Location: Forest, Virginia, United States
Brook Hill Farm is a nonprofit horse rescue and therapeutic riding organization tucked into the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Forest, Virginia, near Lynchburg.
Founded in 2001, the farm operates on a 60-acre property listed on the National Register of Historic Places, pursuing a dual mission that sets it apart from most therapeutic riding programs: rescuing and rehabilitating unwanted horses while simultaneously offering equine-assisted programs for personal growth, academic education, and healing.
Since its founding, the farm has rescued, rehabilitated, and placed over 550 horses, and is accredited by both the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries and the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance.
About This Program
Brook Hill Farm operates from the belief that horses and people heal each other — and its entire program structure is built around that reciprocal relationship. Participants are not just recipients of services; they are active caregivers for rescued horses, and that caregiving is itself part of the therapeutic and educational process.
Every person who enters the farm walks through a long, tree-lined approach to the property, a deliberate design choice intended to create a transition from the outside world into what the farm calls the peaceful zone.
The therapeutic and educational programs are supported by a multidisciplinary team that includes licensed educators, a licensed counselor, and veterinarian Dr. Moses of Eclectic Equine Services, who has been part of the Brook Hill team since its founding.
The farm also has active research partnerships with Virginia Tech, Randolph College, and the University of Lynchburg, and has presented its work at international conferences including HETI, PATH International, and IAHAIO.
A covered arena completed in 2023 now allows year-round programming regardless of weather. A dedicated classroom and tack area within the existing barn, completed in 2024 and named in honor of a longtime supporter, houses the Rockin’ Riders program’s academic and horsemanship components.
About the Programs
Rockin’ Riders is the farm’s therapeutic riding program, designed for individuals with diverse physical and mental health needs. Participants are paired with a rescue horse, assisted by sidewalkers and a horse leader, and taught by a certified therapeutic riding instructor. The program emphasizes independence, horsemanship, and recreational participation alongside physical and emotional well-being.
Schooling with Horses Pod School, also known as the United Neigh program, is Brook Hill’s signature at-risk youth initiative and one of its most remarkable programs. At-risk youth and truant students follow the Virtual Virginia Curriculum under the supervision of licensed teachers during the first half of their day, and spend the second half in riding instruction, equine science classes, and hands-on work in the Equine Lab with a horse they are personally assigned to. The program has achieved a 100% graduation rate, and its outcomes are the subject of ongoing research.
Gaits 4 Change serves youth in transition, including those with autism and other disabilities, using equine-assisted learning to support development and life skills.
Hero’s Helping Heroes is the farm’s veteran program, offered free of charge through sponsorship by the Wounded Warriors Project. A licensed counselor participates in sessions to support veterans with mental health challenges in a group setting.
Saddle Club gives children the full horse experience — riding, care, horsemanship, and connection — in a structured but joyful environment.
Seniors Program offers horse interaction for older adults, both on the ground and under saddle, recognizing the physical and emotional benefits of equine engagement later in life.
Services Offered
- Rockin’ Riders therapeutic riding program
- Schooling with Horses Pod School (United Neigh — at-risk youth, EAL + academics)
- Gaits 4 Change (youth in transition, autism, disabilities)
- Hero’s Helping Heroes veteran program (free, Wounded Warriors Project-sponsored)
- Saddle Club (children’s horsemanship)
- Seniors program (ground and mounted)
- Horse rescue, rehabilitation, and sanctuary
- Horse adoption services
- Research partnerships (Virginia Tech, Randolph College, University of Lynchburg)
- Volunteer program
Who They Serve
Brook Hill Farm may be a good fit for:
- Children and adults with diverse physical and mental health needs
- Individuals with autism spectrum disorder
- Youth in transition
- At-risk youth and economically disadvantaged students
- Truant or school-disengaged youth seeking an alternative academic environment
- Veterans and service members (free of charge)
- Seniors
- Individuals with emotional or behavioral challenges
- Families in the Lynchburg and central Virginia region
Facility and Setting
Brook Hill Farm is located at 7291 Bellevue Road in Forest, Virginia, in Bedford County just outside Lynchburg. The 60-acre property sits at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with Bertrum’s Creek running along the outer border.
The farm is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has maintained its 1904 character throughout, including a solid oak interior barn. Facilities include a covered arena (completed 2023), an outdoor arena, a mounting ramp, multiple barns, an isolation pen, a remodeled 1909 schoolhouse serving as office space with accessible bathrooms, and a dedicated classroom and tack area for the Rockin’ Riders program.
- Forest, Virginia location (Bedford County, near Lynchburg)
- 7291 Bellevue Road, Forest, VA
- 60-acre property at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- PATH International member center
- Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries accredited
- Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance accredited
- EQUUS Foundation Guardian
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
What Makes Them Unique
Brook Hill Farm is genuinely rare in the therapeutic riding world because rescue and rehabilitation are not a secondary feature — they are the mission’s foundation, equal in weight to the human-focused programs. The 550-plus horses rescued and rehomed since 2001 represent a sustained, serious commitment to equine welfare that shapes everything else the farm does.
The United Neigh pod school with its 100% graduation rate is perhaps the most striking single program outcome in the organization’s history. Achieving that result with a population of at-risk and truant youth — using horses, licensed teachers, and a structured academic curriculum integrated with equine science and hands-on barn work — reflects a level of programmatic sophistication rarely seen at a farm of this size.
The active research program, with published results and international conference presentations, further sets Brook Hill apart as an organization that not only delivers results but works to understand and document why.