Vixen

Hey everybody,

So guess what......we have good news! We vet checked our mare that we were interested in and she passed! Her name is Vixen and she is a beautiful 15.2hh bay mare. She is an ex trotter and is trained to harness so will be great with a little more training for pulling our wagon. The best thing about her is her temperament! She is a lovely quiet type and she learns fast. Desensitizing her will be a smooth process as we can already clap around her face and wave things around her without so much as a blink. She isn't saddle broken but that may be a special project of mine.... She is 10 years old and is a real sweetheart, very trusting and most of all calm. Can't wait to do some natural horsemanship with her. I know we will all be good mates.
She arrives at our free grazing in Hunua next week (thank you to Stephen and Naomi as well as to Genna and Kerrin Revell to their offer of free grazing for us also! You are all incredible).
I will post some pics of Vixen now but I promise there will be MANY more to come :)

Isn't she beautiful?

Blessings!

Sarah & Brent

The search continues...

Update time! So the horse 'Oscar' that we were interested in unfortunately didn't pass his vet check! He had some issues with one of his tendons as well as some soreness in his heels and an abbess in his mouth from a possible tooth root disease. It was clear that Oscar wasn't the horse for us which was a shame because he was a lovely boy.
This thursday the first horse we went to see called 'Vixen' is having a vet check and Brent and I are sure hoping she passes! I'll let you know that vet checks are very expensive and if Vixen fails we will need to save up some more money before we continue the search for a horse. However, God is really providing and we have been approached for a potential vet sponsorship which is really exciting. Anyway, Vixen has the most wonderful nature and although she is less experienced in harness, she demonstrated a real trust with us and was incredibly willing. She has the right temperament and that is so important. We will be willing to work a bit more with her as we know she will pick things up really fast and she will be a great horse to learn with and desensitize to things easily. Unfortunately her teeth are a little run down but it's not stopping her keeping all her condition on and so as long as the vet sees nothing seriously wrong, we are really hoping to call Vixen our own.
Further news, today I had a driving lesson in Pirongia! Brent couldn't make it due to timetable changes with his school where he teaches but I drove all the way anyhow (phew it was a looong drive!) andam so glad I did. I learned a lot about various types of harnesses and carts/wagons. I also learned about tandem driving vs pairs and of course had some time in the cart myself learning the technique! It's quite a lot more difficult than I anticipated but I feel I will definitely get the hang of it over time! In the horse world there are so many dos and don'ts and the horse driving world is no different... I hope that on our trek if we choose to do things slightly less than coachman standard, we will be forgiven!

Anyway, that's all from me. I'm exhausted! Pulling up two clydesdales before stop signs at an intersection is hard work for my scrawny arms!

On the search for our first horse...

Alright, so Brent and I have had a look at two horses this week. We need to look for horses who are harness trained on top of a very long list of requirements! It's difficult because no horse is perfect but you need to be wise in what you choose to compromise.
Our first horse we looked at was out Rodney ways and she was an absolute sweetheart. Unfortunately she was not as fit and used to harnessing up as our next horse we looked at in Waiuku called Oscar. Oscar is less cuddly but he knows whats up. I still can't believe this happened but the owner said I could take him for a whirl on a sulky around a training track. A sulky is a little lightweight cart - the kind used in harness racing. Oscar is an ex racehorse.
I hesitated for a moment... and then jumped into it. Why not? The owner insisted it would be fine so hey, bring it on.
It turned out Oscar was a complete gentleman and really looked after me in the sulky. I had so much fun.
Yes so Brent and I are liking Oscar a lot. We found out his history from his veterinarian and he is a very healthy and fit horse with no health issues to report. However, on top of this, we need to get a vet check just to make sure there is nothing going on.
Hopefully all will run smoothly from here but we will keep you updated!

On another note, the wagon. It's a long road till we will have enough money for all our equipment but one rather necessary item is a wagon for us so we can both start driving as much as possible. We are currently on the look out for people who custom make carts etc and are hoping we can find something within our budget.

If you can, please keep us in your prayers for these things. We don't want to rely on ourselves and our own understanding but in God who oversees all and isn't short of cash. It is God that has inspired us for the journey and to God we give all the glory.

Hmm, I can't think of anything else that is new... when I remember I will update.

