4-H still has a role to play in the horse world

by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 28, 2022

There was a time when the horse show at New Jersey’s Somerset County 4-H Fair felt like a really big deal. The stables were full and the competition was serious.

Judy Hennessey, a 4-H leader in the county, remembers that during the mid-1970s when her son started in 4-H, there were 125 horses and ponies at the fair’s show and 500 kids in the program.

But this summer, the fair didn’t even draw a single 4-H horse, let alone enough for a horse show; instead there were some static displays on an equine theme.

One of the displays at the Somerset County 4-H fair. (Colette Eristavi photo)

Billed as America’s largest youth development organization, 4-H stands for “Head, Heart, Hands and Health.” Material from 4-H says it is “empowering nearly 6 million young people with the skills to lead for a lifetime.”

When it comes to making kids into horsemen and horsewomen, rather than just riders, 4-H has a reputation as being the ticket. Karyn Malinowski grew up in Somerset County, the home of the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation, and rode in the 4-H fair show.

She recalls from the late 1960s and early 1970s, “We learned about horse care and management through 4-H. Then our riding instructors took us to the A(-rated) shows and we learned equitation from that, but they didn’t teach us the nuts and bolts of daily taking care of horses; our 4H leaders did.”

The founder of the Rutgers Equine Science Center, Karyn also learned public speaking and horse judging from 4-H. She was “extremely disappointed” to find out that there was no 4-H horse show at the Somerset fair, the first held in three years due to Covid. The pandemic didn’t help the 4-H membership situation either.

Rachel Lyons, New Jersey’s state 4-H program leader, noted that “Many horse clubs, and other animal project areas, had a hard time during the darkest days of the pandemic. These clubs are usually very hands-on, and some (there were certainly some exceptions) had a hard time moving to an online, virtual format. It will take a few years for clubs to fully recover from the pandemic, but I am optimistic we will.”

Colette Eristavi, a club co-leader with Judy, said of the pandemic period, “a lot of kids found other things to do during that time.”

She added the displays at the fair attracted some interest from kids, but she wants to see how many follow through. Colette noted that children who don’t have horses need to learn about them if they have ambitions toward riding or being involved with them, and 4-H is a vehicle for getting that done.

In lieu of real horses, the leaders made “ponies” out of pool noodles at the fair, and kids were having a great time jumping over little fences with them.

Pool noodle ponies made a fun substitute for the real thing at the fair. (Photo by Collette Eristavi)

Colette is hoping there will be live equines at the fair next year, “even if that means we have to borrow horses” so kids can learn about being around them.

Kelly Champion, who was a member of the Morris County Gauchos 4-H club until she aged out 35 years ago, has fond memories of the program and it what it did for her. In addition to being involved in a variety of activities including the horse bowl quiz program and horse judging, it “teaches you to love your animal and learn about the animal.”

Kelly, who rode on the A-rated circuit, is now an instructor at Mane Stream, a therapeutic riding center in Oldwick. The “hands-on” experience she got from 4-H, along with the contacts she made there, has helped in her work in the industry,

Looking at the big picture, Karyn observed, “Overall, the numbers of the 4-H Horse Project in New Jersey are down,” while noting that is the case in all 21 counties, where the enrollment has been “getting less and less.”

She considers it ,“A sign of the times, they (kids) are showing and riding and that’s all they want to do.”

“It’s a much different world today,” Judy observed, noting the backyard horse that once was the backbone of 4-H horse clubs is vanishing in increasingly developed areas. At the same time, there are fewer barns where kids can take lessons without owning a horse, she said.

Membership issues are across the board in various 4-H clubs, not just those involved with horses. Judy knows of an alpaca 4-H club that is doing well, but members lease the alpacas rather than owning them, though she cited as a positive development that they were involved in a successful project to build a barn.

Costs of horse ownership and even leasing are yet another hurdle, not only for 4-H, but also for many people who would like to be involved with horses yet can’t afford it.

