On October 27th, our Annual Meeting was held at the Gulf Coast Church of Christ. Over one hundred-twenty people gathered to honor the special riders, volunteers, and friends of Special Equestrians.  The new Board of Director officers were elected that evening, by the membership of Special Equestrians.  The officers for the year 2009-2010 are:  Jan Fifer - President, Adele Smith - 1st Vice President, Cody Vaughan Birch - 2nd Vice President, Kathleen Berlick - Secretary, Freda Jones - Co-Treasurer, and Mindy LaCroix - Co-Treasurer
 
The Rider of the Year Award is given to the Riders who have made the most improvement in the past year.  The award for Child Rider of the year for 2009 was given to Katelyn Hoffmann and Rachel Crowell.  The Adult Rider of the year for 2009 was awarded to Arlene Boeh. 

The Volunteer of the Year Award is given to volunteers who have gone "above and beyond" in their service to Special Equestrians.  The Volunteer of the Year Award for 2009 was given to three very deserving men:  Carmen Balestri, Jim Cummings and Joe Caulfield.   Thank you for all you do for our riders and for our organization.
     
The Friend of the Year Award is given to the person or organization who has made a significant difference for Special Equestrians.    The Southwest Florida Community Foundation is our Friend of the Year for 2009.  The Community Foundation has been a tremendous supporter of our program for so many years.  They have made us the beneficiaries of many grants which have helped our program such as.......our office furniture, a computer with sofware, a refrigerator, saddles, bridles, two program horses, a Kubota tractor with attachments and the roof over our viewing area.  We also have an endowment fund with the Southwest Florida Community Foundation.  To call them Friend of the Year is an understatement as they have truly "Changed our World."
 
Our volunteers are the Backbone of our organization.  We could not survive without them, as evidenced by over 15,000 volunteer hours tallied for 2009, by our office staff.  Recognition Certificates and Special Name tags were given to the volunteers who had served five or more years for the program.  The names below are the 26 volunteers who received this honor in 2009.  Many of these volunteers have served over ten years with the highest number going to Bill Curtis (18) and Dee Hollander (22).
 
Tracey Goodwin, Freda Jones,  Bob Lewis,  Michelle Priest,  Jim Cummings,  Joe Caulfield, Charlie Donches,  Bill Gillespie, Nancy Jensen, Ron Jensen,  Karen Sorenson, Dick Sorenson, Jon Cole, Julie Kelly, Enid Abdo, Avonda Levy, Wayne Levy, Bob Lanham,  Jan Fifer,  Jeanne Perry, Sherry Gilbert,  Karen Meyer, Evelyn Cardillo, Jack Cardillo, Bill Curtis, and Dee Hollander. 

 

It had been over 20 years since I had my first horse, a Morgan/Qtr horse mare, Chelsea.  We did a lot of trail riding together and I worked with a large animal Veterinarian, back when we lived in Colorado.  I  wanted to get back around horses, and thought "what a wonderful program this is".  Seeing the joy on the riders' faces is so rewarding.  Seeing how each rider progresses in their skill and abilities, well, it is hard to put into words. Those of you who volunteer know what I mean.

Well, I wanted to give something back.  I really wanted to give back to these wonderful horses. They give so much to our special riders, they deserve something special in return.  As chance would have it, I was fortunate to meet someone who knew about Equine Acupressure.  This healing modality
is a perfect fit for me.  I decided to take a leap of Faith, and get my certification.  I have since completed over 270 hours of study,  including hands on courses and lecture, and achieved my certification at Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute in Larkspur, Colorado.  In June 2009 I began my own business, Savvy Tender Touch, which enables me to service our Equine friends in Southwest Florida.

Most of our horses in the  Special Equestrians program are in their late teens or early twenties.  Problems they may have are of a more chronic nature - arthritis, stiff muscles, deficient immune systems, digestive issues,  the list can go on and on.

Acupressure connects us with thousands of years of natural healing, based on Traditional Chinese Medicine.  By being able to work on our horses in the program, I have the privilege of helping them to feel their best.  I absolutely love to get my hands on the horses!!  I think they enjoy their sessions as well.

So many good things have happened since I started on this journey a short time ago!  I would like to thank all the wonderful people involved with Special Equestrians and their support in helping me fulfill my dream of giving back to the special horses of Special Equestrians.

Ed. Note:  What Eileen has done for the SE horses with her acupressure treatments has been amazing.  The horses completely relax during their sessions, and the physical and mental benefits have been phenomenal. 

To learn more about animal accupressure and Savvy Tender Touch, go to Eileen's website - www.savvytendertouch.com.  Eileen can be contacted directly by phone:  239-910-7520 or email:  eyecoe@comcast.net.