Peace!

Sarah

The wagon idea...

is final!
Brent and I have decided that we are going to use a wagon for the trek. At the moment we are seeking advice from many people who are experienced in the world of 'driving' horses and we have received much encouragement which is so amazing for us.
Some issues we are exploring are whether to drive 1 or 2 horses, how to tackle steep hills, how much weight to put on the wagon and how to shoe our horse(s).
We are already beginning the search for harness horses that may be suitable for the trek (and our lack of horse-driving experience!). Choosing horses is tricky. We will make sure that even if we love the horse to bits and are convinced that he or she is the horse for us, we will get a thorough vet check and someone to check the hooves and legs over very closely. As we will be travelling on tarmac, the hooves must be strong without a tendency for lameness. This is important for both the horse's health and for the sake of our trek. It is also very expensive and difficult to replace a harness horse so we need to be sure any horse we buy is physically fit and ready for the journey.
On another note, Brent and I expect to begin the fundraising process in February so make sure you are checking our events page!

Oh and if this adventure interests you, check our our friends website. Genna and Kerrin Revell have ridden horses all around New Zealand and they have an incredible book and DVD about it that you can purchase through the website. Brent and I have also been riding their horses and they have been a massive support for us in the planning for Hoofprints for Hope. Check them out at www.downacrossup.com


If you would like to contact Brent and I, feel free! You can email us at hoofprintsforhope@hotmail.com

Sarah

So, how are we doing this again?

It's amazing how when I you stop to think sometimes... I wonder why or how we are going to pull this all off! Regardless, we have to remain feeling optimistic...and we are!

Brent and I have been talking a lot recently about finances and we are rethinking some aspects of our trek. One idea has been that we loose our support crew and go intrepid (well, more so than before :P). With this comes many pros, one being that of finances as petrol for the adventure is costly! However, with the decision to loose a support crew, Brent and I have come against other issues such as not being able to take as much gear on the trek, worrying about what to do in the event of our pack horse becoming lame, the cost to maintain ideal weight for three horses as well as the inability to carry enough feed for them. The more horses we take, the more it costs to keep them on the road so to speak. Also, seeing as we are riding on tarmac a lot of the time, the horses shoes could wear down in a matter of days! For this reason, we are looking into hoof boots (see www.hoofboot.co.nz). They are basically a hard wearing slip on shoe and they can be taken off and on. They can last much longer than a metal shoe and can provide more traction for the horse.

Another option we have brainstormed is hitching a horse or two onto a light wagon! This solves our problem of being able to carry feed and also means we would be maintaining less horses. However... niether Brent or myself can 'drive' a horse and so we would need to take lessons! This could be fun though as it is something new to us both.

Once we have made up our mind on what we are going to do, we are going to start the hunt for our horses! We need as much time with them as we can to build a relationship and also desensitize them to the multitude of scary sights and sounds that will come their way on the trek. We are so fortunate to have been offered free grazing in Hunua for next year which is a miracle!

Oh yes, TEAR Fund are also activating a donation page for us soon (thanks guys!) so you can sponsor us! Go on - make all this worth it!


Will keep you posted,

Sarah

Surrounded my maps!

Hey blog readers,

I thought it was about time to post a bit of an update! So as you could probably guess, the more we think about and organize Hoofprints for Hope, the more we realize we need to do! It's SUCH a massive task and lots of people think we are just crazy to want to do something like this. Fair enough (ha-ha) but you know what? We really beleive in this cause and it feels great to put time and energy into something that is bigger than ourselves. Of course this journey will be one Brent and I will never forget but it will partly be so due to all the challenges and not so high points that we will experience. We are so committed now to this journey and in the last few weeks, we have had a couple of knocks backward and a growing anxiety about finances for the trip. We beleive God will continue to provide for us but phew, it's a scary thing!
So anyway, to the topic of the blog - mapping! Our latest big task has been planning out route for the trek. We have decided to start in Bluff as it will be summer as we begin and we don't want to end up in the south island in winter (which is what would happen if we started in Cape Reinga!). So far, we have mapped out our route from the Bluff to Kaikoura which is 3/4 up the east coast of the South Island! It's a big job to map out a route but rewarding and exciting thinking about all the beautiful places we will be riding.
Brent and I are hoping to begin the fundraising process soon for the trek as well as seeking some sponsors. We firstly need to buy our horses and begin to bond with them and desensitize them to the roads and various sights and sounds. We also need to make sure that they (and we!) are fit for the journey. We will make sure they have had a couple of vet checks before we begin to make sure they are healthy and ready to travel the country with us!
In terms of sponsors, we are so reliant on these to come through for us so if you could keep us in your prayers that would be fantastic :)
If you know anyone who has some camping gear/horse equipment that they could donate, it would be so appreciated!
Yeah, so other than working hard on the route, Brent and I are excitied about planning our wedding too! We will be married only a couple of weeks before we hit the road...

