Testimonies

About Wonderhill Farm

Wonderhill Farm is changing the lives of our families, our communities, our country and our world.

As we continue to love on people, we continually see Miracles happen every day. The horses do the work and God gets the credit.

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Testimonies

Pam Knebel, Bountiful Blessings Day Program LLC

Jason is a 52 year old man with mild intellectual delays who ha s history with horse husbandry. Before coming to volunteer at Wonderhill Farm, it had been over 20 years since his last interaction with horses. He was so excited for the chance to work with horses again. He immediately felt comfortable around the horses and enjoyed cleaning stalls & feeding, brushing, washing the horses, and especially raking the area with the kabota.

Jason volunteers for a few hours every Wednesday and Friday. Jason earns a riding lesson after volunteering 4 hours and looks forward to being able to ride them and increase his riding abilities. He loves his work at Wonderhill Farm.

Dee Lori Jackson

Wonderhill Farm in Brenham, TX, offers a remarkable equine therapy experience that stands out for its compassionate approach and serene environment. The farm is beautifully maintained, providing a peaceful backdrop for healing and personal growth. The staff is highly knowledgeable and dedicated, ensuring that each participant feels safe and supported throughout their journey.

This program helped my son while he was going through a rough patch. Sometimes, we as parents don’t always have the best answers. With the assistance from this program, it helped him manage and overcome many obstacles.

Equine therapy at Wonderhill Farm is tailored to meet the individual needs of clients, whether they are seeking emotional support, stress relief, or personal development. The horses are well-trained and responsive, creating a unique bond that fosters trust and connection. Participants often report significant improvements in their emotional well-being, communication skills, and self-confidence.

Moreover, the farm’s holistic approach integrates mindfulness and nature, allowing clients to connect deeply not only with the horses, but also with themselves. The tranquil setting encourages reflection and healing, making each session a transformative experience.

Overall, Wonderhill Farm is a gem for anyone interested in equine therapy. The combination of expert guidance, a nurturing environment, and the therapeutic power of horses make it a truly exceptional place for personal growth and healing. It is highly recommended for those looking to explore the benefits of equine therapy in a supportive and beautiful setting!

Danielle Mitchell

Over the last year, I (Danielle) have fallen in love with the unique way equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP) combines my professional world as an LPC and my personal passion for horses.

The Cognizant Group provides EAP sessions at local partnering horse stables. BUT when a few of my friends (who happen to be in leadership positions with non-profits and churches!) expressed an interest in experiencing it all, we needed to outsource to a trusted team to make it happen.

A massive thanks to our dear friends and the experts at Wonderhill Farms for making this weekend’s retreat such a success! They put together a retreat for these leaders of leaders to both experience it for themselves and cast a vision for their organizations.

If you’re looking for a corporate retreat for your business team, a marriage intensive, therapeutic riding for your child, EAP for yourself, and/or trauma informal care, check out the program at Wonderhill Farms.

Stefanie Toole

I have a son named Nolan. He’s 8 and has multiple disabilities including cerebral palsy and epilepsy to name to name a couple. He also can’t control his temperature very well or process physical input as quickly as most people. That prevents him from doing a lot of things at the same pace as the rest of the world. At Wonderhill Farm those things don’t matter as much, and I’ll tell you why.

When we first moved to Brenham, we needed a place to board my son’s therapy horse (I will tell you more about him later). From the moment I met Holly, I felt seen and heard. I felt accepted. That was what sealed the deal to let her board our precious, irreplaceable horse, Midas. Later, when I showed up with my kid in his wheelchair she didn’t bat an eye. Instead she talked to him as if there was nothing wrong. Even the dogs and horses never seemed to care about my son’s wheelchair, his loud noises or his odd, jerky movements. To a special needs mom there is nothing like the feeling of being immediately accepted and knowing you belong. And, animals are my son’s love language. He doesn’t care for toys because he lacks the dexterity to really play with them. But he can grasp a carrot to feed a horse, and that makes his day!

Another special thing about Wonderhill is how they take time to make my son’s horseback rides meaningful. He gets to slow down as his disability demands. He gets time to choose and has more fun, more purpose and more of a bond with his horse. The people who help lead and sidewalk are all great to ask Nolan questions and watch him for non-verbal communications. His horse even listens to his body movements and helps the lead walker to understand Nolan’s requests! It’s amazing how in tune everyone is to a kid with SO MANY disabilities. Because they give him the time and space to fully participate, this was one of the first places he started making decisions!

Nolan also gets to help feed horses on occasion and even got to have a speech therapy session in the barn while watching the equine chiropractor work on his horse. He was able to use his communication device to pick out body parts and see that his own horse gets special “medicine” and therapy just like him.

Now about Midas, Nolan’s therapy horse. He was a rescue when we got him, and his health wasn’t that great. He’s well into his 20’s. But since Holly has been keeping and caring for him his health has improved ten-fold! Holly has taken time to teach me about horse care- from nutrition to bonding to special exercises for his kissing spine. Now he has more muscle, less gut issues and a stronger top line. She is so knowledgeable! Midas is happy and feeling good now. He even plays with other horses now, which isn’t something I had seen him do much of before. So both my son and his horse have been blessed here!

I have been blessed here, too. Holly Carlile has a special gift- to allow people time and space to be themselves and not feel pushed or rushed or pressured. When I open up and talk about life as a special needs parent I don’t feel judged or looked down on for not being able to do all the “normal people things”. Holly makes it safe to open up your heart. I felt early on that there was peace covering that place, the kind of peace only God can provide. My heart still feels it every time I step foot onto their property, and I leave with my spirit satisfied. The Holy Spirit doesn’t just move in that place. I have seen that He dwells there. Thank God for Wonderhill, for Holly and Mark, and all the wonderful people and animals that bless us and each other there. We have a place to belong!