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Testimonials:
“As a former student and
presently an assistant to her 4-H program, I can attest to
the quality of Joanne Gelinas’s horsemanship program. Her
concern and care for her students and horses makes her
program standout next to other programs. She is always
putting the interest of her students first, offering to
them a first rate program to teach them the skills they
will use in the horse world. With a well-rounded education
in the equine field, Joanne is able to provide experience
to her students that they would be hard pressed to find
elsewhere. She is a role model for her students, teaching
them more than just horsemanship, she provides a
foundation of good sportsmanship and the skills needed to
ensure safety for themselves and their equine partners
whether they are working or playing. Joanne and her
program deserve to be commended for the knowledge and
skills they provide to all of those who she teaches as
they pass through her equine program.”
Pam Larivee
Chicken
Soup for the Volunteer’s Soul
A small barn, located on a
mountainside in New Hampshire, was snowed in by one of New
England’s latest snow storms. It had been a mild winter up
until this devastating snow storm. The intercom was left
on in the barn of local 4-H leader Joanne Gelinas when all
of a sudden an unusually loud noise came from it that did
not seem right. The coat, hat and boots came on
immediately and I ran frantically to see what was
happening in the barn. When I got to the stall of Toppy, a
twenty-eight year old Appaloosa mare, her big brown eyes
were wincing in pain. The abnormal amount of sweat coming
from her prompted a quick call to the vet. I knew she was
colicing, which is acute abdominal pain, so I immediately
started to walk in the cold of winter very close to
midnight. I called my son on the intercom o see if he
could come out to help. When he appeared I could see the
look of concern in his eyes. He knew how much everyone
loved Toppy. Being a 4-H project horse she had attended
many shows with many different students that adored her.
He asked if she would be okay. I responded that I sure
hoped so, not to let him know that the end result would
not be a happy one. The local vet came down the snowy
drive and made her way to the barn. She examined her
thoroughly and determined that the problem was a twisted
gut. Those were the worst possible words I was hoping to
hear. Tears started to roll down my rosy cheeks not
believing that my twenty-eight year old mare was going to
die. I had owned her since she was a yearling. She taught
me so much during my teenage years adn was a great
companion. I ran up to the house to get my husband, who
had to shovel a path up to the driveway from the barn for
her to be quietly rested in soft snow until the next
morning when she would be taken away. As she drifted off I
thanked her for all that she had done for me and told her
that I would always love her. The next morning a few calls
were made to the 4-H students who had been close with her
and came up to visit for one final farewell. Although
tears came from them I could see how much they loved adn
respected her. They had learned so much from her. The
values and life skills learned from her cannot be
replaced, along with the memories they will have for a
lifetime.
The following paper was written by one of
my students
on the memories left behind by Toppy:
“You left us here, standing
before you with tears in our eyes and a loss in our souls.
The wind sighs in vain and the trees around us weep,
because they know it is a day of sadness. We hold on to
ourselves in-between the shivers inside us, as I look into
a familiar eye of a friend. My thoughts race of love
forgotten and the loss of a best friend. You taught me
patience and was there to comfort me. You made me smile
when I was in tears and watched in content as I slowly
drifted away. You are now free to run through the paths
and dirt roads that have carried us both on those sweet
summer days. You can now gallop through the field that was
a forbidden dream to you, and eat grass along the road
that you were always tugged unwillingly away from. You
have watched me grow and shape my life. Now that you are
gone you took a little piece of me with you, so I won’t
fear for you because there is a little piece of you in me.
And every day, that piece will teach me and grow, until it
burst from me and returns to you with a love never
forgotten. This will be the day I will cry, for I have
lost you.”
by Colleen B.
4-H
Ski Trip 2009
The e-mails
have started, the countdown begins
Soon we’ll
feel the mountain breeze on our skin
All bundled
up and ready to go
Off to Pats
Peak, with freshly groomed snow
All our Mass.
Friends we can’t wait to see
We’ll have so
much fun when we all start to ski
Up to the
lodge with all our stuff
Layers upon
layers, “do we have enough”?
Let’s get to
the chair we’ll try not to trip
We’ll snug in
our gear as the cold wind whips
As we ride up
on the chair and look over the clear “NH Skies”
We are
enjoying the day with out any Horse Flies
Can’t wait
for that clear Mountain View
We’ll stop
for a moment, ok maybe a few?
Then we’ll be
heading down, the wind in our face
Skiing
without sound, excitement in place
Boarding,
Tubing, and skiing with glee
Thank
Goodness, no one has hit that tree
NH and Mass.
groups have a blast with their friends
Though, JO
especially, is sad when it ends
Another great
trip done for the year
But have no
worries, the next one will soon be here
Although we
may not like lugging that gear
Along with
the memories bring great cheer!
Connecting Youth Through Horses by Katie Mitchell
Connecting youth through horses is such an
easy topic to talk about because there are so many
wonderful moments and partnerships created between a
child, young adult or any person for that matter, and
their horse. Through my own experiences in 4-H with a
project horse, and then a horse of my own I have learned
a great deal of skills and values which I hold true to
this day in my early adulthood. Skills such as good
teamwork, high work-ethic, patience and so on, as well
as values such as loving and caring, kindness and giving
back are all traits that come to mind which I have
practiced and learned through working with horses.