Karyn said that situation will be among topics addressed at the Rutgers Equine Science Center’s March 16, 2023 New Jersey Equine Summit, where the focus will include industry sustainability and the engagement of youth, as well as ways to cut costs of horse ownership.

This autumn, a survey will be sent out to New Jerseyans to pinpoint their areas of concern about the horse industry in advance of the summit, which will be free of charge for anyone wishing to attend. It will be the first time in 20 years that such a summit has been held.

Brittany Rigg, coordinator of the New Jersey 4-H State Horse Program and 4-H Senior Program coordinator, observed, “I believe the decline in numbers in the New Jersey 4-H Horse Project area is a reflection of the horse industry as a whole. Horses have been a leisure sport for a long time and with the shift in the economy, we are seeing this again, as we did during the last economic recession.

“This is something that is affecting a lot of the youth organizations within the horse industry, not just 4-H. During times of recession, we see a lot of our 4-H youth members focus more on our educational contests and non-horse-related events that we host.”

Brittany mentioned, “A lot of our members do not own their own horses and they lease or take lessons. Throughout the state, we have several horseless horse clubs that focus on the equine science of the horse, some focus on model horses and showing those, and some are based out of barns where the members take lessons weekly.”

She did, however, maintain that, “No matter what stage a member is at in their horse career, 4-H has something to offer them and the valuable life skills, knowledge and memories that they will make along the way ties the entire 4-H experience together.”

Brittany added, “To speak to the situation in Somerset, we have seen a decline in our program numbers since the COVID-19 pandemic; however, we are seeing this not only in the horse program but all of our project areas in the New Jersey 4-H Youth Development Program. A lot of our senior members have graduated during our two-year (pandemic) hiatus. Although we are seeing smaller numbers of youth participating in the horse program at the county and state levels, there have been some positives from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have a huge influx of younger members, or Cloverbuds (kindergarten through third grade) joining our programs and we were able to engage and reach youth and volunteers in different ways. Through our virtual programming, we were able to connect with youth not only in New Jersey, but across the county and even the world. We had youth participants from South Carolina, Indiana, New York, and even Azerbaijan.”

Brittany believes, “With the increase in younger members, our horse program will continue to grow over the next couple of years, although it might take some time. Our goal is to keep providing new opportunities and experiences for youth members to grow their life skills. 4-H is always going to be there to support the youth of not only the horse industry, but the world. “

The open enrollment period in 4-H began this month. All members wishing to participate in state level events, such as Horse Bowl, Horse Judging, Hippology, Equine Presentations, and the State Horse Show, will need to be a registered 4-H members by January 1, 2023. To join, click on this link

“The primary focus of all 4-H clubs is on youth development.  4-H gives young people an opportunity to practice important life skills like leadership, public speaking, personal responsibility and record-keeping through focusing on a child’s interest or passion…in this case, horses. 4-H is always recruiting youth, and volunteers are welcome at any time of the year,” Rachel stated.

Mentioning another factor in the 4-H situation, Karyn said, “I think getting volunteer leaders is tough.”

Emphasizing that “ Volunteers are truly the heart of 4-H,” Rachel commented, “ All 4-H clubs are run by caring adult volunteers. I strongly encourage anyone who is passionate about horses and horsemanship, consider passing on their knowledge and passion to the next generation. 4-H is a great vehicle to do that.”

But Judy commented that in her experience, the problem is that, “Parents don’t want to make a commitment to bring the kids to the meeting and they don’t want to help. In 4-H, we expect the parents to help a little bit. We’re not a baby-sitting service.”

In Rachel’s view, though, “I look at national volunteerism trends closely, and it appears more people are interested in volunteering, but for less time overall. 4-H has developed a short-term club model, that meets weekly for 6-12 weeks, rather than monthly all year, to meet the needs and expectations of volunteers and families.”

