Dear Members & Friends of Horse Harbor,
EARLY SUMMER CAMP ENROLLMENT STARTS THIS WEEK
Early enrollment for our current junior students, those who missed last year’s camps or who have already inquired about this year’s will start next week. Information will be posted on the Foundation’s Facebook page and applications will be available at the barn starting on March 4th for students and emailed to nonmembers that day. The fee this year will be $300 for each camper, still far below that charged for similar programs in the area, and the dates for each four-day session are July 9-12, July 23-26, August 6-9 and August 20-23. All four camps are usually filled by mid-April, so don’t delay getting your enrollment form in if you want your youngster to attend. As always, there will be changes and additions to the camp curriculum that makes each year vital and educational even for those who have attended before.
FOUNDATION MEMBERSHIP FILES BEING UPDATED
Maryann is in the process of updating the Foundation’s membership files, including having all parents who haven’t yet signed the new waiver of liability form now required do so. Aria will have forms for those who need to fill out and sign them available at the barn next week and bring them to parents dropping of their youngsters for lessons to fill out and sign. We will email a copy to those we don’t see.
A JOB CHANGE FOR OUR GREAT SCHOOL HORSE JACK
Since he arrived during the recession of 2009 when so many horses were at risk, Jack has become perhaps the most popular school horse in the Foundation’s history. Untrained when we rescued him as a four-year-old, Jack quickly learned his job and his gentle nature and unflappable personality made him the ideal school horse for almost all of our students from equine assisted therapy youngsters to advanced level riders. His size and strength has also contributed to his versatility and made him the first horse for countless students of all ages to ride. At almost 20 now, we envisioned several more years in this role for Jack, but sadly he has been diagnosed with navicular syndrome and will require special shoeing, pain management and a reduction in his workload in our school to walk/trot with lighter riders only. Navicular syndrome is a chronic degenerative disorder of the navicular bone in the front hooves that appears in mature riding horses, usually after they are 10 or older. It’s exact cause is unknown, but can be genetic, due to conformation or injury and it is more frequent in Quarter Horses such as Jack. We anticipate that with lighter use and the other measures above, Jack will continue to enjoy his life well into old age as one of our most beloved horses. We will be launching a fundraiser soon to help offset the additional costs in corrective shoeing and medications that Jack will require to ensure that he experiences the highest quality of life. If you can help by donating to this, it will be greatly appreciated.
You can donate to our veterinary fund for Jack by clicking on this link https://horseharbor.org/donate/ , and by Zelle and Venmo:
Zelleharmonyhorsers@yahoo.com / Venmo@HorseHarborFoundation.
You can also make donations directly to Sound Equine Hospital at 5065 NE Lincoln Rd., Poulsbo, WA 98370, Phone: 360-779-5557 in Horse Harbor’s behalf.
APRIL WILL BE ANNIVERSARY MONTH FOR HORSE HARBOR
In April the Foundation will be celebrating 30 years of rescuing, rehabbing and providing lifelong sanctuary to at-risk horses and providing affordable equine education for our student members. We’ll be planning a special event in recognition of being one of the oldest and most respected nonprofit equine welfare organizations in the country, so stay tuned.