Nestled among the rolling hills of central Virginia, you will find a farm that is committed to helping horses and helping people. Brook Hill Farm was founded in 2001 by Jo Anne Miller with the goal of providing therapeutic riding services to our community in addition to being a haven for unwanted horses.
As soon as you step foot onto the property, you’ll know why it’s the ideal setting for both horse rehabilitation and therapeutic riding sessions. With a covered and outdoor riding ring along with a stable, adjacent classroom and historic farmhouse, there is no lack of space for learning and riding. At present, 42 horses, one donkey named Romeo, a few barn cats and a rescue dog named Wren all call Brook Hill home.
However, more than just being a refuge for all kinds of four-legged friends, Brook Hill has become a safe place for children and teenagers who are at risk or struggling in school. Over the last 22 years, Brook Hill has provided programming that integrates horseback riding and care with mental, emotional and physical therapy.
One such program is called Rockin’ Riders and allows individuals with diverse physical and mental health challenges to develop independence through riding and spending time with a rescue horse that they are assigned to. Benefits of participation can include building muscles, increased balance, enhanced problem-solving skills, sensory modulation growth and improved self-regulation. The assistant Director of Brook Hill, Tracy Russler, explained, “We all have obstacles we have to deal with, the horses are just helping these kids handle their own personal obstacles.”
Another noteworthy service that Brook Hill provides to our community is called the United Neigh School. United Neigh accepts youth from the ages of 12-18 from Lynchburg City and surrounding counties. The teens who become students follow the Virtual Virginia Curriculum and are supervised by a licensed teacher during the first half of their school day.
During the second half of their day, the students get to spend time with a horse that they are assigned to. This time is spent completing riding instruction, equine science classes and hands on work in the Equine Lab. With a 100% graduation rate, the success of the school in impacting youth who are at-risk or economically disadvantaged is undoubtedly evident.
One individual whose experience is an example of this impact is Jordan Altman. 11 years ago, she entered the program with abandonment issues and was failing school after experiencing a challenging home life. Now because of her time at Brook Hill, she is currently in college studying Equine Science with the goal of helping others, sharing that, “Brook Hill gave me a reason to desire to do better.”
To learn more about the work that Brook Hill is doing in our community, watch our most recent episode of “& so much more,” below!