Dear Southern Reins Family,

As we celebrate the beginning of spring, we are excited for more daylight, warmer temperatures, and plenty of sunshine to make our participants' smiles even brighter!



First and foremost, we would like to share our most heartfelt appreciation to all who donated to our Guardian Angel Fund to help Atlas and Rebel during such a challenging time. Your generous support has been invaluable to ensure they have the emergency medical treatment needed and we are thrilled to share they are both recovering well.

We are excited to announce that our Spring Session begins on Wednesday, March 26, and we will be hosting a New Volunteer Training on Saturday, March 29. If you are interested in volunteering, now is the perfect time to sign up and make a meaningful impact. No horse experience required!

Sponsorships and tickets are selling fast for our 10th Annual Jockeys & Juleps Derby Party on Saturday, May 3! This milestone celebration promises to be an unforgettable evening filled with excitement, elegance, and purpose. Join us as we bring the thrill of the Run for the Roses to Memphis, all while making a difference in the lives of those we serve. Don't miss your chance to be part of this extraordinary event!

Looking for a meaningful way to support the farm? Help us enhance our sensory trail by donating plants for our raised planters! This interactive space will offer a vibrant, engaging experience for our participants, and your generosity will bring it to life in a truly special way.

Thank you once again for your continued support and for being such an essential part of our Southern Reins family. We hope you enjoy this newsletter full of exciting updates!

Sponsorships Are Selling Fast – Reserve Yours Today!

Jockeys & Juleps isn’t just the Party of the Year - it is a powerful way for you to change lives. This year marks our 10th anniversary, and we would love for you to be part of this incredible milestone. Secure your sponsorship now before we sell out!

To learn more about becoming a sponsor, contact lizzie.cash@southernreins.org, or visit the link below.

Get Your Tickets for an Unforgettable Derby Day!

Tickets are now on sale for our 10th Annual Jockeys & Juleps Derby Party! Enjoy amazing Southern-style fare, open bars, silent and live auctions, and the thrill of the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby. Guest seating is not guaranteed, but an incredible experience always is!

Individual Ticket without mint julep cup - $150

Individual Ticket with mint julep cup - $200

Donate to our Silent and Live Auction

Support Southern Reins in a fun and meaningful way by donating to our Jockeys & Juleps Auction! Gift cards, unique experiences, original art, fine dining, exclusive tours, wine and spirits, décor, and event tickets are always big sellers.  

If you have an item you would like to donate, please contact jill.haag@southernreins.org or download our auction donation package below. We would love to hear from you . . .

We are beyond grateful for the incredible support of our amazing community in helping Atlas, who faced an impaction along with equine coronavirus, Rebel, who suffered a critical eye injury, and two other members of our herd who became ill. Your kind messages, calls, and well wishes have been a source of comfort and strength for both us and our horses. Every donation received played a vital role in ensuring they received the expert medical care they needed, and we are so happy to share that they are all now well and healthy!

Your generosity has made a tremendous difference in offsetting their medical expenses, which are expected to total more than $13,000. From the bottom of our hearts, we cannot thank you enough for your kindness, encouragement, and prayers throughout their recovery.

Donations to our Guardian Angel Fund are always appreciated to support the critical and emergency care of our horses. If you would like to give, it would mean the world to us! ❤️

Southern Reins' Winter Session wrapped up this month, and we are grateful to have shared the connection of horse and human for all of our participants who took part in Adaptive Horseback Riding, Occupational Therapy incorporating Hippotherapy, Beyond the Saddle, and HorsePOWER Work-Based Learning programs.

Our 9-week Spring Session will begin on Wednesday, March 26, and we are so excited to have returning and new participants - and our amazing volunteers - back at the farm soon! We have missed you!

Be sure to check out all the great photos from our recently concluded Winter Session now live on Facebook!

To sign up or for more information!

Be a part of something special - Volunteer with Southern Reins this Spring!

Volunteers are the heart of our program, and we need your help to fill 108 volunteer spots each week for our upcoming Spring Session! Whether you are a seasoned equestrian or just beginning your journey with horses, your time, dedication, and support have the power to create meaningful change in the lives of our participants. Together, we can encourage success in the saddle and provide a nurturing environment for growth and achievement every day.

Join us at the farm for New Volunteer Training on Saturday, March 29 at 3:00 PM!

We are thrilled to enhance our Sensory Trail, and we need your help to make it flourish! Thanks to our friends at Valero, who generously built four beautiful raised garden beds along the trail, we are now seeking plant donations to fill them. Each bed will feature a unique theme: Greenery, Wildflowers, Smell & Texture, and Sunflowers, creating a vibrant, interactive experience for our participants.

Whether you share plants from your own garden or purchase new ones from a local nursery, every contribution will help bring these wonderful outdoor spaces to life. Gift cards to Home Depot or Lowe’s are also welcome and will be used to purchase additional plants for the trail.

Once we receive the donations, our HorsePOWER Work-Based Learning participants will have the rewarding opportunity to plant them, making this project even more meaningful. Thank you for your generosity and for helping us create a space that will bring joy, engagement, and enrichment to all who visit! 

Plant donations can be dropped off on the porch of the Administrative Office Building and will be accepted until April 12! Please sign up by clicking the link below.

Welcome New Southern Reins' Volunteers!

We had an amazing turnout for our Volunteer Training this month! Our farm family always loves welcoming new friends, and we look forward to seeing you all back at Southern Reins for the start of our Spring Session soon!

For more information about volunteering with our program, contact 

meredith.massa@southernreins.org.

Feeling Lucky at the Farm!

We had a shamrockin’ good time celebrating St. Patrick’s Day at the farm with our Equine Care Assistant, Kaylee, and our barn kitty, Belle! Kaylee and Belle brought plenty of luck and laughter to the barn, spreading festive cheer to all., and Belle absolutely stole the show in her St. Paddy’s best, proving she is the cutest clover in the patch!

HorsePOWER Participants Learn Landscape Maintenance!



HorsePOWER Work-Based Learning participants learned landscape maintenance from Southern Reins' amazing volunteer, Brenda Heindl. Brenda shared her knowledge about caring for the farm’s grounds, from trimming plants to maintaining garden beds. Her hands-on approach gave our participants valuable skills while fostering a sense of responsibility and pride in their work - and they all had such a wonderful time!