09/03/2026
📢 ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 31 – SEPTEMBER 5, 2026
💬 “Kindness is loaning someone your strength instead of reminding them of their weakness.”
🤠 FALL SESSION STARTS NEXT WEEK – Lessons begin on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, as Monday will be the Labor Day holiday. This session, we will have lessons on:
➡️ Mondays – afternoon and early evenings
➡️ Tuesdays – late afternoons and evenings
➡️ Wednesdays – mornings, afternoons, and early evenings
➡️ Thursdays – afternoons and early evenings
➡️ Saturday – mornings and afternoons
We would really appreciate volunteers to assist as horse leaders, sidewalkers, ring assistants, concierge, and those able to volunteer behind the scenes as tack room attendants. To help, please contact Hillary, TEC’s Volunteer Coordinator, at 269-845-9581 or [email protected].
🤠 JOIN US FOR TACK CLEANING – This Saturday, September 5, 2026, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The humid weather has been hard on our saddles, bridles, etc. Please help us take good care of our tack and have it ready for lessons next week. It’s a great time to sit and chat with others while helping to make a difference. We will train! To sign up, please contact Hillary, TEC’s Volunteer Coordinator, at 269-845-9581 or [email protected].
🤠 THE MANE SCOOP – Please join us at TEC to celebrate our 20th anniversary on September 13, 2026, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Participants, volunteers, donors, staff, and family members are all invited to enjoy an ice cream social that will be held rain or shine. To RSVP, please contact either Lisa M. at [email protected]; 269-806-6892 or Hillary Mc. at 269-845-9581 or [email protected].
🤠 THANKS “SECRET SANTA” – TEC received an Amazon delivery on August 17, 2026, with a gallon of Ultra Shield black fly spray and a bottle of mouthwash. We appreciate this gift from an anonymous donor.
🤠 BARN CLEAN UP – Please sign up to help us get ready for the Mane Scoop. We will be gathering Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.. Please contact Hillary, TEC’s Volunteer Coordinator, at 269-845-9581 or [email protected].
🤠 WE HAVE CANDY BARS FOR SALE – Satisfy your sweet tooth and help TEC at the same time by donating $1 for a candy bar. Due to the hot weather, we are keeping them in the grooming bucket room’s refrigerator. Please place your donation in an envelope on the check-in table at the barn. Then place your envelope in the payment box located beside the table.
🤠 WATER TROUGHS WANTED – We are looking for at least two 40-gallon water troughs for our horse pastures. A donation of new or in-good-condition used ones would be wonderful. If you can donate, please contact Hillary, TEC’s Volunteer Coordinator, at 269-845-9581 or [email protected].
🤠 VOLUNTEERS WE WANT YOU! – We need volunteers to help with several positions. Lesson opportunities include concierge, mentors, ring assistants, sidewalkers, leaders, and tack room attendant. Chore volunteers are wanted for stall cleaning, feeding, turnout, and bringing in horses. AM/PM shifts available. Substitutes for lessons and chores are also welcome to fill in for others on vacations, etc.
We will train people for lesson and chore opportunities. Horse experience is nice, but not required. For more information, please reach out to Hillary, TEC’s Volunteer Coordinator, at 269-845-9581 or [email protected].
🤠 CHORE VOLUNTEERS – If you are going to be absent, please contact Hillary directly, as she does the scheduling. Contact Hillary, TEC’s Volunteer Coordinator, at 269-845-9581 or [email protected].
🤠 BARN FANS – Please note that we have signs up on the stall walls with instructions for turning the fans on and off. The fans have 3 speed levels. Please, please pull the cords out and not down on the stall wall. If the cord is broken, the fan is done, and that gets expensive as well as takes extra time to replace.
🤠 ANYONE HAVE A DEHUMIDIFIER THEY NO LONGER NEED? – We would love to have one for our tack room. With this humid weather, our tack is getting moldy, which isn’t good for the leather, etc. If you have a dehumidifier that you’d be willing to donate TEC would be very grateful! Contact TEC at 269-429-0671 or [email protected].
🤠 TEC IS LOOKING FOR A HORSE – We’d like to find a draft or draft horse cross to add to the TEC Team. The horse will need to be 16.2 hands or under and in excellent health. Donations are always our first choice, but TEC will also pay for the “right” horse. Please spread the word as Nellie, Syd, and Clara Bell need some help. If you know of a horse, contact TEC at [email protected] or call 269-429-0671.
🤠 INSTRUCTORS SAY THANK YOU 💙 – To all of the lesson volunteers who have helped this summer during lessons. You have worked together to pull tack, groom horses, mount riders, and serve as horse leaders, sidewalkers, ring assistants, and concierges. It takes a village to have lessons run smoothly, and we greatly appreciate everyone’s efforts!!!!! 💙
🤠 STUDENTS FROM LIGHTHOUSE EDUCATION CENTER NEED YOUR HELP – These are teens and young adults who are gaining job skills for employment. They have been coming to TEC during the school year to clean stalls, sweep, remove cobwebs, etc. They are returning on Tuesday mornings with their teachers. We need 1 TEC volunteer to work with them from 9:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. this school year. To learn more about how you can help, please contact Hillary, TEC’s Volunteer Coordinator, at 269-845-9581 or [email protected].
🤠 TEC LAWN TO MOW & FENCE ROWS TO MAINTAIN – We have a zero-turn mower, but are in need of someone to volunteer their time mowing our lawn on a weekly basis. The time commitment is around 4 hours per week. We also have a w**d whacker, but unfortunately, like our mower, it can’t run itself. If you can volunteer your time, please contact Hillary, TEC’s Volunteer Coordinator, at 269-845-9581 or [email protected].
🤠 SPREAD THE WORD – Our next volunteer training class for those new volunteers who are interested in helping with lessons and learning about other TEC volunteer opportunities will be Sunday, October 18, 2026, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.. To sign up, please contact Hillary, TEC’s Volunteer Coordinator, at 269-845-9581 or [email protected].
🤠 A DAD JOKE – Why don’t penguins get married? They always get cold feet. Too bad though, since they are already wearing a tux.
😂
