Help Cover our Arena for Therapeutic Riding!

Co-organized

Kathryn Foley and 3 others are organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

"I'm sorry, Joey*, it's raining, so no riding today."

"It's too hot to ride today safely, Alicia*."

"I understand; the wind is too much sensory input for Jennifer* today."

"The sun is too bright for Omar* today, even with his sunglasses."

"Even though the temperature is 40, sadly, there is still too much ice in the arena for us to have lessons today. We'll have to wait a few more weeks into Spring before we can start this year."

Hi, we are Aisling Mountain Farm and need your help to continue providing high-quality therapeutic riding services to underserved people who receive immeasurable benefits from riding. We bought our farm three years ago and worked to establish a therapeutic riding program. I got our stables license, my Massachusetts Riding Instructor license, and became a Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor through PATH, International and - We did it!

Unfortunately, it has become apparent that we cannot sustain the farm and come anywhere near meeting the local needs without an indoor space to teach and ride. We need your Help! We NEED to cover our outdoor arena.

Barriers to providing consistent therapeutic riding services with our arena now (uncovered):

Must cancel lessons if it rains or radar shows rain coming
Must cancel lessons if too hot/humid
The whole therapeutic program must stop from Fall until late Spring, due to icy/slippery footing
No possibility of year-round services
Very difficult to add new riders from our waitlist

*It's important to note that these barriers are due to horse and rider safety. Many riders have sensory or other issues that may interfere with being able to ride outdoors in windy, bright, warm weather, etc.

So who the heck are we, and why aren't we easily able to be a nonprofit and access grants or other funding? Fair questions!

Please allow me to tell you our story...

I, Kathy Foley, owner of Aisling Mountain Farm, have been an independent psychotherapist (Licensed Mental Health Counselor, LMHC) for over 20 years. My work with kids started with babysitting, which included a memorable day working at Detroit Children's Hospital with children with Cystic Fibrosis while their parents were taking a seminar. Between my junior and senior years at Kenyon College, I worked with the fabulous folks at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. This part of the Johns Hopkins medical complex focuses on children and young adults with developmental disabilities and disorders of the brain, spinal cord and musculoskeletal system. I worked with kids with Autism, lead poisoning, ADHD, traumatic brain injury, spina bifida, kids who had had strokes, all kinds of behavior issues and appalling traumatic histories. I worked on an NIH grant to study children with frontal lobe brain injuries to lie still for MRIs without sedation. I loved this work, which changed my life and who I am. I maintain my strong desire to connect with and help children, adolescents, and adults.

A summary of my career (which is relevant, I promise!):

Graduated from Kenyon College with a double major in Psychology and Modern Foreign Languages
Boston College for graduate school, receiving my Master's degree in Counseling Psychology
Counselor at Fitchburg State College and later at Stonehill College Counseling Center
Counselor in Specialized Eating Disorders program at Deaconess Waltham Hospital on inpatient, outpatient, and Partial Hospitalization units and re-started and directed the Evening Treatment Program
Ten years working in Community Mental Health at the Brien Center as Counselor, Clinical Team Leader, Director of the Eating Disorder Treatment Team and founding member of the Anxiety Disorders Treatment Team, which was a joint effort with Berkshire Medical Center and published research on the efficacy of our Group Treatment of anxiety disorders modified from Individual treatment manuals.
taught a semester course at Boston College on Alcohol and Other Drugs
created and taught a Winter Study course at Williams College entitled "Alcohol 101: Examining and Navigating the College Drinking Scene" for about seven years
Given regular lectures on the treatment of Trauma and Eating Disorders, as well as participation in career panels at Williams College
Teach an annual didactic to Berkshire Medical Center Psychiatry Residents on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders

Enough background, now the rest of the story...

I have always had a deep and abiding love for animals, and I was accepted into and completed the year-long animal-assisted therapy certification course at Oakland University. With that, I began training a dog to become a therapy dog, and he came to the office with me. Seeing the impact and connection he made with specific clients was outstanding.

I also owned horses and wanted to have them assist me in therapy work with some clients. And I wanted to teach. Thus, I made the enormous decision to buy a horse farm! I found an excellent PATH, International Mentor, who agreed to guide and lead me through simultaneous Massachusetts licensure and Certification as a Therapeutic Riding Instructor.

*** THEN CAME COVID ***

All was stopped. My Apprenticeship. Everything. The government closed the stables in March 2020, before our official opening license date of 4/1/2020.

I had to figure out telehealth from home to see my clients while supervising my high school daughter's remote schooling. And my son had to come home from college.

Government help for business??? Not available for our farm because my official start date on our stables license was April 1st, 2020 (why pay a yearly fee for just Feb and March as we started when it had to be renewed on April 1st, right? Just being a little thrifty... But. That date turned out to be oh, so significant...

It was past the March date that the government required you to be in business to apply for any of their programs. No exceptions. I tried.

In meeting with both accountant and lawyer, I learned that contrary to my intentions of forming a 501(C)3 nonprofit... it doesn't work if done here on my property. Instead of being business expenses, I would be expected to donate my horses' participation and keep paying for all maintenance and upkeep (like hay and vet, etc.) out of my personal funds. No way would this be a viable option. Devastating news.

Somehow, we made it through and established our therapeutic riding program here at Aisling Mountain Farm!!