In addition to our therapeutic riding program, we have begun an equine care and life skills program. Seven young adults with developmental delays participate in our new pilot program. The students, who reside in Brooklyn, are most enthusiastic about visiting the farm and learning how to care for horses. They are studying equine body language, basic horse anatomy, grooming techniques, and other barn related skills. At our first lesson, the students learned how to determine the age of a horse from an examination of his teeth. They even had the opportunity to hold Sunny’s molars which had been extracted by the veterinarian.
Heartfelt thanks to the kind generosity and professionalism of Sue Mercil. Without her enthusiastic leadership this program would not be possible. Please visit www.horselesshorsemen.org for more information about her work.
Many thanks to Jane Schmidt and Laura Alvey for allowing us to use the beautiful facilities at Islandia Farm.
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- Sherman the Gentle Appaloosa
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- Learning the parts of the horse
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- Sherman
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- Preparing apples; bran mash for horses and apple crisp for people
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- Feeding the horses
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- Making Friends
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- Halloween Fun
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- Grooming at the Holtsville Ecology Center
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- Field Trip to the Ecology Center
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- Making trail mix
Sherman’s beautiful.