Well that's all from me at the moment.

If you want to get in touch with us for any reason at all, we would be happy to hear from you and thank to those who have sent us emails of encouragement and support - blessings!

Sarah (& Brent)

hoofprintsforhope@hotmail.com

TEARFund

Sweeeeet.

Today we had another meeting with TEARFund mainly talking about media/press release related stuff and design too for posters and such.
We are nearly at the point where we are beginning the sponsorship process as well as beginning to fund raise for our horses and gear needed for the trek. Some huge expenses include: food for ourselves, food for the horses, inter island transport, petrol for our support vehicle, vet checks and farrier bills for the horses etc etc etc The list goes on and on and on! We are also beginning to plan our route! It's very exciting looking at all the places we will be going. Google earth/maps rules!

On our website under 'can you help us' we have lists of equipment that we need so if you could help us by donating or selling camping/horse equipment to us, please get in contact at hoofprintsforhope@hotmail.com

We would love as much of our equipment to be donated or second hand (to reduce our 'hoofprint' ;)

Oh, we have great news. We have free grazing next year! From a college of my mums. Praise the Lord! Bring on our horses.

Will update again soon

Sarah & Brent

Good news, good times.

Hey all!

It's been a while since updating this blog so I thought I'd pop one through with some photos too ;)
As you know from the last post, Brent and I are recently engaged and so Hoofprints is to become our honeymoon!
We have had some more great news too. We have been offered the use of a horse trailer by our friends further down the north island...! and we have free grazing for next year meaning we can start raising money for our horses!
Plus, Kerrin and Genna are being so generous offering their time and precious horses for us to ride, they've even thrown in a few things for our journey which is such a blessing. Genna and Kerrin, if you are reading this: We love you! As you can see, they have become good friends to us. It's so cool how this adventure is already creating so many connections with people that we would have never anticipated!
We have even had some offers of horse equipment for the trek which is just incredible.

Praise God!

Anyway, here are some recent photos for you :)Enjoy and please contact us if you wish, we would love to hear from you: hoofprintsforhope@hotmail.com

God bless!

Exciting news!

Brent & I are engaged since the 5th October :)

He got down on his knee infront of many people and I of course said yes!
We will be married before Hoofprints ;)


Just keeping you updated!
Sarah

Help us out in 2 seconds!

Click the 'like' button at the page below. That is all! :P We are in the finals for a competition in which we win $3000 towards Hoofprints.

http://www.247girl.co.nz/inspirations/unstoppable_girl_sarah_parry_finalist/

Thanks so much!

Sarah & Brent

Blessed are we.

I love how Hoofprints is all unfolding. Even though it is so far away, it is comforting and exciting knowing that is happening for certain! Even as we creep slowly along with plans and ideas, we know we are being led closer and closer to this dream. People are stepping out and supporting us/offering to help and it's all such a blessing. We are feeling more and more support from all around us and it's an incredibly warm feeling. We truly are blessed.
This week I've started to sell some things that I hold very dear to me in order to get some money for the trek. Brent is really excited about riding which is awesome. I think he's incredibly brave, what an amazing person to want to do this with me. We are already browsing horses in anticipation of the ones that we will buy for the trek! I hope some grazing comes through for us soon! The sooner we get our horses, the better.

Just a quick blog I know. Update coming again soon ;)
Thank you for all those who are following our story. We appreciate it, remember you can email us at hoofprintsforhope@hotmail.com. We would love to hear from you!

Sarah

Click

Vote for us by clicking the like button below and help us to win some money towards Hoofprints!

I'm finally riding!

