We at Special Olympics New York are so excited to begin our inaugural #NoStirrupNovember Rideathon! The concept is simple: you can help us fundraise to support Special Olympics New York's equestrian programs just by practicing no-stirrups from the comfort of your home barn!

I'm sure many of you have already heard of No Stirrup November (a spin-off from No Shave November, a nationwide campaign in which men don't shave their beards for the entire month to raise awareness for Breast Cancer). The idea is to work on your position and leg strength by doing no stirrups at home, and adding a fun, charitable component so that we can push ourselves to ride without stirrups more often, and for longer!

All you have to do is keep a log of all of the time you spend doing no-stirrups between Nov 1st - 12th, and try to get all of that time SPONSORED! Reach out to as many family & friends as possible, tell them you're doing the #NoStirrupNovember to support Special Olympics, and ask them to sponsor your rideathon! Your contacts will be able to give directly to your personal fundraising page, which is created for you when you register yourself with this justgiving page.

Don't worry - we're not asking you to do no-stirrups for the entire month!! Just two short weeks!! You don't have to commit to doing EVERY ride without stirrups, but we'd love for you to do it as much as you're able, and it remember: it's supposed to be rewarding! Every rider who raises $200 or more during the rideathon will receive a swag pack from Special Olympics New York, but there is no donation minimum to participate!

I've attached some specific instructions on how to participate in the rideathon, how to get registered, and some information about the prizes available to our top participating riders and trainers! We of course welcome sharing the event info and the registration link with ALL of your horsey friends!