I joined a horse 4-H group when I was eight
years old, which was the earliest age anyone can be
eligible to join. From the beginning our leader urged
us to become involved in activities which would help
increase our knowledge of horses. As soon as I was old
enough I began trying to earn my first project horse,
which meant completing so many hours of barn chores and
spending time with the horses at the farm. I would have
been at the barn every day if I could have been.
Something about the smell of horses and the feeling of
being in their presence is such a wonderful thing to
behold. Now that I am older, being in a barn completely
relaxes me and clears my mind from everything else going
on in my life, which is a pretty powerful tool.
My horse showing career was not full of blue
ribbons and trophies by any means, but I had the time of
my life. I knew how lucky I was to be able to ride my
horse and compete against other riders and friends. The
atmosphere was wonderful, and I am still involved as
often as possible with 4-H shows to this day, in part to
try and recapture the feelings I had as a child, and in
part to be able to give back for all of the countless
hours other volunteers had put in for horseshows when I
was a child. One of my favorite parts about the horse
shows was preparing the horse and equipment for the
show. My 4-H leader did a wonderful job of teaching us
how to be prepared for a horseshow. All of our
equipment was spotless; our horses were bathed, clipped
and banded, usually all in one day. However it was not
only the day before that we prepared. Preparations
began once we could begin riding in the spring. This is
when we would rekindle our partnerships with our horses
who we had not ridden all winter.
Horses teach patience and kindness, because
if you are patient and kind to a horse, they are patient
and kind right back. Horses teach a person to be
confident, because they most certainly can sense if a
person is nervous, but they will be kind and strong to
ease your worries. Horses teach a person how to give
their share in a partnership, because if a horse works
hard for you, you need to work hard for your horse to
make sure he or she receives the best care. Horses can
sense your moods, and can turn a sad or bad mood right
around and make a person happy again. The lessons a
horse can teach are unlike any other. I know I am
extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to have
horses in my life and to have had the opportunity to
grow through my experiences with horses. I only wish
more children were as lucky as I had been as a child to
be able to learn and grow with something as special as a
horse.
Hug Your
Horse
When your day seems out of
balance and so many things go wrong,
when people fight around
you and the day drags on so long,
when parents act like
children, in-laws make you think "Divorce",
go out in your pasture...
wrap your arms around your horse.
His gentle breath enfolds
you and he watches with those eyes.
He may not have a PhD, but
he is oh, so wise!
His head rests on your
shoulder. You embrace him oh so tight.
He puts your world in
balance, and makes it seem all right.
Your tears will soon stop
flowing. The tension is now eased.
The garbage has been
lifted, and you're quiet and at peace.
So when you need the
balance from circumstances in your day,
the best therapy that you
can seek is out there eating hay!!
Copyright owner/Author:~Mary
Anne Miller~Thank you Mary Anne, we love it!
Just a
Horse!
From time to time, people
tell me, “lighten up, it’s just a horse,”
Or “That’s a lot of money
for just a horse.”
They don’t understand the
distance traveled, the time spent,
or the costs involved for
“just a horse.”
Some of my proudest moments
have come about with “just a horse.”
Many hours have passed and
my only company was “just a horse,”
but I did not once feel
slighted.
Some of my saddest moments
have been brought about by “just a horse,”
and in those days of
darkness, the gentle touch of “just a horse”
Gave me comfort and reason
to overcome the day.
If you, too, think it’s
“just a horse,” then you will probably understand phrases
like
“just a friend,” “just a
sunrise,” or “just a promise.”
“Just a horse” brings into
my life the very essence of friendship, trust,
and pure unbridled joy.
“Just a horse” brings out what’s good in me and diverts my
thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.
I hope that someday they
can understand that it’s not “just a horse”
but the thing that gives me
humanity and keeps me from being “just a woman/man.”
So the next time you hear
the phrase “just a horse” just smile,
because they “just” don’t
understand.
Vermont
Trip 2007
New Hampshire and
Massachusetts unite
Our heads brought together
brings knowledge to the world,
each thinking cap brings
more ideas all the notions can be swirled.
Our hearts brought together
as we learn about ourselves,
trusting all these people
as we've trusted no one else.
Our hands brought together
helping those in need,
hoping that our deeds will
spread like a garden with it's seeds.
Our health brought together
so that the world is a better place,
attempting to bring
compassion to the whole human race.
New Hampshire is the
Granite State as Massachusetts is the Bay,
solid earthly wonders that
will always be here to stay.
The two states unite not
only at their border,
but with the people within
them keeping patience and order.
And always will be
recognized are those of green and white,
within the states of New
Hampshire and Mass, they always will unite.
Because 4-H'ers within
these states have a bond like no other,
they continue to grow and
learn with the help of each other.
And like the colors of
green and white, or the borders of two states,
They join together,
becoming one, to make 4-H great.
So friendships have been
made, by coincidence it seems
a cup of coffee her or
there, and the two became a team.
So as green and white, or
N.H. And Mass. Unite together as friends,
it will become known to
everyone that their friendship will have no end.
He knows when you're happy
He knows when you're comfortable
He knows when you're confident
And he always knows when you have carrots.
~Author Unknown
Somewhere in time's own
space
There must be some sweet pastured place
Where creeks sing on and tall trees grow
Some paradise where horses go,
For by the love that guides my pen
I know great horses live again.
~Stanley Harrison
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