Tuesday, April 21, 2015

press release about our events this weekend!

heres a press release you may share if you want. the posts previous to this one will give you more info about the events this weekend. our rummage sale on Saturday in Sioux Falls, and our "barn dance" here at our horse shelter on Sunday.
 
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

APRIL 20, 2015

CONTACT:
Darci Hortness, President
Horse Help Providers, Inc. (DoubleHP)
(605) 359-0961


DoubleHP Celebrates ASPCA Help A Horse Day on April 26th

Community support needed for chance to win $10,000 ASPCA grant and
save more horses

CROOKS, SD (April 20, 2015) — DoubleHP will be celebrating the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) national Help A Horse Day on April 26 and competing for a chance to win up to $10,000 in grant prizes to assist with their efforts in equine welfare. To celebrate the event, DoubleHP has a Kingswood Rummage Sale on Saturday April 25 at 1609 S. Deerberry Trail in Sioux Falls, and a “Barn Dance” on Sunday April 26 at DoubleHP Horse Sanctuary & Learning Center, 25337 470 Ave (about 3 miles north of Crooks).

This nationwide competition is for equine rescues and sanctuaries to raise awareness about the lifesaving work they do year-round to care for at-risk horses in their community who have often been abused or neglected. Horses have been central to the ASPCA’s work since its founding 149 years ago, when Henry Bergh stopped a cart driver from beating his horse, resulting in the first successful arrest for the mistreatment of a horse on April 26, 1866.

 “Sunday’s Barn Dance at DoubleHP WILL include some dancing. Dancing with horses. Horses have a natural sense of rhythm, balance and harmony, so whenever we are involved in horse activities, riding or non-riding, it is a bit like a beautiful dance,” said Darci Hortness, DoubleHP’s Founder/President.

The ASPCA Help A Horse Day contest is a wonderful opportunity for our team to welcome Sioux Falls area residents and businesses into our barn to help spread awareness about responsible horse ownership. Most of the horses we have rescued from starvation were rescued when they were babies, products of irresponsible breeding and neglectful ownership. Most of the horses that we rescue are also untrained. Some have never been touched before, let alone ridden. Horses that have been trained properly can almost always find a good, new home. Horses without training are difficult to place. Training has always been a priority for our rescue horses. And we have a program at our learning center which will help other people learn how to train their horses as well. So many times, young horses get labeled as “dangerous” just because their owners don’t know how to train or handle them. Through our horsemanship program, we can help people learn how to be safe, happy, and successful with their horses. And they will be learning from the best teachers in the world – The Horses of DoubleHP. You can send your horse to a trainer, but if you don’t involve yourself in that training, how will you know what to do with your horse when you bring him back home? Our program is designed so that people can learn good horsemanship skills and habits at our facility, and then take what they learn from us and apply it to their horses at home. We have had many participants come here to learn, even though they already own horses. We have also had many people come here to learn before they go out and buy a horse. Other people come here because they know they won’t be able to afford their own horse for a long, long time. So they come here and share one of our rescued horses and learn about horses for as many months or years as they want to. So many nice young horses fall through the cracks, get labeled as “dangerous,” and end up on the slaughter truck, just because their humans don’t have the time, money, or skills to properly train them. Usually, when a horse-related accident occurs, it is a human error. Usually just one little thing a human could have done differently, and then there wouldn’t have been an accident at all. It might be something as simple as learning how to put a halter on or learning how to ask a horse to slow down or stop when it gets a little worried about something. These are things you can learn when you come to our Barn Dance on Sunday. Oh, and you can learn how to NOT get your toes stepped on too!  Horses are majestic, loving animals, and we hope our local supporters will come out on April 26 to help us win a $10,000 grant so we can continue our lifesaving efforts for years to come.”

Horse Help Providers, Inc., has been a 501c3 nonprofit for more than 10 years. It is South Dakota’s first and only GFAS approved Sanctuary and, in addition to offering education through a horsemanship program, has EAGALA certified facilitators available for equine-assisted counseling, learning, and psychotherapy.

Sunday’s Barn Dance is free to attend, and there will be door prizes. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about the event and about DoubleHP, please visit www.newhopehorses.org or call Darci at 359-0961.