Greetings!
I hope that you are all staying healthy and that you have been able to enjoy the beautiful warm weather we've been having! I also want to give an update on RTT's plans for re-opening. Now that Governor Mills has announced the State’s phased plan for re-opening we have a bit more guidance. As with all things related to COVID-19, RTT’s plans are subject to change based on new information and guidance which, as you know, is changing daily.
RTT’s staff has been hard at work reviewing federal, state, and local guidelines, and overlaying these guidelines with RTT’s operations. Our horses have now been out of mounted work for almost two months. They have been enjoying their "vacation" and while they have been getting
some
exercise, this has been very limited. So our first step in this process will be getting be getting the horses back to a regular work schedule and off of unemployment!! As we look at re-opening, our highest priority is protecting the health of anyone coming to the farm. For everyone to be safe, we will be creating a new, virtual training that will be required for
anyone
coming back to the farm. This training will identify new procedures including traffic flow, hygiene, use of masks and social distancing. In addition, we’ll be developing specific procedures related to grooming, tacking, mounts, dismounts, tack cleaning, etc. It’s complicated, to say the least, and the checklist is lengthy, but we are making progress!!
While we do not yet have a concrete re-open date, I promise to keep you posted as to our plans. Staff and instructors will be reaching out to all of our "current" 2020 clients and volunteers over the next couple of weeks as a general check in. I wish I could tell you more right now, but there are far too many unknowns. As always if you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out via
email
.
I can’t tell you how much we miss you!!
Be well—
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Sarah Bronson, Executive Director
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Featured Horse of the Week... Paxton
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Paxton is a 22 year-old Hanoverian cross mare who has been at the farm for three years and is a favorite of many! Before Paxton came to RTT she had a long career as a competitor with her former owner and breeder, Mary Jordan. Check out this
great article
about Mary and Paxton!
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Paxton shares thoughts her with you...
So I’m Paxton, Paxton Abbey, that is. Before I came to RTT, I traveled all over the United States as a three-day event and dressage horse, even competing for the United States in the 2010 World Equestrian Games! I have been at the farm since the summer of 2017 and moved seamlessly into the program, if I do say so myself. I love teaching people new skills and I especially like being rewarded with treats at the end of lessons. I am very friendly, very curious, and very affectionate. At RTT, I hang out in a paddock with Beloved, Abby, Lilly, and Porsche. Like just about every other horse at the farm, I enjoy a good roll in the mud and I really love being groomed.
Would you like to help a RTT horse like Paxton?
Become a RTT Herd Champion!
Champions for the RTT Herd raise funds and awareness for their favorite RTT horse(s). COVID-19 has suspended our programming, but our horses still need 24/7 care!
BONUS: RTT Herd Champions who raise over $250 will receive a T-shirt with their favorite horse's picture on it!
To learn more email
Susan
!
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Learn from Home
Practice your horse colors! Play this
crossword
(online or print it out), or challenge yourself with a game of
memory
(use the drop down menu to choose how many cards you play with)! If you need a refresher on horse colors, watch this short video!
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Rider & Driver Exercises at Home
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This week, Marissa shares hip stretches to help you stay limber! This is great for all riders (that means you too, schoolers), and is a good mobility exercise, even for those who don't ride!
All you need for this exercise is a comfortable surface, such a yoga mat, and a chair, or something of similar height.
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Continuing Education for Volunteers
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On Changing Direction...
In
this video
,
Sarah demonstrates some of the ways we can change direction, or rein, during a lesson. Changes in direction are important to ensure that horses and humans get equal exercise and input on both sides of their bodies. Kate explains several ways in which we might ask riders to change directions in a lesson: crossing the diagonal, going across the mid-line of the arena, going down the centerline, and a half-circle reverse. We often use the letters to help direct the flow of traffic when we are asking for changes of direction.
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Zoom with us
**Sign up to Zoom with a Horse**
We are having so much fun 'Zooming and Grooming' one on one with participants! Please use this
Google Form
to select a time to Zoom with us and your favorite horse.
Follow us on Social Media
Send us an e-mail
We want to
hear from you
! Tell us what you want to see from us, or just send us a hello!
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A message from Donna B.
Hi to you all,
I hope this finds you and your families healthy. We are all quarantining down here in North Carolina and only interacting with those we live with. At the farm where I help them exercise their horses we all wear masks, we sort of look like the Wild West!! I thought you might enjoy seeing Troopy go through his paces. I hope to be back at the end of May or beginning of June. Stay healthy and I’ll see you soon.
~Donna Borowick
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Share
what you've been up to during these extraordinary times. We'd love to share your favorite recipe, an outdoor activity, or a project with the rest of the team!
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Shopping from home? Shop for RTT!
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