Testimonials
"Walkabout Farm Therapeutic Riding Association Inc. provides a much-needed service in our community for individuals who have been traumatized or who have extra challenges in their lives. Jennifer has enormous empathy and her incredibly positive approach has really helped my daughter build better self esteem and confidence. Jennifer provides a safe and inclusive environment with some pretty amazing animals. I am so grateful that she is able to offer her wonderful work!"
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T Burton, Participant Parent
"Joel so loves sharing his Walkabout experience the following day at school and the photos help him so much. Thank you for the beauty you have and so willingly give to others. Our little man is remembering who he is and watching him unveil himself to himself brings tears to my eyes and immense joy to my heart. Today I could have stopped time when he was talking and hugging Tino. So much love."
​Lisa M, Participant Parent
"On Friday I got the pleasure to meet these beautiful souls! These ladies are truly beautiful women offering magical, breathtaking experiences to the most fragile, deserving individuals!!!! Thank you ladies for making dreams not only possible but come true !!!! Your team is so caring, supportive and magical! You are truly dream workers and what you do is a blessing!!!! Thank you again and I look forward to watching you work and making the impossible. Possible!!!!
If anyone has someone or knows someone that wants to try or loves horse back riding and for various reasons hasn’t been Able to !!!! You need to contact them. This place is where you need to go!!!"
​Sara, Personal Support Worker
"The impact Jenn, this farm, and equine therapy have had on our child is something very unique, incredibly special and hard to put into words. Coming to this farm and taking part in this program has been truly life changing for our family. The minute we drive through the gate and get to the farm it’s like we all take this big collective calming breath; any tension, stress and the rest of the world just melt away. Here, in this seemingly magical place, our child blossoms. Her confidence grows by leaps and bounds, her face lights up with pure joy and you can visibly see her relax and settle into a space where everything just seems to make sense. This program has impacted her in so many ways. It’s helped her to find her voice, to trust in others and to believe in herself and what she can do. Suddenly her confidence in herself and her abilities seems limitless.

Walkabout farm is an amazing place and our community is incredibly fortunate to have such a truly inclusive and safe space. A place where stereotypes don’t exist, people are celebrated for who they are and one that allows people to grow without judgement, expectation, or limits placed upon them.
We can never thank Jenn and her amazing team enough for all they do."
Jaycee Conners, Participant Parent
"I have sat and tried to write this review of Walkabout Farm a few times now, but keep coming up short. How do you adequately review an organization that changed your child’s life.
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My daughter was diagnosed with BPD in 2015, in her short 17 years there has been many hospitalizations, medications and attempts at therapy, with BPD you see the world as black and white all good or all bad and unfortunately for T, the local resources were, and are severely lacking when it came to counselling options. We did try to use our local youth service but after 3 different therapists in a short 6 month span of time, it was obvious that continuity was severely lacking.
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In my quest to find someone who would stay, as well as push T to do more, I came across Jenn. I was hesitant in the first meeting as Jenn is very outspoken and strong, not someone T could easily manipulate, so from experience, someone I thought T would refuse to see her. To my complete surprise T decided to give it a try. Jenn was and is the change that T needed in her life, someone who made her own up to her shortfalls but celebrated every victory small or big. Giving T the ability to connect with her in any way T needed no matter the time. Under Jenn’s guidance at the farm, my young suicidal daughter flourished, she gained confidence, courage and strength. She learned how to speak her mind, and stand for what she believed in, even if she was standing alone.
After the suicide of a local youth, Jenn was the person who was available at any time to encourage, support and just be there, anytime I needed it, whether a day at the barn or a day at the tobogganing hill, or a reassuring text, to validate whatever it was T was thinking. When I came to Jenn recently with concerns regarding my youngest daughter B, Jenn not only offered the use of her services once again, but she is always willing to adjust to my time schedule. And did an amazing job of reassuring me and my mothers guilt, that I am not only a good mom, but doing everything in my power to help my children.
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There does not seem to be enough words to adequately describe Jenn, and our experience with Walkabout Farm, but I will honestly say I am not sure where my family would be without it.”
Breann N. Participant Parent
"We are writing today to tell you about our experience with Walkabout Farm and the difference it has made to our daughter. Our daughter, who is autistic, was 3 years old when we started visiting the farm. At that time she had limited communication, anxiety in new situations, difficulty with social interactions and a strong fear of animals. We were hesitant about how she would react to the horses because any previous experience she’d had with animals, horses included, did not go well. We first arrived at the farm and our daughter was hesitant but immediately curious about everything there, as we walked up the driveway and she saw the horses she whispered “I want to ride one!”. We were amazed and hopeful because this was the first positive response we’d had with an animal from her but still unsure as to how it would go when we got closer.
We met Jenn at the comfort station and she started to introduce us to the animals there. It was one of the most amazing experiences we’ve had as parents to see our child start to visibly relax and show curiosity about the world around her as opposed to the tense anxiety she normally shows her surroundings. Here was our child, who is normally so fearful of animals we can’t even go into the tent area at the local fair, standing among these horses looking relaxed and happy! We were amazed at how easy it seemed to come to her as she touched the horses, played with the dogs and explored the farm. The second visit she marked another new amazing accomplishment and major milestone, she actually got on a horse! By the third visit it was clear to see that this was her happy place. To see her at the farm is to see her in the only environment other than our home that she is relaxed, happy and comfortable.
Our child struggles with sensory issues, communication, anxiety, and social situations and does not usually interact with others or play with other children; in fact she would usually run away from them. In the few short months since we have been going to Walkabout Farm we’ve seen many changes in her when we’re there. She has formed a relationship with “her horse” Coconut, had her first actual conversation with someone and is actually playing with other children! Words cannot express how wonderful it is to see her engaging in the world around her and the confidence she’s gained in such a short period of time. As a parent it gives you a sense of relief to know that there is a place like this in our community where our child is not only accepted and understood but she can also flourish and thrive. We were encouraged by a few members of the community who know our daughter and some of the challenges she has to contact Walkabout and I’m forever grateful to those who did because this is truly a special and one of a kind place."
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Anonymous Participant Parent