Announcing Draper Therapies Canine Photo Contest

Do you have a favorite picture of a canine companion? Sleeping, playing, eating… whatever your canine companion likes to do we want to see it. Send us your favorite canine photo for the change to win $300.00 USD worth of Draper Therapy products!  Once winner and one runner up will be chosen. Any questions? Feel free to e-mail us at info@drapertherapies.com!

 

1. Only one entry per person will be allowed. Advisory Board members, employees, service representatives and relatives of Draper Therapies will not be eligible to win.

2. No purchase necessary.

3. Entrant will be required to enter based on a photo submission to Draper Therapies detailing their need or desire to obtain Draper Therapies products for a canine companion. Photo submission must include brief explanation (150 words or less) as to why that canine in the photo deserves the grand prize. Submissions must include their mailing or e-mail address and phone number.

4. The grand prize package includes $300.00 USD of Draper Therapies products at retail value which will be chosen by the recipient. One runner up will be chosen and receive $100.00 USD worth of any Draper Therapies products at retail value, also chosen by the recipient. Winners will be contacted accordingly to choose their winning items and corresponding sizes/options.

5. Shipping of prize package will be the responsibility of Draper Therapies, within the corresponding 48 states of the United States. International shipping costs will be the responsibility of the winner.

6. The contest shall take place at Draper Therapies at 28 Draper Lane, Canton, MA 02021 from July 1, 2013 to August 1, 2013. Winner will be chosen based on submissions at the discretion of Draper Therapies on August 2, 2013.

7. Draper Therapies shall notify the winner of the winning via one (1) e-mail and one (1) telephone call within five (5) days of the contest conclusion, August 2, 2013. The responsibility shall fall on the winner to reply within ten (10) days of the contest conclusion.

8. If for any reason the winner fails to respond within the ten (10) days, to the e-mail or telephone call of his/her winning, such winning entrant shall be deemed to have forfeited his/her claim to the prize package. Draper Therapies shall not have any obligation whatsoever to compensate the winning entrant in any way and at that time a new winner will be chosen.

9. By submitting this form, you agree that we can announce your name as the winner and submit a subsequent press release.

10. Incomplete submissions may be excluded from the contest. We will do our best to contact you in the case of an incomplete entry.

11. Draper Therapies values your privacy. The information (name, address, e-mail address, and phone number) provided as contact information will be for internal use only.

12. All entries must be submitted by August 1, 2013, Midnight EST via email, Facebook, or by mailing to Draper Therapies directly. Entries will be accepted through email at info@drapertherapies.com or through direct mailing to Draper Therapies, Canine Photo Contest c/o Becky Shipps Contest, 28 Draper Lane, Canton, MA 02021.

13. The prize is neither transferable, nor refundable, nor exchangeable and cannot be exchanged for money or moneys worth.

14. By entering the contest, each entrant unreservedly agrees to these terms and conditions, which govern the contest and the awarding of the prize.

15. By entering the contest, each entrant agrees to release, discharge and hold harmless Draper Therapies, its sponsors, its legal representatives, affiliates, subsidiaries, agencies and their respective officers, directors, employees and agents from any damages whatsoever suffered or sustained in connection to the raffle or the acceptance of the prize.

16. All photos submitted will become property of Draper Therapies and will not be returned. Draper Therapies reserves the right to share photo submissions on social media websites (Facebook, company newsletters) as well as on its own website.

17. Draper Therapies reserves the right to alter these terms and conditions at any time and in its sole discretion.

New Additions to the Advisory Board

As the horse world evolves and changes, so must Draper Therapies. One of the ways we help ourselves stay current with the demands of today’s horsemen is through our advisory board – a collection of top riders, trainers, and equine professionals who help us not only promote our products, but also design (or redesign), improve, and test our products. With their help and expertise, we can say we bring truly effective, practical, well-constructed  products to the equine therapy retail market. Recently we have added five members to the advisory board, each with different equine experience and a unique perspective on equine wellness. We are happy to welcome Arianna Almeida, Caroline Roffman, Jenna Cadwallader, Steffen Peters, and Shannon Peters to the Draper Therapies Advisory Board.

