Windrush Farm

We are all capable of more than we think

Everyone is Fragile

Contributed by Hayley Barrett

Isabelle“I never considered not riding. I needed to find a way to be with horses until I could ride again,” says 18-year-old Isabelle O’Connor. Born into a horse-loving family, Isabelle started in the saddle at age six. This fall, she begins her freshman year at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania and will compete with the school’s equestrian team.

She has come a long way since her accident.

“My old horse was getting small for me, so I was trying a new one. We were working in the outdoor arena. Everything was fine until the horse tripped. I slammed into the ground head-first and had to be airlifted to Boston. I sustained a traumatic brain injury.”

Isabelle’s helmet may have saved her life. It certainly prevented a great deal of permanent injury. “I don’t have that helmet anymore. I returned it to the company because they offer free replacements for helmets damaged in falls. It looked fine on the outside. There was just a dusty mark where I hit.”

After a traumatic brain injury (TBI), it is critical to prevent additional blows to the head. For Isabelle, that meant huge changes. No longer could she ride, or even work around, the spirited horses she was used to. “I was dizzy and confused, no longer the busy honors student adept at balancing schoolwork with the barn jobs that paid for my competitive riding. I asked if I could keep volunteering at Windrush, where the horses are mellow. My neurologist agreed.”

Isabelle had volunteered at Windrush for two years before her injury. After her fall, her time at Windrush benefited her in new ways. The gentle work of sidewalking improved her strength and balance. “Over the following year, as I walked alongside the horses, I slowly healed. Strangely, the accident made me a more confident rider. I know now that everyone is fragile. My students, many of whom face life-long challenges, inspire me with their perseverance and upbeat attitudes. I volunteer at Windrush to teach them about horses. They teach me about overcoming obstacles.”

 

 

Art Speaks Without Words

1013432_469842626439426_651671779_nContributed by Hayley Barrett

Logan Nyman, 17, is an artist. His spare, linear drawing of a horse and his striking skull-and-crossbones motif adorn merchandise of Paper Clouds Apparel, a company founded both to showcase the artwork of people with special needs and to raise funds for the organizations that support them. Paper Clouds Apparel, which also employs adults with special needs, donates 50% of profits back to the organizations that supply the original art.

Thanks to Logan and his family, as well as co-artist Bug, also known as Connor, Windrush Farm’s recent Paper Clouds fundraiser was a tremendous success, garnering an amazing $2,400 for the farm. These much-needed funds will provide for the horses Logan loves and strengthen the programs that benefit the entire Windrush community.

Logan began riding at Windrush when he was 9 and developed an immediate connection with the horses. Due to a verbal apraxia, his ability to communicate via the spoken word is challenged. Horses, however, are most sensitive to nonverbal communication, which suits Logan’s needs. His mother, Allyson, explains, “With horses, they just love you. You don’t have to talk to them, and they will always accept you and be your friend.”

995669_466788583411497_1571617060_nAllyson remembers how her son’s love of horses became the catalyst for his interest in art. “My daughter and I love art, but Logan would never participate. I couldn’t even get him to color. One day, a few years ago, I found a drawing of a horse on white lined paper under his pillow. I’ll admit it—I sat down on the bed and cried over that drawing. It was a big deal.”

Since that first drawing, Logan has continued to generate images in his signature graphic style. Paper Clouds will once again reproduce some of them on t-shirts and other items in October and December.

Check out Paper Clouds Apparel (http://www.papercloudsapparel.com/) or follow Allyson’s blog (http://thecrumbdiaries-curveballs.blogspot.com/) to learn more about Logan and the Paper Clouds Apparel project.

Windrush Farm featured in The Trust For Public Land Study

Boston, MA: Every dollar Massachusetts spends on conservation returns $4 and supports jobs for hundreds of thousands of people, a study released Wednesday by The Trust for Public Land shows. View full report.

“These results showed conservation is an excellent investment and they are consistent with a dozen similar studies we have conducted across the nation in the past four years,” said Jessica Sargent, senior economist with The Trust for Public Land and author of the report. “Over and over again, from Maine to Arizona, we see that spending money on conservation protects jobs and shows a good return on investment,” she said.

TPL-Study

 

Who is planning to Dance with us?

???????????????????????????????Put October 26 on your calendar to prepare for this year’s “Dances with Horses” Gala. We’re thrilled to welcome back auctioneer Jim Braude, and look forward to holding the event at this year’s new location: Boston Park Plaza Hotel.

The evening will include open bar, appetizers, dinner, silent and live auctions, and dancing. The Gala is a fun party and an important evening for raising funds vital to our therapeutic programs.

Invitations will go out in early September.  Learn more <<here!

Giddyup and Grow

<3 all these cute “thank you” messages from our Giddyup and Grow kiddos!

Thanks!

Tri-Town Council Youth Leadership Group at Windrush!

At a recent Windrush Farm outing, six Tri-Town youths, ranging from grades 7-10, joined youth from St. Ann's of Methuen to learn about each other and their different communities. Read more: http://www.wickedlocal.com/boxford/newsnow/x1383329669/Tri-Town-Council-youth-leadership-groups-meet-at-Windrush-Farm#ixzz2bTh1ehLk

At a recent Windrush Farm outing, six Tri-Town youths, ranging from grades 7-10, joined youth from St. Ann’s of Methuen to learn about each other and their different communities.

Posted Aug 09, 2013 @ 08:10 AM

Tri-Town Council Youth Council supported the Youth at Risk summer day camp at Windrush Farm this past July 10th.  Members of the TTC Youth Council joined St. Ann’s Youth of Methuen for lunch, conversation and fun at Windrush Farm in effort to break down barriers and meet teens from other communities.  Six youth from ranging from 7th through 10th grades joined youth from St. Ann’s to learn about each other and their different communities.  They also focused on health and tips for healthy eating.

Together they picked kale, Boston red lettuce, peas, green peppers, and cucumbers from the garden; washed and prepared their salad wraps using a hummus spread and adding tomatoes.  Their healthy lunch was enjoyed with great conversation about being stewards of our earth and health.

Later in the day, the group shared information about their respective communities, music, movies; even what an ideal teen hangout place would include (popcorn machine and music with comfy seating).  The youth – ‘city’ teens and ‘country’ teens compared lives and experiences, and at the end of the day found they had more in common than differences.

To complete the afternoon, TTC Youth brought materials to make friendship bracelets and together to remember the day and new friend made.

Read more: http://www.wickedlocal.com/boxford/newsnow/x1383329669/Tri-Town-Council-youth-leadership-groups-meet-at-Windrush-Farm#ixzz2bThCAKiR

Celebrating 60 years of changing lives!
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