Bonny and Clyde have been an integral part of the Festina Lente team since 2007, and they have an unbreakable bond! Bonny is a dark bay mare standing 14.2 hands high, while Clyde is a dark bay gelding of the same height. Bonny is slightly rounder in shape than Clyde, while Clyde has a pinker nose. These two ponies had been companions since birth, so when they were put up for sale their owner wished for them to be sold as a pair. They came to Festina Lente on trial together for two weeks, and were together during the whole time. Towards the end of their trial they needed to be separated for their vet checks (a standard practice for when we purchase a new pony or horse). Bonny went off to have her check done, leaving a very anxious Clyde unable to see her! He took matters into his own hooves and jumped straight over the stable door from a standstill to find his best mate. The vet suggested a pony that good at jumping would be an asset to us - and he was entirely correct. The ponies have been with us since 2007 and are truly invaluable to our team. They work across all our disciplines, from equine assisted learning to therapeutic riding, from dressage to jumping. They have worked with many children over the years and have their own dedicated fan club, who in more normal times come to visit them every week. While they're less likely to jump out of stables to find each other these days, Bonny and Clyde are still the best of friends.
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The smallest members of our equine team are our two miniature Shetland ponies, Alannah and Siofra. While they might be tiny, their impact certainly isn't - their cute faces and cheeky personalities are known all over Leinster. Siofra and Alannah came from Ballyconnell, and although they look very similar there's a few improtant differences that tell them apart. Alannah is slightly smaller and aged 15 years, whereas Siofra is a little larger despite being younger, at 14 and a half. Most noticeably however they have different manes. While both ponies have gorgeous bright chestnut coats, Siofra has a flaxen mane (meaning a lighter golden colour) whereas Alannah's is a similar chestnut to her coat. As they are so petite, they were able to travel to Festina Lente in our blue Hiace van, turning a lot of heads on their journey! Their travelling days were not over however. These two ponies have a very busy working schedule, as they are a super important part of both our Supported Helper programmes and our Outreach programme. They regularly visit local schools in their white outreach van, where they adore being fussed over by young people. They also visit our older members of society in rest homes or care facilities. Their calming personalities and lovely fur makes stroking and grooming them a restful experience. Sometimes the two ponies are accompanied by their dog friend Nala, and the three of them are a huge hit! They love being groomed, so regularly take part in our Supported Helper programme. Every day children come in from different schools to help care for Alannah and Siofra, from grooming to leading and all the other things that ponies need to be happy and healthy. These tiny powerhouses are not ridden - all their work is done in hand. They did at one stage do some training in harness, to pull a small pony trap, showing their ability to learn all sorts of new things! Alannah and Siofra attend the Kilmacanogue Show every year, and always bring back rosettes.
Keep an eye out for these busy little ponies once Festina Lente is open again! On Sunday, Orla Hunt celebrates a super-special birthday - it's her 21st birthday! Here at Festina Lente we are so thrilled to be able to wish her a very happy birthday. Orla is beloved at Festina Lente for her incredible sunny smile, her kindness, and how helpful she is. She loves her dogs Mabel and Henry, loves getting to spend time with the horses and ponies at Festina Lente, and is a huge fan of Taylor Swift. Orla's recently learnt how to email using her new laptop - a very important skill to have! She also impressed the Gardens team when she recently did her work experience in the shop. Happy birthday Orla - we hope you have a wonderful day, and Mabel and Henry give you plenty of cuddles to celebrate!
The Transition Training Programme have just released their Easter newsletter, and it's full of interesting updates about what's been happening for this great group of learners. If you'd like to find out more, check out the newsletter here: https://sway.office.com/FD8BxgTBegDqecSD?ref=email
One of the most popular and rewarding classes the Saol Anois team take part in is You Take Lead. Introduced to the weekly timetable around a year ago, the programme gives each member a chance to showcase their individual talents, interests and achievements. Everyone takes the lead and present their chosen topic to the rest of the class, teaching and leading their peers. With the current restrictions in place in Ireland and around the world, it seemed even more essential to find a way to keep this programme running. The goals of this class include building confidence and self-esteem; developing creativity and initiative; developing presentation and facilitation skills; and increasing enjoyment and morale amongst the group. These goals seem even more important than ever, so the Saol Anois staff adapted the programme to be run via Zoom! Using Zoom also has the additional benefit of developing the IT skills of our students as well as new social skills related to Zoom, such as turn taking and and group cooperation. Each week, two of the class chooses their topic of interest and presents to everyone - with amazing results! Some of the fascinating talks lined up include:
With plenty of laughs, some amazing insights and some truly incredible creativity, the Saol Anois team have created a time in their week to celebrate the knowledge and achievements of their classmates. Well done team, we can't wait to hear more! Our beautiful Rose had a troubled past before making her way to Festina Lente, and a quote by Matshona Dhliwayo illustrates her journey from fear to being a fundamental part of our riding school: “Roses do not bloom hurriedly; for beauty, like any masterpiece, takes time to blossom.” Rose came to Festina Lente via the Irish Horse Welfare Trust in 2008. Not much was known about her or her past, other than she was rescued from a field in the Midlands with a foal at foot. She, and the other horses in the field, were starving and emaciated, and a number of horses had sadly died. Rose's foal was put on a drip for a week on arrival at the Irish Horse Welfare Trust and luckily survived. He was later rehomed to a loving new home. When Rose arrived at Festina Lente, her physical condition quickly improved, with her rain scald being treated and her muscle wastage from starvation being reversed through good feeding. However, psychologically she was still in a very bad way. It became quickly clear that whatever human contact she'd had prior to being rescued had not been pleasant, and she had an extreme fear of anyone approaching her head. This fear resulted in her throwing her head up, rapidly backing up and spinning around to avoid the contact. It took around 12 months of very gentle and consistent handling for her to understand that her new handlers were not going to do anything to either harm or frighten her. For many months, we dismantled the bridle in order to put it on her and then did it up piece by piece. Fast forward to 2020, and with that gentle handling and careful training, Rose has become a truly valued member of Festina Lente's equine team. She is an exceptional Equine Assisted Learning horse, in part because of her experienced earlier in her life. Her high level of sensitivity makes her an amazing horse to engage with, although as this is also her vulnerability we need to ensure this is carefully balanced at all times to maintain her wellbeing. Rose is also a wonderful therapeutic riding horse, and is calm and reliable for these riders with extra needs. For those with more riding experience, she is a wonderful horse for lessons, especially for those riders who understand her needs and sensitivities. She responds brilliantly to her Micklem Multi Bitless Bridle and over the past couple of weeks Jill has had the pleasure of riding out with her as part of her schooling and fitness programme while lessons are on hold.
