Welcome to Full Circle Farm Growth and Healing Center!

Chrissy and Dave McFarren and their family are the stewards of Full Circle Farm, with its assortment of critters, gardens, labyrinth and land. For many years they have offered a peaceful, family friendly space for the training and boarding of horses as well as a variety of seminars and workshops in the beautiful barn meeting room. As their awareness of the healing possibilities facilitated through the connection of humans, horses and nature grew, so did the dream of creating a space where others could experience this connection.

Over the past few years Chrissy and Dave have worked diligently to create a welcoming space, adding two bathrooms, a kitchen/dining area and sleeping quarters to the barn. They added a covered outdoor area large enough for equine activities in a quiet, secluded space behind the barn. Shortly after that they began the process of forming Full Circle Farm Growth and Healing Center, a not-for-profit organization with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, which offers Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) and Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) programs.

We invite you to enjoy your visit to this beautiful 15 acre farm that provides a peaceful, private setting for EAP and EAL. Our programs currently include individual and group EAP sessions, as well as EAL seminars, workshops and retreats. Soon we will be adding afterschool and summer camps to our list of programs.

Newsletter Articles

What Would Horses Do?
by Cris Lindsay

Winter…2012. I often find myself in a struggle during winter months. Fighting the cold, the wind, the lack of bright sunshine, shorter days…my mind goes into resistance, negativity and I dream of warmer days ahead. In this work of Equine Assisted Learning I have gained one hugely important tool when my mind goes “there” and my body and spirit are tempted to follow, I ask myself, ”What do horses do?” They are my compass, my true north. Horses don’t seem to ruminate over such things. They live in the present moment and respond to whatever is taking place in that moment. Like me, they may not “enjoy” the cold wind but, unlike me, they don’t seem to let it ruin the moment or the day or the whole season!

It’s interesting to watch. Horses, in a natural setting, seem to be in a place of acceptance. It’s funny to observe them on a cold, rainy/snowy day. Sometimes they act as if it’s nothing at all…sometimes they seek out shelter to stay dry and warm…sometimes they turn their backs to the wind and bear it. Hmm, interesting… It seems they are true to themselves “in the moment” and are simply OK with that. No lingering emotion around it, no yearning for better days, no thinking forward or backward in time. It’s just a matter of “it is what it is”…end of story.

So therein lies my lesson from the wisdom of this inspiring animal. If I can take the lesson and remind my Self to be present, access where I am at, determine my needs and actions and not allow my mind to lure me out of this moment, I find I experience peace, acceptance, a calm place deep within my Self. I still may not necessarily “enjoy” the cold wind but now I am in a place of “being with” it instead of “fighting against” it. Nothing has changed in my environment. What has changed is my perspective. HMM…interesting!

Pace, Presence and Jingle Bells
by Natalie Allio

Some time ago while browsing in one of the local equestrian tack and gift shops I came across a pretty string of beads with small bells attached at various intervals. The string made a large enough loop that it could be hung around the neck of a horse. Not only were the beads pretty, the bells jingled softly in time with the horse’s movement allowing the rider to synchronize with the horse’s rhythm more easily. The beads were aptly named “rhythm beads”. Intrigued I purchased a set and tried them on my horse. He seemed to enjoy the jingle of the bells; secretly I think he also believed himself to be even more handsome when wearing them. As an added bonus he seemed to find the sound of the bells soothing when we rode in the woods and was less distracted by the rustling leaves as wildlife moved among the trees and bushes.

