Brendan
Brendan is 19 years old and has been riding at McKenna Farms for over 5 years.
Brendan looks forward to his weekly riding lessons with his favorite volunteer, Sonya.
Brendan loves all of the horses at McKenna Farms but his favorite is Oliver.
When he is not riding, you can find Brendan either at a Zac Brown Band concert or working at his school's coffee shop.
When Brendan walks into the barn, the entire place lights up because of his constant fun and jovial attitude he brings each and every time.
This young man is always cracking jokes!
Cate
Cate is 16 years old and has been riding with McKenna Farms since she was 8 years old!
Cate is a huge animal lover and reads endless books about animals especially horses.
She often tells us facts about the horses and their breeds when we are in the stables.
Cate rides English and her favorite Special Olympics events are Dressage and Working Trail.
Performing for the judges and crowd brings out her competitive focus but she is all smiles on the podium!
Dylan
Hi! My name is Dylan, I am native from Puerto Rico. I've been living in Georgia with my parents for 6 years now and I love it!
I started with Mckenna Farms in 2019 with OT later Hippotherapy and Therapeutic Riding. I love to learn about technology, I know almost everything about cars and planes. My autism is my super power. I have photographic memory and it allows me to learn a bit faster about things that I find interesting. I am very happy to be part of the Equestrian Team at Mackenna Farms. Looking forward to meeting new friends, new places and making memories. Thanks for your support ! Go Mckenna Farms !
Giselle
Giselle has been riding horses since the age of 20 months.
Her family moved to Acworth and she started riding at Mckenna Farms when she was three years old. Therapy on horseback has been one of the most beneficial activities Giselle has participated in.
She began competing in the Special Olympics at the age of eight. Every year she looks forward to riding with Mckenna Farms equestrian team! She loves the competition, and the many friends she makes at the Special Olympics.
Giselle is 21 years old and works part time as an Instructor at Ford Elementary After School Program. She enjoys taking Pilates and yoga when she is not on the horse. Riding Glory is the highlight of her week!
A former dancer and gymnast, her number one goal is to try acrobatic horseback riding someday!
Jaida
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Jamie
Jamie is 19 years old and has been riding at McKenna for 7 years.
A cowboy at heart, he loves riding Western and spending time at the farm.
He has speech and muscular coordination issues, but you would never know it watching him ride.
His confidence soars as he trots arounds the ring and communicates with the horses.
McKenna Farms is a special place for Jamie and he loves being part of the Equestrian Team.
Kymberly
My name is Kymberly and I am 25 years old. I have autism, epilepsy and an immune deficiency.
I started riding at McKenna Farms 5 to 6 years ago.
My favorite part about McKenna Farms is that I get to meet and ride different horses and learn how each one of them is different.
My favorite horse is Oliver because he gets me and understands me. My #1 goal for riding is to learn to jump. A fun fact about me is that I love to read and tell everyone I meet that unicorns are real!”
Lucy
Lucy is 10 years old and loves riding horses.
Although Lucy has a different relationship with each horse, she is closest to Glory and Oliver.
Lucy is learning English style riding, but you’ll often see her sporting her favorite pink cowgirl boots, too!
Lucy also loves to dance and read, but mostly she is known for her pranks, and making everyone laugh and wonder what’s coming next from Lucy. If you stop by the barn you may catch Lucy grooming her horse in the most unique way.
Meghan
Meghan is 26 years old.
She first developed her interest in horses through hippotherapy in elementary school to help with her diagnoses of Autism, mild CP, and a speech disorder. Her interest expanded as she attended several horse camps during summer breaks, as a high school student at Mills Springs