![]() ![]() Volunteers are always needed, and they can work as much or as little as their schedule allows. “When they get started, volunteers get such a good feeling out of working with the riders,” said volunteer coordinator Terri Carr, who herself began volunteering after hearing her daughter Jennifer rave about helping out at the farm. ![]() It’s wonderful for the riders and so rewarding for the volunteers.”įor many volunteers, the initial attraction comes from the gentle equines, but it is the riders who later tug at the heart. It’s amazing what they can get from the horses. “Some of the riders are in wheelchairs or walkers and others are non-verbal or they’re autistic or have seizure disorders,” said Scheuerman. “It’s a whole range of disabilities, but riding makes them feel so much better. Scheuerman got certified by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemen so she could help instruct riders, which she now does every Monday. ![]() “I had retired and I wanted to help somehow,” said the Heritage Isles resident. “I had one horse growing up, and I wanted to reconnect with horses.” Her connection began when she drove by the farm and saw the horses. Sanna Scheuerman, a volunteer instructor, has given of her time and talent to the program for the past decade. They have come through hell and high water for the organization. The 100 or so Harmony Farms volunteers are the backbone of the charity. Volunteers and the community at large really stepped up to the plate, adds Rogan, and Harmony Farms is working with FEMA to help with damages to the minefield-looking driveway, fallen trees, broken fencing and other repairs, but progress has been slow. We have to replenish the soil, plant some seeds and add fill to most of our pastures.” “Now the muck is gone, we are left with damaged fields where soil has washed away. “We were left with total muck and mire,” said Rogan. The water is gone now, thanks in a significant part to the pump provided by MWI of Orlando, but the aftermath remains. When we put the word out, I was floored with the response.” “The dedication and outpouring of support I saw during that awful time brought tears to my eyes. “During the two months of the flood, we had people coming out every day just to walk the horses in the barns,” said Rogan. To give the animals much-needed exercise, volunteers created a “poop bridge,” manufactured from manure and sawdust, so the horses could at least walk between the two barns. “We had three people with vehicles that could get through the water, and they ferried people in and out or they used kayaks and canoes,” said director Pam Rogan. ![]()
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