owned and operated by Rebecca Meinen
About the Program
Vocational and Riding Programs
Vocational Program
The Friendship Farm vocational program teaches job and life skills to create opportunities for independent work. Every task on the farm serves a purpose – from dumping wheelbarrows in the correct places without the need of supervision to working as a team to lift heavy loads to caring for the animals – so our clients can see that their work matters.
Farm Maintenance
One of the jobs on the farm is shredding paper. We collect the paper from local businesses to foster community involvement, then shred the paper to build clients’ confidence in independent work. Once shredded, the paper is used as bedding for the stalls. Working in teams, clients clean the stalls and pile the paper into manure piles for compost. Finally, the compost is spread out on the fields to provide nutrients for the grass that the animals eat.
The cycle of the paper shredding process allows for both independent and team work, encourages awareness of others, and provides visible proof of our clients’ accomplishments that they can take pride in.
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There is always something to do on the farm, from managing pastures to fixing fences and building gates.
Animal Care
Our clients help provide all the care needed for the horses and dogs on the farm. They assist with feeding, handling, vet care, exercise, enrichment, and more. Clients tack up the horses they ride and clean their tack after.
Riding Program
From June 1st to October 1st, Friendship Farm provides horsemanship lessons to all people, regardless of their challenges, skill levels, or adaptation needs. We offer personalized instruction in a style that matches the student’s needs, tack adaptations, and accommodations for safety needs.
All horsemanship sessions are private – one to one – and individualized to the student’s goals and interests, whether they are beginners needing to be led or more advanced riders working on independent riding at a walk, trot, and canter.
The riding program focuses on patterns: asking clients to follow a set of directives to improve their ability to follow and remember directions and improve focus – skills that translate to all areas of life.
Riders will use western-style saddles on stock horses. Horses are available for a variety of skill levels, which allows riders to grow into more difficult skills.
Each June, clients work with their instructor to choreograph a routine to music and spend the summer practicing – some clients even challenge themselves by adding in skills they want to learn. At the end of each summer program, Friendship Farm hosts a horse show for clients to demonstrate how much they’ve learned for their friends, families, and each other.
