There’s a small animal-petting farm just off Orange Drive in Davie that isn’t fancy, and it’s not much to see from the outside—but it’s quite special once you get inside. What you’ll find at HAPPI Farm is a nice way for a variety of folks to get up close to farm animals and other creatures, to feed the animals, and to ride a horse or pony.
HAPPI stands for Horse and Petting Pal Interaction, and that’s what they’re all about. Established in 2011, the interactive HAPPI Farm is a nonprofit organization and animal-assisted learning center. The welcoming staff there offer therapeutic riding lessons, equine vaulting, birthday parties, school field trips, and much more.
“We reach out to individuals and groups of all ages, and to those ‘at risk’ or with special needs,” according to HAPPI Farm’s manager. “Our primary goal is to utilize animal-assisted learning and equine therapy to help as many students as possible to develop physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially. Our programs are natural, safe, fun, and effective! We offer therapeutic horseback riding scholarships to US military veterans.”
In addition, for a $10 donation, people of all ages can drop in during open hours for a walk through the farm and to meet the animals, including being taken on a short horseback ride. My adult son Jacob (on the autism spectrum) and I went to visit recently, and enjoyed our time there. HAPPI Farm is not fancy or expansive—it’s laidback, simple, cluttered, and usually muddy—but you can get down and dirty around the animals, pet some of them, and feed many of them. Visitors can bring cut-up apples and carrots for the animals or buy the food there to give them.
Parking is free and kind of haphazard in a gravel lot right in front of the farm. Jacob and I got out of our car and were soon greeted by a couple emus wandering around on their own. I had to search for the place to make our donation—it was just inside one of the barns, and they also sell the animal food there. We were able to walk around freely and go anywhere on the property. There was one long gravel driveway with barns and animal enclosures on either side—that was the extent of it. We decided to start on the left, explore everything there, then turn around at the horse yard at the end, and walk back to explore the other side of the drive.
Visitors see the horses right away, some being ridden and many in their enclosures. Also on the property are goats, pigs, llamas, chicks, ducks, tortoises, rabbits, guinea pigs, a miniature donkey, lamb, alpaca, hedgehog, and miniature bull. Reptiles recently were added to the petting farm. Jacob and I enjoyed walking around at our own speed and seeing—and sometimes petting—the various animals on-site.
Because it’s a farm, no sandals or open-toed shoes are permitted. They recommend old shoes or rain boots. We both wore old sneakers. And when we got hot and thirsty, snow cones from a makeshift snack bar were a refreshing treat. The snack bar is right next to a bouncy house (not recommended on a really hot day though), which is a perfect add-on for kids’ birthday parties at the farm. Their parties include the petting farm and short horse rides. The venue is open seven days a week, and parties must be booked in advance.
For an additional $30 for 30 minutes, children and adults can take an on-farm private riding lesson. These horse rides are by appointment only. Professional riding instructors supervise the lessons, assisted by a horse handler and side walkers. Lessons can be oriented to accommodate students with special needs. Participants learn safe equestrian skills and good horsemanship.
The equine therapy program there improves muscular strength, motor coordination, flexibility, posture, balance, endurance, as well as confidence and independence skills. Additionally, hands-on equestrian activities are offered for those who want to develop a relationship with horses and to learn safe equestrian skills. Activities include how to care and feed horses, grooming, saddling, tacking, and leading a horse.
HAPPI Farm promotes unique human-animal bonding for all kinds of people. It’s been beneficial for those with autism, Down’s syndrome, amputations, behavioral and communication disorders, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and visual impairment. But it’s for anybody who would like to come to the farm to pet and feed some animals—and maybe ride a horse.
For more information, go to www.happifarm.org.