Bringing our Mini Therapy Horses to Those In Need

We are Healing Hearts Farm. Our names are Jim and Judy Shedden. We have a small 4 acre farm in Hernando, Citrus County Florida. We are a Not for Profit currently awaiting our Non Profit designation, but have a Fiscal Sponsor while we wait. You can find us at hhfflorida.org

This beautiful little farm is our retirement. So we have put everything into our home here and we absolutely couldn’t have dreamed of a better life. We have always loved being of service to people in need. We truly have been so blessed with our farm and everyone who comes here feels the love and quietude that’s been created.

Our mission is very simple at HHF and was inspired first in a meditation I had telling me to get Mini Horses for Therapy and then Jim hearing in his meditation the clients we should serve. Beautiful synchronicity. We service children in need, veterans and people in recovery from drugs and alcohol. What we offer at the farm is also very simple. Jim and I have been meditating since the mid 90’s so we share about the benefits of meditation and give some simple instruction as well. There is time with the horses which is just magical in itself. Our horses are Sugar, a 3 year old mare and the boss of Frannie, Maisie and Tater, all yearlings. They are truly little beings of Love and Light. Calm, very curious to whomever comes in their corral and very welcoming. We also offer a safe space for people to be in nature, either gardening, walking, just some time alone to rest, whatever it is that suits each person. You can also reach out to us on our website for any veteran, children or people in recovery groups that would like to come to the farm. Our services are provided free for these groups.

The reason for my appeal in our mission today is to help in the healing of young girls that have been human trafficked. Normally we have all of our clients come out to the farm for the experience I described. However, these beautiful girls, for safety reasons, are not able to come to the farm. I want to take our beautiful horses to them. The girls have suffered unbelievable trauma. Their childhoods were stolen from them and it is extremely hard for them to recover from what they’ve been through. I have had a similar experience in my own childhood and I know how hard it is for them. I also feel my experience will benefit them but more importantly I know our horses will connect at a much deeper level than any human being ever could. The horses are incredible in how they intuitively know what someone needs to heal and they reach them there.

I want to dress our horses in fairy and unicorn costumes to bring some childlike play back into the girls’ lives. As I hear more stories now from my friends that also do Mini Horse Therapy there are countless miracle stories. I want miracles for these girls. They need and deserve miracles.

Because most of our clients come to the farm we were not in need of a horse trailer. I even have a mobile vet. However, after meeting Carolyn from Courageous and Free my mind was changed. Carolyn houses the girls for up to 2 years. Providing counselling, a safe home family type environment for them. I want HHF to be part of the therapy they provide for the girls with our horses.

In the process of writing this letter to raise money to get mobile access I came across more children’s groups in need as well as the possibility of taking the horses to veterans that can’t come to the farm. So this is the right choice for servicing our community by going out to visit those in need besides those that can come to the farm.

With this expanded mission to help provide Horse therapy for the girls and other groups outside the farm there could be nothing I’m more passionate about. I began to research horse trailers. They are upwards of $20,000 and I just didn’t feel comfortable having my babies alone in the back of a trailer I have to pull behind a truck. Then I spoke with another friend who also does Mini Horse Therapy and he told me he uses a cargo van to transport his babies. These little horses are tiny. Our little Maisie is 27 inches so I just couldn’t think of having her in the back of a trailer. To think I could have them in the vehicle with me made me so excited. The cargo van is the perfect solution. I also researched the cargo vans and of course they aren’t cheap either, probably more in the $40,000 range for a used one. But so much more versatile. A trailer will sit for occasional use but a cargo van can be used for everything we need for the horses. Getting their hay, food etc. but most importantly I can take our horses to see the girls and other groups, even all 4 of the horses at one time if needed. They are small enough.

I know this is a big ask. But I also know how many wonderful people there are that love to give and be part of something so important. Throughout my 30 plus years of healing from my own childhood trauma it’s been my dream to have a healing center where I could give back what I’ve learned and at 68 years old I’m realizing that dream. I know working together we can manifest a cargo van. Just not in 30 years lol because we need it now to be able to help them.

Please help us help the girls. I want them to have a future that includes them living their own dreams not being sold like a commodity to make money for the most despicable people on the planet. Trafficking can be stopped with our own awareness and education. That is a truly important goal. Right now, our immediate need is to make a difference for our girls right here in Citrus County Florida. Florida is the 3rd highest in Human Trafficking. But those are numbers most of us don’t really relate to or understand the magnitude of suffering that entails. But we have a tangible need that can be met.

We are committed to taking the horses to the girls as often as they’ll have us. A cargo van will serve in so many ways. Please share our mission with family and friends. Stop for a moment and close your eyes and connect to the girls. What must they feel? How trapped have they been in a life of human slavery. No One should ever experience that, especially not children. They have no family to protect them or to help them heal. HHF wants to be a source of love, safety and childlike wonder with the interaction they will have with Sugar, Frannie Tater and little Maisie. Building a relationship with the horses that asks nothing of them. Just hopefully connecting to that place within them that can still experience wonder and love.

I invite you to take another moment and be truly grateful for your family and all you have. I am grateful every day for what I have and for the experiences I had as a child because now my traumatic life has been turned into one of those miracles of giving back and connecting with someone that has experienced the same things I did. If I can heal, I know they can too. God Bless you for reading our story and God bless you for your donations. Every penny will go towards the Cargo Van and helping the girls heal with our horses.

In deep love and gratitude

Judy and Jim

Healing Hearts Farm

hhfflorida.org