By Dan Roark

It’s been quite a journey! This weekend, Tonya Andrews, a medically retired disabled Air Force veteran, will compete at the National Veteran’s Wheelchair Games in New Orleans. Tonya qualified to compete in Bocce Ball, Archery, Bowling, and Power Soccer.

Let me go back to the beginning. For background, see my Thanksgiving post about Tonya.

When I first met Tonya in fall/summer of last year, she was strapped into the tank. Which was an apparatus that she could move so that she could groom the horses, Olivia in particular, and get to know her. Despite all that Tonya had been through, she was in good spirits – more so when she was around the horses.

Tonya was determined to get back the life that had been taken away by a cruel twist of fate. At the New Hope Gala in October, she spoke through online streaming due to illness. As she told her story, there were few dry eyes in the crowd.                                                                                                             

Due to her determination and hard work, as well as that of her physical therapist, she was on Olivia before Thanksgiving! The smile on her face shone in the light of the setting sun. There was also a look of determination and pain when she pushed herself to ride a few more minutes. Each time she rode it was a little easier to get on and off of Olivia. Her doctors have been amazed at Tonya’s progress. Her physical therapist used the pictures taken of Tonya at New Hope to know what to focus on to get her riding better.

Tonya has to re-train her body after being basically bedridden for so long. Her arms have unequal strength – and neither has full strength at that. She even has to re-train her eyes, and thusly, her hand-eye coordination. She hopes to get back to competitive rifle shooting that she enjoyed immensely before being thrown into her new reality.

With that said, she has to use unconventional methods to compete in her particular events at the wheelchair games. With bocce ball and bowling it is easy to imagine the different ways to roll the balls. Power soccer I do not get. And the last time I talked to her, she didn’t either. Archery, as Tonya described it, is easily the most complicated sport of the four events. With her uneven strength in her arms, she has to use her teeth to draw back the bow. At least, that’s how I understand it, but even if I’m a bit off, it’s still quite complicated.

All of us at New Hope wish Tonya well in all of her events and hope she has a tremendous and glorious time at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games making many new memories. It’s the end of one journey and the beginning of another. At the same time, it’s a journey in and of itself. Good luck, Tonya!

Ride on and ride for hope.

Donate to New Hope.

Venmo – @NewHopeEquineAssistedTherapy

The post Rider Highlight – Tonya Goes to the National Veteran’s Wheelchair Games! first appeared on New Hope Therapeutic Riding.

So I spent a good chunk of my birthday with Cyndy standing in line at Globe Life Field waiting to get in and get the Aldous Garcia replica ring. It was the last time this year we have to get the promotional item or theme night item for our youngest son, J.D. It was definitely not the first.

There were actually only three games requiring our assistance. The first was a theme night game (caps), which meant you had until the end of the third inning to pick up the item(s). Since I had two tickets on my phone, I could pick up both of them. Unlike the promotional item nights when both ticket holders were required to be present. So Cyndy dropped me off and drove around while I went to get the caps and then met her back at the drop-off spot.

The second game was both a promotional night and a theme night. J.D. didn’t care about the bobblehead, just the Stars/Rangers sweater. But we went early to get a bobblehead for J.D.’s brother Cameron, who has a Rangers display at his house. The gates opened at 5:05. I entered the gate about 5:15, got the bobblehead and headed for the theme night area. There was already 200 – 300 people in line. Cyndy needed to be at New Hope Equine Assisted Therapy to volunteer, so I went back to the drop-off spot with the one bobblehead.

Which didn’t please either of us for slightly different reasons. But it meant I had to drive back to the stadium, pay for parking, and pick up the sweaters by the end of the third inning. And it was one of the 100 degree days. But I was successful, poured my quarts of sweat into the van, and drove straight to a brewery.

Tuesday’s game, as you’ll recall – my birthday, was the Aldous Garcia replica ring – which I also mentioned. The hitch was, we had to pay to park, and both of us had to get in line to get them, because both aforementioned sons wanted one. Their older brother, Conner – who’s in Iowa, got a replica World Series trophy when he was in town, so he’s good.

Thankfully, it wasn’t quite as hot and I had found a cheaper parking lot when I went back the last time. We also went earlier than ever, which turned out to be a good thing. We went through the door and got our rings as they were running out. We stood off to the side to suck up some air conditioning before walking back to the car.