It’s been 50 golden years of therapy and more at Mane Stream

by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 19, 2022

It may be hard to believe in this era, but the concept of using horses for organized therapy was still in its infancy when Octavia Brown founded the Somerset Hills Handicapped Riders Club a half-century ago. The once-weekly program began on a rudimentary basis with horses provided by the local Pony Club.

Today, what she started on her Bedminster, N.J., farm has blossomed into an organization with hundreds of dedicated volunteers and deep support from the community.

SHHRC evolved into Mane Stream, which offers clients a long list of vital services, everything from speech pathology to physical and occupational therapy, as well as brightening the lives of those who are living with cancer and debilitating conditions.

As it marks its 50^th anniversary, Mane Stream, located on 12 acres in Oldwick. N.J., officially sums up its mission as improving “the quality of life for individuals with physical, developmental, emotional, and medical challenges through a diverse program of equine assisted activities, therapy services, and educational initiatives.”

That’s certainly ambitions and accurate, but what stands out when watching Mane Stream participants is something that can’t be defined with mere words. It’s the joy someone feels from involvement with horses, whether it is simply brushing a pony, speaking for the first time after riding around the ring or break-through moments of leaving the wheelchair behind for freedom on horseback.

“Every new thing that comes along came from that whole beginning of thinking we could think outside the box. That’s exactly why I’ve stayed in it for as long as I have,” said Octavia, who went on from Mane Stream to start the Therapeutic Riding At Centenary University program.

Octavia Brown. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)

Today, “You can look at youth at risk, you can look at battered women, you can look at all kinds of things that none of us even thought about years ago,” Octavia observed.

You could say she was the Johnny Appleseed of therapeutic riding. At a time when the only course in the country was at Michigan’s Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center, people wouId come to Octavia and tell her, “I want to learn to do what you’re doing.”

So she started training people “and clearly they were gong to go out and do great things.”

Now she is involved on the board of the Horses and Humans Research Foundation.

For a very long time, “No one even thought about having qualitative and quantitative research on aspects of the field,” she recalled.

“The science behind this is starting to really take a firm hold. Maybe hopefully insurance will start to pay for this without quibbling, and people will start to sit up and take notice in areas we don’t even know about yet.”

She will be honored Oct. 1 at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone, N.J., where Mane Stream is holding its anniversary gala. (As long as tickets are still available, they can be obtained through equus2022.givesmart.com.)

While Octavia ran her original operation with little help, Mane Stream today employs professionals to handle the ever-increasing aspects of its operation, which is a Premier Accredited Center of PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, International).

Overseeing the therapy is Melanie Dominko-Richards, who began her association with Mane Stream at the age of six. Her mother worked down the road at the Oldwick General Store, where Mane Stream personnel would go for lunch. Melanie’s mom sought advice from them on how she should handle her “horse-crazy kid, who needed something to do for the summer.”

Melanie first visited Mane Stream at age six and became a volunteer when she was nine years old, a much younger age than what is allowed today. But it was an important step for her; one, she says, that “put me on the path of where I am today. I just loved it.

Melanie Dominko-Richards, Mane Stream’s director of therapy services with Tink. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)

“I originally came for the horses. That was really the draw. Then I fell in love with the disabilities side of it,” she explained.

“I fostered this love of inclusion and a love of being around all different sorts of people.”

After volunteering through high school and getting a bachelor’s degree in education at Seton Hall University, she got a call from Mane Stream’s director of therapy services, offering her a 10-week gig. It has turned into 11 years. She got a promotion to director of therapy services in 2017. With a master’ in speech language pathology, she is now board president of the American Hippotherapy Association.

Trained in how the biomechanics of the horse implements the biomechanics of the human body, she explained, “Being on a horse kind of organizes the systems of the body.”

For a hyper client who can’t focus, for instance, “the movement of the horse is self-organizing,” she explained. Melanie compared it to a zipper that’s slightly out of line.

