For PRC founder, it’s been a ‘blessing’ and a ‘gift’

By GERRY GALIPAULT

A weary mother looking for something, anything, to help engage her son turns to Prospect Riding Center. Maybe therapeutic horse riding will help him turn a corner, she thinks.

Her son has a form of nonverbal autism; he can’t talk but he can communicate with others by typing. The mom notices right away that her son is enjoying riding horses; gradually, each session has a calming effect on him … that is until the end of each ride. As his favorite horse, a mustang named Tank, trots back to the barn, the boy starts to cry and flops to the ground, and then the mom struggles to get the boy back into their car to return home.

This is how it plays out every time they come to PRC. Eventually, the boy’s therapist types him a question, “Why do you cry after each ride?”

He replies, “Because Tank is my friend,” and he doesn’t want to leave him. She explains to him that Tank needs his rest. “Would you want to sleep next to him in the barn at night?” The boy types, “No, it’s too smelly.”

With the help of the therapist, PRC founder and instructor Susan Tambone comes up with a plan: As each riding session comes to an end, she tells the boy, “OK, it’s time for Tank to get some sleep. Let’s take him back to the barn so he can go to bed.”

The plan works. The boy no longer cries about leaving his friend.

This kind of progress in a child with a disability is what drove Tambone to open her own therapeutic riding program, and seeing such positive results is what fuels her passion.

Tambone knows where the weary mother is coming from; she’s been there herself. She had personal experience with special needs with her own children: a son with Asperger’s and a daughter with a form of epilepsy that she eventually outgrew. It was while she was helping her daughter cope with epilepsy that she was introduced to therapeutic riding.

“I quickly developed a strong passion for it,” Tambone says. “When I get hooked on something, I go all out. I started to volunteer and then I became a certified instructor. We also hosted and trained a few Southeastern (Guide Dogs) service dogs, so I got to see the bond between my kids and animals first-hand.

“It was great for me, too, because I developed more patience and empathy.”

Tambone then decided to go out on her own. In 2011, she opened Prospect Riding Center on her sprawling 40-acre Three T’s Ranch in Myakka City (with 20 acres devoted to the riding center). Prospect has three arenas for private or small group lessons, a round pen for individual instruction and loads of trails.

“It’s a gift, who wouldn’t want to do this?” she says as she gazes out on her menagerie of horses, cows, chickens, turkeys, Indian Runner ducks and a pair of barn cats. “I was a stay-at-home mom for 25 years, who knew that I could do this? But I’m not afraid to fail. Having this ranch, once I realized how all this worked and getting things in order, I just love it here. It’s a blessing.”

Prospect Riding Center’s future is bright. Tambone and her crew of volunteers have added two new buildings: an office and a classroom to be used when the weather goes south, and they are expanding the availability of recreational riding. PRC has also hooked up with No Margin No Mission, a national consulting firm, with support from The Patterson Foundation. No Margin No Mission helps nonprofits diversify revenue, expand impact and develop other strategies.

Prospect will also be part of The Giving Challenge, a 24-hour giving event supporting more than 600 nonprofits throughout Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties. The 2018 Giving Challenge is scheduled for noon Tuesday, May 1, to noon Wednesday, May 2.

Tambone is all smiles.

“I just hired our first instructor,” says Tambone, hoping to pull back the reins on her own daily involvement so she can focus on fundraising, networking and follow-ups with clients. “Our big goal is to get a covered arena so we can still do lessons when it rains.”

At the end of a long day, Tambone says, she still turns to her staff and says, “ ‘That was fun.’ That’s what it’s all about.”

Margin Mission Ignition 2018 Start Up
“2017 Margin Mission has been challenging, a continuation of our learning —
only on  (steroids)!! Our history tells you we have been sustainable, now we want to look to regenerate”—Susan Tambone

To expand our services and off-set costs for our therapeutic riders, we have started our new recreational riding programs. These programs will be all-inclusive for the community. Whether it be a family and friends ride, a corporate team building exercise, or one of our special needs riders trail walking with their parents for the first time, we will share our expertise, lessons and love for horses. Our newest partner, The Patterson Foundation, has matched all startup-cost investments, dollar to dollar — up to 50 percent of our goal of $48,000. We are THANKFUL to our community for helping us reach our goals and  supporting Prospect Riding Center. Visit thepattersonfoundation.org to learn more about The Patterson Foundation’s Margin & Mission Ignition initiative or join the conversation using #TPFMarginMission on social media.

