Speaking of Horses

11/02/2026

It's official — Teddy is the 2026 USEF Heart Horse Award recipient. ❤️🐴
Teddy came to us as a former Amish horse pulled from the slaughter pipeline, starved and fighting for his life. Thanks to Brooke's patience and love, he became the heart of Speaking of Horses: the gentle Haflinger who helped our kids find confidence, joy, and their voices. For so many of them, "Teddy" was one of the very first words they proudly said.
We lost Teddy in the barn fire in September, and we miss him every single day. Seeing him honored by US Equestrian means more than we can put into words. Thank you to everyone who nominated, voted, shared, and loved him alongside us. Brooke and Ada will be in Lexington in January to accept the award at the Pegasus Awards Dinner in his honor.
To carry his legacy forward, we've created Teddy's Legacy Fund. It's a long-term fund dedicated to the care of our program horses, so every horse who partners with our kids gets the same exceptional care that took Teddy from rescue to therapy horse.
If Teddy touched your heart, please consider giving in his memory:
👉 https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/teddys-legacy-fund
Forever our heart horse. 💙

Introducing the 2026 USEF Heart Horse Award recipient, Teddy from Speaking of Horses ❤️

Before becoming the heart of Speaking of Horses, where he partners with children in speech therapy, Teddy was rescued after more than a year of starvation. Teddy transformed from a horse fighting for his life into one who helps children find confidence, joy, and even their first words. His greatest legacy is the lifelong bonds he created with children, many of whom proudly speak one unforgettable word first: “Teddy.” Sadly, Teddy passed away in September in a barn fire.

Congratulations to all the nominees who were named 2026 USEF Heart Horse Award Finalists.

🔷 Angel from Gleneayre Equestrian Program
🔷 Inky from Hooves of Hope Equestrian Center
🔷 Jett from Grace Therapeutic Riding
🔷 Lulu from Horses-n-Heroes of Marion County, Inc
🔷 Stevie from The Shane Center for Therapeutic Horsemanship

Read more ➡️ usef.org/media/press-releases/teddy-wins-2026-heart-horse-award

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11/02/2026

Introducing the 2026 USEF Heart Horse Award recipient, Teddy from Speaking of Horses ❤️

Before becoming the heart of Speaking of Horses, where he partners with children in speech therapy, Teddy was rescued after more than a year of starvation. Teddy transformed from a horse fighting for his life into one who helps children find confidence, joy, and even their first words. His greatest legacy is the lifelong bonds he created with children, many of whom proudly speak one unforgettable word first: “Teddy.” Sadly, Teddy passed away in September in a barn fire.

Congratulations to all the nominees who were named 2026 USEF Heart Horse Award Finalists.

🔷 Angel from Gleneayre Equestrian Program
🔷 Inky from Hooves of Hope Equestrian Center
🔷 Jett from Grace Therapeutic Riding
🔷 Lulu from Horses-n-Heroes of Marion County, Inc
🔷 Stevie from The Shane Center for Therapeutic Horsemanship

Read more ➡️ usef.org/media/press-releases/teddy-wins-2026-heart-horse-award

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10/24/2026

💛 Thank you, Zach Price and HITS Culpeper! 💛

After the fire, one of our biggest worries was keeping our herd fed and comfortable while we rebuild. When Zach Price of HITS Culpeper Horse Show reached out to donate hay, we were truly overwhelmed. It's beautiful, high-quality hay, and it came exactly when we needed it most. 🌾

As you can see, the herd fully approves. The minis haven't come up for air yet. 🐴😂

These horses are the heart of everything we do at Speaking of Horses. They show up every day for our clients, and gifts like this make sure we can keep showing up for them. Zach, thank you for your generosity, your kindness, and for reminding us how strong and caring our horse community is. We are so grateful.

10/20/2026

What's for dinner at Speaking of Horses? 🥣🐴

Every evening, our feed buckets get filled and served to the horses who carry our kids through therapy. After a long day of lessons, dinner is the highlight of their day, and the nickering starts the moment they hear the feed buckets rattle.

Our horses aren't the only ones on the clock. Our dogs are part of the therapy team too, greeting nervous riders, offering a soft head to pat, and helping kids feel safe enough to try something new. Ember, our golden puppy, is just starting her training to follow in Blue's pawprints, and she thinks every bag that arrives is for her.

Since the fire, keeping those buckets and bowls full has gotten harder. Our Chewy Wish List has everything our horses and dogs need, from feed and supplements to dog food, and Chewy eGift Cards are always welcome too. Everything ships straight to the farm.

👉 https://www.chewy.com/g/speaking-of-horses-incorporated_b132078843

Send us a note with your order and we'll tag you in a photo of the herd enjoying it. 💙

Speaking of Horses Incorporated provides speech therapy on horseback and therapeutic riding lessons to children with disabilities. We believe that every child deserves to find

10/19/2026

Meet Ember 🐾❤️🧡❤️🧡

Before I can introduce Ember, I need to talk about Blue.

Blue came into my life in college, and from that day on he was with me through everything. He grew up alongside me, and then he grew up alongside this program. He was there before Speaking of Horses had a name, and he was there for every first session, every nervous child at the gate, every family who needed a soft place to land. He knew when someone needed him before they did. He made people feel safe just by leaning against them.

I have never loved an animal the way I loved Blue. I don't think I ever will.

Losing him in the fire broke something in me that I'm still learning to carry. I still look for him. I still expect to hear his tags jingling behind me. Some days the quiet where he used to be is the loudest thing there is.

But it's with a full and tender heart that I introduce the newest member of the Speaking of Horses family: Ember, or "Emmy."

