Giddy Upper

Pam Rogan, with therapy equine Mister, founded Harmony Farms 32 years ago to connect individuals with disabilities with the many benefits of therapeutic horseback riding. STEVEN R. HICKS

Therapy horses bring joy to those who really need a lift

Harmony Farms instructors John Epperson and Jodi Pierce, volunteer Jeanine Alan and operations director Terri Carr help rider Vanessa Trosa onto Riddick. Vanessa’s mother, Lydia Trosa, led the fundraising campaign to help the nonprofit install a Sure Hands Lift, which allows riders with disabilities to safely mount a horse. HARMONY FARMS

Isaac Hodges was diagnosed with autism at age 4 and with attention deficit disorder at 6. Although he is smart and creative, he struggles with focusing on tasks at hand and with coordination. However, when he is astride a horse at Harmony Farms, the world changes for Isaac.

“He is focused, calm; he awaits directions from his instructor,” his mother, Michelle Hodges, explained. “He does exercises that require coordination, successfully and without resistance. For most of the day after riding, his calmness and focus remain.”

Such is the wonder of what happens at the equine-assisted nonprofit facility in Cocoa. Started by Pamela Rogan in 1992, the largely volunteer-driven Harmony Farms utilizes horses — many of them older — for therapeutic riding. It has proven beneficial for children and adults with a wide range of cognitive, physical or emotional conditions. 

Like Isaac, 50 percent of the riders are on the autism spectrum — as are 60 percent of the people on the waiting list. But the program reaches a wide range of participants, from young riders with cerebral palsy to adults with Down syndrome and wounded warriors beginning to heal and trust again. 

Equine residents include eight horses and one pony, all with a shared history of needing to be rehomed. Father and son mini-horses Cupid and Ziti are on a free lease for the farm’s “read to a horse” program. 

“Most of the horses we get are either at the end of careers as barrel racers, dressage and show, and owners cannot get another younger horse unless they rehome this one,” Rogan explained. “Then there are the ones that the owners cannot afford anymore or cannot care for due to hardships. While they are not unwanted, they have to be moved.”

GOOD FOR ALL

As a second career, therapeutic riding offers a perfect semi-retirement for the animals. It’s a win-win for both riders and horses. “While their workload is light, they are nevertheless getting out and moving, which is good for both humans and animals in their senior years,” Rogan said. “And they still have a job, which helps them mentally. They like to be busy.”

Eighteen-year-old Riddick, for example, is a North American Spotted Draft Horse and one of the newest arrivals at Harmony Farms. He hails from a location not typically associated with draft horses: Las Vegas. Harmony Farms took a gamble on Riddick and hit the jackpot. 

“The big guy loves kids,” Rogan said. “His name should be Whatever, because nothing bothers or surprises him.

“He came to us with a bad skin condition caused by the bite of no-see-ums. We gladly adopted him and got his condition under control in a few short months. He is beautiful now and the best therapy horse.” 

Riddick is a youngster compared to American Quarter Horse Spud, who is 30 years young and still the boss of the pasture. He is also the oldest horse at the farm — not that you would notice from looking at him. “He has not slow-ed down,” Rogan said. “Everyone loves Spud.”

Riddick, flanked by Rogan and Carr, is one of the gentle Harmony Farms equines tasked with helping riders with disabilities. The 18-year-old is a transplant from an unlikely location for a draft horse — Las Vegas. STEVEN R. HICKS PHOTOS

THE RIGHT STUFF

Harmony Farms depends on a large “stable” of volunteers like Mary Adams.

Rogan would like to add two more horses to whittle down the wait list, but horses suited to therapeutic riding are not that easy to find. “I look for well-trained, quiet, healthy horses,” Rogan said, adding that she usually looks at three or four horses before finding a good candidate. “I just turned down two recently. Personality was sweet, but too many health issues.”

Thirty volunteers help five certified therapeutic riding instructors serve 53 riders in four, half-day sessions per week. The disabilities of many students require a horse leader and two side walkers, during the riding sessions. Volunteers also groom, saddle and exercise horses, along with cleaning stalls.

“Harmony Farms would not be possible without volunteers,” Rogan said. 

A member of the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International, Harmony Farms is an approved location for community service and scholarship requirements for local students, and an off-campus training site for several university and medical programs. 

Pesky flies are not an issue, as Carr slips a fly mask over Riddick’s face. STEVEN R. HICKS

WIDE SUPPORT

Farrier Dennis Ingram keeps Harmony Farms’ many sets of hooves in tip-top shape. STEVEN R. HICKS

Donations, grants, rider fees, summer riding camps and special fundraisers — such as the annual Blizzard at the Barn in December and the Buckaroo Ball in February — help the organization operate year-round, with an emphasis on 10 months of weekly, therapeutic riding lessons.

Support comes far and wide. Individual donations made possible the recent installation of a Sure Hands Lift for riders, like Vanessa Trosa, who need extra help in mounting a horse. 

“Vanessa and two other riders had to stop riding in 2022, because we could no longer safely lift them onto the horse,” Rogan said.

Vanessa’s mom, Lydia Trosa, launched a $15,000 campaign to purchase the lift. The community stepped up to help. 

“Vanessa and the two other riders returned to riding this year,” Rogan said. 

After Hurricane Milton knocked fencing down, the Rockledge Rotary provided funds for new fencing. When Rogan noted the farm could use a used fridge, within two hours she had more than $500 in donations to purchase a new one. A recent grant from the Health First Foundation allowed the farm to hire a riding instructor assistant, to help add more riders and reduce the long wait list. And, out of the blue, a check for $10,000 arrived from a supporter in Georgia.

“Completely unexpected — love days like that,” Rogan said. 

Despite the generosity of the community, maintaining the facility and meeting the need remains a constant challenge. Monetary donations — and volunteers — are always needed. Volunteers can start at any time, as long as they are 13 or older. No experience with horses is required. 

Sanna Scheuerman, a certified therapeutic riding instructor and a Harmony Farms volunteer since 2002, explains that the horses usually draw the volunteers in, and the riders keep them coming back.

“I started volunteering because of my love of horses, but then I got to meet the riders,” Scheuerman said. “They are all very special people with varying abilities. They’re always happy to be there and I’m happy I can help them ride a horse. Harmony Farms is a very special and unique place.”

Harmony Farms

2205 Pluckebaum Rd., Cocoa

321.631.9433

harmonyfarmsinc.com 

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