Today we have a particularly special blog for you, with a guest writer! Ciara Donohue is part of our Saol Anois programme and has been working hard at Salon H in Newtownmountkennedy. She was recently profiled in You magazine, which involved a photoshoot! We'll let Ciara share her experience in her own words. My photoshoot was so so good, it made me feel like I am so famous. There were loads of cameras on you, and I got to have my makeup done by a lovely lady. There was also a lady who was a journalist, who interviewed me for the You magazine. It was for an article about people with Down Syndrome and their jobs, to celebrate world Down Syndrome day. There were other girls there too, I got to pose with the others girls for pictures.
It was in a hotel, they have a bar in there and we all went in there to have our lunch. I brought my Mum with me to watch me. A few weeks later I went to a shop with Mum to buy the magazine. We got to look at it, I gave one out to my friends and they were all surprised about it. We sent it to Denmark as well and put it on Facebook and Instagram. I felt very very famous. Well done Ciara, we can't wait to see what exciting things you do next! Since his arrival at Festina Lente in 2009, our beautiful Caltra has been a favourite amongst both our clients and our staff! Caltra is a Connemara pony, one of Ireland's five recognised horse breeds, and a truly native breed. Connemara ponies are renowned for being hardy and sure footed, traits developed from their origins on the rocky and wild West Coast of Ireland. They are also known for their lovely relaxed temperaments and suitability for a wide range of disciplines, from show jumping to endurance riding. Connemara ponies are typically either grey or dun, and Caltra is a particularly beautiful bright dun with a striking black dorsal stripe. He is 14.2 hands high. When staff first went to see Caltra and assess if he was right for Festina Lente, he was grazing calmly in a back garden with geese and dogs pottering around him and sheets flapping on the line nearby - normally very frightening experiences for a pony! We thought that if Caltra was so calm around all these different scary experiences, he'd be perfect for us. He came on trial for two weeks but deep down we already knew he'd fit in perfectly - and he did. His original name was Kingscourt, but we didn't think that quite suited him, so his name was changed to reflect the village in the West which he came from. Caltra is an incredible all-rounder, able to turn his hoof to a huge range of the activities we do at Festina Lente. He is a lovely calming presence for one-to-one grooming sessions, giving confidence to all who work with him. He has three well-balanced paces, making him a wonderful pony for learners to improve on, particularly those who are coming off the lead rein and riding independently for the first time. He is also an excellent jumping pony, and seems to particularly enjoy cross country jumping.
We love having Caltra as part of our team! Two of the Saol Anois programme's long-standing classes are the Men's and Women's groups. These two groups have continued their sessions while at home, using the creativity and initiative the Saol Anois staff and clients are becoming renowned for! The Men's Group have been concentrating on the coronovirus pandemic for their sessions, with the set up being a participatory dialogue. The men taking part all get a chance to share their opinions and understandings of the current situation, with the aim of improving their critical thinking and dialogue skills. To begin with, the first class focused on introducing the topic. Luke Campion provided an overview of the disease, with a brief outline of the outbreak and how the disease has spread worldwide. This was followed by a group discussion about the advised precautions to take, from careful handwashing through to good cough and sneeze hygiene. However perhaps the most important part of the session is the chance for the men working with us to share their feelings about what's happening worldwide, and exploring the impacts it is having on them. Some of their thoughts are below - we're sure these are very relateable to many of us during this challenging time.
The Women's Group are also spending time together, supporting each other during this difficult time. The Women's Group have some wonderful communal activities they're taking part in over Zoom, from knitting workshops and coffee mornings to fashion shows of their favourite outfits to tours of their bedrooms for each other! The women are also putting together mood boards showcasing what they'll be doing once life returns to normal and discussing these with their peers, giving a sense of hope and excitement during lockdown. And of course during all of these activities, the women have a chance to talk with each other and share how they're feeling in a safe and supportive space.
We are so impressed with the positivity of all our men and women during this trying time, but also appreciate their openness and honesty in sharing how they are feeling. The Men's and Women's Groups are such an important way for our teams to stay connected and have an opportunity to share their emotions with their friends and tutors. Alongside mindfulness and yoga, the Saol Anois and Transition Training Programme students are developing their drama skills, as a way to combat the stresses and strains of our unusual new normal. The aims of the weekly drama and roleplaying programme include:
The drama class are working together to create a storyline for a performance, which will be performed for staff via Zoom. Each participant is developing a character they'd like to play, and we are waiting with bated breath for the themes to be revealed! Each class brings really interesting discussion and stories, some incredible performances, and most importantly a lot of laughter and fun. We can't wait to share their final product with you! |
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