Frequently Asked Questions
1. How much does the program cost?
Precious Helpers is completely cost free! There are no hidden fees! We will never charge you to
utilize our services. God always provides for us!
2. What are the age limits?
We do not have age requirements for participants. The youngest that has participated in the
program was a month old. We have also had people over age 65 participate.
3. What kind of special needs do you accept into your program?
Any special need is welcome here! You do not need to meet specific requirements. We find that
everyone has a special need of some kind whether it be a death in the family to addictions, CP,
visually impaired, suicidal, MS, Autism, Sensory and Anxiety disorders, Hemophilia, Juvenile
Arthritis, PDD-NOS, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Panic Attacks, depression, etc. The special needs are
endless and so is our love and acceptance.
4. Are you a hippotherapy program?
No, Precious Helpers is a horse farm that has welcomed its doors to people with special needs. We do
not have an OT or PT that actually does a therapy session on horseback. However, we do have an OT
that will consult with us if needed. Precious Helpers allows an opportunity for that amazing bond
between horse and person to develop. On your first visit, we allow the horse to chose you! Yes! The
horse will actually choose you. Our program does not focus on riding or even grooming. It is a place
to belong.
5. Do I need to find a babysitter for my other children?
No! We strongly encourage the entire family to come out. We have many aunts, uncles, and
grandparents that come. We find that sometimes the horses help a family member more than the
person for which the family came. :-)
6. Can we take things slow until my son/daughter becomes comfortable?
We never force anyone to do anything, especially ride. We do encourage participants to set goals
and achieve them; however, we will never force you to do anything. When someone is forced, the
experience no longer is a happy one. Our desire is for participants to work at their own pace setting
goals along the way. It is okay with us if we feed carrots and not groom, or to check out our dump
truck, dogs, cats, and frogs. We are looking to build a relationship, not gallop off into the sunset.
Our goals are to teach you about horses, how to take care of horses, and then how to ride. We teach
that there are responsibilities before riding. We do keep in mind the special needs of each
individual.
7. Will I ride on the first visit?
We meet each person where they are with his/her own special needs. However, the general answer is
no on the first visit. Imagine this:
You are sitting out in the grass in your backyard enjoying a beautiful day. Out of the blue someone
jumps on your back and starts kicking you in the side. What would you do?
Precious Helpers is not completely about the experience of riding; although we do teach how to ride.
What we do is encourage the bond. One can receive deep pressure from grooming. A person can
wear a smile on your face from leading the horse and feeding carrots. One can work on coordination
and balance while grooming too! We want the participant and horse to be comfortable before riding.
This approach is much safer than throwing demands at both our rider and horse.
8. Do you accept donated horses?
Yes, we do. However, we are not on our 45 acres yet and can not provide for more than 7 horses at
any given time. Once we are moved, we will look into accepting more horses. Recently, we have made
new additions in the herd due to a trade and one losing a battle with cancer. We do have a waiting
list. If you would like your horse to be placed on the waiting list, we would love to talk more with
you.
9. When do you plan to be on your land?
We do not have a specific date; however, We do not want to be on our land a minute before God's
will allows us. We are working on the Memory Fence and you can go to our barn site to learn more
about what is in store for the future of PH.
10. When are you open?
The program runs from April to the end of October most seasons depending on the weather.
Throughout the spring and fall (when school is in session) we run primarily on Saturdays. However,
during the summer months, we were open on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays this season. We
hope to do the same next year.
11. Are your volunteers trained?
Yes, our volunteer coordinator, Joni, goes to great lengths to plan and implement training sessions to
keep our participants, horses, and volunteers safe. There are different training levels from grooms
to side walkers each requiring a specific training. For more information on volunteering, please
contact Joni at joni@precioushelpers.org.
12. Is Precious Helpers associated with the NARHA?
No, PH is not NARHA certified. We do not plan on pursuing this in the future.
Precious Helpers is completely cost free! There are no hidden fees! We will never charge you to
utilize our services. God always provides for us!
2. What are the age limits?
We do not have age requirements for participants. The youngest that has participated in the
program was a month old. We have also had people over age 65 participate.
3. What kind of special needs do you accept into your program?
Any special need is welcome here! You do not need to meet specific requirements. We find that
everyone has a special need of some kind whether it be a death in the family to addictions, CP,
visually impaired, suicidal, MS, Autism, Sensory and Anxiety disorders, Hemophilia, Juvenile
Arthritis, PDD-NOS, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Panic Attacks, depression, etc. The special needs are
endless and so is our love and acceptance.
4. Are you a hippotherapy program?
No, Precious Helpers is a horse farm that has welcomed its doors to people with special needs. We do
not have an OT or PT that actually does a therapy session on horseback. However, we do have an OT
that will consult with us if needed. Precious Helpers allows an opportunity for that amazing bond
between horse and person to develop. On your first visit, we allow the horse to chose you! Yes! The
horse will actually choose you. Our program does not focus on riding or even grooming. It is a place
to belong.
5. Do I need to find a babysitter for my other children?
No! We strongly encourage the entire family to come out. We have many aunts, uncles, and
grandparents that come. We find that sometimes the horses help a family member more than the
person for which the family came. :-)
6. Can we take things slow until my son/daughter becomes comfortable?
We never force anyone to do anything, especially ride. We do encourage participants to set goals
and achieve them; however, we will never force you to do anything. When someone is forced, the
experience no longer is a happy one. Our desire is for participants to work at their own pace setting
goals along the way. It is okay with us if we feed carrots and not groom, or to check out our dump
truck, dogs, cats, and frogs. We are looking to build a relationship, not gallop off into the sunset.
Our goals are to teach you about horses, how to take care of horses, and then how to ride. We teach
that there are responsibilities before riding. We do keep in mind the special needs of each
individual.
7. Will I ride on the first visit?
We meet each person where they are with his/her own special needs. However, the general answer is
no on the first visit. Imagine this:
You are sitting out in the grass in your backyard enjoying a beautiful day. Out of the blue someone
jumps on your back and starts kicking you in the side. What would you do?
Precious Helpers is not completely about the experience of riding; although we do teach how to ride.
What we do is encourage the bond. One can receive deep pressure from grooming. A person can
wear a smile on your face from leading the horse and feeding carrots. One can work on coordination
and balance while grooming too! We want the participant and horse to be comfortable before riding.
This approach is much safer than throwing demands at both our rider and horse.
8. Do you accept donated horses?
Yes, we do. However, we are not on our 45 acres yet and can not provide for more than 7 horses at
any given time. Once we are moved, we will look into accepting more horses. Recently, we have made
new additions in the herd due to a trade and one losing a battle with cancer. We do have a waiting
list. If you would like your horse to be placed on the waiting list, we would love to talk more with
you.
9. When do you plan to be on your land?
We do not have a specific date; however, We do not want to be on our land a minute before God's
will allows us. We are working on the Memory Fence and you can go to our barn site to learn more
about what is in store for the future of PH.
10. When are you open?
The program runs from April to the end of October most seasons depending on the weather.
Throughout the spring and fall (when school is in session) we run primarily on Saturdays. However,
during the summer months, we were open on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays this season. We
hope to do the same next year.
11. Are your volunteers trained?
Yes, our volunteer coordinator, Joni, goes to great lengths to plan and implement training sessions to
keep our participants, horses, and volunteers safe. There are different training levels from grooms
to side walkers each requiring a specific training. For more information on volunteering, please
contact Joni at joni@precioushelpers.org.
12. Is Precious Helpers associated with the NARHA?
No, PH is not NARHA certified. We do not plan on pursuing this in the future.