Above: Dr. Mike Tomlinson, Molly Sweeney and Dr. Pebbles Turbeville |
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April is one of my favorite months. It is Spring where I live and that brings flowers and a renewal of greenery making things fresh. Days are warmer and sunnier. People start to come out of hibernation and reducing layers of clothes due to the sun warming the area up. People start to have get-togethers with yummy dishes and desserts like cupcakes.
Let's talk about cupcakes....Did you know cupcakes can be a catalyst for friendships? Two of my horse/EAS professional friends formed a great relationship around cupcakes. That may sound odd, but until you have had a cupcake friendship experience, no judging. It started by surprising each other with cupcakes at conferences or sending cupcakes in the mail. Who knew there were such things as cupcakes in a jar? Then the cupcake relationship grew to sending "pick me up" cupcake surprises throughout the year. If a cute cupcake recipe was seen on line, it was shared on social media and received comments from other friends. Well, Jen, Marsha and I couldn't stop the cupcake relationship and to this day we still send out cute and fun surprises.
Getting back to cupcakes and how that relates to HHRF. And how other sweets might enter into the fun. All according to Pebbles' cupcake vision.
Cupcake level: A gift under $5,000 is like a cupcake that brings joy and supports HHRF's operational funds. Operational costs are necessary to keep a non-profit running, but not always the most attractive item to have funded. The more cupcakes you get a year, the better your operational costs are handled. Birthday Cake level: A gift over $5,000 that occurs once a month for special occasions. The birthday cake gifts can be unrestricted dollars for operations or restricted gifts for grants or special projects.
Wedding Cake level: A gift over $10,000 is for a special occasion that helps cover underfunded areas or is earmarked for a big project.
My point to all the sweet talk that is making us look in our cupboards for chocolate, is any gift is going to make a difference for HHRF. We need a lot of cupcakes to pursue our mission. Signing up for a monthly gift of $20.00 is a cupcake a week for HHRF. I know our mission is about horses and human connections... just as cupcakes bring joy, so do horses. Please consider giving a cupcake, birthday cake, or wedding cake to invest in HHRF's future.
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Join the "Give A Little, Help A Lot" Movement |
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Have you ever considered how small changes in our daily habits can lead to big impacts over time? At the Horses & Humans Research Foundation, we're launching the "Give a Little, Help a Lot" campaign, and we invite you to be a part of this transformative journey.
For the cost of everyday items you might not even miss, you could change lives. Here's how:
Skip a Week of Coffee Runs: For many of us, stopping for a $4 coffee on the way to work is a daily ritual. By setting aside just two of those coffee runs each month, you could donate $8 to $10 to help fund groundbreaking research that brings new hope and healing to people and horses.
Dine In Once More Each Month: If you're someone who enjoys dining out or ordering takeout, consider enjoying one additional meal at home each month. Redirecting even $20 from a meal out to a donation can make a substantial difference in advancing our research and outreach programs.
Digital Downloads: Instead of purchasing one or two new movies, ebooks, or app subscriptions each month, allocate that $10-$20 towards supporting a cause that offers lasting benefits to both horses and humans alike.
Monthly Subscriptions: Evaluate your current subscriptions (magazines, streaming services, meal kits). Is there one you wouldn't miss much? Redirecting that subscription fee to a monthly donation can help sustain our efforts without impacting your daily life significantly.
What Your Donation Supports: Every dollar you contribute goes directly towards research and educational outreach that explores the therapeutic potential of horse-human interactions. Your support can help us: - Fund innovative research projects.
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Provide educational resources to practitioners and the public.
- Promote awareness and understanding of the benefits of horse and human interaction.
Joining is Easy: Setting up your monthly donation is simple, and every contribution, no matter the size, plays a crucial role in our mission. Click here to start your recurring donation today. (Just choose donate monthly at the “Select Donation Frequency” drop down bar.)
Together, we can make a difference, one small sacrifice at a time. Thank you for considering supporting the Horses & Humans Research Foundation. Your generosity can help unlock new discoveries and change lives. |
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Horses & Humans Research Foundation (HHRF) thrives due to the dedication and passion of its volunteers, a remarkable group of individuals whose contributions are the backbone of our mission. These volunteers go above and beyond, investing not only their time but also their personal resources, to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of the human-horse bond. From traveling to conferences to expand their knowledge and network, to engaging the community through webinars, blogs, and compelling infographics, they are the unsung heroes in the quest for knowledge, education and research. Their relentless effort to share information and insights plays a critical role in advancing our research and outreach efforts.
I am immensely grateful for the energy, enthusiasm, and expertise these volunteers bring to our cause, making a significant impact on the lives of many. Their generosity and commitment keeps HHRF going in so many ways! Thank you!
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Above: Dr. Pebbles Turbeville, Dr. Andrew McLean, Dr. Mike Tomlinson and Molly Sweeney, Founder of HHRF |
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HHRF's founder, Molly Sweeney and Past Board President, Dr. Mike Tomlinson, accompanied Pebbles on an international trip to New Zealand to help connect, learn and inspire with other professionals in the world at the International Society for Equitation Science, A Good Life for Horses. While HHRF's number one focus is funding and supporting EAS research we are evolving into more roles in the professional community and that means we need to expand our outreach. We want all of our supporters to know we are diligent to remain good stewards with your gifts. Here are some of the reasons our board believes this trip and other outreach experiences are so important to the growth of HHRF and our mission to increase EAS research in the world!