 

Steffen and Shannon Peters

Steffen Peters, born in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, now competes for the United States in dressage. Steffen began riding at seven and started attending local dressage shows. At 15, he was competing in international competitions in Denmark and Belgium. He  received his first horse, Udon, at age 16. In 1991 he moved to San Diego, California and opened his own barn.

Peters won his first Olympic bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia riding Udon. In 2006 he also won bronze with the US team at the World Equestrian Games. Steffen and Ravel were the first American pair to be named the Aachen Grand Prix Champions after receiving the highest scores in all three portions at the Aachen World Equestrian Festival Grand Prix competition in 2009. They were also won the 2009 World Cup final, two bronze medals in the individual competition at the 2010 World Equestrian Games and named the US Grand Prix Dressage Champions, twice.  The Chronicle of the Horse named Steffen and Ravel Horse and Horseman of the Year, and the USEF named Ravel horse of the year in 2009. Steffen was the first person to be awarded the USEF’s Equestrian of the year award three times, winning in 2008, 2009 and 2011.

Shannon, who married Steffen in 2004, is also a top dressage rider and trainer. It is evident in everything she does that Shannon cares for her horses not only as a competition partners, but also as friends. “I’ve learned over the years that competition horses are complex athletes who need more than talent and good training,” says Shannon. “They need the best care we can provide for their overall well-being; they need to feel safe and secure with their trainers and riders; and they need to feel a connection to really excel. I love my horses, and regardless of results in the show ring, for me that will always mean more than anything else.”

Steffen and Shannon lives in San Diego and together they own and operate Arroyo Del Mar, a world-class training and boarding facility.

 

Arianna Almeida

Originally from Croton-on-Hudson NY, Arianna Almeida began riding at 4 years old. Arianna competed in eventing through the preliminary level throughout high school and purchased her horse, Drummer’s Call, when attending Cornell University. She has worked as a working student for four star eventer Mikki Kuchta,  also became a working student for Jennie Brannigan. Arianna has competed at the preliminary level, winning three preliminary events and then placed first at Chattahoochee CIC*. She moved up into intermediate placing 3rd at GMHA and 4^th at Full Gallop in 2013. Arianna also received Area I USEA 1st Place Preliminary Adult Amateur Rider, Area I USEA 3rd Place Intermediate Adult Amateur Rider and 1^st place CIC* Chattahoochee Hill Horse Trials all in 2011. 

Jenna Cadwallader

Jenna Cadwallader, of Pheonix AZ, began riding at an early age after her father, a team roper, encouraged her to be involved with horses. She was involved in junior and high school rodeo and attended Central Arizona College on a rodeo scholarship. She competed at the College National Finals numerous times and in 2003 she joined the Women’s Pro Rodeo Association. She worked at an Equine surgical center that specializes in equine orthopedics as a veterinary technician before becoming a full time barrel horse trainer. Currently, Jenna is involved with the Futurity and Derby side of barrel racing, enjoying her time working with young equine athletes.

Jenna has many accomplishments; she was in the Top 25 WPRA final World Standings in 2005 as well as many time WPRA Turquoise Circuit Finals qualifier and Dodge National Circuit Finals Top Eight. She has Futurity and Derby earnings at Greg Olson Memorial, Classic Equine, Pac West, Hawki, WPRA Finals and WPRA World Finals Card race money earner. She won the 2012 Pac West 5 year old Futurity Slot Race Champion on SLR Red Hot Veno and the 2013 Pac West Reserve 5 year old Slot race Champion on Famous Meerkat. She is #3 ranked 1D rider in the Mountain States region and owner of Deny Deny Deny the #2 ranked 1D horse in the Mountain States Region.