Learn more about Margin & Mission Ignition

#BeTheOne    #WolfesBTR    #WeAreOnePRC

24 Hour Giving Challenge May 1-2

2018 Giving Challenge — This 24-hour event is an online day of giving.
Noon to noon, Tusday, May 1 – Wednesday, May 2

Click here to view Prospect Riding Center Giving Partner profile.

Application and Photo Release

Application and Photo Release

Name: ____________________________________________________

DOB: ___ / ___ /___ Age: _____ Height: _____ Weight: _____ Male / Female

Ethnicity______________

Address: _________________________________________________County________

Home Phone: _____________________ Cell phone: __________________________

Preferred phone:_____________________________________

Email Address: _________________________________________________________
Employer/School: ________________________________________________________________
Address: _____________________________________ Phone: ________________
Parent/Legal Guardian: _________________________ Phone: _________________
Address (if different from above): ________________________________________________________________

Referral Source:
How did you hear about the program? Client Service Provider ____ Website _____
Social Media ___ Event On Site _____ Event Off Site _____ Friend _____

What medications are you currently taking, including over-the-counter medications? _________________________________________________________________
List Allergies; ________________________________________________________

Describe your abilities/difficulties in the following areas (include assistance required or equipment needed):
Experience with horses___________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Experience with special needs_________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Goals: _______________________________________________________

Why are you applying for participation?
Therapeutic Riding _____ Extended Hours _______ Ranch Experience _______
Recreational Riding _____ Volunteering _________

Photo Release

I _____ Do I _____ Do Not
Consent to and authorize the use and reproduction by Prospect Riding Center of any and all photographs and any other audio/visual materials taken of me for promotional material, educational activities, exhibitions or for any other use for the benefit of the program.

Signature: ____________________________________________________ Date: _________
Parent / Legal Guardian/Participant if over 18

Client Eligibility Guidelines

Prospect Riding Center Client Eligibility Guidelines

Prospect Riding Center will make every effort to meet the needs of all clients who apply – whether for therapeutic or recreational riding. However, the nature of these activities includes limitations, precautions and occasionally contraindications.

These are due to a variety of causes, most notably the following:

• Size and weight-carrying ability of the available horses
• Nature of a disability or condition that would make it unsafe for an individual to ride
• Lack of an appropriate group for an individual to join
• Inability to schedule riding time to coincide with an individual’s school or work schedule
• Lack of an adequate number of volunteer aides for a specific time slot

The safety of student, volunteers, staff and horses are of the utmost importance and each will be taken into consideration when accepting new students. All students and their parents/guardians/caregivers must be willing to abide by all rules established and posted. Riders must be able to wear an approved riding helmet, close toed shoes.

Medical Precautions and Contraindications information is available for review from our office or you may call us to discuss.

Physicians Statement

All Prospect Riding Center Clients seeking therapeutic riding must have a signed and dated statement from their doctor, and complete all liability/information forms.

Age

Therapeutic riding clients must be at least 5 years of age.

Weight Limit

Prospect Riding Center reserves the right to impose a weight limit in the event that no horse is available to safely carry a client weighing over 180 pounds. A lower limit may be imposed if illness or injury prevents the use of a suitable horse. This rule is needed in order to protect the health and soundness of the horses as well as the safety of the rider, volunteers and staff.

Behavior

Inappropriate, unsafe or disruptive behavior or any condition where the client is harmful to him/herself or others is a contraindication to therapeutic horseback riding.

Evaluation/Re-evaluation

Each potential therapeutic/recreational client will receive an initial evaluation by a PATH-certified instructor. Based on this evaluation and the client’s medical reports, the client will be advised if therapeutic riding is recommended. All students must have signed release of liability/information forms completed.

Under certain conditions a client’s condition may change and a re-evaluation becomes necessary. Based on this re-evaluation, the client may have to cease riding/therapy. A doctor’s written verification is required for the client to resume riding.

Recognizing that horse-related activities do hold inherent risks, we need to assess student participation with a “Risk/Benefit” analysis. The essential question for all students is, “Will the benefit of equine activities outweigh the risk?” If the movement activity will cause a decrease in the student’s function, an increase in pain, or generally aggravate the medical condition, these may not be the activity of choice.

Instruction

All clients and their families need to understand that Prospect Riding Center may be at any time a teaching facility for instructors in training. As such, no guarantee is made that all lessons will be conducted by a certified instructor. However, all mounted activities are under the direct supervision of a certified instructor, who will be present in the ring at all times to observe riding session, mounting and dismounting.

Thank you for understanding these guidelines. It is the intent of Prospect Riding Center to provide the safest possible therapeutic/recreational riding lessons for our clients.

CONTACT INFO

Prospect Riding Center
PO Box 424



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