THE BARN BULLETIN
WINGS OF HOPE EQUITHERAPY
Faith over Fear
Gabriel's story
We are wrapping up March 2020.  Social media is
littered with negativity posts on Coronavirus and
the effects it is having on everyone in the world.  It
can be hard to find anything positive to read and
we are all looking for something to make us smile.
However, thanks to social media Gabriel’s mom,
Rosy, found Wings of Hope. Five years ago, she was
looking at social media and read a post talking
about someone taking their daughter to Wings of
Hope and thought that would be a great option for
her son. Gabriel is an 8-year-old with energy that
adults dream of, an infectious laugh, and hugs that
will melt your heart.
Rosy shared that Gabriel was born
hydrocephalus a condition that causes muscular,
intestinal and many other problems. Doctors did
not give their family much hope, but Gabriel was
born to prove them wrong. They put their faith in
God, knowing Gabriel would overcome
challenges which he does daily. Their faith is so
much bigger than their fear. During his time at
Wings of Hope Gabriel has excelled. He was three
years old when he started riding. When he first
began he struggled with strength, balance, and
navigating his wheelchair. He would wheel up the
ramp and clap and laugh until he was lifted onto
Charlie Brown's back. To hear his laughter is to hear
joy. To see his smile is to feel joy.
“You are
precious
and honored in
my sight, and I
love you.” 
Isaiah 43:4
He would lean forward with his little hands and touch Charlie’s thick wavy mane
and pat Charlie’s neck asking him to “Walk on!”.
Charlie is the perfect horse for Gabriel. Many of the traits that Charlie excels in
were perfect for this duo as they formed their partnership. Gabriel would ride
backwards facing the rear of the horse to gain strength and increase stamina.
Gabriel could not sit up for long periods of time so he would take five steps
sitting up then lay down stretched across Charlie’s back for five steps, alternating.
Within weeks, he was able to turn around and face forward. Charlie Brown
understood this, and his partnership was the gift Gabriel needed to strengthen
his core, improve his balance, and overcome many of the challenges put before
him. His horse and sidewalkers are a huge part of his success story.
with
In addition to Charlie, Gabriel has amazing sidewalkers that make it possible for
him to ride and improve weekly. His charm and smile are contagious in the
arena. Often, he will complete his activities by clapping and belly laughing with
his entire team. The sidewalkers play an integral role in Gabriel’s ride by
many physically supporting Gabriel using a gaitbelt, which helps and empowers
Gabriel to sit up and stay balanced in his saddle. The teamwork between horse
and humans allows Gabriel to develop his core and sit up on Charlie Brown for
longer periods of time. The sidewalkers help Gabriel with activities in the arena
or outside on the Transistion Trail or Discovery Trail.
Over time, the sidewalkers were using less support and he was able to hold his
own body up and complete the physical activities without assistance. His
favorite activities are putting rings on the poles, throwing fish in water, putting
the green frog in the mailbox and catching and popping bubbles both in the
arena and out on the trail.

Five years after Rosy found Wings of Hope on social media,  Gabriel, with little
assistance, can now ride the full duration of his lessons with minimal support
of his team. Gabriel's charm and laughter always brings joy and is very much
contagious. In a world where the word contagion is ever present, we are
grateful for the gift of Gabriel and the infectious joy he brings to so many. His
greatest achievement is how he now walks up the ramp holding the instructor’s
hands and works on trying to lift his leg over Charlie Brown’s back. Gabriel has
overcome so much through faith and hope. He is a wonderful reminder of faith,
hope and love during this time of uncertainty in our world. Through faith and
God's love Rosy believes Gabriel will do great things, and we believe it too!

Dear Friends and Supporters,

First and foremost we hope this finds you well. Well in body, spirit, and mind. Secondly, we covet and feel your prayers
and appreciate your friendship. During such a strange time we find ourselves in, we find peace in the  consistency that
horses and the good Lord provide in our lives. Now more than ever Wings of Hope has a mission to fulfill our service to
a community that is in dire need of familiarity, consistency, and continuity. So much is changing in our world and at such
a rapid pace, but one thing remains: our core purpose which is to
provide hope and healing through gentle horses and the love of God. While our programming might look differently
right now we are still very much committed to provide hope and healing and we are certainly relying on the partnership
of gentle horses and the love of God to do so.

Even though our on-site programs are temporarily suspended, we are actively serving and engaging with each of our families at Wings of Hope to
ensure that they have the capability to continue relying on Wings of Hope as a resource in their lives. We communicate regularly with each of our
Equestrians and their families via text, email, phone calls and facetime dates. It is vital that the population we serve continues to have a place to have
their voices heard, their fears relieved, abilities recognized and their hope restored. Our staff is creating and sharing online content so that our
Equestrians still feel connected, and they keep their special bond with their horse and their team.

We focus on teaching and equipping our Equestrians with skills and tools that are learned in our arena with the ultimate goal of these things to be
applied outside of our arena and in everyday life. Let me paint you a picture. We serve a young lady who has been recently diagnosed with a life
altering diagnosis, a diagnosis that will progress with age. Her goal is to obtain her Masters Degree so that she can ensure a successful career that is
conducive to her lifelong prognosis. You wonder how does her horse play a role in obtaining a degree? Horses live in the now. It is imperative to their
survival as a prey animal. Each week when this determined young lady partners with Lark she must also be intentional in her focus, in her breathing,
and being present with Lark, and working together in a synchronized "now".