 

Caroline Roffman

At age 24, Caroline Roffman is already a top contender in the grand Prix, FEI Small tour and young horse program. Caroline came up through the ranks of the Dressage Young Rider program and is a dressage rider and trainer who owns and operates Lionshare Dressage with her partner, Endel Ots in Wellington, Florida. Caroline has had the chance to train with top riders such as Lars Petersen, Steffen Peters, Kyra Kyrklund, Debbie McDonald, and Anky van Grunsven. During her Junior/Young rider career she won 5 medals from the NAJYRC and was awarded the Fiona Ban Memorial Trophy for highest scoring young rider.

In 2010 Caroline traveled to Taipei, Taiwan and was presented the FEI Rising Star Award from HRH Princess Haya, the president of the FEI. She also won the Five-Year-Old Championship at the Young Horse Championships aboard Bon Chance that same year. Caroline and her horse, Beemer, won the Brentina Cup at Gladstone along with three reserve championships on San City, Bon Chance, and Pie in 2011 at the Young Horse Championships. In 2012 Caroline and Pie were the 2012 Intermediare I National Champions along with a Gold Medal during the inaugural GDF Nations Cup. Aboard Her Highness O, she received the 2012 Developing Horse Prix St. Georges Championship at Lamplight. Currently in 2013 Caroline was a member of the Gold Medal winning Team USA at the Nations Cup, had multiple wins in the Under 25 Grand Prix division with Sagacious HF along with competing very successfully in the small tour with her mare, Her Highness O. This summer, Caroline will be the first rider to compete in the Under 25 Grand Prix division in Aachen with her gelding Sagacious. 

Meet Our New Intern Jennifer!

This summer Draper Therapies has an intern! Jennifer Zonghetti will be helping Becky, the product manager, around the office and at events this summer. 

“I am currently a junior at Johnson and Wales University majoring in Equine Business Management with concentrations in psychology and career writing,” says Jennifer. “I am also a member of the IHSA riding team. Animals have always been a major part of my life,” she continues. “I grew up with a dog and cat and started taking riding lessons when I was five. Since then I was hooked! I took lessons every week, and when I was 13 I had my very own horse in my backyard. My First horse was a 4 month old Miniature Horse colt named Rain. Now six years old, Rain and I have done everything from 4-H local and state shows along with the regional championship Miniature Horse show in Ohio.”

We are all very excited to be able to give Jennifer some first hand business experience. We know that she will learn a lot from us and we will learn from her as well!

Out and About!: Saratoga Springs Horse Show 2013

                           

It is with great pleasure that Draper Therapies is announcing its sponsorship of the Saratoga Springs Horse Show for 2013.

The Saratoga Springs Horse Show has been running consecutively since 1960. It is the first outdoor USEF AA Rating and USEF Jumper 4 rating show in the northeast. Featuring hunters, jumpers, and equitation classes held in three rings, this horse show offers a wide variety of classes and a high level of competition.

Draper Therapies is the proud sponsor of the Amateur Adult Hunter 18-35 Division for both weeks of the horse show. Becky, the Draper Therapies Product Manager, will also be at the show with two Best Foot Forward Awards! We will have a vendor space both weekends and encourage anyone in the area to stop by and chat with Becky about our products (and our new products coming soon!).

For more information about the Saratoga Springs Horse Show, visit their website: 
http://www.saratogaspringshorseshow.com/index.html
 .

Changes to Draper Therapies

A note from Kristin Draper, President of Draper Therapies and Draper Knitting Company.

“It is with mixed emotions that I am to announce the departure of Kat Wojtylak from Draper Therapies and Draper Knitting Company.  Kat’s last day here at Draper will be December 7^th, 2012.

The exciting part is that Kat is moving on to begin the next part of her life with her significant other, Greg and to explore new opportunities like her love of baking and going back to school. Kat has been an integral part of not only developing and growing Draper Therapies but an important part of the Draper Knitting family as well.

