Leigh Ann Nosser matches people with special needs and retired show horses

Winston Churchill once said,  “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”

Volunteers worth with a horse and rider at Rainbow Farms.

Rainbow Farms (280 Mattingly Road) takes that premise and offers equine-assisted activities and therapies. It does so by taking in retired show horses and allowing them to live out the rest of their lives providing therapy to individuals with special needs such as autism, anger issues, cerebral palsy and more. Equine-assisted therapies are proven to provide both physical and emotional benefits to clients.

Leigh Ann Nosser, the director of the farm, credits her career to the love she has for both people and horses.

“I just love what I do,” Nosser said. “You really have to love it. There’s not a lot of money in it, and it’s a lot of physical work. You have to be able to stand outside with the horses all day on a hot day or in the cold, and we have about 25 horses. So you really just have to love it.

Nosser shows her love for her work each day. She has been in the field for more than 31 years, and she credits the community for how the business came together.

“Most people come in for their therapy once a week at the same time, year round,” Nosser said. “To help with our clients and the horses, we do rely on volunteers to help us. So anybody who would like to come and help out, we can train with them on helping us with the horses and helping us with the clients. We also rely on donations to function. We teach regular riding lessons for those who just want to learn how to ride or maybe train horses.”

During her time at Rainbow Farms, Nosser says those who visit the farm have had a big impact on her,  more than she could ever influence them.

“I have a lot of people that call me and need help with their children making connections with people, and I work with them. I’ve seen riders take their first ride, and I’ve seen some take their first steps. I’ve seen a tremendous amount of good things happen,” she said. “So many of them approach me years later and say, ‘You helped me,’ and that’s just a great feeling.

“I love what I do, and I feel pretty blessed to see people progress,” Nosser said. “Like I said, I’ve seen people walk for the first time, talk for the first time and all kinds of things.”

For more information on how you can become involved with Rainbow Farms, contact the office at 601-638-8372. You can also visit the farm’s Facebook page.