Sooo Excited & Grateful!!

[garyo]

Some of you may have read a previous post about a equine reading program that I was starting at the high school where I work as a Guidance Counselor. Our new Principal came Monday and encouraged me to get it up and going right away. So today we went to the mini auction in Ocala to see if there were any bargains for the program. We currently have no seed money although the Principal said he would pay for the program. At the auction today Roger Addis and Dale Ganger agreed to donate two horses to the program. We went by their farm and picked up a two year tiny miniature stallion and a small yearling shetland filly.

When we got back to the school with them we were met by a group of the AG kids who had everything ready for them and were super excited. One little girl was so cute. She asked if we wanted her to exercise them when she comes out on weekend to walk her steer. Robin Cole has also invited me to come and shop through things in her barn so that they have everything they need. If the excitement we encountered to day is any indication of the excitement that these two adorable furballs will generate in our low readers we should see miracles.

I just need to ask you all out there for one small favor. If you have any equine related books (no magazines please) that you no longer want and would be willing to donate please PM me. If necessary I mail be able to come up with the money for shipping if you could donate the actual books. We only have aboput 50 currently and need many more than that.

Ruth

 

[Mini Persuasions Farm]

Some of you may have read a previous post about a equine reading program that I was starting at the high school where I work as a Guidance Counselor. Our new Principal came Monday and encouraged me to get it up and going right away. So today we went to the mini auction in Ocala to see if there were any bargains for the program. We currently have no seed money although the Principal said he would pay for the program. At the auction today Roger Addis and Dale Ganger agreed to donate two horses to the program. We went by their farm and picked up a two year tiny miniature stallion and a small yearling shetland filly.

When we got back to the school with them we were met by a group of the AG kids who had everything ready for them and were super excited. One little girl was so cute. She asked if we wanted her to exercise them when she comes out on weekend to walk her steer. Robin Cole has also invited me to come and shop through things in her barn so that they have everything they need. If the excitement we encountered to day is any indication of the excitement that these two adorable furballs will generate in our low readers we should see miracles.

I just need to ask you all out there for one small favor. If you have any equine related books (no magazines please) that you no longer want and would be willing to donate please PM me. If necessary I mail be able to come up with the money for shipping if you could donate the actual books. We only have aboput 50 currently and need many more than that.

Ruth

Hello, Although I have read this forum for many years I have never written but your topic has me very interested in hearing more about this program. I wonder if you would be so kind as to email me at [email protected] with complete details of this program? Thanks so much. Peggy

 

[LittleRibbie]

Ruth, that sounds wonderful and how wonderful is it that someone donated a couple of horses. I too would lke to know more about your reading program, how it works and what ages are the students. Do the horses stay at your barn? Please tell us more.

Heidi

 

[targetsmom]

This sounds great and I, too, would love more details. Is this an Ag Science School? Will the minis be used for other purposes? Is there someplace that the schools themselves exchange information about programs that use horses/minis?

 

[rcfarm]

What a wonderful program. I live in Fl. , but on the east coast. I have some books they are about big horses if you can use??

email me [email protected]

Thanks Carol

 

[~Lisa~]

Raven is an avid reader I am sure she has some books- what age group are you looking for the books to be for?

 

[targetsmom]

For the books, do want fiction or non-fiction?

 

[garyo]

Ruth, that sounds wonderful and how wonderful is it that someone donated a couple of horses. I too would lke to know more about your reading program, how it works and what ages are the students. Do the horses stay at your barn? Please tell us more.Heidi

We are running the program at the high school where I work as a Guidance Counselor. We are a special education center school as well as a regular high school with everything from regular to dual enrollment and advanced placement classes. The students range in age from 13 to 21 but because of the nature of some of the student's disabilities reading levels may range from beginning word recognition to advanced college level. The horses are currently housed in round pen type areas with the rest of the AG program animals. We will be building them their own two stall run in and paddock. The design of that area is part of the program as some of the advanced AG students who are also reading deficient will be reading books on facility design and construction and helping to build the housing.

The basic premise of the program is that research strongly supports that kids read more and read more thoroughly materials in which they are interested. Kids are also more likely to repeat desired behavior if they are reinforced for performing that behavior with an item or activity that they enjoy. In this instance those two concepts have been integrated into the following: 1)we have set up an equine library (it currently only has 50 books and videos, hence why I need your donations of equine books) 2) Students are being surveyed by the intensive reading teachers (all students who are not on grade level for reading per our state test have to take this course) to determine who has an interest in equines 3) the students who express an interest will have a special form signed by their parent and the family will be informed about the program 4) If parents agree the student checks a book out of the library, reads it, and completes a very skill specific book report 5) they turn the book into their reading teacher who evaluated it using a standardized rubric 6)if the book report matches the rubric the student is given a contact certificate which entitles them to time with the horses. Regular ed non-AG kids will be spending time with them after school. AG kids will be mentoring the special education kids during the day. Only the kids who read the books (regular, AG or ESE) get to work with the horses. This will include the AG kids who feed, etc.