The obvious downside of course is the hole that she leaves behind at Draper. Kat was a major voice in picking Becky Shipps to train in her stead and will play a large role in teaching Becky the people and products of Draper Therapies. This transition period will help to continue Kat’s hard work growing the Draper Therapies business.”

The past four years have been an absolutely great and I am thankful for the time I’ve gotten to spend with each of you. However, it is at this time that I do need to mention to you that I am leaving Draper Therapies. I feel that not only have I been able to build some amazing relationships, but that I have also become close friends with so many of the customers and people I have come in contact with thanks to Draper. Working here has absolutely been a blessing. I, like Kristin have very mixed emotions about the whole thing but am excited to start a new adventure in my life. I look forward to creating new memories and carrying my friendships through into a new time of my life.

The face of Draper Therapies will be handed off to our new hire Becky Shipps, becky@drapertherapies.com. I am confident that you will enjoy working with her. I hope that you will welcome her aboard with open arms and help her in this transition period.

In the meantime, I invite you all to be a part of the first phase of my latest adventure, Eat Your Tarte Out,
http://www.eatyourtarteout.com
which is my blog about baking and cooking. Hopefully in this way we can then all stay in touch and you can stay updated on all my happenings. There are definitely many exciting things on my horizon that I can’t wait to share.

Thanks to each of you for making the past four years so memorable and contributing to the successes of Draper Therapies.

Hugs and Love, Kat

Off to England!

This is a very exciting blog post that we get to share with everyone as we’re headed off to London later this evening. This trip signifies a lot of hard word and determination when it comes to getting worldwide recognition of our products. Not that we need that of course, but we thought we should share the wealth of great therapeutic products to those across the pond!

This whole trip was made possible thanks to a grant we were notified of by our coach at the Massachusetts Export Center. Without her none of this would have been possible, so thank you Paula and to her whole team! The grant specifics are “The Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment (MOITI), in collaboration with the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC) and the Massachusetts Export Center (MEC), recently launched the Massachusetts State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) Grant Program through a grant from the United States Small Business Administration (SBA). The STEP grant program offers financial assistance to eligible Massachusetts small businesses seeking new and increased export sales of their goods and services. The grant program is intended to help offset international business development and related marketing costs for small businesses.“

Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials- Dressage

So what are we doing with this grant and the time we’re spending in England? Well, we’re glad you asked! The main premise for this trip is that we’re acting as a sponsor to the Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials. In short it’s become an amazing branding and marketing opportunity allowing for us to reach a whole host of competitors, officials and attendees.

For starters, we’re sponsoring the Draper Therapies Best Foot Forward Scavenger Hunt. This is open to all who attend the event. Anyone who walks the course walk with our scorecard in hand collects letters at each jump of the CIC*** cross country course. From there, those letters complete a phrase. For every 250 people who complete a scorecard each day get a pair of Draper Therapies socks, made from Celliant! And anyone who completes a card and turns it in will also get entered to win $1,500/£950 worth of Draper Therapies products. A special thank you goes out to Horse and Rider Magazine and PONY Magazine for helping to get the word out and supporting this endeavor!

Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials- Cross Country

In addition to the scavenger hunt, we’ll be offering two course walks, one on Thursday and one on Friday with course designer Eric Winter to Blenheim officials. We learned that officials actually means volunteers and staff. We thought it was an amazing reward to all their hard work and dedication when it comes to making this event a huge success!

After Blenheim Horse Trials are all over, then it’s off to London for a variety of meetings with local retailers. This gives us an amazing opportunity to share our products with them and tell them the story of Draper Therapies.  Hats off to everyone and we can’t wait to meet all the amazing people that lie across the pond. Stay tuned in the meantime to our Facebook page and, Cheerio!

Equine Wellness Symposium

Susanne Hassler and Baroncelli

Don’t miss out on the Equine Wellness Symposium, August 18-19, 2012, proudly produced by Hassler Dressage at Riveredge. Amateurs and industry professionals alike have much to gain from this informative, 2-day symposium!

