Brook Hill Farm

About the Program

Brook Hill Farm describes itself as a Premier Accredited Center of PATH Intl. and follows its guidelines for safety, horse care and ethics. Rockin' Riders teaches riding and horsemanship in an inclusive setting, with a smaller therapeutic arena and ramp for people with physical disabilities.

Gaits 4 Change meets weekly in groups of up to six for youth in transition, children with autism and people referred through social services. Each participant has a project horse to care for and work with on the ground, and participants also learn to ride. Saddle Club takes children ages 6 to 12 in groups of no more than four.

United Neigh, running since 2002, uses equine-assisted learning to build school success skills for youth ages 12 to 18 from Lynchburg and surrounding counties. Schooling with Horses is a five-day-a-week program for teens ages 14 to 18: mornings of schoolwork with a licensed teacher using the Virtual Virginia curriculum, and afternoons of riding, equine-assisted learning, equine science and horse care.

Seniors and Veterans

The seniors program meets weekly year-round. Participants groom, lead and do groundwork with sanctuary horses, or ride with a Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor, with a mounting ramp, leaders and side-walkers available. Participants make a monthly pledge that goes to the care of the senior horses.

The veterans program, for veterans and first responders, focuses on hands-on groundwork and building a working partnership with a horse. The farm says it is sponsored by the Wounded Warrior Project and free for veterans. See equine therapy for veterans.

The Horses and Staff

Jo Anne Miller, a Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor and Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning, is the executive director. She and her family bought the farm in 1991, the rescue was founded in 2001 as Brook Hill Retirement Center for Horses, and it joined PATH Intl. in 2010. The farm says it has rescued and placed more than 550 horses.

The 60-acre farm is on the National Register of Historic Places. The facility page lists 40 horses, a covered indoor arena completed in 2023, a classroom and an equine lab.

Volunteering

Volunteers must be at least 16 and need no horse experience. Roles include leaders and side-walkers for Rockin' Riders, horse care and farm work, starting with an orientation.

Location

Brook Hill Farm is at 7291 Bellevue Rd, Forest, VA 24551, in Bedford County at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Its youth programs draw from Lynchburg City and the surrounding counties.