Hey all, these are some pics of me riding 'Falkor', our friends Genna and Kerrin's horse. They acheived 'Down Across & Up' in 2007 which was a fundraiser for CanTeen. Check out their website at www.downacrossup.com. Hoofprints is all becoming so real now.

Blessings,

Brent

Vote for us!

Hey there,

Click here: http://www.247girl.co.nz/inspirations/unstoppable_girl_sarah_parry/

and vote for me!

If I win, Brent and I will receive a $5000 grant towards Hoofprints!

Thanks for your support ^.^

Can you help us?

In order Hoofprints for Hope to go ahead, we have an extensive list of supplies/things we need for the trek!

Our pressing need is currently horse and camping equipment. We would like as much of this equipment to be second hand.

We will be greatly appreciative of any equipment that anyone would like to donate to us or sell to us for a reduced amount.
Feel free to contact us about this. We would love to hear from you. hoofprintsforhope@hotmail.com

Below is a simple list of some basic equipment/supplies we will need for the trek.

Horse equipment:

Wormers
Halters (full size)
Leadropes
Bridles
Reins
Saddles (preferably Western and/or treeless)
Saddle blankets
Bareback saddle
Summer covers
Grooming kit; brushes, curry combs, hoof picks, sweat scrapers, mane/tail brushes, sponges etc
Anti-sweat rugs
Saddle bags
Horse feed buckets

Camping Equipment
Tents
Gas stove
Lantern/torches/head lamp
Kettle/pots/pans/cutlery
Mattresses
Outdoor chairs/table
Big plastic bins/containers for storage
Camping shower
Buckets
Water containers
Chilly bin

Obviously, there is a lot more that we need but these are some basics which could set us back a fair way!

Thanks for your support,

Sarah & Brent

TearFund, grazing and The List!

Alrighty, So things are continuing to fall into place. Well, 'fall' is a half truth as there is effort on our part, but things are gliding along easily enough at this stage. Brent and I are taking this as a go ahead so there's no stopping us now.
As the news of our journey is spreading slowly around our friend/church community, I heard a certain friend of ours gave us a shout out on Life FM last week. We are now going to suss some kind of connection out with Life FM - will be good to get our story out there! So that's in order to join the works at some stage.
Also, I met up with Beth Harper from TearFund yesterday and we talked over a few things and about choosing a particular project for Brent and I to support. We need to read through each project and pray about that. What an opportunity to serve this is - I feel so blessed.
I've also done a bit of emailing around the place to try and suss out some grazing for our horses next year! We need as much time as possible with our horses next year before we leave. 1) To get them fit 2) To get US fit! 3) To get them used to riding on the roads and desensitize them to everything... We really need to be riding every day but until we can get grazing established we can't buy horses. Grazing is expensive in Auckland, usually about $30 per week per horse - come on! We are students. It looks like the NZ Pony Club Association (NZPCA) is trying to help us at this point as I emailed the president earlier this week. I was a member years ago with my horse George, and although the NZPCA doesn't officially own any land, it coordinates 4 active pony clubs in Auckland and we have invited the NZPCA to be official promoted sponsors of ours if they can accommodate our horses next year.
Finally, Brent is meeting Kerrin and Genna Revell next week (the couple who acheived Down Across & Up in 2007 on their horses - www.downacrossup.com). We are going to further talk over things and hopefully give Brent his first riding lesson on a beautiful Clyde X horse called Falkor. How cool is that name? Anyway, I'll be sure to post photos next week so watch this space!

Anyway, I must go to sleep. Got a mad day at university tomorrow.

Blessings, Sarah.

Ps: thanks for reading!
Pps: If anyone knows of anyone with horse equipment they would like to donate - forward them our email, hoofprintsforhope@hotmail.com - we are in need for when we get our horses! I sold all my gear when I sold my horse.

The Cogs keep on turning...

