Hold onto your saddles, folks, because something special is happening in the heart of Hemmant in Brisbane. The Hemmant Equine Agistment Riding & Therapy Ltd, lovingly known as HEART, has been nominated for an Outstanding Community Service Organisation Award.
HEART, nestled in the stunning Bayside area, is on a mission to bring joy and well-being to young folks through horse-assisted learning programs. They make horse activities affordable and accessible for all, whether it’s health-focused Horse Assisted Learning or skill-building riding and horsemanship.
HEART cares for rescue horses, ponies, pigs, chickens, ducks and guinea pigs. Among the services they offer is animal therapy to help children with conditions like autism, anxiety and mental health issues.
Equine therapy is highly beneficial to children with autism. It helps them develop natural, core skills they need to function in society. Among HEART’s cherished clients is an autistic teenage boy who has come on in leaps and bounds in his fitness and confidence since starting the program.
His Irish-born mother said: “He was feeling a bit lost until he found HEART Hemmant. He has anxiety, mobility issues and lack of stamina. But at HEART, he can go for a long ride, then feed the animals, brush the horses, and do chores before even needing a sit-down. He is usually very anxious but when he’s with the horses, he’s so calm, relaxed and happy. And the volunteer staff there are patient, kind and incredibly gifted in working with both the animals and the children attending.”
She added: “My son has sensitivity around smells so I never thought I’d see the day he would happily shovel horse poo! HEART and its horses have worked miracles on him.”
It’s stories like these that make HEART shine even brighter!
HEART is a multicultural melting pot of volunteers — horse enthusiasts who share a love for these majestic creatures. HEART’s diverse community is a tapestry woven with threads of respect, equality, inclusiveness, kindness, and boundless compassion. Here, mixed among the sounds of horses neighing and ducks quacking, you’ll a range of accents from England, Ireland and many other places. Many of the volunteers originally hail from the UK, as the beautiful Bayside area is very popular with British expats.
At HEART, urban meets rural, just a short 10-kilometre trot from the hustle and bustle of Brisbane’s CBD and with Wynnum’s beaches just a gallop away.
They’ve got supervised volunteer and peer-mentoring programs that bring young folks closer to the land, animals, and each other. HEART’s mission is to turn everyone into horse enthusiasts, promoting horsemanship education, and bringing smiles to young faces.
HEART is charging toward that Outstanding Community Service Organisation Award, and they need your vote! The clock’s ticking, and the race is on, you have until October 26th to vote. Show your love and support for HEART by casting your vote at Bayside Community Awards. They don’t just save horses, they save lives.
You can find out more about HEART at their website, hemmantequine.org.au
With values like education, challenge, understanding, responsibility, achievement, and safety, they’re galloping towards making the world a better place — one hoofprint at a time.
Irish Queenslander 