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

Over the past several months, Boyd has volunteered in the Equine Department at least four days a week. Even when he has a day off from work, he will stop by and help wherever needed.

His time commitment is wonderful, but his personality truly sets him apart. He is passionate about volunteering at Leg Up Farm and is even more passionate about providing a positive experience to the children in the Therapeutic Horsemanship Program.

Not only does he dedicate a huge portion of his free time to Leg Up Farm, but he is also volunteers at Friendship Community Church and with the Dover High School Marching Band.

Thank you for your hard work and dedication, Boyd! We are lucky and truly thankful to have you on our team!

• "York County Group Seeks Volunteers To Help Build Playground" - WGAL
• "Commitment to Service is 'Central' to a Central Penn Education" - Central Penn College
• "Playground for Leg Up Farm" - York Dispatch Video
• "Playground for Leg Up Farm" - York Dispatch Photos
• "Group Preparing to Build a Playground That All Kids Can Enjoy" - CBS21
• "11-4 Leg Up Farms" - FOX43
• "Hundreds of Volunteers Pitch in to Build Special Needs Playground" - WGAL
• "Playground for Leg Up Farm" - York Dispatch Photos]]> http://www.legupfarm.org/2011/11/28/barrier-free-playground-news-coverage/feed/ 0 http://www.legupfarm.org/2011/11/23/happy-thanksgiving/ http://www.legupfarm.org/2011/11/23/happy-thanksgiving/#comments Wed, 23 Nov 2011 21:30:41 +0000 legupfarm http://www.legupfarm.org/?p=1700 Horse and rider round the corner of the ring, hooves churning little puffs of dust with each step. Focused on the pair, you catch the sparkle in the child’s eye and watch as the child listens intently to her instructor. She gestures toward the poles lying in the center of the ring. Small fingers tighten on rainbow colored reins; arms move slightly to the right. The horse responds obediently, following the cues of his rider and steps lightly across the green poles in front of him. One, two, three...suddenly quiet spectators erupt in loud cheering and clapping. Big hands from the ground exchange high fives with small hands from the saddle. Is that a sigh you hear when the rider’s shoulders visibly drop in relief? Faces beam with happy smiles of triumph. It’s hard to tell who wears the biggest grin: rider, instructor or helpers. Success is sweet for all.
  
  

  The scene that I just described for you is one example of the things that we are incredibly thankful for in this Thanksgiving season. During my childhood, my family would always go around the table and share three things that we were thankful for before our Thanksgiving meal. Following that tradition I would like to share three of the things that we, the equine staff, are thankful for this Thanksgiving at Leg Up Farm.

  
  

  We are thankful for Miracles – big or small, long in coming or surprising. This last year we have been able to witness some amazing miracles. Miracles come in the form of the daily volunteers that are the backbone of our program. Every day we are so thankful for the dedication and commitment of our these wonderful people. We see small miracles in children who, for the first time ,verbalize the commands they give the horse; and in children who, for the first time, are able to ride a bike because they have learned how to balance their body on the horse; and children who, for the first time , are able to trot their horse independently without a leader or side walkers when only a few months before they were afraid to get on the horse.

  
  

  We are thankful for Horses; specifically the herd of seventeen that Leg Up Farm currently has. These wonderful animals have come into our lives through the generosity of families who have leased or donated their horse to us and through the hard work of staff and volunteers who care for them daily. We are thankful for the inspiration and joy the horses give to our staff, volunteers, families, and children. They offer an unconditional relationship to their partner – teaching trust, responsibility, and love.

  
  

  Finally, we are thankful for our Children at Leg Up Farm. Our job is to teach the children horsemanship skills so that they can achieve their clinical goals, but more times than not we find ourselves walking away as the ones who have been taught. We are taught lessons of love between the horse and rider, the importance of teamwork, and of course, the incredible fun that happens in every lesson.

  
  

  The list could go on. Three could easily become thirty three. These are just a few things we are thankful for during this season of gratitude. We look forward to experiencing many more in the days ahead.

  
  

  Wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!

  
  

  Megan Giordano, Equine Director

  ]]> http://www.legupfarm.org/2011/11/23/happy-thanksgiving/feed/ 0 http://www.legupfarm.org/2011/10/27/september-2011-volunteer-of-the-month/ http://www.legupfarm.org/2011/10/27/september-2011-volunteer-of-the-month/#comments Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:16:16 +0000 legupfarm http://www.legupfarm.org/?p=1648 Congratulations to VIRGINIA COCO, Leg Up Farm’s Volunteer of the Month for September!

  Virginia has made herself invaluable in the barn over the past several months. On a daily basis, she does everything from training horses to cleaning stalls. You can even find her teaching lessons to students in the Therapeutic Horsemanship Program!

  

  Virginia is a very busy woman! Not only does she donate her time to Leg Up Farm, but she is also a dedicated wife and homemaker. And she does all of this between her classes at Millersville University!

  Virginia’s ability to relate to the children and horses makes her an excellent addition to our barn team.

  Thank you, for your tireless efforts in making Leg Up Farm a better place for all!

  ]]> http://www.legupfarm.org/2011/10/27/september-2011-volunteer-of-the-month/feed/ 0