BOBBY THE LITTLE WHITE PARD HORSE
You know Stormy and Frank and NuBuck and Doc
But do you recall…..the smallest white PARD horse of all?
Bobby, the little white PARD horse,
Had a very bad habit of banging his stall door.
And if you ever heard him,
You would know how naughty he is!
All of the other horses 
Wouldn’t believe Bobby was a great therapy horse
They never let Bobby explain to them
That’s why he started banging his stall door
Then one Christmas Eve, Brendon and Wendy came to say,
Bobby with you coat so white,
Stop all the door banging in our barn tonight!
Bobby began to think about all the commotion he caused
And the special request from Brendon & Wendy
And he did his best to comply to the ‘request’ 
Then all the horses loved him
And they shouted out with glee
Bobby with your coat so white
You’ll go down in PARD history

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Hi Angela,
 
Congratulations! You are a Runner-Up Winner of our Celebration of Horses Photo Contest, published in Canadian Horse Journal and on HORSEJournals.com.
 
Your Prize will be shipped directly from our sponsor, Canadian Saddlery – and includes a Prize Pack worth $40, including a Treat Ball ($29.99), plus 1 bag of Martin Treats ($9.99)
 
Check out all of the Winners and Runners-Up on our website, at https://www.horsejournals.com/celebration-horses-photo-contest.
 
Thank you for entering our 2019 Photo Contest!

PARD Riders, Volunteers, and their families are invited to the Volunteer Appreciation BBQ this year. It's a chance for everyone to mingle while "not on the clock". Enjoy bbq hotdogs and hamburgers and refreshments. Please bring your own chair. RSVP pardtherapeuticriding@gmail.com 

Visit our facebook page for more info!

​PARD will be on hand selling baked goods and hosting a charity BBQ! 

The weather was kind and the sun brought a forgotten warmth as volunteers scurried around the farm preparing for the upcoming Open House. The buildings are finished (pictures coming soon, in another post), reorganized inside and out, and ready for final inspection. The ramp area was weeded (what would we do without our Anne Marie) and the grounds are looking much more like home now that the water is receding and the grass growing. 
A big thanks to all those who came out the help and enjoy the sunshine!
See you at the open house May 26th.

*update*
BINGO raised $1670 from ticket sales plus an additional $550 from the Silent Auction, and received $130 in donations that night. PARD would like to thank Tracy Magee-Graham for the great job she did organizing ticket sales and collecting items for the silent auction. We also thank Delta Bingo, and everyone who supported the event by purchasing a ticket and attending the event!
~Angie

BINGO has returned! For $20 you get everything you need to dab the night away...game cards (and they come with a handy guide for the newbies - so you have no excuse if you've never played before), a bingo dabber which you can keep as a sentimental token of the wonderful memories you will make that night, an entry into the door prize draw, and a chance to peruse the silent action table to snag some fabulous finds! Bring a friend for even more fun!  

Are you a rider or supporter and want to lend us a hand by selling tickets to your friends and coworkers? Please contact us today and we will arrange to get you a book of tickets asap! 

As always, PARD receives $10 from every ticket sold and $15 if you actually come to play! So you can still buy a ticket even if you can't make (but we really want you to come because it's fun and you might win, which makes it even funner. Yes, funner. Now DAB!

The Ennismore Curling Club has selected PARD Therapeutic Riding to be the beneficiary of the 2019 Curl for a Cause Bonspiel on February 9th 2019. This event is open to area curlers and details can be found by visiting their website or checking out the flyer below. You can enter as an individual, pair or team. Entry fee includes two eight-end games, lunch, dinner and prizes. PARD is also accepting silent auction items, please contact PARD if you have something you would like to donate.  HURRY HARD!

*edit*
​Curl for a Cause generously raised $6000 for PARD from entry fees, the silent auction, and the raffle table. PARD was overwhelmed by the effort Susan and Sharon put into making this a fun and fabulous event! Thank you to everyone who donated and curled! 

In April of 2018, our therapy horse “Bobby” received the best birthday present ever...a $5000 Platinum-level “Grand Prix” sponsorship from the Gainey Foundation! Established in memory of Cathy and Laura Gainey, the Gainey Foundation is committed to supporting charitable organizations that offer environmental and arts education programs for youth*. PARD thought it was only fitting to have Mr Bob Gainey sponsor a horse named Bobby! And now thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Gainey Foundation, Bobby (the horse, of course) has his board, hay, feed, nutritional supplements, vet visits, farrier visits, and so much more covered for one year. Bobby was 16 years old when he joined the program in 2015. He’s the smallest of the five horses we currently have, making him an ideal fit for our young riders. He has won the hearts of many of our volunteers with his kind disposition and willingness to please. He has many good years to offer PARD as a therapy horse.

*http://www.gaineyfoundation.com/gainey-foundation/about-the-foundation/

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At PARD our riders get onto the the horse by using either the traditional block mount or a ramp mount. The block mount (pictured above) is similar to the mounting blocks that you would see at other barns; whether they be a plastic portable one or a more fixed structure. PARD's block mount is a permanent structure in the designated 'mounting area' that provides enough room for the rider and instructor to be on the mount at the same time. This provides the instructor the ability to assist the rider physically if needed and/or simply be there to encourage proper technique.

For riders with assistive devices such as walkers and wheelchairs, the ramp mount system allows the rider to utilize the device to safely enter the mount area and move up the ramps. The ramp mount makes it easier for riders with mobility issues to mount. It does this in two ways. The first being that it puts the rider higher than the horse so when he/she moves their leg over the horse to mount it requires less flexibility through the hip and pelvic area. The second way is called a crest mount. This mount is when the rider stands with his/her back toward the horse at the saddle and with assistance from the instructor and volunteers sits on the saddle. The rider is guided to sit forward while his/her legs are raised together up and over the horses neck. The riders legs are then guided down each side of the horse into proper position. Both of these methods provide a safer and more comfortable mount for riders with mobility and flexibility concerns.

The ramp mount can be complex and very demanding for our volunteers and horses. The horse is led into a chute created by a ramped platform on either side. The horse is required to remain standing still and patiently until the rider is mounted, at which time the horse, rider, volunteers and instructor move down the ramp and out of the mounting area in a synchronous fashion.

This mounting process is one of the reasons it takes a special horse to be a therapy horse. Our amazing PARD boys have the skill, patience and forgiveness to pull this off several times each lesson night, twice a week. It's just one of the many, MANY reasons we love them.