I know of no other program in the country that uses horse like this, thus I had no real model to follow. The program is based on similar programs using dogs and the EAGALA model. The books can be for big or little horse, ponies or donkeys and they can be fiction or non-fiction. The idea is simply to get them to read more and to care about the content. Eventually I can see the AG program using the minis for some equine education modules but they do not currently have that in their curriculum.

Thank you for your interest.

Because I am soooo emotionally invested in this program I plan to keep good data, take photos, etc. I will keep you all updated.

 

[albahurst]

This program sounds very exciting! Thanks so much for sharing and I look forward to updates. As a reading specialist, I really get excited to hear of innovative programs to encourage reading.

Peggy Porter

 

[Connie P]

I would love to donate some books to your wonderful program. I need an address please.

 

[wingnut]

Would it be possible to create a "wish list" on Barnes and Noble? I don't have any books to send but would be happy to buy some and have them shipped directly to you for this great cause! Personally, I think every horse lover should read every book by Marguerite Henry

Maybe I should just start there?

ETA: Okay, I've got a bunch of MH books in my cart over at B&N ready to ship! PM with the addy and they're on their way!

 

[targetsmom]

What a fantastic idea Wingnut!!!

 

[garyo]

I cannot begin to tell you how humbled I am by your incredible generosity. Any books fact or fiction with horses as characters or related to their care or training will be greatly appreciated. All books can be sent to Ruth Owen, Central High School, 14075 Ken Austin Pkwy., Brooksville, Florida 34613.

Once again, thank you so very much on behalf of me and all the kids who will hopefully benefit from your generosity.

Ruth

 

[SWA]

Ruth,

What a wonderful delight to read here of your exciting new program for your school! Several years ago when we lived in Maine, we met someone who was very kind, tremendously inspirational and encouraging to us when my husband first broke his neck. It was his "genuine friendship" to our family while enduring what seemed to us at the time, as our "darkest hours", that deeply inspired us to start a charitable foundation that would, in turn, strive to "pay it forward", in offering of our "in like friendship" to other families in crisis. We co-founded this endeavor with him. Over the next several years that followed, this man continually and selflessly donated boxes and boxes of his own book that he wrote some 40 years long before we ever even knew of him. With those, we offered them through the many fund raising auctions we held right here on LB, where the sales of such played their part that enabled us to offer monetary assistance to several families across the country. Additionally, several more copies were gleefully given to many families as a "Family Reading Time" tool, in hopes of serving as a means of bringing families together for some quality "family time", if only over just "reading this book together" a few minutes at a time.

His name was Howard Small, of Yarmouth, Maine. His book, is called "Monty's Pal". A book he wrote (from the heartfelt views of his own horse), sharing of his family's early days sometime in the 1930's and 40's, when they toured America together as a family sharing his trickhorse, Pal. In the book he also makes mention of the early days when they showed and raced their ASPC ponies together as a family too. Howard is pictured on the back cover of his book, along with his pride and joy, Meteor Magic. An ASPC American Shetland Pony Stallion, that he founded America's very first "Pony Harness Racing" registry with (the USPTA), through the ASPC, sometime back in the 1950's.

Much to our deep sorrow our most cherished family friend and mentor passed away just this past year. Subsequently, the foundation was dissolved as well, for that, and various other personal reasons. However, I do still have several copies of his book left here with me to this day. Ruth, it would be and honor to be able to donate the remainder of Howard's kind generosities in these last held copies of his book to your program, all in his beloved memory.

Warmest always,

Tanya & Family

 

[Suzie]

Could someone PIN this thread or add it to the information pages? I would like to have it for future reference and to follow up on. Thanks!

 

[targetsmom]

In the process of asking my teen helpers for books, one mentioned that she gets lots of books from the Pony Club. Have you thought of contacting them to see if they would donate books for your program?

 

[garyo]

I had not thought about the pony club. Thank you for the suggestion. Tonya and Lee thank you so very much for including our program in the legacy of your great friend and partner. We would be honored to include his books in our program.

 

[targetsmom]

Three books are on their way from Amazon. I am still collecting used books too, but those will take longer.

 

[chandab]

Working on a box of books to send your way. What a great program.

 

[garyo]

Thank you so much. I have gotten about five packages of donated books, some brand new from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Gary and some of the AG kids helped to finish Charlie and Baby Face's stable on Friday. Good thing as it poured Saturday. The special education kids have been out to the AG area a couple times (their teachers and peers couldn't wait) and they are absolutely in love. One of the boys who helped on the barn Friday told me he hates school. After we talked for a while he asked where the books were for the program. If we can connect with just one kid like him all the work will definitely be worth it. We still need a few supplies for them (fly sheets & masks, blankets) and I am trying to talk our local feed store into adopting them feedwise.

Thanks again and I will post pics soon.

Ruth