Over the next few months, the grounds of Leg Up Farm will be transformed as we add a Music Garden, Games Garden, and a large Koi pond. We are very excited to add these elements to our facility so the children, families, volunteers, and staff can make use of them.

The music garden will feature a variety of instruments for the kids to play. The games garden will feature a basketball hoop, foursquare & hopscotch, and a putting green. The koi pond will be a zero entry pond making fully accessible to everyone. The kids will be able to feed the koi and enjoy the sounds of the water feature.

We are always looking for more ways to engage the kids, provide stimulating environments, and provide better outcomes.

Sheff volunteers in the barn and loves grooming the horses, which is his favorite thing to do at Leg Up Farm.

Sheff has volunteered with Leg Up Farm for more than one year and can often be heard sharing words of wisdom.

In his spare time Sheff spends time gardening, taking pictures, spending time with his family, and taking care of his own horses.

Thank you, Sheff for your dedication to Leg Up Farm and CONGRATULATIONS on a job well done!

Steve volunteers in our facilities department nearly every day of the week. He is here so regularly that most people think he is an employee.

It’s been great having Steve help out with the special projects around Leg Up Farm. He has assisted Tim in building new offices and a conference room, in addition to volunteering every day at our playground build.

Steve’s kind heart and sense of humor make him well liked by everyone at Leg Up Farm.

Thank you, Steve for your dedication to Leg Up Farm and CONGRATULATIONS on a job well done!

We announced the launch of summer camp at Leg Up Farm for the summer of 2012. This is a great opportunity for children with special needs to work on a variety of life skills, interact with other children, all while gaining confidence and independence. Parents who are interested in having their child attend can contact Leg Up Farm for more information or to register.

On January 21st, you can join us as we Dine-Out at the White Rose Bar & Grill. From 12pm-4pm, they will donate 15% of proceeds to Leg Up Farm. Come out and enjoy a great meal, have fun, and support a great cause.

On January 28th, we are proud to host our first Equine Open House from 10am-1pm. The event is open to the public. This is your chance to learn more about therapeutic horseback riding and the benefits of animal assisted therapy. Meet our animals, tour the facility, and visit with vendors. There will also be a Horse Handling Competition among our dedicated volunteers!

We are looking forward to a busy and exciting 2012 so be sure to keep an eye out for future events.

January began with an empty barn and Megan who worked tirelessly to get everything in order for the arrival of horses. When I say this I mean not one bucket was hung in a stall or a saddle rack in the tack room. By the end of the month five horses arrived to the farm. In February I came on board and so did a handful of volunteers to help Megan care for the animals. Over the next few months horses came and went as Megan worked to find the perfect horses for our program. Fast forward to April 1st…..the launch of Leg Up Farm’s Therapeutic Riding Program. I remember helping as a leader or side walker for those first few weeks as we still only had a handful of equine volunteers. In May we welcomed Sarah to the staff as well as our two wonderful interns, Steph and Kristen. Not long after Trudy came on board as well. Fast forward to the end of 2011…..

Staff: 5 Virginia joined us, officially, last month

Horses: 17

Students: 50, with many still waiting to begin

Volunteers: 158--AMAZING!

One trail system through the woods surrounding the farm

It has been an amazing year. Our program has grown by leaps and bounds! None of this could have happened without the many hours each of you has given to Leg Up Farm and to our program! I cannot wait to see all the amazing changes that come in 2012.

Update on Autumn: She seems to be healing well as she is putting much more weight on her injured leg. The vet will be out again in a few weeks to check on her progress so I will keep you all posted.

Jess Melhorn

I have now been at Leg Up farm for almost a year, and I count myself as lucky. I get to see miracles happen every day. I meet all types of fantastic people...from the children who comes for services, to volunteers who pour their hearts into their work, and employees who love what they do. Everybody plays such an important role in what happens here. I get to be a small part of this every day and for that I am grateful.

It has been an amazing year. We launched our Animal Assited Therapy programs. We began offering Play Therapy and Counseling services. We built a huge barrier-free playground in 7 days!! All in the last year. The best part of all of this is, that we get to help more children and families who need our services.

Since opening in April 2010, we have helped over 550 children and their families. I have been fortunate enough to meet a small portion of them and each one has made me smile. 2011 has been a great year. I am looking forward to 2012. I wish you and your family all the best.

Tom O'Connor

Development Director