“Being on the horse lines up the teeth of the zipper…so I can zip up the zipper. It readies the body for another task, such as speech therapy.

“A lot of clients come for multiple therapies, meet their goals, then move on to occupational therapy or physical therapy. They may also join an adaptive riding program and take a lesson.  Our definition of special needs is very broad.”

The idea is to adapt teaching style and equipment to a participant. For instance, to help a client understand how to ride a circle on a horse, different colored cones can be set up to make a circle as the client sets off, then slowly the cones are removed, enabling them to understand how to produce the figure on their own.

Jen Dermody, the head instructor,  equine manager and event coordinator, said one of the special things about Mane Stream is “the whole team feel” as volunteers work with professionals in helping clients.

Volunteers are vital to Mane Stream’s success, and each has their own purpose in helping others. Dan O’Donnell, who worked in technology and was a rider for 35 years, used to take his horses on the trails in the Oldwick area and would often  pass by Mane Stream.

“When I retired, I decided to come in and see what was going on. It’s kind of nice to do something that’s your hobby anyway,” he noted.

Matt McCann; his wife, Renee, and daughter, Sara, all volunteered. Sara was a jumper rider, so she knew horses, but Matt, a CPA, enjoyed being along for the ride, so to speak, since helping at Mane Stream was an activity he could do with his whole family.

Leroy Hunninghake came in one day just to see what was going on at the facility and encountered someone in the lobby he had worked with in technology for 25 years. The man’s son had autism and was riding, so that inspired Leroy to get involved.

Karen Mikita-Kaufhold, the organization’s president, became involved with Mane Stream when she moved from Bergen County to Hunterdon County and was looking for volunteer work. When she mentioned it to the wife of the CEO at the company where her husband worked, the woman suggested she go to what was then Somerset Hills, because Karen rode horses and wanted to help people.

“I think that would be the perfect fit for you,” the woan said, and she was right.

“Once I began volunteering I loved it, I loved being there,” Karen remembered,

“When I started seeing what they do for the participants, that’s when it got to me; this is more than just the horses. This is helping somebody who is doing therapy on the horse and to see improvements, that’s when it got to me.”

She recounted hearing a little girl who hadn’t talked at all, finally say, “walk on” to the horse.

Occupational therapist Stephanie Egleston (second from right) works with a client with the help of volunteers. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)

“I had tears in my eyes. This is what it’s all about.”

“I am so grateful and cannot thank our supporters enough for their generosity and kindness to help Mane Stream to be able to fulfill our mission and serve our community for 50 years and hope we can continue to for many more years to come,” she said.

Trish Hegeman, Mane Stream’s executive director for six years, reflected on 50 years of progress. She notes, “We’ve come a long way in terms of keeping people safe; we know a lot more about the right way to do things, we’ve learned a lot more abut how to engage with certain participants. We’ve definitely moved forward and are definitely interested in staying as a leader in the industry.”

The board adopted a strategic plan earlier this year, but one of the key questions that remains for discussion is “What’s next? What do we want to do?”

Getting more space is one question that will be dealt with in discussions next year, since at the current location, things are “built out as much as they can be.”

While the adaptive riding program moves in the winter to a board member’s farm where there’s a big indoor ring, the organization would like to have its own large indoor for lessons. The current indoor, used for therapy, is too small for that.

A client may have a diagnosis of ADHD, anxiety or some other condition. The horses are trained to carry riders who are not balanced or do unexpected things; perhaps they have muscle spasms, for example.

Volunteers work with clients in the outdoor ring. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)

There is a big demand for adaptive riding, focusing on “anyone who’s not going to be successful in a typical riding environment.”

“We want people to be successful and independent, and those are not two things that happen all the time in other environments to people who come here,” said Trish.

Their Mane Stream experience “gives them something be successful at. Our people who might have other challenges in their life, and life is not so easy for them, are able to get on these big animals and tell them what to do. There’s something super-empowering about that.”