HARMONY FARMS, Inc. is
a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) volunteer based organization
providing horse related activities to disabled individuals
of all ages. The program was founded in 1992 to address the need
in the local community for programs for the disabled. Our mailing address is 5300 Stadium Parkway, Rockledge, Florida, and you may contact us by phone at (321) 631-9433. The entrance to our facility is located on Stadium Parkway one mile north of Space Coast Stadium and one mile south of I-95 exit 195.
Imagine............... a place where disabled individuals
can have a variety of horse related activities in a quiet, lush setting,
with trail rides in the woods. A place where they can ride a horse, or
drive a horse drawn cart over 100 acres. A place for horse shows,
clinics, seminars, summer camps, barbecues, barn dances and much more.
With your help, Harmony Farms can be that place!
We have been very fortunate to have obtained a lease of 110 acres
from Brevard County to build a new facility. Located at the western
terminus of Wickham Road, this property is off a private ranch road,
directly south of the Water Treatment Plant. Our DREAM, is to build a 20 stall barn, with meeting area
and office, a covered arena and lots of room to expand. We hope
to increase our rider roster, add horses to our team and start a Driving
program.
WE NEED YOUR HELP! Our current lease expires
in 2010 and we must move. In addition, the traffic and close
proximity of the public and homes presents a safety issue. We have
started a Capital Campaign to raise
the $1 mil. we need to relocate. You can be a part of this community
effort to build a premier therapeutic riding center. Several ways to contribute can be found on our Support page.
Capital Campaign Committree:
Honorary Chair: Dave Armstrong - Armstrong
Custom Homes
Committee:
Nancy Taylor, Skip Cox, Fred Williams, Pam & Bob Rogan, Kaye
Byrnes
Please help make this dream come true for our Harmony Farms
Family and all the individuals with special needs we service. Thank
you.
Our Students
Harmony Farms accepts people of all ages with various disabilities
- physical, mental, emotional, and/or behavioral.
The students come in groups from Brevard County schools,
adult facilities, and ARC programs. We also have a large
number of individual riders, and rider age ranges from 4 to
74 years old. Click here for pictures of
some of our riders!
Riding sessions incorporate equitation with games, exercises and
fun! Competitions are available for riders through Special Olympics
and the yearly Challenge Show for riders from therapy centers across
the state. Each Spring we host "Showtime" where our riders get a
chance to strut their stuff for friends and family. As with everything
else in our program... everyone is a winner!
Riding sessions
are held on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday mornings from
9 AM to 1 PM and Thursday afternoons from 4 PM to 6 PM. The fee
for riding is $18 per 30 minute session. Our riding season runs approximately
33 weeks from mid September through May. A covered arena will
enable us to extend the riding season and help more individuals.
WE DO NOT DO BIRTHDAY OR PONY PARTIES. WE DO NOT PROVIDE
RIDING INSTRUCTION FOR NON-HANDICAPPED INDIVIDUALS.
DELLA COX - "PONY PARTIES WITH PRINCESS" - (321) 242-7969 Home or (321) 432-3117 Cell or ponyladyd72@yahoo.com
Our Volunteers
This program would not be possible without our volunteers, since
student sessions are "labor intensive."
Many students require three volunteers: a horse leader
and two .side walkers Our volunteers ensure the safety
of the riders and also benefit from our program in several
ways. Volunteers increase their physical fitness while enjoying
the outdoors. They groom and exercise horses, perform administrative
duties, and participate in our special events. Volunteers
learn new skills, building confidence and self-esteem.
Some form lasting friendships, and all share in the joyful experience
of seeing a handicapped person ride a horse. No experience
is necessary, we will teach you all you need to know! We accommodate
flexible schedules and no minimum time is required, except for school or
other organizational requirements. MINIMUM
AGE FOR VOLUNTEERING IS 13 YEARS OLD.
See the Riding Session times above. Volunteers should arrive
30 minutes prior to the start of the session.
Volunteer Orientations are held on a monthly basis during our regular riding season, and on an "as needed" basis during the summer months. Click here for a calendar of events or contact us for information about how you can become a Harmony Farms volunteer!
Our Instructors
We are very fortunate to have instructors with academic backgrounds, as well as intense equine experience, and they are either certified by NARHA or pursuing certification. In addition to planning and leading the lessons, our instructors participate in the volunteer training sessions and teach horse management to interested volunteers. Our team of exercise volunteers keep our herd of senior equine citizens fit and sound.
Our Horses
We currently have 11 horses between the ages of 19 and 31 with
various backgrounds. All of our horses have
been donated to the program. Our horses are initially
kept on a 3 month trial basis to make sure their disposition
fits in with the needs of our riders. We look for gentle horses
that are able to adapt to the styles and abilities of different
riders. More importantly, the horses must be sound, as we cannot afford
the time or money needed to take care of a horse with major medical problems.
Click here for more information and
pictures of our horses!
Our Board of Directors
President: Fred Williams, VP Independent Bankers of Florida
Vice President: Maribeth
Terraglio, Target Stores
Sectretary: OPEN
Treasurer: Mike Von Laufen, Owner: Canvas Connection
Directors:
Nancy Taylor, Owner Prudential Sterling Real Estate,
Skip Cox, Principle - Allstate Agency,
Tony Meyer, Special Education Teacher
Rose Munzenmayer, Delta Airlines, Real Estate Agent
Executive Director and Founder: Pam Rogan, Certified Therapeutic Riding
Instructor
Our Funding
Of course, there are costs related to maintaining our horses, equipment, facility, and providing the highest level of service to our riders. Our fundraising events help meet some of these costs. Our riders pay a nominal fee for each class. However, we primarily rely on donations from individuals, organizations, and businesses to keep us fully funded. Click here for information on how you can help!
NARHA
Harmony Farms is a registered member center of The North American
Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA).
NARHA is a national regulatory
and advisory organization which was established
in 1969 to promote the well-being of persons with disabilities
through horseback riding. Since the 1950's, the medical
and rehabilitative communities have recognized the value of
therapeutic riding, and today there are more than 700 NARHA
Therapeutic Riding Centers across the United States, Canada
and Europe.
EQUINE PROFESSIONALS
We have been very fortunate to have some very compassionate and
supportive equine professionals caring for our horses. Our vet,
Newman Equine Veterinary Services, greatly discounts their services
and regularly makes donations to the program.
Our farrier, Dennis Ingram, also discounts his services.
C&J Feed store and Happy Horse Feed and Western Wear supply our
horse feed and hay and donate delivery and many extras on a regular basis.
These professionals take very good care of our number one volunteers,
THE HORSES. Without them, we do not have a program!
A Picture Says a Thousand Words
In an effort to deliver our message to the public, we needed a
video that would reflect the benefits, procedures, and fun of therapeutic
riding. Enter Communications Concepts Inc. Locally owned and operated, CCI is a full service audio visual
production company with a 25 year history serving Florida. CCI prides
itself on being a community partner and donates a promotional video
to a charity organization each year. Copies of our video in DVD
format are available upon request to our e-mail address.
Seminole Feed
Maintaining our horses health and diet is a costly endeavor.
Our wonderful equines are fortunate to have a local feed company
that cares to make a difference. Seminole Feed, P.O. Box 940,
Ocala, Fl. 34478 supports over 100 therapeutic riding and horse rescue
organizations in the Southeast. A bag of horse feed is donated on
a weekly basis. One of the most frequent compliments our program
receives is regarding the condition of our horses. Everyone says they
look happy and healthy. THANK YOU, SEMINOLE FEED
for helping us continue to succeed.