McKenna Farms changes the lives of Cobb children through equine therapy and personalized treatment plans.
By Jennifer M. Todd
There are a lot of hidden gems around our community, and one of those magical places is McKenna Farms. Situated on a 30-acre horse farm with walking trails, a sensory garden, and a natural creek, McKenna Farms provides more than 700 therapy sessions, including physical, occupational, and speech therapy, every single week to children with special needs and young adults.
In 2001, Jessica Moore, who was a physical therapist assistant with a passion for helping children with special needs and a love for horses, envisioned a space where therapy could take place in a natural environment. She knew that children would recognize greater success when not bound by the confines of a sterile, clinical therapy room. With her own horse, McKenna, Moore started offering hippotherapy — a therapy method that incorporates the movement of a horse to improve motor and sensory functions of the rider. What began as a small operation on a friend’s farm has since grown into a comprehensive therapy center that serves hundreds of families in northwest Georgia.
“It is very rare to find a facility such as ours that offers all three therapy disciplines — speech, physical, and occupational therapy — in one setting,” said Moore. “And it is even more unlikely to find one where clients can receive their therapy in a natural, welcome environment.” Having all three disciplines located together allows for therapists to collaborate and even combine therapy sessions, making it more comfortable for the clients and easier for the families.
On any given day at McKenna Farms, you can find children laughing as they ride or pet horses, therapists walking hand-in-hand with their young clients on the trails, and families gathered in the outdoor gazebo and waiting area watching their children take steps — sometimes literal ones — toward greater independence. This unique place is more than just a therapy center; it’s a sanctuary where hope and healing come to life.
For many families, McKenna Farms is a lifeline. Parents arrive, often exhausted from navigating the challenges of finding the right care for their child, and they leave with a renewed sense of hope. The therapists here are more than just professionals; they become an extended family — cheering every milestone, celebrating every achievement, and offering support through the struggles.
The benefit of having horses available is that not only can clients experience the joy of walking through the barn and seeing them, but when it is a good fit, therapists can actually incorporate the horses into clients’ therapy. Hippotherapy is the incorporation of the horse’s movement into therapy. A horse provides continuous, rhythmic inputs to the rider’s body, thus promoting neuromotor and sensory engagement. According to Moore, “The horses provide a dynamic therapy tool that engages children in ways traditional therapy simply can’t.” This method has helped many children develop core strength, balance, and coordination in ways traditional therapy cannot always achieve.
The connection between the children and the horses is undeniable. For kids who struggle to communicate or have difficulty engaging in traditional therapy settings, these gentle giants become their partners in progress, offering a sense of freedom and confidence that carries into all aspects of these children’s lives.
Beyond the barn, McKenna Farms is home to a Civil War-era farmhouse that now houses the facility’s main office space and three therapy gyms, allowing multiple clients to receive therapy simultaneously. In addition, there are seven sensory-friendly therapy cottages and innovative outdoor spaces designed to make therapy more engaging and less intimidating.
It’s not just the therapists and families who make McKenna Farms special — it’s also the incredible community that supports it. Volunteers, donors, and local businesses come together to ensure that therapy services remain accessible to families, regardless of financial circumstances. While McKenna Farms accepts most insurance plans and private pay clients, 72 percent of their families are on Medicaid. “Our goal,” said Moore, “is to make sure that every client who needs therapy has access to it.” The farm has more than 200 volunteers, ages 14 to 83, who assist with everything from hippotherapy sessions to horse care and farm maintenance. “On any given day we have 40 slots needing volunteer assistance,” said Monique Sparks, volunteer director.
Once people step foot onto the farm, they sometimes find it hard to leave. One mother-daughter team started volunteering five years ago. Today, the mother is still an active volunteer and the daughter is one of McKenna’s adaptive riding instructors. McKenna Farms values all of the volunteers who embrace its mission and love its horses so that they can continue changing lives.
According to Sparks, “Becoming a volunteer is relatively simple. We have an online application that needs to be filled out, then we will review it and contact the potential volunteer with the next step.” Anyone interested in volunteering is encouraged to visit mckennafarms.org.
McKenna Farms’ reach extends into the community. “We try to identify ways we can help others in the community,” said Moore. “We offer summer camps, a Veterans riding program, partner with first responder groups, and have a soon-to-launch literacy program, Horse Powered Reading, designed to enhance literacy through experiential learning with horses.”
Adaptive riding at McKenna Farms provides individuals with disabilities the opportunity to develop horsemanship skills while gaining physical, emotional, and cognitive benefits. Unlike hippotherapy, which is therapist-led and focuses on direct medical treatment, adaptive riding is a recreational activity taught by certified instructors. Riders learn to guide and communicate with their horses, improve balance and coordination, and build confidence in a supportive environment.
“One of the most beautiful aspects of our Adaptive Riding Program at McKenna Farms is witnessing the incredible strides our riders make, often exceeding expectations,” says Katherine Huff, equine programs director. “I’ll never forget one particular adult rider who, due to his diagnosis, was predicted to likely never live independently. Yet, through our program, he’s found a sense of independence and accomplishment. He rides a horse completely on his own each week, memorizing complex riding patterns and competing in horse shows — all with only verbal prompts from his instructor.”
Whether it is at the barn, on a trail, or in one of the cottages, clients benefit from the collaborative efforts of top therapists. Jessica Duffey, a speech therapist at McKenna Farms, emphasizes the importance of their work, “We use evidence-based practices to address articulation and phonology, language comprehension and expression, social communication and self-advocacy skills, and oral-motor development needed for feeding and speech. Our campus allows us to treat our clients in natural and sensory-rich environments, beyond the four walls of a traditional clinic room. This allows for more real-life opportunities to practice skills learned in therapy. It’s a ‘win-win’ for both my clients and me.”
The impact McKenna Farms has on the community is far-reaching and much-needed. Yet, like many nonprofit organizations, McKenna Farms relies on community support to help sustain and expand its services. McKenna Farms’ hosts their largest annual fundraiser, Derby Day at the Farm, on the first Saturday in May. This event invites the community to enjoy a beautiful spring day on the farm, complete with live music, food, games, and a live stream of the Kentucky Derby. It’s an opportunity not just to support McKenna Farms, but to experience firsthand the magic of this special place. Sponsorships and tickets are available now for this incredible event.
“McKenna Farms provides more than just therapy,” explained Moore. “Everything we do, from our community events to our summer camps, to our Fall Festival, to our Santa at the Barn holiday party, provides a caring community for our special needs families. We understand our client’s individuality and see them for who they are, not just the challenges they are facing. It is our goal to help them take strides toward success.”
For those who have yet to visit, McKenna Farms is more than a hidden gem — it’s a place where children find their strength, families find support, and every day is a step toward something greater. Please consider reaching out to them if you would like more information on donating, volunteering, attending events, or the services they provide. You can contact them online by visiting mckennafarms.org.