My leg was cramping a little and the first thing I saw to lean on was the scoop of an orange tractor. I didn’t think much more about it. Cyndy took a picture of me with the two ring boxes to show our sons that we’d gotten them.

“Now stand up!” she said, smiling. I did so.

“Now look at the side of the tractor!”

If you’ve heard me play my music, you’ve probably heard my song, Goat Yoga and a Stolen Kubota. If not, danroark.com. Cyndy gave me the idea for the song and I tell the story in my shows. I tip my cap every time I/we pass a Kubota dealership on the road.

So I immediately walked over and Cyndy took the picture you see above.

Keep writing the songs that are in your heart.

Peace be with you.

paypal.me/danroark

When I check into a hotel, ordinarily there is one remote by the tv. Granted, there are times I have had to take it to the front desk for new batteries or eventually getting a new remote. Which entailed holding the door of the room open while the desk clerk programed the new remote. But ultimately – regardless of the technical delay – it still only took one remote to operate the tv.

Now that doesn’t mean it operated the tv well. It just operated what was there to operate. Sometimes you get lucky and have a choice of shows that you can tolerate. Then there are the times when the only show you can find that you can possibly stand are reruns of shows you only watch in hotel rooms because you’ve seen them far too many times. Castle, Rizzoli & Isles and Bones are a few that come to mind. Or certain episodes of Andy Griffith that no one likes.

But in this particular hotel there were three remotes. (And the refrigerator didn’t work, but that’s another story.) There were no instructions as to which remote to use. Come to find out, it took all three. J.D. and I would have to re-discover the combination each time we came back to the room.

The remote on the right was the tv remote. The middle remote was a Roku remote. The one on the left was our Fire stick remote. If I remember the combination correctly, the Roku turned the tv on, the tv remote changed it to the Fire stick (HDMI 1) and controlled the volume and the Fire stick controlled our shows. It took us quite some time to figure it out in the first place. But, pain in the ass though it was, it was worth it. None of this explains why there were two remotes to operate the tv in the first place. Before we figured it all out, we had a choice of – you guessed it – Rizzoli & Isles or Castle.

Keep writing the songs that are in your heart.

Peace be with you.

paypal.me/danroark

By Dan Roark

[Author’s Note: It occurred to me that, with the constant influx of new expenses that can plague a nonprofit involving a herd of horses, It’s Always Something would be a good title for a weekly fundraising post. There are many ways to support and help New Hope. While it is true that every little bit helps, we have fundraising campaigns for urgent or larger projects. I will try to highlight one each week. The post below is part two about a project that is on the back burner, yet illustrates the constant surprises that come up.]

If you’ll remember, a little over a week ago, I published the post, It’s Always Something. It was about a French drain that I called a gutter (I still don’t get the difference) pictured to the left (the gate is in the back of the picture). The day the farrier came, Dave was finishing the job Sharla had painstakingly – over a week’s time – started. He was also looking to possibly use the French drain/gutter to help solve the problem of running rainwater away from the barn.

What he found told me I was not so far off when I was saying that the original purpose of the gutter/drain was a failed attempt at directing the flow of rain water into dirt. Dave discovered that, apparently, the former owner had a gravel pit. In the second picture, the gravel pit was between Dave and where I’m standing and possibly under where I was standing. (The first picture was taken from the other side of the gate.)

So it was a failed attempt to direct the water away from the barn into, not just dirt, but gravel. Now there’s more dirt. At least that’s the best we can figure. But even that doesn’t explain why the drain/gutter didn’t go the length of the barn. We will probably never know for sure.

But it is another large project that we’re going to have to deal with in the future – installing  a drain that takes the water away from the barn. Other campaigns/projects will need to be completed first. For the time being, however, the drain is clean.

Ride on and ride for hope.

Donate to New Hope.

Venmo – @NewHopeEquineAssistedTherapy

The post It’s Always Something – Water Drainage first appeared on New Hope Therapeutic Riding.

