CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR MAY VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH: PAUL!

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR APRIL VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH: NEAL!

EARLY SUMMER NEWSLETTER

Welcome to the early Summer edition of Stable Thoughts, the newsletter of Rainbow Therapeutic Riding Center!

EXPLORE THE INSECT WORLD WITH ROCK

Join us for our next ROCK camp on Saturday, May 25th from 11am - 2pm with special guest speaker Bridget Bradshaw from the Clifton Institute. Bridget will lead us on a hike around the Rainbow woodlands and introduce us to all the different kinds of insects that make it their home! Every camper will go home with an insect ID collection kit and be crammed full of creepy crawly facts to share with their friends and family! Suitable for ages approximately 10-14. Join us for just $15 by registering with Robin at rainbow@rainbowriding.org

THANK YOU FOR DIGGING DEEP AT DAWN!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! To everyone who crawled out of bed, coffee in hand, to dig deep and help Rainbow at dawn! But don't panic if you didn’t do it ... there's still time to donate to RAINBOW as Give Local Piedmont Day continues until MIDNIGHT TONIGHT!

IT’S TIME TO DIG DEEP AT DAWN AND DONATE TO RAINBOW!

GOOD MORNING! WAKE UP, SMELL THE COFFEE, AND DIG DEEP AT DAWN TO HELP RAINBOW MEET TODAY'S FUNDRAISING TARGET OF $15,000 ON GIVE LOCAL PIEDMONT DAY!

Your donation of just $10 helps fund life changing therapeutic riding programs for adults, teens, and children, with both physical and mental health challenges. And the organization with the most individual donations between 6-7am TODAY will win an additional $1,000 from the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation!

DO YOUR GOOD DEED AT DAWN AND HELP RAINBOW AND ITS RIDERS!

DONATE TO RAINBOW IN THIS YEAR’S GIVE LOCAL PIEDMONT FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN

Give Local Piedmont takes place on Tuesday, May 14th, 2024. It is one of Rainbow’s biggest fundraising campaigns of the year and we are encouraging you and your family and friends to support us on this day.

A donation of just $10 makes a huge difference to the students in our therapeutic riding program, whether they are adults with traumatic brain injuries, teens with mental health issues, or kids with physical challenges, like six year old Mateo. Here’s what his parents, Don and Carol, say about their Rainbow experience:

"As parents of a child who has been attending Rainbow Therapeutic Riding Center, we cannot express enough gratitude for the incredible impact it has had on our son. Since starting his sessions here, our 6-year-old has not only fallen in love with the experience but has also shown remarkable progress and development. The smile on his face every week as he eagerly heads to Rainbow is truly priceless.

The dedicated staff and beautiful horses at Rainbow have created a nurturing environment where our son feels safe, supported, and empowered to overcome his challenges. We have witnessed firsthand the positive effects of equine therapy on his confidence, motor skills, and overall well-being. Rainbow Therapeutic Riding Center has become an invaluable part of our son's journey, and we are forever grateful for the remarkable care and attention he receives there."

Early giving for Give Local Piedmont is open NOW and you can donate via the Give Local Piedmont website by clicking here: GIVE LOCAL PIEDMONT 2024

Let’s Go Fishing at Rainbow’s ROCK Camp

We're getting ready to roll out another ROCK camp next Saturday, May 11th, from 11am - 2pm. This time, we'll be having fun fishing in beautiful Silver Lake Park! After a short hike to the lake, campers will learn all about fishing, including how to cast off and using different types of rods. Rods and bait will be provided. Inclusive camp for ages 10-14. $15 per student. Places are limited so please be sure to sign up by contacting Robin at rainbow@rainbowriding.org.

EARLY GIVING FOR GLP 2024 KICKS OFF TODAY!

Today is the start of EARLY GIVING for one of our biggest fund raising campaign’s of the year, Give Local Piedmont, which takes place on Tuesday, May 14th.

Sponsored by the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation (NPCF) in partnership with the PATH Foundation, Give Local Piedmont 2024 is an opportunity for organizations in the Piedmont region, like Rainbow, to raise funds and spread the word about our amazing missions.

Not only is it a chance for you to give to a great cause, but by giving via Give Local Piedmont we also receive a portion of the PATH Foundation bonus and have an opportunity to win one of the many NPCF Sponsor-driven prizes!

VOLUNTEER OPEN HOUSE, Saturday April 27th, 2024

Ever thought about volunteering at Rainbow but not sure what it’s all about or whether it’s right for you? Why not drop in to our Volunteer Open House, this Saturday April 27th, any time between 12:30pm - 2:30pm, to meet our team, our horses, and see what the Rainbow therapeutic riding program is all about!

Contact us at volunteercoordinator@rainbowriding.org to register your interest, or just join us on the day!

VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH MARCH 2024

Congratulations to our March Volunteer of the Month, John! Thanks for everything you do for our Rainbow students and horses, we truly appreciate you! If you want to join us and make a difference in our community, apply online here: https://www.rainbowriding.org/volunteer-application-form

Or why not join us this Saturday, April 27th, between 12:30pm - 2pm, for our Volunteer Open House, at our facility at 16198 Silver Lake Road, Haymarket, VA 20169. Come see for yourself what Rainbow is all about and how just a few hours of your time each week can help make a huge difference in our students’ lives.

SPRING NEWS FROM RAINBOW

JOIN THE AUDUBON SOCIETY AT RAINBOW’S OUTDOOR CAMP FOR KIDS

We’ve already started this year’s program of ROCK - our inclusive outdoor camp for kids - but you can still join in the fun for one, more, or all of the remaining camps. Our next ROCK takes place on SATURDAY, APRIL 20TH, (rescheduled from 27th) and will feature an Ambassador from The Audubon Society. They will talk about local birds and how to watch wild birds, how to help and protect habitat, and how to identify birds in the wild. There’ll be a group hike around the property and every participant will receive their own binocular and bird identification chart. Places are limited so register your interest now by emailing us at rainbow@rainbowriding.org or calling 703-794-5308. We welcome all kids from 10-14 years for just $15 per session.

RAINBOW IN THE NEWS

Believe it or not, today is International Find a RAINBOW Day, but if you're not seeing one in the sky, you can read all about THIS one in April's Haymarket-Gainesville Lifestyle Magazine. We were thrilled to welcome them to our Haymarket barn and share the love and light that our students, staff, volunteers, and horses feel every single day. If you'd like to learn more about Rainbow, please get in touch at rainbow@rainbowriding.org

IT’S GIVE CHOOSE DAY! Support Rainbow and its Riders today!

IT’S GIVE CHOOSE DAY! A day when you can help support our Rainbow riders and horses by giving as little as $10 via this fundraising event organized by the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties. For 24 hours from midnight on Monday, 18th March, through midnight on Tuesday, 19th March, you can show your support for Rainbow at the Give Choose site.

We rely on the generosity of donors and volunteers to provide equine assisted activities to students of all ages from both Loudoun and Fauquier Counties and beyond. Children, teens, and adults come to us with a variety of physical, cognitive, and mental health challenges. Your donations make a huge difference in their lives: whether it's the magic of riding a horse that lifts a depressed teenager's spirit, when a Veteran bonds with a horse, or when a child in a wheelchair experiences the freedom of moving effortlessly on a horse.

As we get ready for our Spring Semester, your donations will help us in so many ways: 

$30: one week's supply of grain for a horse

$50: one fly mask and one bottle of fly spray to keep our horses itch free

$75: tuition for one student's riding lesson

$100: sponsorship of one child for a day at camp

$175: full care for one horse for one week

$500: hay for one horse for one year

$750: scholarship for one student for one semester

There is no way we could pass along the true cost of the service we provide to our riders, they simply couldn't afford it. It's thanks to you that lessons at Rainbow remain affordable and we can continue to grow our programs and impact.

Thank you!

VOLUNTEER OPEN HOUSE AT RAINBOW

Ever wondered how you could help support those in our community who need it most? Do you have a couple of free hours a week to help with our therapeutic riding program?

Join us at Rainbow for a Volunteer Open House and see how you can help us support students with physical, cognitive, and mental health disabilities through therapeutic riding.

Rainbow can only run with the support of its amazing Volunteers, all of whom help:

• Provide emotional and physical support for students of all ages
• Help create a fun and engaging environment
• Encourage students to grow and thrive
• Champion the benefits of equine assisted activities

Drop in and meet our staff and instructors on Saturday, 23rd March between 12:30pm - 2:30pm and see how just a LITTLE of your time can make a HUGE difference at Rainbow!

No horse experience necessary, just the desire to make a difference and help keep our Rainbow riders smiling!

VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH FEBRUARY 2024

Congratulations to our February Volunteer of the Month, Libby! Thanks for everything you do for our Rainbow students and horses, we truly appreciate you! If you want to join us and make a difference in our community, apply online here: https://www.rainbowriding.org/volunteer-application-form

GET READY 4 ROCK 2024!

It's time to start thinking about spring & summer camps and we're excited to announce the return of our inclusive outdoor camp for kids, ROCK! Come rain or shine, our ROCK! team makes sure everyone has a great time whether they're learning new skills like fishing and archery, or hearing from local wildlife experts and exploring the beautiful Silver Lake Park. Places are limited so register your interest now by emailing us at rainbow@rainbowriding.org or calling 703-794-5308. We welcome all kids from 10-14 years for just $15 per session.

VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH JANUARY 2024

Congratulations to Nicole, our Volunteer of the Month for January! Thank you for all you do for our students - we couldn't do it all without you!

RAINBOW IN THE NEWS: FAUQUIER TIMES

Thanks to the Fauquier Times for spotlighting the amazing grant we received from the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation’s ‘Youth in Philanthropy’ Group. Read more about these exceptional youngsters in this week’s edition.