- 803-292-0496
- info@hopeforhooves.org
- 45 Van Road North Augusta, SC 29860
Jackson, my 9 year old son who is autistic, has ADHD, and anxiety, has been participating in the mentorship program at Hope for Hooves since 2023. There is no other organization in our area that offers what they have been able to offer him!
Like many children who utilize the mentorship program, Jackson often shows up to the farm bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders. He is just overwhelmed from the day and his emotions. As soon as he sees his mentor, he holds his head higher and he immediately feels lighter. He runs to him and says “Hey Dude.” His mentor prays for Jackson, and they read a devotion. Jackson grows in his relationship with Christ through their bonding time.
Jackson has built so much confidence from doing farm chores and horseback riding. He was once afraid of horses, and now he asks to ride specific ones. He takes pride in completing his chores and his mentor encourages him every step of the way.
The Holy Spirit just moves in amazing ways at Hope for Hooves. It is like watching the hands and feet of Christ at work each week.
It has been an absolute new beginning for my son. He has been able to meet with God while meeting with others. He gets to participate in the Hebrew’s “gathering together and encouraging of each other” that hasn’t worked out for us anywhere else. This is huge! My son feels connected to others on a spiritual level now. He knows he is seen. He feels needed. He has become a contributor to the farm; finding a sense of pride in his work and a purpose through his time there.
I have been surprised by how much I enjoy my son’s time on the farm. It has become a time of refreshing and healing for me. I am able to sit quietly, communing with God through devotionals, life-giving podcasts, or soul-stirring biographies without the feeling of guilt for not doing something else. As caregivers to children with special needs, we can get frazzled; we can feel like the whole world is on our shoulders. To have a time each week, where we are allowed to be quiet, to sit with nature around us – a breeze blowing, a horse neighing, the smell of hay, ducks waddling across our view – it’s good for the soul. It’s the way God created us to be; for nature to heal us and ground us and bring us back to our awareness of and need for Him. That’s what I get when I sit and wait on my son at the farm. I get closer to HIM.
I have seen so many changes in my son throughout his time at Hope For Hooves. Every single person who is close to my son has seen a positive change. His speech teacher sees more concentration, focus, and determination. His grandparents see a more mature and responsible young man. His father and I see a change in his understanding of himself – my son feels proud of who he is now. He knows he can help lift heavy loads. He can take care of animals and their needs. He can work well with others. He can ride on the back of a horse (something he thought was much too scary at first). At home, he is now constantly helping around the house, taking initiative to keep our home clean and organized and recognizing when things need to be done without my even asking. For so many years, we have started programs and been asked to lessen our time or leave altogether. And, trust me, I can understand the reasons why. I get it. But my son needed one person (outside of his intimate circle) to see him for more than his behavior. That has happened at Hope for Hooves. His mentor, Stephanie, has taught me how to be more hands-off, how to let my son be himself. How to accept him for who he is, right now. This has been strictly through my observations of her with him and not through any coaching or counseling session. It’s just Stephanie being Stephanie. All of the girls on the farm are so patient and kind. Michelle is the epitome of being Jesus’ hands and feet. Always gentle. Always loving. Always caring and compassionate. Love radiates from this place and I don’t think they even realize how much. But I feel it. The animals live it. My son knows it. And it has changed him to his core.
This program has been an answer to so many prayers. At 3, my son was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder and then, later, Severe Intellectual Disability along with several other diagnoses. School has been a struggle due to behavior issues, with his day having been shortened over and over again before starting homeschool. We also had to leave a special program we were in due to behavior (while my son is 10 years old, he functions on a 4-5 year old level). At church, he must have a parent as his one-on-one. We had been limiting our outings to restaurants and other public places and even to family events. I was desperate. I felt we had tried so many things but nothing was reaching my son where he needed it; he wasn’t making the important connections. I prayed and prayed. Someone mentioned horse therapy. I looked for a year but somehow never found anything that I thought fit him. Then a casual acquaintance mentioned Hope for Hooves. I felt it could be our answer but still felt hesitant. I sat on the decision for about 6 months, just feeling nervous and afraid we would be asked to leave yet another program. I finally decided it was my own fears holding us back and should move forward for my son’s sake. It was the BEST decision we could have ever made. Each week, my son comes back to me refreshed and renewed. He finally feels confident and like he has a purpose. Our time at the farm has become our hour of blessing. I now know I had nothing to be worried about. This place is a place of hope. This place is a place of rebuilding. This place is a place where God’s love is tangible.
~ Crystal Huntsman
