HAMILTON, Ohio – When she was a kid Christa Carrero was bullied. It wasn’t fun. Her dad bought her a horse and that horse was instrumental in her healing. And it planted a seed. Last September, Carrero and her husband, Isidro, opened H.O.P.E.-full Pastures Therapeutic Farm. It is faith-based and promotes Healing, Order, Peace, Encouragement.

Carrero, who grew up on a dairy farm, has worked in rescue and foster care for 20 years. She and Isidro have five children. They have fostered 25 children and have had 25 foster children in their home for respite. She realized how instrumental animals could be in healing children. The farm offers an assortment of horses, alpacas, sheep, goats, rabbits, chickens, a dog and multiple cats.

“We at H.O.P.E.-full Pastures love children and have a heart for those who have endured childhood trauma, suffered loss, neglect, abandonment and abuse,” Carrero said. “We strive to create a safe, therapeutic environment to help vulnerable youth overcome fear, loss and trauma.”

Statistics prove that working with a therapy animal has resulted in behavioral improvement in children, she said. At the farm, they believe that the unspoken connection one can have with an animal can help aid in the healing process.  The presence of animals themselves is soothing and can more quickly build rapport between a therapist and a client.

“We offer a program called Our First Steps Program,” Carrero explained. “We provide 90-minute weekly sessions. Every child is matched with an advocate and during that session, they will have a chance for caring for and bonding with the animal, building trust. There might be a purposeful conversation. While the child is in session we have a family mentor who lends a listening ear to the parents and they are there to listen, to pray with them, to guide them.”

Bethany Botts and her husband, Jeremy, are outreach directors at the farm. It’s one of the most genuine and peaceful places she’s ever been, she said.

“In just a few short sessions you see a difference in the kids,” Bethany said. “They come in and they’re maybe really wound up or excited. They’re not sure what to expect. About their third or fourth session, you see kind of peace settle in and they are excited to come back for the next week.”

One little girl, when she first visited, would not talk to or look at Botts. The more Botts was around her, the more she sensed that Botts was a safe person.

“One time she looked across the table and blew a kiss at me,” Botts said. “It melted my heart. Another time we were outside and we needed to get carrots for one of the horses. She grabbed my hand without saying anything and looked up at me and smiled. Her story is so sad and tragic that when she grabbed my hand, it was like she trusted me.”

Sponsorships and donations support the farm. The services it offers are free, Carrero said. “So we rely on the sponsorships, help and that little tug on the heart that you want to be able to offer these services without charge,” she explained. “To be part of the healing process in the life of a child … and animals, it is incredible to watch that bond that is being built between the animal and the child.”

For information visit https://www.hopefullpastures.org.