A few months later I encountered the woman who designed and made the rhythm beads at a local horse expo. Recognizing my own tendency to move through life at a brisk pace I asked her if she could make a set of rhythm beads that I could wear around my ankle to bring my awareness to my own pace. She was happy to do so and I soon had my very own ankle size loop of rhythm beads. I loved the effect the bells had of bringing my awareness to each step I took. The reminder of the bells helped me first notice, then slow my pace. Soon the holidays were upon us and I forgot about the beads as life seemed to take on a pace and rhythm all its own. The calendar was filled with holiday preparation, events, dinners and parties. One evening as I dressed for a party I pulled on a pair of holiday socks, complete with jingle bells around the cuff. Distracted by a long list of things to do on the way to the party; I barely noticed the bells or their frenetic jingling as I raced to the barn to feed the horses. “Come on guys” I mumbled, pushing eager noses aside as I filled their buckets. Then in the stillness of the evening I heard it, the frenzied jingling of the bells on my socks. I paused mid-stride, remembering the gentle tinkling the bells on the rhythm beads made when I matched my pace with that of my horse.   Thoughtfully I compared that with the frantic jingle I had just heard, noting how quickly we can lose our rhythm as we are drawn into the hustle and bustle of the world around us. Slowly I walked to the final bucket; my horse nickered softly as I poured grain in his bin. I rubbed his head gently, taking in the softness of his winter coat and breathing deeply the scent of grain, hay and horse. I listened for a moment to the snuffles of contentment as the horses chewed their grain. It was only as I began to feel the tension slowly slip away that I noticed how tight my neck, shoulders and jaw had been. I paused long enough to take three or four deep, slow breaths. The whole scene had unfolded in a matter of minutes yet the impact was powerful. Slowly I replaced the grain bucket and turned off the lights. As I closed the barn door and walked quietly from the barn I heard the soft tinkle of the bells on my socks. Smiling I began to hum - jingle bells……., jingle bells……., jingle…..all…….the…….way………….

With the holiday season behind us we may only just now be noticing we’ve forgotten to breathe for weeks and our shoulders, necks and jaws ache from tension. Winter is the season when all of nature slows to rest, quietly gathering strength as new life germinates. Taking our cue from nature we too can take this time to slow our pace and breathe deeply. Perhaps this is a good time to integrate a meditation practice in our lives; quieting our minds and bringing our awareness into the present even for a few minutes each day can have a powerful impact.  Wondering what to do with all those holiday decorations? See if there is a jingle bell or two among them and wear it for a day as a reminder to slow your pace and enjoy presence as the best “present” of all.

Lucky and Tanka
by Chrissy McFarren

I would like to share a story about one of the most profound equine assisted growth & learning sessions that I have ever experienced. This session took place on our farm on November 6th, 2011. It was the day that our dear horse Lucky passed away. Lucky was a 33 year old paint horse and he was one of the main inspirations for Full Circle Farm Growth & Healing Center, Inc. The lesson that was re-confirmed for me that day was that death often brings new life. 

Two weeks before Lucky’s passing, I came across an ad for a 2 ½ year old mini paint horse gelding named Tanka. For some strange reason I read the ad and then clicked on the picture and was immediately smitten. I was not looking for a new horse, especially not a mini horse. An inner voice told me to go and check out this little guy. Our family went out to see him and we all fell in love and I realized that he would be a perfect "little" addition to our equine program. We made arrangements to pick him up on Monday, Nov.7th.

On Saturday, Nov.5th, I found Lucky down with an injury to his hind leg. He managed to get up and it was clear that he could not put weight on it. The vet came right out and said that he had dislocated it (most likely from a kick from one of the other horses). He gave him some medication to relax the muscles and said that hopefully he would put weight on it and it would pop back into place. He hobbled around that day and I did not have a good feeling about his prognosis. Sunday morning, Nov.6th, I found him down and it was clear he had been struggling some time to get up. I knew that this was it and called the vet to come put Lucky down. During that hour wait for the vet, I laid down next to Lucky in the warm autumn sunshine and I thanked him for everything that he was and everything that he did to help heal so many humans while he was at our farm. I thanked him for being the inspiration for our Equine Assisted Growth & Healing Center and I let him know that we would carry on in his honor.  Through my tears and my humble heart of gratitude, I heard a voice and it said, “You're welcome, and don’t forget to pick up Tanka tomorrow."  And there it was, as plain as day, Lucky was the one who guided me to Tanka.  He had picked out his replacement and even had the timing of Tanka's arrival set for the day after he passed.  I was amazed.

That night, by the light of a full moon, we buried our equine relative on the highest point of the farm and placed a totem pole as his grave marker.  You can see it from any point on the farm and he will always be watching over us.  The next morning, we went to pick up Tanka and when we arrived I went up to him and knelt down so I could look at him eye-to-eye.  In that moment all went still, and in his unblnking eye I saw Lucky's eye and I got that little Tanka knew his place in this sacred story of death and new life.