Special Appeal for Christchurch

It is very odd to be safe and sound in the far North when absolutely everyone we know in New Zealand is centered in Christchurch and going through such a horrific time. Every single person with whom we've formed bonds of friendship and love right now is stuggling in some way and but for the quirks of fate, it would have been us too. Thankfully, all of our friends are physically safe, though nearly all are grappling a level of displacement, whether outright homelessness because their house is unlivable or serious camping hardship as they are doing with trucked in water and porta-loo's. But the New Zealand government is on top of things and people are resourceful and stalwart. They are going to be okay, if the earth would only stop moving. However, there is one friend and one group of friends that are facing a longer term challenge, and I am trying to see if I can do some small thing to help.




I don't know how much I really shared in my blogs and emails about the place in Christchurch and Sumner that is most special to our family. There is a wonderfully quirky and outrageous woman named Lisa Hadfield who owns and runs the Sumner Riding School. It is located on the Sumnervale Reserve tucked in the back of the town at the hollow of the cliffs (at least where the cliffs met when I left. They may have moved some since then.) It is a beautiful spot with rising green hills covered in waving tufts of grass leading into high gorse. The horses roam on the hills, or on the flat paddock in front of the two barns, not flash, but serviceable. There are about twenty horses and ponies, many only hip to shoulder high so that they are just the right size for the littlest riders. A couple are rescued ponies, taken in not because they can be ridden, but because they needed a home. Lisa has groups of kids who ride at the paddock, many who have started with her in the Tuesday morning toddler group. They now are in their early teens, ride in shows and help to run the place.



Ethan rode at Lisa's school at least one day a week, and more frequently during holidays. Reuben went to Tuesday toddler road rides. Sam rode with all the teenage girls a couple of weeks during the holidays. For me, Lisa was extra special. She not only reminded me that I was once a 12 year old who knew how to ride a horse, she also was my friend and the paddock was a place of comfort those few monthss when nothing else seemed to be going right in town. All the boys spent our last few days in Sumner at the paddock full-time while school was in, but they were not and we were packing our trailer.



The truly beautiful thing about Lisa and her paddock is that the kids don't come for their lessons and leave. They come to be with the horses, work and learn about life. The kids show up at 3:30 after school and stay till 6:30 or 7:00 until the work is done. On holidays and weekends they show up at 10:00 and stay till 5:00. They learn to love and more importantly, care for the horses from picking stones out of hooves, feeding hay, grooming, to picking up s__t in the paddock. Riding is only a small part of the responsibility of taking care of horses. And Lisa is not easy on them. She demands that they think and use the brains they were given. As a parent, it is a delight to see - and it is all for a $25 fee.



But now, Sumner is a "ghost town." Many of the houses have been evacuated because the cliffs are unstable. Others are simply destroyed. It will be weeks before the schools can reopen and so families have moved their children away to other towns. Riding is very low on peoples priorities as can be understood. But horses still eat hay and drink water. So I am trying to do something small for this group of friends, the four legged variety. Lisa is recieving help, but it is going to be a long haul for her and her horses.



If you are interested in helping out the school with the expense of upkeep, please email me: suzannenemeroff@gmail.com and we'll figure out the best way to get some extra support to Lisa and the horses.



On behalf of Merc, Spud, Rose, Phantom, Danny, Star, Luke, Daniel, Tilly, Smokey, Travis, Dotty, Eve, Smokey, Gamel, Thomas, Toffee, Louie and Barney, thank you.