Exciting News!!!

As many people know in an effort to provide programming for more clients with special needs, we have been working on the Hope Reins Equine Assisted Therapy Programs for the past few years. The decision to go not for profit with this branch of the activities here at the farm was a difficult one that took a long time to realize. However, we received the news yesterday that Hope Reins is not only a Not-for-Profit business but also a registered charity!!!! We could not be more thrilled with this news as it expands the scope of what we have been trying to accomplish here for those in the community at large that require our help.  With the help of the Hope Reins Executive Board of Directors and all the volunteers we can muster we are looking forward to putting on some fantastic programs this year. 

Vanderbrook Farm will continue to operate as a boarding/leasing and natural horsemanship lesson facility dedicated to improving the health and wellness of our horses through Natural Principles. While at the same time we will also host the Hope Reins programs to help our two legged friends improve mentally, emotionally and physically. 

Keep an eye on our upcoming events for more information on our 3rd annual March Break program, fundraisers for Hope Reins, as well as volunteer training opportunities.  

Cheers, 

Marie :)

March Break 2012

Once again this year we are very excited to offer our Equine Assisted Learning Program, to teens ages 12-17. This 5 day week will consist of games, team building exercises, and tasks that will enhance communication skills and leadership abilities. Horses are a large part of this program but, it is not horsemanship based. No previous horse experience is required.

Each day will run 9am-4pm. Participants will be given assignments designed to highlight communication within the group. Each member will be given the opportunity to experiment with the concepts we will be discussing throughout the week, within their team and with the horses.

We will be hosting the program out of Forbes Barn on B-Line Road, Pembroke, ON. (Email for directions)
The cost for the week will be $350+HST per teen. We have limited space available so please register early. The teens will be expected to wear weather appropriate clothing and bring their own lunch.

Contact us for more information!!

Jan 2012 Update

Wow has life ever been busy lately! We sincerely hope each and everyone of you has had an excellent holiday and many blessings come your way in this New Year! Here at the farm we are planning for a very full 2012 and look forward to the opportunities that we will be given to provide our services to those in our community who need it most.

As we had posted on here earlier, the fall of 2011 found us facilitating a pilot project in conjunction with the Phoenix Center of Pembroke, ON. This program offered 12 existing clients of Phoenix the opportunity to come out and change up their traditional sessions with fun horse related activities that were then used as metaphors for life experiences. This ten week program yielded many successes for the clients as they learned new communication skills and has been a huge eye opener for us. We have discovered just how great the need in this area for programs like this one and we are currently working with Phoenix to make this program an on-going sustainable asset on both sides. We are VERY excited about this and look forward to the chance  to provide a positive outlet for these families and individuals. We will update here as information becomes available.

 Now with the pilot project we have been very busy but we have found some time within the last few months for a few trail rides as well as some horse fun. I will post some pictures below of one particular ride we went on while the colours were coming up. Enjoy!

Here are just a few points that we want to make all of you aware of:

March Break!

Just as an FYI we are once again this year holding our March Break Equine Assisted Learning Program. The program will run 9am-4pm, Monday March 12- Friday March 16. The age range we are looking for is 12-17.  This program will be held west of Pembroke at a private facility. A horse interest is not necessary as horsemanship is not the main focus of the program. Send your teen out for communication skills, outdoor experiences and leadership development as well as some fun thrown in for good measure. For more info email us at vanderbrookfarm@gmail.com. 

Leasing

We are currently looking for some individuals who are dedicated and would like to learn more about horsemanship to lease a few of our horses that are not getting as much use as we would like. Through no fault of their own we would like to offer for on site lease a few of our core herd, most have been broke and come in all sizes shapes and colours. All the horses we offer on leases have been exposed to Natural Horsemanship and lessons with each horse are offered once a week as weather permits. Contact us for more info on which horses are available.  

Thanks for reading and be sure to check out the rest of our blog for updates. 

Cheers!

Marie

Petawawa Showcase!!!!

Come see us at Petawawa Showcase this weekend September 16,17&18, 2011!!! We are offering pony rides for all ages, with all proceeds going to our Hope Reins Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Programs. Pony Rides are $3, whether big or small!! Hopefully we will see you there.

Summer 2011

This summer has been a busy one for us here at the farm. We have had several horses come and go, and are preparing for a slow winter back in the hills.

The most exciting news I have to share is that we are going to be offering our Equine Assisted Pyschotherapy program from a private facility up in Pembroke. We are so pleased to finally be getting this program off the ground and will be looking for individuals/ families to take part in these sessions. We can't wait t begin and look forward to getting started in September. If you want additional information on this service please feel free to contact us.

We have also decided to add a 'New Arrivals' page to help each of you keep track of the horses we are bringing into the farm. I will try to update as often as we have newbies coming in. There are many people giving up their horses right now and we do our best to accomodate the ones we can. Feel free to ask for updates on specific horses.


We are also tossing around the idea of hosting a trail ride from here before the cold sets in. Anyone interested in coming out for that should contact us.

EAP/EAL Seminar May 12-14 2011

Ontario Equine and/or Mental Health Professionals: The O.K. Corral Series is presenting its Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP)/Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAL) Certification Seminar "O.K., It's Family Time - DO Try This at Home!" May 12-14, 2011 in Pembroke, Ontario! The seminar is hosted by Alison Vandergragt, and will give you the basic philosophies for practicing equine-assisted learning and Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, as well as techniques and exercises to work with the dynamics of groups and families. Class size is limited to 20 for optimal learning and individual attention. The seminar is instructed by Greg Kersten, Founder of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP), EAGALA, and now the O.K. Corral Series.

WHAT IS EAP? Equine Assisted Psychotherapy teams a mental health professional with an experienced horse professional to offer therapeutic and experiential sessions to clients. Natural horse and herd behavior is observed and honored as a model for healthful human behavior. Over 5,000 professionals worldwide have been certified by Greg Kersten in the practice of EAP and have been pleased with the both the efficacy and efficiency of this innovative modality.

WHAT IS EAL? Equine Assisted Learning offers experiential communication, team building, and personal growth activities to individuals, groups, families, and corporations. Skills may be used to offer corporate retreats, church group activities, and family growth seminars. Mr. Kersten's techniques have been featured in publications ranging from The Counselor to The Los Angeles Times to Western Horseman! The complete, three-day certification seminar costs only $625 (US) and includes all lunches, snacks, and materials, as well as a one-year membership subscription to the OK Corral Series.

Register by April 10, 2011, to receive the $50 early registration discount! Contact the OK Corral for more information at 1-775-463-6565, or log on to http://www.okcorralseries.com. Or contact Vanderbrook Farm & Natural Horsemanship Center, Pembroke,ON. 613-638-2005

March Break Re-Cap

WOW!! What a fantastic week!! The seven participants of our very first Equine Assisted Learning Program had an excellent fun filled week filled full of self discovery. This fine young group of 12 - 17 year olds showed an amazing ability to work together and learn new skills. If this, the kick off to our Equine Assisted Programs is any indication of the potential success of future programs, we definitely have something to look forward too!