Connected Hearts Arena

Ever since I was young, my goal has been to have my own farm and live there with my horses. I’m grateful and fortunate to have been surrounded by people who have supported me in achieving this goal. In the coming year, I want to expand my teaching and provide lessons to as many students as possible. To do this, I will need a flat arena space -- tripping hazards and uneven ground in my current arena space make it difficult for the horses to maintain a consistent speed. The cost to build a flat arena space is $4,000. Unfortunately, this cost is prohibitive and I can’t do it alone-- so I am asking for your help.

Combining my two passions-- horses and reaching-- has been a dream come true. I know my purpose in this life is to work with children (and adults) and share with them all that horses have to offer. Your support, of any amount, will help me build a safe and secure arena space and allow me to expand my teachings to reach more students. I would not be the person I am without my experiences with horses -- and I want to share my passions with as many students in our community as possible. Please know how much your support, of any amount, means to me.

With Gratitude,

Amy

Follow along for updates on my Facebook page: Connected Hearts Horsemanship

About Me:

Growing up we didn’t have room for a horse, but my family down the road had a dairy farm. I built horses to ride in the sandpit, put halters on calves, and tried to train them to lead. I learned how to put up fences, clean pens, and work around large animals. My parents’ friends had horses and when I was three years old, I had my first horse ride. After that, nothing could stop me. EVERY pony ride at EVERY fair, 4-H classes, horse posters on every wall, and we won’t even talk about the model horses. Finally, at eight years old I had my first official riding lesson. Now, at 30 I can say I have 22 years of horse experience.

I have also always known I wanted to be a teacher. My sister, who is almost 5 years younger, was the “student” in many days of our play. In 6th grade I got to be a mentor for a kindergartener. From then on I job shadowed in classrooms at every opportunity finally graduating from the University of Maine Farmington with a degree in Elementary Education.

I moved into Fjord Farm with my one horse, Ymir, in May 2019. By the end of that year, pastures were set up, hay was stored for the winter, and I had a companion to keep Ymir company throughout the long winter. I acquired Mel and a boarder in the summer of 2020 and I set up a temporary fence around the flattest part of my property -- finding a secure and safe place for young children to ride was a priority. After many years teaching at other farms, this began my adventure teaching lessons on my own! That summer, I taught 72 lessons with only two (wonderful) horses.

This summer (2021) I ran nine weeks of private lessons and seven weeks of group therapy on Friday afternoons in coordination with HCRS (Health Care and Rehabilitation Services from Hartford/Windsor, VT). I also coordinated with HCRS to provide individual lessons to a teenager in need. I had 20 students, 8 HCRS group members, taught 102 private lessons and had a steady waiting list of people I could not fit in. I bought another horse and rescued a donkey bringing my grand total to 4 equines. With these horses, and a safe space to ride I hope to double the amount of lessons I am able to give in the 2022 season.