Lark gives her an outlet to process her long list of to do's, strengthens her body while they do yoga in the arena, and polishes up her multi-tasking
skills while they work together on a trail pattern or go through an obstacle outside on the transition trail. Most of all Lark allows her to be confident
in her ever changing body. She finds courage and addresses her fears and her anxieties with all of the uncertainties that come with neurologist
appointments, scans, relapses, medication changes, and so much more. The beauty of this partnership is that Lark does not know what a neurologist
is and unless it is an all you can eat hay buffet at the appointment Lark sees no use in being there. She couldn't care less about the names or dosage
of any medication that her human takes. What she does care about is her human feeling safe, feeling heard, feeling valid, and being included. When
this young woman faces adversity, roadblocks, and the hills & valleys while obtaining her degree, which she will, she is reminded that if she takes the
time to purposefully breathe, and to be intentional and present just as she is each week with Lark that she can achieve anything she sets her mind
to. When the bigger picture of graduating and promoting up through her job to secure her future seems intangible, she is reminded by Lark to focus
on the now through one assignment at a time, one quiz at a time, and one exam at a time. You see coming to the barn each week is literally and
figuratively pulling up the boot straps and carrying on for so many who come through our doors. One step at a time, one rotation of the wheel of a
wheelchair, one hoofbeat at at time, so much is accomplished through hope and healing through gentle horses and the love of God.

Now more than ever we need your help as we pull up our boot straps and carry on so that when our doors open again in the near future we can
sustainably continue to provide the partnership of a horse for this young woman and 76 other individuals with 76 additional stories of how their
horse impacts their daily life.
Consider giving the gift of hope during this
crucial time with a cash donation to our mission.
TEXT THE CODE
VISIT
-OR- wingsofhope
wingsofhopehorses.org TO 44-321 TO DONATE
 Join our team!
One of the greatest gifts you can
give to our mission is your time!

No horse experience necessary!

Must be 14 or older.

1-2 hours per week.

Find more details and an application
online or email
Jennifer@wingsofhopehorses.org

Are you looking for ways to become connected to our mission while you
spend time at home? Visit our website to learn more!

Equine Assisted Discovery

NOW
SCHEDULING
F I E L D T R I P S

W I T H A P U R P O S E

HORSES CAN
Engage with Equine Partners to develop new tools TEACH A
R E L I E V E S T R E S S
NEW
to improve and cultivate excitement in your group!
APPROACH A N D S H A R P E N

Y O U R F O C U S !
Equine Assisted Discovery is an extension of the mission
of Wings of Hope to provide an opportunity for
corporations, non-profits, academic and civic
SPEND A
communities to discover, create and develop while
HALF OR
S P A R K J O Y A N D
partnering with a horse. FULL DAY AT
THE BARN L A U G H T E R !
WITH YOUR
Need more info? Cheril@wingsofhopehorses.org PEERS
 How has Covid19 impacted us?
We have transitioned from partnering horses and humans together in the dirt of the arena and have gone virtual.

Our staff is working remotely and is committed to continue providing hope and healing through gentle horses and the love of God. We have financially
committed to reducing the hours in our work week and limiting our spending to essential needs for the foreseeable future to secure our financial integrity.
Our Volunteer Coordinator continues to lead our team of Volunteers to find new, fun, and innovative ways to keep the teamwork dynamic alive between
Equestrians and the Volunteers who serve them.

Our Equine Support Staff are committed to meeting all of the on-going needs of the herd and making sure the horses are healthy and happy during our
temporary shutdown.

Each of the Instructors are finding ways to "bring the herd" to our Equestrians through personalized and continual communication with our families.

Our Directors are working tirelessly to ensure programing resumes efficiently and safely as soon as we are able. Our Development Team is working hard to
raise emergency funds in the wake of the Coronavirus- not only to continue paying our staff of horses and humans, but so that we'll be in a position to
re-open immediately when it is safe to do so.

The Executive Committee of our Board of Directors is scheduled and committed to meeting weekly to ensure strategic planning positively impacts the
longevity of our mission.
How can you help?
Our deepest desire is to continue paying our staff of horses and humans so they can continue to work together remotely. We employ 19 Equine Therapy
Horses, a leadership team of 6 (including our instructors, directors and each program coordinator), plus a team of 3 equine support staff.

If you have free time on your hands and would like to contribute your professional skills during this time, please contact office@wingsofhopehorses.org.

Pray for our mission and the Equestrians, Volunteers, and each of the Families impacted by the horses of Wings of Hope.

COLLABORATION
CORNER
Text to Give
"MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK"

Shout out to a few of our community partners for making TEXT THE CODE
an impact on our mission!

Black Dog Charity

Chicas Tacos wingsofhope
Cleburne Lions Club
Cleburne Times Review
Crazy Canvas
TO 44-321 TO DONATE
Del Norte Tacos
Kiwanis Club of Southwest Arlington
University of Texas at Arlington
Volksfolks

#Hope #Healing #Discovery wingsofhopehorses.org

 Now more than ever, the world needs everyone's generosity.

We may need to stop shaking hands, but we can still reach out in meaningful
ways. We each have the power to create and spread ideas on how to help, heal,
and find ways to build new kinds of connection. It's not about size; we all have
something to give, and every act of human consideration and kindness matters.
-Author Unknown
 Hope and healing through
gentle horses and the love
of God.

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Wishlis
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AZON
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and click donate for more information delivered straight to
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r a c a u se
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or to reserve your sponsorship or ticket!

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Save th
 Ordinarily you would
have received this in your
WINGS OF HOPE postal mailbox.
EQUITHERAPY
YOU PERSONALLY SAVED
PO BOX 445
BURLESON, TEXAS 76097-0445 WINGS OF HOPE $2.30 BY
OFFICE@WINGSOFHOPEHORSES.ORG OPENING YOUR EMAIL AND
817-783-3805
MAKING A DONATION ONLINE,
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED VIA TEXT, OR VIA A MAILED
DONATION.

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Thanks for supporting our mission!

Hope
Healing
Horses
Discovery
partnering horses and
humans.