Who We Are
Shining Hope Farms was founded in 2002 by Paul and Milinda Kirkpatrick in response to the needs in the community to provide therapeutic services in an enriching natural environment. The purpose of Shining Hope Farms’ services are to improve the quality of life of the participants as well as their families. Our programs have been structured to serve individuals and groups with a variety of disabilities such as cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome, developmental delay, brain injuries, and genetic disorders, as well as those in need of mental health support. Our patients and clients find wellness, strength, and hope on the back of a horse.
How We Serve
Therapy Services
We offer physical and occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and mental health counseling.
Therapeutic/Adaptive Riding
Horseback riding lessons for individuals with disabilities for the purpose of contributing positively to their cognitive, physical, emotional, and social well-being.
Veterans Services
Saddles and Salutes is a program at Shining Hope Farms that serves Veterans as a part of their community support system for Veteran wellness.
Our Mission
Shining Hope Farms is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to enable children and adults to reach their full potential through the use of equine assisted activities and therapies.
Our Impact
Through the impact of our volunteers and donors, Shining Hope Farms has been successfully able to make our rehabilitative and recreational programs accessible to our community by making the programs free-of-charge to the majority of participants.
Participants per week across our three locations
Number of volunteers that helped our program in 2022
Hours donated by our volunteers in 2022
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News & Events
Shining Hope Farms Works With Local Nonprofit Apparo
Shining Hope Farms Works With Local Nonprofit Apparo This past winter, Shining Hope Farms was fortunate to work with local nonprofit Apparo, and Digital Strategy and Transformation Leader Saravana Rajan who generously volunteered his time on transitioning Shining Hope...
Shining Hope Farms to Host Charity Bass Tournament on Lake Norman
On Saturday, May 20, Mt. Holly based nonprofit Shining Hope Farms will be hosting a charity bass tournament on Lake Norman. The event will be taking place at the Beatty’s Ford Access Area in Denver, NC.
Noah’s Story
Noah was born at 25 weeks and weighed 1 lb. 15 oz. Shortly after birth Noah had a stroke. He was diagnosed with prematurity, developmental delay, and significant gastro intestinal complications as an infant, resulting in the need for a feeding tube. Not long after his second birthday, Noah began receiving Occupational Therapy services at Shining Hope Farms, which included hippotherapy (from the Greek “hippo” meaning “horse”) as part of his integrated treatment plan.
Noah is now five years old and has been receiving Occupational Therapy for 3 years. During that time Noah has improved his core strength, balance and normalized his tone allowing him to stand and take 10 – 20 steps with one hand assistance. The horse that Noah utilizes for his treatment sessions is Captain Hook, or Cappy for short.
Noah’s mom says, “Coming to Shining Hope Farms to ride Cappy and to visit the wonderful staff is the highlight of Noah’s week. Noah was barely able to sit up on his own when he first came to the farm for therapy. Today, his muscles are significantly stronger and he is cruising and learning to walk on his own. Peace surrounds our family as soon as we enter the farm. We are so grateful to have such a remarkable place for Noah to come to. He tells everyone he meets about the farm and Cappy. Noah would not be where is or who he is today without the people and horses of Shining Hope Farms.”