As soon as you pass through the gates of Quantum Leap Farm, you are transported to fields of green, an oasis of serenity, and you become awash in peace and tranquility. But don't be fooled. There is a lot of hard work and soul-fixing going on here. The mission of QLF is to improve quality of life and inspire personal growth through equine-assisted therapies. Its vision is excellence, not perfection. At QLF, they envision a world where people are accepted unconditionally. Providing support for the well-being of individuals with physical, emotional, and intellectual differences and empowering them to focus on their abilities, not their disabilities is the core of everything QLF provides. 

 

In this idyllic family-like setting, equine-assisted therapy offers various benefits for participants managing physical or mental disabilities. Their physical well-being and quality of life improve and, with therapy, participants gain balance, flexibility, and self-confidence. Below are two of the services QLF provides its clients.

 

Therapeutic riding is an excellent form of exercise therapy that is fun, safe, challenging, and socially rewarding.  Therapeutic riding teaches horsemanship and basic riding skills and often includes learning a specific riding discipline such as dressage or western pleasure. The specially trained and certified instructors pay special attention to improving muscle strength, coordination, balance, stamina, self-confidence, and social interaction incorporating individually tailored lesson plans that address clients’ unique needs. Our therapeutic riding instructors instruct clients with a wide variety of physical and mental disabilities and clients who are not disabled. 

 

The Warrior Mission: At Ease program is life-changing. Warrior Mission: At Ease is a highly therapeutic retreat for those on active duty and Veterans dealing with post-traumatic combat stress, mild traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, and military sexual trauma by providing intensive therapeutic retreats utilizing highly effective holistic approaches to healing the invisible wounds of war. 

 

To learn more about all of QLF's services and see how horses heal, visit https://www.quantumleapfarm.org.

 

Recently, QLF founder Edie Dopking decided that, after roughly 20 years, it was time to step down from her founder/CEO role and successfully handed over the reins to Lee Behensky. I will sit down with Edie and Lee to learn how they planned for a successful founder transition. Be on the lookout for Episode 2 of the Get of Board Podcast.

 

Thank you for caring about our community and learning with me. If you know about good things in our backyard, drop me a line. The Tampa Bay region is where we live and love; let's pick the weeds and cultivate the blooms together. 

 

Patricia Douglas