Storybook Farm

About the Program

Dena Little founded Storybook Farm in the early 2000s and leads it as Founder and CEO. The farm serves about 4,500 children a year, and many children keep coming for several years.

The horse programs include riding, which works on balance, coordination and strength while giving children a sense of control over a large animal. HorseSense uses the calm responses of horses to comfort children dealing with trauma and to teach animal behavior, biology and nutrition. Short Stories pairs children with miniature donkeys and horses for quiet time and animal care. Families interested in mounted programs elsewhere can read about therapeutic riding.

The Horses and Staff

Each horse is named after a storybook character, with names such as Baloo, Corduroy, Flat Stanley, Tinker Bell and Tom Sawyer. The farm has a covered barn with 18 stalls under a 17,000-square-foot roof, and its Papa Bear Horse Center was built with support from the Peyton Anderson Foundation and Stone Martin Builders. Animals named for literary characters, such as Professor and Jo March, take part in the Storybook Tails reading program.

Dayna Justice is the program director and Christy Jones is the program manager.

Field Trips and Volunteering

Schools, local organizations and home-school groups can book free field trips of 2 to 4 hours, with up to 150 students a day. Groups rotate through the animals, the nature trail and the Secret Garden, and bring their own lunch to eat in the covered pavilion.

Volunteers must be 16 or older and commit to one day a week for 10 to 12 weeks. No experience is needed, and drop-ins are not accepted. Internships and group work days are also available.

Location

Storybook Farm is at 300 Cusseta Road, Opelika, AL 36801, on the north side of Opelika near the Chambers County line. The farm serves children from 13 counties in Alabama and Georgia.