Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Reminder: Tad Enck Horsemanship Clinic here April 13

The $10 donation goes to our 501c3 nonprofit organization. Half of that will go to Tad to cover some of his expenses. The other half goes to our rescued horses, for their feed and other care needs. DoubleHP pays no administrative salaries. No person within DoubleHP gets a penny of this money. Only the horses. And Tad, for his mileage etc.
 
 Please let us know if there are certain topics or issues or activities you would like us to cover at this clinic. This isn't really a colt starting clinic. The horses in the demos are pretty well started as riding horses. For the most part, they are horses that most average horse people could get along with pretty well. They aren't necessarily "finished" horses and some of them might not have even been on a real trailride yet, but they have really good starts as riding horses. Though they are all individuals and all have their unique strengths as well as things they need to spend more time on.  Just like us! 
 
 

Friday, March 22, 2013

English / Grammar tutor near Sioux Falls South Dakota through Equine Assisted Learning Program

 Through our new Equine Assisted Learning program, we are offering English / Grammar tutoring or sessions to brush up on basic grammar "rules." We know it is important to have at least average "good grammar" in our writing. Our goal is for above average but, for some, average will be a huge improvement!  Our program is called "Giddy-up Your Grammar."


This is our facility. The barn keeps us out of the wind, snow, rain, sun, bugs, mud, etc.
 
We are talking about a writing style appropriate for your purpose and audience. For example, this is a blog. kind of informal. Kind of informal writing is ok here. A research paper or job application requires a more formal style. What we are talking about here is at least average "good grammar" in writing. Much focus on word choice, meaning of sentence, consistency.

The facilitator for this is me. Darci Hortness. Many of you know me as the founder of DoubleHP horse rescue/adoption/education, and as the manager of our horse shelter New Hope Horse Shelter. (We are 501c3 nonprofit and also South Dakota's first & only GFAS approved shelter.) But, I do have some previous chapters to my life that you probably don't know about.



I taught high school and college English classes -- grammar, literature, creative writing, and journalism. I also taught psychology and sociology, and I coached athletic teams. In addition, I taught personal/professional development classes to nontraditional college students (adult learners) and  resume/interview classes to men incarcerated at the prison camp in Yankton, SD. I also became certified as a Professional Employment Counselor and, for ten years, operated my own small business called Resumes by Darci Kaye. I developed resumes and cover letters for more than 1,000 clients!

So then, along came the horses. The rescues. The training. I  simply didn't have time for my paying jobs anymore. And so, for the last 11 years I guess, I have been a full-time volunteer caring for our rescued horses. I do not accept a penny for this work, and I work harder than I ever have before. Physically, mentally and for sure, emotionally. Participants in our equine education programs help to sponsor the care of our rescued horses. This sponsorship money is used to buy hay or pay for vet & farrier needs. No person takes a penny of this money. It all goes to the rescued horses who live here.

With the addition of our sanctuary status and equine assisted learning programs in 2012, I continue to be a full-time volunteer as a facilitator for our equine education programs.

With the English / Grammar teaching, what makes this really unique, different from other English tutoring available in our area, is, of course, our herd of 19 horses! Often a student just needs to try a different learning environment. And so, why not a barn or pasture, surrounded by horses. This is NOT a high-tech program. There are no computers. There are papers and pens and, for small groups, chalkboards or writing boards.
The horses become teaching assistants and teaching tools and help us to develop our creative and correct sentences. They help us think of examples of verbs, adjectives, prepositional phrases, subjects, etc. They help us choose the correct word: its or it's , lie or lay, I or me, etc.
The horses make English / Grammar learning fun, interesting, creative. Unique for sure!
 


When I was in high school I didn't like many subjects. I liked Physical Education a lot! And I liked English. It was because of the teachers that I liked English. One teacher in particular  knew how to make Grammar seem like a puzzle -- a game, kind of.  We diagrammed a lot of sentences. It was fun, because the teacher made it fun.
 

And that is what we will do through our English / Grammar teaching program here. It will be fun.

This is not a reading class or language learning class. It is for adults, junior high, middle school, high school and college students who need a brush up on English / Grammar. Or for those students who need a lot more than a brush up. Some really need to start over. In a new learning environment. Perhaps one-on-one, being an only student, for whatever reason. I do remember those high school students who had their minds made up about this grammar thing. They did not like it, they did not understand it, they felt they would never need it, and they did not pay any attention to it. Some of them got an F and had to take the class over the next year. Some of them asked for special help toward the end of the semester and learned enough to barely squeak by with a D but were still ineligible for sports.

I meet up with former students every once in a while. They now understand. We DO need to have some basic grammar skills, if we are to move along and ahead in the upcoming chapters of our lives. Using at least average "good grammar" in your writing does a lot more for you than show that you have "good grammar." It shows that you can pay attention to detail, that you can learn and use what you learn, and that you do care about your professional image enough to have at least average "good grammar" in your writing.

Think about the industry you are in. Do you think you seem better qualified and more experienced if you know how to write correctly about the products you are making or the services you are marketing?

Do you think college or job applications might be a little easier for you if you have at least average "good grammar" in your writing? If you need to write a research paper for a class in coaching, counseling, farming, designing, or anything else, do you think you will get a better grade if you use at least average "good grammar" in your writing? If a job application asks you to tell a little about yourself, wouldn't you like to be confident in your use of words/grammar?

