June/July 2023 Issue

The News East Coast Horse Owners Need To Know OUR TH YEAR 199 - PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT 280 LANC., PA 17604 Vol. 30 No. 5 June/July 2023 (Continued on page 22) Pastures, Hay & Fencing Issue! Work to Ride Graduates Head to Harvard, North Texas Polo Teams By Suzanne Bush Sitting at a picnic table at Chamounix Equestrian Center on a drizzly Saturday morning, Alyssa Perren talked about her dream of becoming a veterinar- ian. A barn cat pestered her for attention. The dream, it turns out, revolves around a cat. “My cat—everybody remembers my cat that I had,” she explains. “He had passed away mysteriously. Even the vets didn’t know what was wrong.” She looked over at the student riders in the ring nearby. “I real- ized in the predicament that I’m in, coming from an underfunded community and an underfunded household, I don’t have a lot. But what I do have—what I can attempt to learn—I want to give back to my community.” Animal shelters know the story too well. People—hearts breaking—who have no options or resources—are forced to surrender their pets. They can’t afford to feed their beloved pets, or to provide vet care for them. “I realize,” Perren continues, “that vet care is super expensive, and I just want to make it more af- fordable for city kids like me, so we don’t have to choose between paying our bills and keeping our loved ones.” She’s 17, bursting with idealism and optimism and thoughtfulness and bravery and all the things the world hopes to see in young people. On this day, Perren and her friend Mosiah— Rite of Passage: Mo--Gravesande consider the days ahead, and their upcoming transitions from high school kids to college freshmen; they reflect on the roads that led them to this moment. Like Perren, Gravesande is full of optimism and courage— eager to embrace the challenges ahead, even as he will be far from home. Perren will head to Harvard in August; Gravesande will start at the University of North Texas (UNT). They are part of yet anoth- er exciting chapter in the inspiring history of Philadelphia’s iconic Work to Ride (WTR) program. Not Your Average Horse Barn In 1994 Lezlie Hiner said goodbye to the corporate world and invested her heart, soul and indomitable will into a dilapidat- ed barn on Chamounix Drive in Fairmount Park. She knew that kids could learn a lot from horses. She believes that kids in areas plagued with violence deserve a safe place where they can learn to work and ride. Participants in the program can start at eight years of age, and they graduate at 18. Hiner fosters a sense of teamwork, cooperation and accountability. Kids have to keep their grades up, complete their assigned work and be on time. Their responsibilities to WTR don’t end when they’re 18, though. As Perren explains there are always new kids entering the program, and “we teach them everything we’ve learned here, so when we’re gone, they will be Horses have been fixtures in Alyssa Perren’s and Mo Gravesande’s lives. Soon they’ll be heading for college where Perren will play polo for Harvard and Gravesande will play for the University of North Texas. Photo credit: Suzanne Bush able to teach somebody. It’s a rite of passage.” WTR kids can try different riding disciplines, but the orga- nization is best known for polo. And for winning. And for the suc- cess of their graduates. And then there is Ralph Lauren—a brand that is synonymous with polo. The Ralph Lauren organization featured several WTR team mem- bers in an advertising campaign and in their magazine. Horses Are Like Therapists Gravesande is soft-spoken with a disarming smile. He says horses inspire and comfort him. “To me they’re like therapy. A stress reliever. When I’m having a bad day—or even a good day— being around horses makes it 10 times better.” His first polo match is etched in his memory as both a physical challenge and a revelation. “My very first game I was either in fourth or fifth grade and it was probably one of the slowest games you’ve ever watched,” he says, laughing. “My stirrups didn’t even come below the sad- dle flap. I had to roll them a good five or six times. I could barely lift the mallet, but I just remem- ber after all that, I just knew this was my sport.” His sport, indeed. In the In- augural Philadelphia Polo Classic in September 2022, Gravesande was named Most Valuable Player after scoring three goals. As he contemplates what the next four years will bring, he is confident, and itching to ride the horses at UNT. “Being around horses is like second nature to me,” he says. “I’m going to be around more horses and doing more things in college.” He considers the hierarchy and the number of Inside... Pastures, Hay & Fencing feature! … pgs. 8-21 Chincoteague Museum signs contract to save Beebe ranch … pg. 24 Want to reenact the American Revolution on a horse? Here’s how … pg. 4 … and much more!