We are Hunkapi Farms, a horse therapy program in Scottsdale, AZ.  Scottsdale is well known as one of the best places for horseback riding lessons.  In fact, there are over 2 dozen places to take lessons in the Scottsdale area. Hunkapi Farms is the only therapeutic riding program in Scottsdale.  We are dedicated to serving the special needs community and need your help to continue doing it.

We provide horse therapy services for clients with emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and physical disorders or disabilities. Examples include autism, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, AD/HD, trauma, depression and anxiety. We are in danger of losing our ability to provide this service due to a lack of understanding fueled by the fear of only a few individuals.

Yes, some of our clients look different than typical children. Yes, some of them behave differently as well. But each child has abilities that go well beyond their disability.  At Hunkapi, that’s what we focus on – ability, not disability.  We believe that all people are capable of making a contribution.  Our programs help children and adults with disabilities gain skills, confidence and acceptance.

We have found a 5-acre horse property in Scottsdale that serves as a safe space for our clients and their families. It is a place of non-judgment, where we meet and accept all clients exactly as they are. While there are other equine therapy programs in Arizona, we are the only one located directly in Scottsdale.

Equine therapy has repeatedly been proven as an efficacious means of therapeutic intervention in peer reviewed medical literature.  Animals, and particularly horses, can reach into the psyche of developmentally disabled and psychologically damaged children and adults to provide healing where other means of treatment are ineffective. Our certified therapists and instructors work with this vulnerable population every day to bring healing to those most in need.

We believe that our disabled citizens have the same rights to services as our able-bodied citizens! It’s a simple idea. It’s a moral imperative. It’s also the law.

Unfortunately, some of our neighbors do not believe that people with disabilities belong in Scottsdale. They have hired lawyers and petitioned the city council to deny us our permit to operate our therapy programs. Some of the same people hold horse auctions and conduct horse business on their own properties. At a neighborhood meeting we held recently to try and bridge this gap and address their concerns we were literally told that our clients did not belong here and we should move to a neighborhood were our clients belonged. They have suggested that we move to a town that is on the outskirts of the valley, making accessibility for our clients, nearly impossible. Scottsdale is our home. It is where hundreds of able body children learn to ride and love a horse. We don’t want to be forced out of town. We want to stay here, be a thriving and contributing asset to the city and our neighborhood and we believe our clients can be too.

Please help us overcome the prejudice of a few by signing this petition to support keeping Hunkapi Farms in Scottsdale.  We are seeking a Conditional Use Permit (CUP”) for “community buildings and recreational facilities not publicly owned" in case 2-UP-2015 (Hunkapi Farms) through the City of Scottsdale. You can make a difference by signing this petitions to support Hunkapi.

Together we can continue to provide equal opportunities to individuals with special needs.