If this program, "Giddy-up Your Grammar," interests you -- for yourself, your child, your student, your employee, your team -- give us a call. 359-0961. We can schedule an appointment for you to come out and meet the teaching assistants: our horses. Most of them were rescued from extreme, severe starvation or slaughter. They are very friendly and appreciative of our friendship and our care.
Some of them are young, some of them are dominant, some of them are introverts, some of them are big, some of them are smaller, some of them are brown, some of them have spots. Most of them have scars, either physically visible or emotional & hidden. They all have unique personalities and backgrounds. No matter how old they are, they all have future chapters to their lives. They all keep moving, interacting, participating, learning, and yes, teaching. Every single day the horses here help me figure something out or remind me about something important in life. Some things are very deep and personal.
 
 

But "Giddy-up Your Grammar" is fun! And if you think you might benefit from it, give us a call. Thanks! 359-0961. That's Darci's phone.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

natural horsemanship with New Hope Horses

here is more info. about our ongoing natural horsemanship program. If you get started in the next couple of weeks, you will have a HUGE headstart on this before our Resident Instructor gets here in May. Maybe you can even get through level one before May.... if you start now.

Natural horsemanship with New Hope Horses

Help to sponsor one of our rescued horses, and participate with your sponsored horse in our horsemanship program.
We will help you through various levels of horsemanship, at your own pace. Starting with “groundwork,” basic safety around horses, haltering, assertive but not aggressive, space & distance, and playing some fun and educational games with your horse. You will see how all of this relates to riding. If you are already an experienced horseperson you will of course move through this level very quickly. For others, it may take a few weeks or possibly a couple of months (depends on how much time you are able to spend with your horse).

Once you are through this first level, you may begin riding. We will continue to help you through this second level where you will learn to ride more confidently, softly, freely. (The bridle is not there to hold you on; in fact, you may even advance to the level of riding withOUT a bridle. That will be up to you.)
Our scheduling goal will be to arrange at least two 2-hour sessions for you and your sponsored horse each week. Of course you may visit more often than that! How much supervised or unsupervised time you have with your horse will depend on your level of horsemanship. Your need for supervision should decrease as your horsemanship level increases. Once you get through the second level, which includes riding, you will be well on your way! 

Here’s a promise: We have promised these very special horses a forever home here. They are not available for adoption, so if you fall in love…. Correction: WHEN you fall in love with our horses, you don’t have to worry about saying goodbye to them. These horses live here. This is their home.
Your sponsorship contribution in 2013 will start out at $160 per month. Your sponsorship money goes to Horse Help Providers, Inc. (DoubleHP), the 501c3 nonprofit organization that rescued these horses and is responsible for their care. Your sponsorship money helps to feed and care for these rescued horses. Not a penny goes to a person. It all goes to the horses.

After you are through the second level, which includes learning to ride more freely, your monthly sponsorship contribution may be lowered; and you may enjoy helping other people who are just getting started in our horsemanship program.
For many reasons, including consistency for horses and humans, we follow a specific horsemanship program that is strongly influenced by Parelli Natural Horsemanship Levels (though we do not have a permanent Parelli instructor here). Learn more at www.parelli.com.

In May, we DO have a Resident Instructor here – a Licensed Parelli Instructor! So your May sponsorship will include some lessons with our Parelli Instructor.
No Previous Horse Experience Required.
Our Horses will show you everything you need to know.
About Life.
(605) 359-0961     www.newhopehorses.org
 

Friday, March 15, 2013

$100 gift certificate toward gelding procedure, compliments of DoubleHP

At the SD Horse Fair in Sioux Falls, At 6 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday) night we are going to raffle off a gift certificate worth $100 toward gelding procedure at Dakota Large Animal Clinic, Harrisburg, SD. the certificate expires May 1. (we got some grant money for this specific purpose, and we have to find a home for this money by a certain date!) All responsible breeders, responsible owners, rescuers, and adopters are eligible! The raffle tickets only cost a dollar!
We also have some $40 certificates toward dog/cat spay/neuter that we will raffle off at various times Sat and Sunday at the Horse Fair. see you there!

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Accepting donated items for our rummage table and our raffles at the SD Horse Fair tradeshow March 15-17, 2013, in Sioux Falls

Yes! we have a booth this year at the Horse Fair. each day we will have several raffle drawings and a rummage table too. Raffle tickets are only $1, or 6 for $5. We will be raffling off some lessons with Licensed Parelli INstructor Bryna Helle when she is here in May, also some gift certificates toward spay/neuter of dogs and cats, or gelding procedure for colts/stallions. some books, CDs by Brule', new leather headstall, blingy turquoise halter, a couple of Breyers, etc.

WE COULD USE A FEW MORE REALLY NEAT RAFFLE ITEMS FOR OUR BOOTH!
Please call if you would like to donate something. 605 359-0961.
We are 501c3 nonprofit organization (Horse Help Providers, Inc.)

On our "rummage" table, we have many horse jammy/sleezy/slinkies or whatever you call them. these were donated to us and are all different colors and some with matching tail bag. never been used. also lots of horsey books, some 2005 Hesston/NFR belt buckles, some mini beaded halters & leads, can't remember what all. these are new or nearly new items.
WE ARE ALSO ACCEPTING DONATIONS FOR OUR RUMMAGE TABLE.
When a person donates $10, he gets to choose a thank-you item from our table. When a person donates $20, he gets to choose 3 thank-you items. The money goes to buy hay for our rescued horses who live here.
DoubleHP pays NO administrative salaries. We are the true meaning of nonprofit and volunteerism.

updated info. about our facility, organization, and new equine assisted learning programs

click on the image to enlarge it for reading.

Some Special Events Coming Up at DoubleHP/New Hope Horse Shelter

if you click on the image it will enlarge so you can read it better.

Help Sponsor a rescued horse, and take lessons from Licensed Parelli Instructor

click on that image and it will enlarge so you can read it better. call us if interested or if you have questions.