how we started

The history of Hands and Hearts for Horses can best be told through the stories of co-founders Terrell Singletary and Karen Leabo Singletary.

Terrell’s Story

Terrell Singletary had a heart for children. During the course of his life, he developed innovative ways to share his passion for faith, horses, and helping others. Terrell saw his farm as a gift from God and often shared it with school groups, churches, camps, and individual families. Each year, Camp Arrow, a camp for children with multiple special needs, made a trip to Terrell’s property. Nan, his wife and best friend, would show these groups the chickens, rabbits, and occasional deer or owl she was rehabilitating. Terrell would show them the horses and watch in amazement at the reactions these large, lovable animals would elicit.

When a young boy with visual impairments asked to “see” a horse, Terrell thought about it for a moment and then helped him by guiding the boy’s hands over each part of the horse and explaining what it was for. The boy’s face lit up with joy.

Terrell never forgot how that moment felt.

Terrell and his entire family became involved, primarily his daughters, Martha and Nancy, and son-in-law, Michael, as did the community of Thomasville, which immediately fell in love with the vision of the program. The community came together and provided financial support, improvements to the farm, avenues for volunteering, and constant encouragement.

Terrell and Martha became certified therapeutic riding instructors under NARHA in 2000, with Terrell being 76 years of age. While Terrell and Nancy, a teacher, taught lessons every Saturday; Martha, being pregnant with her third child, Brayton, taught lessons during the week. In addition, Michael, a physical therapist, used horses as a benefit to his clients and helped the organization move to accepting more physically challenged riders. By the end of the first year, there were 35 riders each week.

Martha, Michael, their son, Will, and Nancy are still actively involved in the program to this day. Martha serves on the board of directors and all three families live on the property, generously leasing it to the program for $1 a year. They are always available to lend a helping hand, whether in lessons or to help grow the program and expand services that are provided.

Although the organization had humble beginnings with only three therapy horses, it did not take long for the good news about the relationships between horses and riders to spread and Hands and Hearts for Horses began to grow.

Karey’s Story

Karen Leabo Singletary has been an equine enthusiast since early childhood. She showed competitively as a child and was considered to be one of the top riders in the nation in the hunter/jumper show arena. Karen was a member of the equestrian team at St. Andrews Presbyterian College where she won numerous national championships and graduated with a degree in Business Management and a minor in Equine Business.

During her college years, she developed a love for equine therapy, and, upon her return to Thomasville, Karen decided to start an equine therapeutic center. With encouragement from her uncle Dick, Karen approached Terrell Singeltary about using his farm for a therapeutic riding program. Thus Hands and Hearts for Horses (HHH) was founded with 2 volunteer teachers, Karen and Terrell, and 3 horses in 2000.

It was a natural fit.

Karen was not only a member of the original Hands and Hearts for Horses (HHH) founding families. and was impacted by services at HHH as well. Karen’s first son, Zach, was born healthy Oct 3, 2001, just as HHH had passed into it’s first year. Slightly more than 5 years later, Karen and her husband, Tim, received life changing news. On November 14th, 2006, Zach was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a type of malignant brain tumor that affects children and young adults. He was immediately scheduled for surgery. The effects of this surgery were profound, severely affecting his ability to move, speak and function. Upon returning to Thomasville, Zach began riding with Michael Hanna, a physical therapist, in addition to traditional therapies. In just six weeks, Karen and Tim started to see remarkable progress in Zach: increased trunk strength which allowed him to sit up, and increased lung strength which allowed him to begin talking, and helped his brain reprogram so he could start walking.

Coming full circle in the program, Karen saw the benefits and blessings of horses first hand. Zach is now an adult, working locally in Thomasville and has had a clean bill of health. Karen continues to volunteer in lessons and at special events, taking pictures and judging at our annual horse shows. She loves to stay involved with the program as it continues to grow.