By Dan Roark

I followed Sharla when she took the New Hope trailer with a few horses to the Stock Show and Rodeo grounds  in Ft. Worth for Chisholm Challenge in January. It was not her only trip. When we got to Will Rogers Coliseum paddocks, Melissa was at the door. She helped get the horses in their paddocks and whatever else was needed.  She was there most of the three days from unloading the horses to loading them back up after the competition. That’s the type of volunteer she is. Melissa is not just a volunteer. She’s also a feeder on Tuesdays and Fridays. Here’s your chance to meet her:

What brought you to New Hope to volunteer and how long have you been volunteering?    What brought me to New Hope was the need to get out of my house as well as old memories of riding before I was in first grade. I missed everything about horses. I’ve been volunteering/working since August 2021.

Tell a little about yourself. I’m a stay at home mom of three grown kids. I’ve been married for almost 26 years (to the same man!).

Who is/are your favorite horse(s) and why? I’d like to have a favorite horse, but it depends on when you ask. If I’m braiding Olivia’s hair, it’s her. If I’m bathing Rain or chasing Chito, it is either one I’m tending to. Whoever has my full attention at the time has all of my love.

What is/are your favorite part(s) of volunteering? I like feeling helpful and even the smallest thing I do as a volunteer brings me closer to people who do what they love. That’s everyone, riders, volunteers, instructors, and workers. We choose to be at New Hope and breathe in every drop of happy.

How has volunteering affected you? I began volunteering at New Hope and found my own therapy being around the horses. Caring for them brings me peace. When I get to watch our riders, well, that brings me joy.

Ride on and ride for hope.

Donate to New Hope.

Venmo – @NewHopeEquineAssistedTherapy

The post Volunteer Highlight – Melissa Sines first appeared on New Hope Therapeutic Riding.

We had new siding installed at the house a while back. The picture is from the camera before they took it down and we were looking at the front lawn – that also had crap all over it. The ladder is over the front door. This went on for days. The back door was blocked as well.

Cyndy was working at the school so she came and went. At night we could get out to volunteer at New Hope Equine Assisted Therapy Center. But during the day I was effectively trapped in the house with the dogs.

One of my uncles on my Mom’s side made, repaired, polished and refurbished furniture. All kinds of furniture. The effects of doing all that in a closed room eventually caused symptoms that led to his death.

I thought of his woodworking over the years. The smells – particularly of the wood – and the sounds. How he could use a plane and have the wood come out smooth. I always had one end come out higher than the other. When I tried to fix it, the other end came out higher. Which also applies to trimming (or mangling) bushes and trimming my moustache – I can manage that one a little easier.

Be that as it may, I have never thought about how the furniture felt. Until I was trapped inside while they removed the old siding and installed the new.

It was like being stuck inside a whack-a-mole game. It would go quiet a while, then a rapid banging on different parts of the roof, surprising me and making me jump. Over and over and over. Then they would stop for lunch for about an hour. Which would make it worse. The two dogs concurred, we were continuously on edge. We would drop our guard and start thinking about something – then bam, bam, bam! I would jump and they would bark.

It rained on Thursday so we had a day of silence, except for constant rainfall. Then on Friday they returned to make more noise, “finishing” the job. When they left, the trailer in the driveway (a makeshift dumpster on wheels) stayed behind a few days.

But it was blissfully quiet. We could go in and out of both doors and let the dogs out again.

Keep writing the songs that are in your heart.

Peace be with you.

paypal.me/danroark

I don’t remember what hotel or where it happened to be. I think it was in Joplin, Missouri. I was looking around the room upon arrival. As soon as I saw the dual toilet rolls, I immediately took a picture. Just in case you can’t tell, the top roll comes out under and the bottom roll comes out over.

I’ve heard of over and under shotguns, but toilet paper holders? But it must soothe the traveler’s soul when he or she realizes they are saved the trauma of having to switch the roll around or live with it as is.

If I was staying in the room awhile, I would definitely use the bottom roll until it ran out. Then the quandary would begin. Do I go ahead and use the other roll as is? Or install the backup roll on the bottom holder – leaving the top roll as is. Which is what I would probably do. For one thing, if I used the top roller, I would have to turn the roll around. Which would defeat what little purpose it had in the first place.

Which begs one last question: If I used the top roll after the bottom roll ran out, and if I used that roll as well, would the cleaning staff replace them the way I found them?

We may never know. Like how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. And don’t get me started on freaking Blow Pops. But it’s something to think about when you drove all day, arrived at the hotel and had a few beers.

Keep writing the songs that are in your heart.

