Gentle Giant Acres

10/19/2026

10/16/2026

Message for class times and options.
We are also able bring a pony class to your community location. Work with your schools, events spaces, assisted living facilities etc, to host a beneficial pony class program .
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CRCLpkwH8/

Riding horses or even just spending time around them can make a big difference for kids with autism, helping to reduce hyperactivity and boost social skills, new research suggests.

In a study of 236 children with autism and co-occurring psychiatric conditions, researchers found that participating in either a therapeutic riding program or doing barn activities brought about meaningful benefits.

Some kids who participated in the study were assigned to receive therapeutic horseback riding once a week for 10 weeks while others took part in a barn activity group where they saw horses, but did not interact with them.

Both the riding program and the barn activity led to significant drops in irritability and hyperactivity, according to findings published this month in the journal Pediatrics. There were also improvements in emotional regulation and social behaviors.

However, the greatest impact on hyperactivity was observed among children in the riding group, the researchers found.

“There is something about riding a horse that is particularly helpful for kids with hyperactivity,” said Robin Gabriels, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado who led the study.

While horseback riding is not necessarily right for every child with autism, the researchers said their findings suggest it is a good way to supplement existing treatments.

Source: Disability Scoop

10/08/2026

If you were a horse girl before the world got so complicated… this one might hurt a little. ❤️

Before cell phones, before social media, before life got so busy… there were afternoons like this. Somewhere along the way, we took our last childhood ride and didn’t even know it.

No one told us to remember the sound of the horses walking down the dirt road, or the feeling of having nowhere important to be…

We just grew up.

The horses changed. 😢 The roads changed and life got busier. Those endless summer afternoons became distant memories.

But every once in a while, a fleeting memory just takes you right back. And just for a second, I can almost feel it again.

Two sisters, two horses, and a dirt road. And a whole afternoon ahead of us ☀️ And then there was our mom… ❤️ looking back now, I have absolutely no idea how she let her two girls saddle up their horses and disappear down those dirt roads for hours. 😂 Maybe she worried. Maybe she watched the clock. Maybe she trusted us more than we ever realized. But she still let us go. 🤎

We had no idea how rich we were ❤️

If you could have just one ordinary afternoon from your childhood back, who would be there with you? 💕

10/08/2026

🎼Some days are diamond🎶, some days are🎵
running back and forth, looking for a way into the garden! Book a visit and see what's new at the farm.

10/05/2026

Today I came across this.
I sat the phone on my counter and let it play while I started the bone broth, sorted the tomatoes, watered the inside herbs, peeled potatoes, prepared tea from the fall orchard offerings.. What a great way to discover there are others of the same values, showing the how and why of it, across the continent.

I visited Iowa to learn how she has built a thriving h...

09/02/2026

08/31/2026

Let's Celebrate 🥳🎉🎊🍾✨️
25 years and going strong.
We will be there with some Party animals🐐🐏🦄🫏🦙🐇🐰🐣🐤🦆🦢🪿🐲🐴🦃

🌟 Join us on Thursday, September 10th for our annual Customer Appreciation Event! 🌟

We’re going BIG this year as we celebrate our 25th anniversary - Don’t miss out on the fun! 🥳

Stop by our office at 2825 B 2 Ave S and enjoy:
🍔 Food Trucks including That Hawaiian Burger Truck
🐰 Petting Zoo from Gentle Giant Acres
🎨 Face Painting & Balloon Twists from Another Pretty Face
🏆 Door Prizes
🤑 Deals on Hot Tubs & Supplies

Stop by and celebrate with us from 11am - 6pm 😊 We can’t wait to see you there!