Located in the Lunenburg County community of Blockhouse, the Hinchinbrook Farm Society is a non-profit organization with the goal of supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of people with disabilities through therapeutic horseback riding. While the majority of the riders are individuals with autism, the program has also been recognized for aiding people who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“The three-dimensional movement of the horse helps teach gait, rhythm, and cadence to those with physical limitations and liberates riders from wheelchairs, walkers, and canes. Routine, safety, and sequential & management practices help those with social challenges, and for kinetic learners, reading, writing, and math are easily absorbed while astride a horse,” says Patricia McGill, Hinchinbrook Farms Program Director.
McGill says that sensory horseback activities, such as skin-to-fur contact, have greatly reduced processing dysfunction for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, and a horse’s non-judgemental nature can provide value to individuals with mental health challenges.
The team understands that no two riders are exactly alike, and participants are eased into the program as their comfort levels allow. “Everyone learns at their own pace, working beside horses before getting astride will tell a person when they are ready to take on more. For the parents, we tell them success stories. For kids, we make everything a game and they join at their own pace,” says McGill.
When pandemic restrictions aren’t a factor, the farm runs 6-to-12-week lessons, year-round. The program has participants that have been there since Hinchinbrook started back in 2007, and McGill says that the most rewarding aspect for the facilitators is the positive feedback they’ve received from participants and their families who are thankful for an environment that fosters learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, Hinchinbrook’s therapeutic riding program has 50 riders (40 children, 10 adults) as well as 40 volunteers who help with everything from chores, lessons, farm work, and administration. If you’d like to learn more about Hinchinbrook Farms and their therapeutic riding program, please visit their website.
For information about funding support for sport registration and/or equipment, check out KidSport Nova Scotia for allocation amounts and application deadlines.
