Lauren and Logan Norman started Norman Farms LLC in 2018. Lauren‘s physical therapist background, combined with her love of horses, led the Normans to develop Norman Farms using Hippotherapy, a unique program using horses as an aid for human physical therapy. Their farm’s aim is to help physically and mentally handicapped people connect, grow, and recover.
The inspiration for Norman Farms was Lauren and Logan’s daughter, Elizabeth, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Normal physical therapy for this condition progresses a patient along a slow transition path from a walker, to a cane, then unassisted walking. But, after her parents’ innovative therapy initiative, Elizabeth progressed rapidly from her walker to walking unassisted!
Another student at the farm was an autistic child with Pitt Hopkins Syndrome, whose labored physical movements came with repeated bodily injury. His mother felt he was “trapped inside his body” and always in need of excessive sensory input from outside sources. Feeling desperate after multiple unsuccessful therapies, his mother decided to try Norman Farms. In no time at all, the child connected to his therapy horse, and this new connection and experience became a joy in his weekly routine.
Horse and human connections are magical and the love of this animal transcends history. Norman Farms has connected this understanding with Hippotherapy, making it available to people who need it the most. Most recently, the Normans added a nonprofit to their physical therapy farm, helping disadvantaged youth and adults experiencing emotional trauma (those who don’t fall in the realm of disability). We are proud to call them clients and support their growth as they continue to reach their community.