They have invited top experts in their fields to speak on a wide array of topics ranging from Joint Management and Supplementation, Preventative Care using chiropractics, acupuncture, and massage, Understanding and Successfully Treating Allergies, Parasite Control, Inflammatory Airway Disease, The Whole Foods Diet, and simple techniques horse owners can use every day to improve the wellness of their horses.  Don’t miss this sensational event, sponsored by Goetz Insurers, Draper Equine Therapy, and BioStar. Speakers include Dr. Cooper Williams, Dr. Elizabeth Patternotte, Holly Brown, Dr. Jenny Wright, Dr. Amy Polkes, Dr. Chris Bessent of Herbsmith, Tigger Montague of BioStar, and Dr. Pat Bona of Posture Prep.

Symposium Bios

This symposium promises to get you current with today’s best thinkers in equine medicine and holistic health. It will broaden horizons for even the most scrutinizing professional when it comes to optimizing performance readiness and health care for our equine partners. Lunch is included and participation over both days of the Symposium is highly recommended. Seating will be limited; participation will be registered on a first-come, first serve basis with single day attendance only as a secondary option.

Symposium Schedule

Everyone looks forward to bringing our experts and community together for a meaningful, productive weekend, all dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of our partners in sport!

When: August 18-19th, 2012 8am to 4pm
Where: Hassler Dressage at Riveredge, in Chesapeake City, MD (in our Clubhouse)
2-day Symposium fee: $100
Single day fee: $75

To Sign Up Today, please visit: Event Registration

Scavenger Hunt at the Blenheim Palace

PONY Magazine features info about the Draper Therapies Best Foot Forward Scavenger Hunt (pink background)

Draper Therapies is a  promoting health and wellness to horses and riders worldwide. Their mission is to bring American made and proven holistic products from our family to yours. This year at the 2012 Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials we are super excited to be offering the Draper Therapies Best Foot Forward Scavenger Hunt Challenge for all attendees.

What is it? This is a scavenger hunt being offered to all attendees of the 2012 Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials CIC*** with free goodies at the end of the hunt.*

Where is is happening? The Best Foot Forward Scavenger Hunt will be taking place on the Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials’ CCI 3* cross country course with answers at every jump (Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxon, United Kingdom, OX20 1PS).

Why should YOU do this hunt? The first 250 attendees who complete the course walk each day with a correctly completed scavenger hunt scorecard will receive a free pair of Draper Therapies socks containing Celliant**. Every individual who completes a correctly completed scorecard will be eligible for the grand prize of $1,500 of Draper Therapies products. For a full list of rules and details, please visit Terms and Conditions.

How do we take part? The scorecard will mirror the cross country course followed by the CCI 3*course competitors for this years’ event. Your goal is to walk the entire course taking note of the “letter” on the naming board at each fence. (This special letter can be found under the Draper Therapies logo). Those letters will need to be collected on your scorecard to complete a special message. Once the special message has been completed, cards should be turned into The World of Horse Pavilion where Draper Therapies will be stationed at the PONY Magazine booth. Incorrectly completed or incomplete cards will not be accepted.

To print out your own copy of the Draper Therapies Best Foot Forward Scavenger Hunt Card, click on the link.

A special thank you goes out to Horse and Rider Magazine and PONY Magazine!

Any additional questions, please email us at info(at)drapertherapies.com. We look forward to seeing you all there!

We’ll Be Closed 7/2-7/8

Draper Knitting and Draper Therapies and will be closed for the week of July 2nd. This time of year marks observance of the July 4th holiday and our annual shutdown of the mill. All Draper Therapies orders will be processed upon our return on July 9th. Any emails sent to to us or phone message lefts will be replied to upon our return as well.
Wishing everyone a safe and Happy 4th of July!

How Products Are Made- Part III

A few months ago we introduced this series, How Products Are Made, following up with the post How Products Are Made-Part II sharing with you how Draper is turning raw materials into the finished goods that are in your home or at your barn. Our focus being that we’re bringing high quality, US made and proven holistic products from our family to yours.

