Donors pony up to aid horse farm that offers special needs therapy

The Milton community has rallied behind the owner of a horse therapy farm after a not-so “neigh”-borly post on Nextdoor.

Stacey Edwards, who founded Special Equestrians of Georgia in 2006, provides therapeutic riding and hippotherapy programs for children and adults with special needs at Rising Hope Farm. However, a woman on Nextdoor criticized the farm’s appearance lastweek, leading to a lot of long faces.

“If a hospital is helping kids with cancer, you don’t complain about the paint job in the operating room,” Brad Ladner, whose 5-yearold son Charlie has special needs, told Channel 2 Action News on Tuesday.

Edwards told Channel 2 she began to get messages of ff ff ff ff ff fe ring landscaping services after the post complained about over grown grass at the farm’s entrance. Before she knewit, hundreds of donors had raised nearly $3,000 to help her farm.

“The community rallied, andI can’t tell you how much that meant to us,” she told the news station. “It’s hard to put into words, but it’s just been amazing.”

In addition to money, Edwards received dozens of offers from people willing to mow the lawn and clean up the property, Channel 2 reported.

After donating to the campaign, Ladner and his son visited the farm for a ride.

“That anyone can look at this place and say there’ s anything wrong with it is unfathomable ,” he said.

Edwards said she reached out to thewoman, who apologized. In the end, therewas no harm, no foal.

CHANNEL 2 ACTION NEWS Charlie, a 5-year-old with special needs, rides a horse at Rising Hope FarminMilton. The riding facility is part of Special Equestrians ofGeorgia.