News from Around SIRE
SIRE Riders Shine at State Special Olympics
The weekend of May 17-19 all three SIRE sites participated in the State Special Olympics in the Brazos County Expo Center in Bryan, Texas. Riders, staff and volunteers have spent months practicing and preparing for this three-day event. Twenty-one SIRE riders and 15 SIRE horses participated in the multi-day competition in the English and Western equitation, trail, and dressage classes. It
SIRE Offers Summer Educational Workshops
This summer, Anthony Busacca, Education and Training Director/Program Consultant for SIRE Therapeutic Horsemanship, will be offering three educational opportunities for those interested in furthering their expertise as a therapeutic instructor or are considering owning a horse and need to learn about basic equine care and stable management. The three sessions will be offered June through August. Topics include: Instructor Training Course - June 27-29 at
Veteran Horses Ride Off into the Sunset
Earlier this month, we said a tearful goodbye to two of our retiring and dearest program horses, Hadley and Runa. While plans had already been made to retire Hadley, it became increasingly apparent over the past couple of months that our dear Runa was giving us signs she was ready for retirement too. We worked closely with our vet and farrier
SIRE Riding Prepares Levi for SDR Muscle Surgery Success
Levi Redmann’s world incorporates a lot of connections to SIRE. For his recent Jurassic World/Pokémon themed sixth birthday party, his two faithful side walkers and his riding classmate topped the guest list. In December, Levi’s holiday gift-giving plan incorporated peppermints for the horse herd. Levi was born with cerebral palsy. His mom, Heather, said that it was
Special Olympics 2019
During the month of April several SIRE riders participated in the Special Olympics Area Equestrian Competitions. Riders 8 years and older competed in events including equitation and working trail horse. Riders 12 years and older who participated will have the opportunity to compete at the State level May 17-19 at the Brazos County Expo Center in Bryan, Texas.
SIRE Under The Stars – Exceeds Goal
SIRE Therapeutic Horsemanship commemorated 35 years of transforming the lives of people with special needs through horse therapy and that intuitive connection between horse and human by achieving its $200,000 fundraising goal at SIRE Under the Stars, April 5, at River Oaks Country Club. Carol and Jim Farnsworth and Mary Elizabeth Wise Sand co-chaired the western chic-themed event that
SIRE LOVES VOLUNTEERS
SIRE riders rely on the dedication of our incredible volunteers. Annually, SIRE volunteers donate more than 30,000 hours of service. This is equivalent to 15 full-time employees working for the entire year! Recently at SIRE, each site held an appreciation event for volunteers and recognized those with 500+ and 1,000+ volunteer hours. It is this dedication and passion that
Shelby Overcomes
SIRE Helps Erase the Fear, Build Strength and Confidence Shelby Day used to be afraid of almost everything -- including animals. During her first visit to SIRE Therapeutic Horsemanship when she was in the third grade, Shelby was hugging one of the horses within no time. That was 20 years ago. Since then Shelby has won dozens of riding
Welcome Christine
Please welcome Christine Starkweather to the SIRE team at Hockley. Christine started with SIRE this past fall volunteering in the arena and is now working for SIRE as the Volunteer Coordinator at the Hockley location. She brings a passion for horses and a dedication to helping those with special needs. We are thrilled to have her and encourage you to get to know Christine. As
Gertie and Jaybird Help Prove Doctors Wrong
“We need to get him on a horse,” was what Aidan DeFrates’ physical therapist told his parents. Aidan was almost 3 years old. He couldn’t sit up, crawl or talk. He had already had surgeries to repair a hole in his heart and implant a device for his brain to preempt the 80 seizures his little body was experiencing
Horse Show for the Holidays
The 4th Annual Holiday Horse Show was a great success. The horses were blessed, and Santa presided over riders as they showcased their talents with Elf Equitation and holiday races. Everyone enjoyed a fajita lunch catered by the incredibly generous Cisco’s Salsa Co. The festively adorned barn popped with color and sparkle. In this season, we are blessed with
Retired Couple Lends Double Dose of Support
Teri and Don Page prepare Special Olympians for competition. They guide specially trained therapy horses to adapt to their riders with special needs. Providing moral support and encouragement, they impact the lives of people—both riders ad families—by volunteering with SIRE Therapeutic Horsemanship. On most Thursdays, the retired energy industry professionals can be seen around the Hockley location. Pairing up
SIRE Rider Earns Special Olympic Gold & Star Musician Status
SIRE Rider Earns Special Olympic Gold, Star Musician Status Having benefited from therapeutic riding in another state, the Maleriches were familiar with harnessing the connection between horse and human to enhance the lives of people with special needs. But it took a move to Texas and immersion into the SIRE family for Carol Malerich to fully benefit from learning
A Message of Celebration!
At SIRE Therapeutic Horsemanship, we experience gratitude and friendship every day. The success people find at SIRE is the result of the trust and connection between humans and horses. This bond facilitates life-changing events for our riders. Some find new strength and physical skills. Some learn social skills and overcome anxiety. Everyone gains confidence and a well-earned sense of
SIRE Builds 9 Year Old’s Core Strength, Confidence and Life Wisdom
THE JP WEST STORY JP West digs Abraham Lincoln. He memorized the first lines of the Gettysburg Address, wrote a book report about the former President and visited his log cabin home in Kentucky during a detour of the family road trip north to Grammy’s. JP likes to cook and watch the Food Network TV show Diners, Drive-Ins and
Supporters Raise Nearly $95,000 for Saddle Up for SIRE
From horse leaders and side walkers to barbecue buffet servers and homemade dessert bakers, volunteers triumphantly brought the 2018 Saddle Up for SIRE to successful fruition Oct. 20 at the 7IL Ranch in Cat Spring, Texas. Numbering nearly 100, volunteers lent their time and know-how for the event’s 26th year. They registered supporters who brought their own horses to