This first blog post was an introduction of the general processes that occur from product conception through delivery. We then followed up to tell you how ideas are brought to our attention, though Ideas and Demand. The overall structure of our process, is as follows, with the remaining blog post focusing on Research and Development.

How it’s Made at Draper Therapies:

• Ideas and Demand
• Research and Development
• Designing and Knitting the Fabric
• Sampling and Feedback
• Production
• Sale and Promotion

With Research and Development, Draper Knitting has taught me that it is invaluable to provide the highest quality products that stand the test of time.  Draper Knitting is Draper Therapies’ parent company, for those of you who don’t know, and are also the ones responsible for creating most of the fabric that goes into our line.  They’ve been around since 1856 and have had to reinvent themselves many times to keep up with new technologies and trends.  They have learned what it takes to be ahead of the curve and continually striving for that goal.  They excel at research and development and because of it have helped Draper Therapies do the same.

Once a product is conceptualized or suggested, we break it down to find what we want the end product to achieve.  We list the uses and features we want the item to have.  We look to see if there are similar products already in the marketplace.  If there are, we study them to see where they can be improved.  We read reviews, tons of reviews.   All this leads us to the formulation of a plan.

We then take the plan to our designers.   Our in-house team handles many of our ideas.  The talented designers at Saratoga Horseworks pattern and produce all our dog and horse garments.  Once the product is on paper, everyone has the chance to voice their opinion.    We discuss the pattern and all its features until all the questions have been settled.  It is amazing how many fabrics, belts, buckles, trim and labels can go into one horse blanket!  The final piece of the puzzle is a selection of the fabric to be used.  A tremendous amount of energy is put into this.  Wear and tear along with performance is all considered.  Sometimes a new fabric is created with its’ own knit style, pattern, fiber content blend and weight.  Other times we have an existing fabric that will suit the project and we can move right onto making a sample.

Demand gets a new product to this stage.  And it’s where considerable time is spent determining the current market for the item.   Who will be using it and in what manner?  We go back to reviews of similar items, we talk to folks at trade shows, we listen to feedback from current customers, and we poll our Advisory Board.  The internet can also provide endless sources for evaluating design, function, and longevity.  Collecting sufficient data to be able to support the development stages of a new item is very important.  This information is then used later in final production and marketing of the product.  When it comes to marketing, knowing and being able to target your specific audience prevents costly broad range marketing down the road.

Draper Therapies came into being centered on the development of the therapeutic fiber now known as Celliant.  Because all our products contain Celliant, our product line is already considered a specialty line.  Building a customer base on this new fangled technology alone is a challenge onto itself.  Now add to this the creation of products that further limit your market (for instance, horse products) and you have to be very sure of your products and their performance.  When you develop products for a niche market, you must start with great relationships with your customers and build out from there.

So, while keeping in mind all that feedback, it is essential to remember that the more general a product is, the more it can be used by a broader audience.  For example, with the multitude of horse disciplines out there, we must first think is there a way some of our products can cross the lines and work for most horses?  To survive in a retail world, the answer must be “yes”.

A final consideration is the consumer’s use of an item.  Take a pair of gloves for example.  Will they be used strictly for their therapeutic  properties while the wearer is at rest, will they be used for a specific job or work, will they be general use, or maybe just for warmth?    Finding the traits of a product that fit your overall audience the best is often times the wisest choice when building retail products.  All sides of these issues hold weight in any design decisions.

The Draper Therapies Hock Boot- Our first sample!

Sometimes failure is our best friend.  Studying why a product (ours or someone elses) did not perform to our standards is the best and most inspiring way to lead us to our next big idea.  It is a challenging and exciting proposition to have the opportunity to create a better something for our current and future customers.  This development stage is about bringing the team together.  The end result of all this research is holding a working sample in your hands!

Now the fun begins!  Stay tune for an in depth look at fabric design and production as well as where our samples go from here!