Ember was born this summer, and she has the biggest shoes in the world to fill. She isn't here to replace Blue, because no one ever could. She's here to carry his light forward. She's learning the barn, meeting the horses, practicing her manners (some days more successfully than others 😅), and working hard every single day to become the gentle, steady companion our riders and our families and I deserve.

We named her Ember because even after a fire, something warm can still glow.

Blue, I hope you're watching over her. Teach her everything you know. I miss you every single day, sweet boy. 💙

10/18/2026

💙🐴Small hands, soft noses, and a heart full of thanks 🐴💙

This week, a couple of our kids stopped by to say hello to the horses in the field. There were no saddles and no lesson plans, just tiny fingers resting gently on a big, patient face. When we saw this picture, we had to stop and take a breath. After everything, this is what hope looks like to us.

On September 24, we lost so much more than a barn. We lost Teddy, whose gentle, steady heart made every child who met him feel safe. We lost Blue, who greeted every family with a wagging tail. And we lost many of our sweet goats, who filled the farm with so much joy and mischief. There are no words for that kind of loss, and we are still learning how to carry it. Some days are heavy. Some days the quiet in the barnyard is the loudest thing we hear.

But in the middle of that darkness, you showed up. You shared, you gave, you sent messages and meals and offers of help, and you held us up when we couldn't stand on our own. Because of your generosity, our GoFundMe raised enough to purchase shed row stalls so the herd can stay safe, warm, and comfortable through the winter. We will never be able to fully express what that means. Thank you, truly, from the deepest part of our hearts. An extra special thank you to Memory's Hill Stables for walking alongside us through this tragedy and caring for our horses while we got back on our feet.

We're hoping to resume regular lessons and therapy sessions in late November or early December, once the stalls are in place and we have access to the ring again. We'll reach out to every one of our families as soon as we have a firm date. We miss you all so much, and we cannot wait to welcome all of our riders home together.

Until then, the horses are safe, loved, and waiting for you.

With love, grief, and endless gratitude,

Ada, Brooke & the Speaking of Horses herd

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-speaking-of-horses-after-barn-fire

10/15/2026

Vote for Teddy. It means more now than ever. This could be his legacy. He was certainly my heart horse alongside of all the kids he served.

Today is the last day to vote for the 2026 Heart Horse Award! ❤️

Vote now ➡️ usef.org/awards/community-outreach-heart-horse

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10/14/2026

This was Teddy's last lesson before the fire. 💙

Look at him: forelock braided, the Blue Ridge behind him, a little rider in a pink unicorn helmet beaming from his back. Standing perfectly still, the way he always did, so she could feel safe up there.

We didn't know it was his last lesson. It was just another afternoon at the barn. A few days later, on September 24, the barn fire took him from us.

Teddy's story should have ended long before this picture. He was a former Amish horse, pulled from the slaughter pipeline at a body condition score of 1.5. He had no grinding teeth and survived on soaked feed. Brooke saw something special in him and brought him back, and he became the horse our kids asked for by name.

Every week he carried children who were finding their voices. He gave them first words, first giggles, first moments of feeling brave. That smile in the saddle? Teddy did that, over and over, for every child who climbed on.

Teddy is one of six finalists for the USEF Heart Horse Award. He can't walk into the ring to accept it, but you can still stand up for him.

🗳️ Voting closes TONIGHT at midnight. Please take 30 seconds to create a USEF account and vote for Teddy. Share this so his story reaches as many people as possible: http://tinyurl.com/TEDDY4HEARTHORSE

Let's give the horse who gave everything one last win.

Forever our heart horse. 🐴💙

10/12/2026

On September 24th, a fire destroyed the barn at Celt Run Farm, home of Speaking of Horses. We lost Teddy, our beloved Haflinger therapy horse, and Blue, our founder Ada's golden retriever and therapy dog. We also lost the barn and everything in it — saddles, bridles, tools, therapy materials, all of it.

These past weeks have been the hardest we've ever faced. But we have something good to share: the horses are back home since we now have water again. 🐴❤️

Now the rebuilding begins. Until we can replace our tack, lessons and therapy sessions are on hold, and our riders and families are waiting to get back in the saddle. With winter coming, we're also working to get the horses safely sheltered which will be funded by the GoFundMe.

What we need most:

For our riders
• An Inky Dinky saddle, our main therapy saddle for smaller riders
• English saddles, bridles, and girths
• A mounting block

For our therapy sessions
• Speech-language assessments: the CELF-5, CELF Preschool, GFTA-3, and SSI

For the horses
• Hay, feed, and shavings
• Feed and water buckets, hay nets
• Equine first-aid supplies

For the farm
• Fence posts and woven wire fencing
• Stall doors, gates, lumber, and roofing
• Materials for a covered shavings shed
• A tractor and a hay cart for a side-by-side
• Wheelbarrows, muck tubs, and manure forks

How you can help
• Donate through our GoFundMe fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-speaking-of-horses-after-barn-fire
• Donate new or gently used tack, supplies, or building materials
• Ask your business to sponsor an item
• Share this post

Every gift, big or small, brings us closer to having our riders back on horseback. Thank you for standing with us. We're heartbroken, but we're not giving up. 💙

10/07/2026

Community rallies around non-profit Speaking of Horses after Stanardsville barn fire

The Sept. 24 fire at Celt Run Farm killed a therapy horse, Teddy, and a therapy dog, Blue, in addition to burning a barn and destroying the organization's equipment.

https://cvillerightnow.com/news/208802-community-rallies-around-non-profit-speaking-of-horses-after-stanardsville-barn-fire/