Today I'm meeting up with Kerrin and Genna who accomplished the funsraiser, 'Down, across & up' in 2007. Visit their website at www.downacrossup.com
I'm excited to talk to them about things such as route and sponsorship information. We are blessed to have people who can impart their knowledge to us as they have been there and done the ride through NZ. Brent and I made a general list of all the things we will need for the journey and the list is extensive! We need to brainstorm how we are to raise the funds necessary to make this fundraiser happen and we are beginning that process now.
Also to update, our website is up and running now! www.hoofprintsforhope.co.nz and I am meeting up with Beth Harper who works for TearFund next Tuesday to talk further about donations and setting up a website page perhaps through which people can donate through the hoofprints for hope fundraiser.
So, all in all, things are moving forward at a gallop. Sorry, had to use a pun at some stage.
Our next challenge is to get Brent riding! We have been put in contact with a few people who could help us so we are hoping and praying that some horses to ride will be provided for us soon. The sooner he can get riding, the more comfortable (or pro) he will feel on the trek. He could be a natural for all I know.
We will both be a little inexperienced in a way seeing as we will most likely be riding stock/western saddles (although I really don't want to use a saddle at all) and I have only ridden in a western saddle once...
Oh well, it's all to help those in need and all the pain, discomfort, challenge and difficulty will be far worth it. In saying that, I'm sure it's going to be a fun ride too. Praise God.

Hooray!

Good news!

Today we got an email from Tearfund saying they would definitely be keen to work with us. I'm going into the office in the next couple of weeks after I meet up with Kerrin and Genevieve (the couple who acheived riding the entire coast of NZ for Canteen in 2007) so we can talk about the mad amounts of tasks ahead.
Before I got the email I was feeling a little discouraged again just thinking maybe this is CRAZY as I'll be studying full time next year and other plans are afoot...
But it's like God just provided a push in gentle reminding that He is in control and has our backs :)
Amen is all I can say.
Anyway, i must be off. I need to go and hand in an assignment but just wanted to drop in this exciting update.

Sarah

Doubts

This week has been a hard week for 'hoofprints'. I've been thinking/outlining the enormity of the task to organize everything and the more I delve into it, the more anxious I become. On top of that is what other people think. It's hard not to take it into account. Some people think we are crazy (including parents) especially since Brent has never ridden a horse. However, despite my fears and doubts, I can't forget Phillipians 4:13, 'I can do anything through him who gives me strength' and Psalm 23:4, 'Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.'

I know that the next year and a half are going to be huge. We also musn't forget that Brent and I are students still...this is going to take all the energy we have (plus a whole lot extra from God), to get us through this. Even if we manage the task, I also fear that it won't be worth it. What if we don't fundraise very much? At this point, I need to release my fears and push onwards if this is going to commence. Otherwise, the dream will be crushed and I just know in my heart of hearts we can't let that happen. So what if this is crazy, maybe we are a little crazy. But we have an opportunity to do something good. Isn't that reason enough to trudge on?

A couple of questions we have about the trip also are 1) can I take my dog? He might get trampled! We will have to test him around horses and see if he is sensible. It's a given some days he would have to ride in the support vehicle but hey, it would be nice for him to come along!

2) Where can I teach Brent to ride? We don't have the money to pay for lessons. Brent lives next to some people who own horses so we thought that maybe we could ask them. God willing they will let us use their horses!

One thing that was inspiring me today were old photos taken when I attended a Christian outdoor leadership training course at Sonshine Ranch in Papakura. We went for a beach ride during sunset and looking over these photos makes me feel excited at the adventure ahead. Along with the great opportunity it is to raise money for a charity organization like Tearfund, what a joy it will be to experience the entire length of NZ on horse back. Many kodak moments to be had I'm sure. Here are some pics from the beach ride:

Phew, what a journey ahead.

PS: I just want to acknowledge Chris Riding and Alex Oliver for helping with website and logo design which will be up soon. I'm not gifted in that area and you guys are a real blessing.

Sarah

Ideas, ideas.

So this is the blog about 'Hoofprints for Hope'. The name only came to me last week and we have only just begun the massive task of organizing everything so that the adventure can commence in December 2011. It may seem like a long time to organize things but there is so much that will go into this trek It's also worth noting that Brent and I are still students and right up until the start date in November, I will be studying full time. I called TearFund today and am excited about the concept of partnering with them and talking things through :) After all, this is the main reason hoofprints is even happening. We going to use the gifts and passions that God has given us to do something for those in need by raising money for Tearfund. Tearfund is an incredible organization who are dedicated to getting help and funds to those who need it most around the world.

Watch this space for updates!