Peace be with you.

paypal.me/danroark

By Dan Roark

Like most riders at New Hope, Ella is happiest on a horse as you can see by her expressions. And their vibrant smiles are mirrored by the smiles of the volunteers. And their squeals of delight when trotting or learning something new warms the hearts of those around them regardless of the actual temperature at the time.

See for yourself with the pictures of Ella in the latest installment of Expressions of New Hope. In the second picture, Ella is looking at Margaret across the arena. Which is something all of the riders do when there is someone else riding in the arena. Their expressions enliven each other, too!

And that’s how we roll in this little universe we call New Hope.

Ride on and ride for hope.

Donate to New Hope.

Venmos – @NewHopeEquineAssistedTherapy

The post Expressions of New Hope – Ella first appeared on New Hope Therapeutic Riding.

By Dan Roark

Sometimes an episode of a television show will start out with a scene that is actually the ending with the important parts missing. Then  “three hours (or whatever) earlier” flashes across the screen. Then the actual episode begins. So…..

New Hope, while all board members are very much appreciated, has a new board member that has been a long time in coming – although the person was unknown…

Sometime earlier….

Horses Helping Heroes is a program for veterans that has been in the works at New Hope. Rich Firmin, a veteran and the demonstrative beginning of the program, has not only been a stalwart volunteer, but his son, Richie, is a rider at New Hope. The pictures on the Horses Helping Heroes tab on the New Hope website are of Rich. With all of the business of managing an equine assisted therapy center, including a herd of horses (and a mule), expansion of the program was preempted by other urgent projects and emergencies.

Then Tonya Andrews, a medically retired disabled Air Force veteran, came to New Hope last year. Her progress has been phenomenal. Read the previous post about her here. She helped to ratchet up the importance  of the Horses Helping Heroes program. Tonya has done so well, with work at New Hope and with her physical therapist, that she is competing in the Wheelchair Games in New Orleans at the end of July.

For that reason, while I was making a list of upcoming posts for the blog (one of which will be the story of Tonya’s journey to the Wheelchair Games), I thought about talking to Sharla and Dave about beginning to publicize the Horses Helping Heroes program for the Fall.

Now we come to the scene that you think is deja vu until you realize it’s the scene you saw at the beginning of the episode and they’re adding the missing parts…

Then, of all times, I get the New Hope email newsletter from Kathleen saying that Bart Lesniewicz, a retired United States Marine Officer, is joining our board to Chair the development of our veteran’s program. So you see why I say it was a long time in coming? But now the person is known.

Please join us in welcoming Bart to the board. You can read more about Bart on the team page of the website. We look forward to exciting things happening with the Horses Helping Heroes program.

Ride on and ride for hope

Donate to New Hope.

Venmo – @NewHopeEquineAssistedTherapy

The post Horses Helping Heroes, New Board Member first appeared on New Hope Therapeutic Riding.

By Dan Roark

Not only was it the customary fifth week for the farrier to return to New Hope, it was also the return of Wyatt Myr to work after breaking his neck and back in an accident during a polo match. Fortunately, the doctor told him it was the best case scenario for neck and back breaks. If you can call it a best case scenario at all.

Joey is still helping Wyatt out while he is in the brace, which may be another five weeks. Natalie was assisting with trimming the horses that don’t have shoes and removing the shoes of the ones that do.

Wyatt was a state champion barrel racer growing up in Michigan. He took up polo while he was in college, saying he was immediately hooked on the “speed and fun of polo.” He competed professionally along the East Coast following college until he moved to the Dallas area ten years ago to help run the Polo Training Foundation (PTF). The PTF was formed in 1967 to promote clinics and interscholastic and collegiate polo. Located on a ranch in Burleson, the organization closed in 2010 during the recession.

Along with his farrier business, Wyatt also teaches polo at Legends Equestrian Center, thirty-five miles east of downtown Dallas. “At Legends, we’re trying to grow new players and teach them how to play safely.”

Here at New Hope, we’re glad he wasn’t hurt too badly and the horses are glad he’s back. We’re also happy that Wyatt has done – and is doing – so much for the sport of polo.

But we’re just grateful he’s a farrier, too!

Ride on and ride for hope.

Donate to New Hope.

Venmo – @NewHopeEquineAssistedTherapy

The post The Farrier Returns – Wyatt Myr first appeared on New Hope Therapeutic Riding.