If you are getting this e-mail, you are already a friend of Hinchinbrook Farm, the therapeutic riding facility in Blockhouse, NS that specializes in helping families with autism.  If you’re not, then it’s being sent to you by someone who is a friend of Hinchinbrook. If you do not know anyone who is a friend of Hinchinbrook, then this e-mail has gone a long way.  And that is great, because we need your help today.

We recently got a grant from the town of Bridgewater to help us buy a new tree-less saddle that can be modified to suit different sized riders in our therapeutic riding programs with children who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).  We are the only facility in the Maritimes to offer the Horse Boy Method™ of therapy — a proven and fun approach to helping children who are not neuro-typical.   In doing this we help to bring out their special skills and perspectives to help them find their way into a successful future.  (To see more about Horse Boy, click on the link below.)

Our problem is the grant was only a down payment. Bridgewater generously gave us $500 but it has to be used on the saddle project for a piece of equipment that cost $2000. So, in the spirit of community completion of the job begun, we are asking those who support our programs and those who understand the importance of giving these children a leg up, if you pardon the horse pun.

We could have gone to a standard crowdfunding website, but would prefer to channel our efforts to those who already know us and (to be honest) to save the commission we would have to pay that website.

There are two ways that you can help.

1. The first — the one that costs nothing — is to forward this email to your mailing list.  The more people who know about Hinchinbrook Farm, the better we can serve the community and be helped by the community.  Yes, some families with autism concerns still do not know about our programs, and you could be helping them find a solution to their concerns.

2.  The second is to make a donation yourself, and get a tax deductible receipt in the process.  Just follow the link below, click on the CHIMP rectangular button (“Donate online”), choose your donation amount and specify on the form that it is for the SADDLE CROWD-FUNDING.

Any size gift is welcome and if we exceed our goal we will make sure the money is used for some other badly needed item on our wish list. You will be able to track the progress of the saddle campaign on the same website. Our goal is $1500 and when it is reached we will close the campaign. Thanks so much in advance for thinking about us and to those who do open their hearts and wallets a double thanks to you.

To see more about the saddle, which is custom made in Canada for the horses we use: https://nickerssaddlery.com/collections/sensation-ride-saddles/products/sonoran

To see more about Horse Boy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wXIkK2ppLA