A farm that heals in South Fayette
A fat guinea fowl squawks an alarm when a car pulls up to the gated entrance marked: “Kristan Mosley’s Therapy Farm.”
Beyond the gate are 300 acres of peaceful pastures and paddocks perched high atop a hill in South Fayette. This farm holds some of the happiest and friendliest animals you’ll ever meet, including two horses, two ponies, four miniature donkeys, a mule, two pigs, two barn cats, 11 tortoises and a flock of chickens.
Six of the animals were rescued by retired Pittsburgh police officers Dave Allman and Regina Martin at their Hog Heaven Rescue Farm in Cochranton, Crawford County, when their owners became unwilling or unable to care for them. Then they made their way to the Mosley farm, where they live with Mrs. Mosley, her recently retired husband, Mark Mosley, and their five children.
Just walking around the farm is calming for people who love animals and enjoy nature. But real therapy is going on here with Mrs. Mosley, an occupational therapist who makes the animals part of treatment programs for her patients.
The Mosley family moved to the farm in 2010, allowing Mrs. Mosley to fulfill her dream of combining her love of animals with her skills as an occupational therapist. Many of her adult patients have neurological impairments. Some have
had accidents. Some are recovering from strokes. Occupational therapists often use everyday activities as therapy to help patients regain their ability to do the things they need to do or want to do.
Gracie, 14, is a beautiful golden-chestnut Haflinger pony rescued by Hog Heaven after her elderly owner was unable to care for her. She is short and her gait is slow and smooth, making her a perfect therapy animal. She’s also strong, sturdy, sweet and gentle and loves attention. Patients ride Gracie or Jake, an Appaloosa horse from Hog Heaven who is more than 30 years old but looks much younger.
“The movement of the horse is similar to a person’s gait, and there’s a lot of sensory input” for riders, Mrs. Mosley said. Some patients ride backward on the horses “to deal with tone and balance.”
Her animal-assisted therapy is known as hippotherapy. It’s different than the recreational riding classes for individuals with disabilities. Hippotherapy is approved by a physician, and its goal is to improve neurological functioning, body movement and attention levels.
Patients ride in a big indoor arena. Gracie or Jake have three handlers — one person leads and an adult walks on each side of the horse. One of the side walkers is Lily Mosley, 20, a University of Pittsburgh student who plans to be an occupational therapist.
The farm has gardens that are part of the therapy. There’s a lovely-to-look-at butterfly garden. The serenity garden has lavender, honeysuckle and other plants that perfume the air along with textural plants such as lamb’s ear, which is soft and furry. Patients can visit with the animals, including the other Hog Heaven alumni: Missy Lou, Eloise, Annie and Peace.
Missy Lou the Appaloosa mule stands at the fence and calls out to visitors in that hard-to-describe voice that is similar to “hee haw!” She’s very happy when people pet her. Mules are the offspring of a female horse and a male donkey.
Annie, a lovely palomino pinto horse, was seized by humane agents who found her living in a dog kennel. Eloise was one of many “mini” pigs turned into Hog Heaven because they got too big. Peace was Mrs. Mosley’s first miniature donkey and was soon joined by three more: Chill Pill, Willow and Slowly But Shirley. They travel to nursing homes to make outdoor therapy visits.
The therapy farm offers public classes in nature crafts, hiking, raising chickens and an “Old McDonald” class, in which people learn about farming and working with animals. The cost is $20. Birthday parties are offered for $200 for the first two hours. Information: kristanmosleystherapyfarm.com or 412-523-1316. Go to www.hogheavenrescue.org to see pigs available for adoption.