- Getting HHRF in front of many potential donors from around the world
- Setting the stage for HHRF to be the forefront Horse and Human Research foundation in the world
- Setting the stage for HHRF to be fundamentally involved with the 2025 ISES Conference in Denver
- Networking to show how HHRF is supporting Research around the globe
- Networking with other EDs from similar and complementary organizations around the world
- Getting far outside our comfortable echo chamber to hear how others think
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Gaining first-hand knowledge of best practices from other EDs
- Putting a face to the name, and shaking hands directly – building relationships
- Setting up potential partnerships
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Dr. Pebbles Turbeville, Molly Sweeney and Cristina Wilkins |
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Two Free Webinars in April |
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On April 3, 2024 at 7:00pm (ET) join HHRF and "Discover the Future of Equine Welfare" with Tessa Archibald: Manager of the Homes for Horses Coalition. Uniting Hearts, Homes, and Hope for Equines in Need.
Tessa will describe what HHC does, their history, highlight some of their priorities in terms of supporting rescues and advancing legislation, and discuss what is important to the community moving forward.
Tessa Archibald is a Policy Associate for the Equine program at the Animal Welfare Institute and serves as Manager of the Homes for Horses Coalition. The Homes for Horses Coalition (HHC) is a network of equine rescues, sanctuaries, and advocacy organizations dedicated to supporting equines in need. HHC advocates for laws and policies that improve the treatment of domestic and wild horses, donkeys, and mules. Tessa has an extensive background in equine care and ownership and received her MS in Animals and Public Policy from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.
To sign up for this event please click here
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Join us on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 at 7:00pm (ET) for “Book Club”. Marny Mansfield and students from State University of New York (SUNY) Cobleskill will lead a discussion about the book “Horse Brain, Human Brain” by Janet Jones. This promises to be a thought-provoking discussion.
Marny Mansfield, MS, MS, OTR/L, is a PATH Intl. Master Certified Instructor, CTRI, ESMHL, PATH International Registered Therapist, Mentor, Certification Faculty/ Evaluator, and Special Olympics coach. She has served on the PATH Intl. Riding Certification and Certification Oversight Committees and has been Vermont state chair two times. She received the PATH Intl. Professional of the Year nationally and for Region 2 in 2014. She is currently an Associate Professor for the Bachelors of Technology in Therapeutic Horsemanship (approximately 30-32 majors and 10 minors) and Program Director of the community-based program at the State University of New York (SUNY ) Cobleskill. She currently owns and partners with her three Norwegian Fjords and seven other hardworking partners at SUNY Cobleskill. She has provided therapy, recreationally-based lessons, instructor and therapist education, mentorship, and practiced in the field of equine-assisted services for over 25 years. She has worked at programs both large and small and is a lifelong horsewoman. She completed the Masters in Public Policy at Tufts University Veterinary School (now Cummings Veterinary School) and her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from Colorado State University.
To join this book discussion click here to sign up |
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May's Free Webinar- Building Connections |
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Join us on May 1, 2024 at Noon (EST) as Gayle Ecker and Nicolas de Brauwere discuss with participants the need to build connections in the world of Equine Well-Being. Are we listening? To the horses?
To the researchers? To the public?
Building connections in the world of equine well-being often starts with asking the important questions. In this presentation/panel discussion, we will start with an important question and add in sources of information that we should value in our quest for better welfare for our horses.
Gayle Ecker – Gayle Ecker, Hon. B.A., B.Ed., M.Sc., Cert. KMb Director of Equine Guelph; Welfare Educator/Trainer; Associate Faculty of Campbell Centre for Study of Animal Welfare
Gayle is the Director of Equine Guelph and played an instrumental role in its birth and ongoing development as a Centre for the horse owner at the University of Guelph. Her Masters focused on fluid and electrolyte losses in endurance and eventing horses, and she was part of the On To Atlanta research initiative to study acclimation to heat and humidity. She has dedicated her energies to advancing the equine industry through education and communications on health, welfare and safety. In collaboration with the Office of Open Learning, she led the development of the first online Diploma and Certificate programs, along with the EquiMania! youth education program and other pathways of learning for the horse industry.
Nicolas de Brauwere MRCVS Head of Welfare and Behaviour Redwings Horse Sanctuary Nic graduated as a veterinary surgeon in 1991 from Onderstepoort in South Africa. He has worked at Redwings Horse Sanctuary for more than 27 years providing clinical services, herd health management and equine welfare case work both to facilitate rescue and alleviate the need for it.
As Head of Welfare and Behaviour at Redwings, Nic leads a team that has specialized in the rescue, rehabilitation and long-term care of feral, unhandled or mistreated horses for more than a decade and this extensive experience has fundamentally informed the charity’s approach not only to equine health and welfare but equine behavior and training too. In particular, Nic’s extensive experience working in the field of equine welfare led to his appointment as the Chairman of the National Equine Welfare Council in 2009, an umbrella organization for equine rescue centers and sanctuaries across the UK. Nic has been involved in consultations on many areas of animal welfare policy; most notably in this context he worked with the Welsh Government between 2012 and 2014 to assist them in drafting the Control of Horses (Wales) Act, which became law in Wales in 2014 and helped energize the commitment to an English equivalent that came into force the following year. He’s a recognized expert in the infectious disease Strangles, presenting at the Havemeyer International workshops on the disease in 2019 as well as teaching vets in the UK.
Click here to sign up for this May webinar |
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| Show-Stopping Biosecurity: A horse show veterinarian’s personal experience |
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Thank you to everyone who has been following us on YouTube and other social media platforms. Not sure where to find us- see below! Click here to follow us on YouTube
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HHRF's Mission
Through sustained investment in rigorous research, HHRF serves as a catalyst to advance global knowledge of horse-human interactions and their impact on the health and wellness of people and horses
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