“My son has been involved since he was 5 years old. He started riding and learning invaluable life lessons like caring, sharing and acceptance of others. My son has several challenges that left him feeling very different than other kids and not accepted. He found at Square Peg he was accepted, and cared about by not only the remarkable staff but other students at Square Peg.” read more
“It is such a relief to be among people who see his strengths, and do not stand with crossed arms and pursed lips as they view him through eyes narrowed in judgement and disapproval. Reminds me of how great it is to hang out at the ranch and has given me lots of food for
thought. And what a relief for my son to know that people wouldn’t be upset with him or disappointed by his choices to participate or not. That in and of itself was a huge gift.” – a mom
“You all filled her days with more fun and love. Once again, our lives are enriched because of N. and the person she is, not who her diagnosis says she should be. I was speechless in admiring how giving and loving all of you are. It was the most satisfying moments when I saw you folks enjoy N. as much as I do, actually even more than me sometimes. I wish I could learn your sense of humor in your reaction with N. This event has recharged me with more hope, energy and strength.”
“Just returned from another wonderful afternoon at Square Peg Foundation. My formerly isolated and unhappy daughter is learning and working cooperatively and happily with other youth and with the horses, and together they grow to accept and trust each other. It’s music to my ears to hear her animated account of her lesson” read more
“At Square Peg, C. has no disability. The world isn’t hard. My son who struggles to pay attention, especially to people speaking, pays rapt attention to his instructor. He does everything in his power to do exactly as she instructs. But, she is not judging. She is not dictating. She gently leads and is teaching him to make choices. To be more independent. To let him know his opinion counts. To have confidence in himself. To be successful on his own terms.”
“After we got home, my child did some things in the next week that I’ve rarely seen him do before, mostly that involved getting out of his shell. The camp did wonders for his self-esteem and self-confidence — just being accepted, welcomed, and built up by so many genuinely caring volunteers was invaluable and unmeasurable. For me, the camp was a much needed respite, and encouragement. I learn more from other parents of SNKs than I ever learn from our MDs or books, so being able to have time to meet other parents and get to know them was wonderful. For me, having an special needs kid has been so lonely and difficult, and just being given the opportunity to participate in something so generous felt like a miracle.” read more
“Few times in life are you honored to meet truly special people that work tirelessly to change the lives of others. I have met those people recently. I have been looking for a chance to work with animals and special needs children for a while now.I have found that in a small ranch in Half Moon Bay where injured horses and challenged children come together to create a second chance for everyone.” read more
“I was amazed at how all the volunteers (surfing, camping, horse riding) were so engag- ing with the kids, and how willing they were to play with the kids. This gave me a huge break from constant childcare, which translates into a huge decline in stress level. It was three days of respite for me.”
