution of a real Andalusian and some Appaloosa spots on his coat. He is a strong, patient "gentle giant" who is providing safe and beneficial experience for our riders.

Mare Shadow is the latest horse in SPIRIT. Leslie, her owner, is an instructer in training.

And Harmony is a cute pony mare who fits with the youngest riders at SPIRIT.

SPIRIT

Open Equestrian Program Inc. is a nationally recognized, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides therapeutic, equestrian-related activities to children and adults of all abilities. Meet ourSPIRITed Riders, their parents, and see what program means to them. We did it with help of special people, Spirit's friends. All nice words of riders and parents, all smiles and small victories, belong to them...

Thank You, Spirit's Friends!

The SPIRIT Team and families are thankful for all the help that we receive. Please help us to keep on going.

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