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Melissa Valyo-Smith

Certified Recreation Therapist

Melissa Valyo-Smith is a certified Recreation Therapist and Aquatic Therapist. She works with a variety of populations, but focuses on older adults and the IDD population. Melissa is a  Certified Dementia Specialist and is working on her Masters in Gerontology. She loves animals and has 2 dogs and 6 ducks at home. More information about Melissa and her work can be found on her website.

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The Fox Moon Farm Project
22 hours ago
The Fox Moon Farm Project

One… two… three… all the way to twenty. 🐴

That's how grooming went for Matt last week — counting each brush stroke out loud, side by side with his team. Then he helped lift the saddle up and over and tighten the girth before heading to the ring.

From the saddle he reached for little colored cones and set them on top of the fence posts, one by one, following each step of the directions. And when we played a game of "point to the nose," he got it — and the high-fives came flying. 🙌

Practicing verbal and language skills, gross and fine motor skills, following multi step directions and building self confidence: it all happens a little more naturally with a patient horse underneath you.

#FoxMoonFarm #HealingWithHorses #TherapeuticRiding #FarmTherapy ... See MoreSee Less

One… two… three… all the way to twenty. 🐴Thats how grooming went for Matt last week — counting each brush stroke out loud, side by side with his team. Then he helped lift the saddle up and over and tighten the girth before heading to the ring.From the saddle he reached for little colored cones and set them on top of the fence posts, one by one, following each step of the directions. And when we played a game of point to the nose, he got it — and the high-fives came flying. 🙌Practicing verbal and language skills, gross and fine motor skills, following multi step directions and building self confidence: it all happens a little more naturally with a patient horse underneath you.#FoxMoonFarm #HealingWithHorses #TherapeuticRiding #FarmTherapyImage attachmentImage attachment
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The Fox Moon Farm Project
4 days ago
The Fox Moon Farm Project

Some days on the farm just take your breath away. 💚🚜

Here at Fox Moon, we often have a couple of sessions running at the same time, and this week that turned into something truly special.

Dylan, a 17-year-old who has been with us for years, was working with me on moving hay bales into the barn with the tractor. Tractor time is part of how Dylan practices staying calm, focused, and regulated when things feel big.

Meanwhile, over in the dry pen, young Jackson was spending time with our donkeys during his own session. Jackson has been working hard on following multi-step directions, managing big feelings, and building his confidence.

Then Jackson spotted the tractor. 🤩
His excitement was instant, and he wanted a ride more than anything. Dylan, who has the biggest soft spot for little kids, didn’t hesitate. He pulled Jackson up onto his lap, showed him how to hold the wheel, and gave him a ride around the farm.

Watching the two of them together was a gift. An older client becoming the teacher. A younger one learning to trust, listen, and shine. Both of them giving something and receiving something at the same time.

Healing and teaching, side by side, on a green tractor on an ordinary afternoon. This is exactly why we do what we do. 🦊🌙

#FoxMoonFarm #HealingWithHorses #NatureHeals #FarmTherapy #KingAndQueenCounty #VirginiaNonprofit #DownSyndromeAwareness #AutismAcceptance ... See MoreSee Less

Some days on the farm just take your breath away. 💚🚜Here at Fox Moon, we often have a couple of sessions running at the same time, and this week that turned into something truly special.Dylan, a 17-year-old who has been with us for years, was working with me on moving hay bales into the barn with the tractor. Tractor time is part of how Dylan practices staying calm, focused, and regulated when things feel big.Meanwhile, over in the dry pen, young Jackson was spending time with our donkeys during his own session. Jackson has been working hard on following multi-step directions, managing big feelings, and building his confidence.Then Jackson spotted the tractor. 🤩 His excitement was instant, and he wanted a ride more than anything. Dylan, who has the biggest soft spot for little kids, didn’t hesitate. He pulled Jackson up onto his lap, showed him how to hold the wheel, and gave him a ride around the farm.Watching the two of them together was a gift. An older client becoming the teacher. A younger one learning to trust, listen, and shine. Both of them giving something and receiving something at the same time.Healing and teaching, side by side, on a green tractor on an ordinary afternoon. This is exactly why we do what we do. 🦊🌙#FoxMoonFarm #HealingWithHorses #NatureHeals #FarmTherapy #KingAndQueenCounty #VirginiaNonprofit #DownSyndromeAwareness #AutismAcceptanceImage attachmentImage attachment+2Image attachment
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The Fox Moon Farm Project
1 week ago
The Fox Moon Farm Project

Sunday, we closed a beautiful chapter. 🌾🐴

Twelve sessions ago, a group of women showed up at Fox Moon Farm ready to do something brave: look honestly at themselves. Over these months, they’ve done the deep work — naming the core wounds they carry, gently loosening the emotional armor built to protect them, and learning to feel again without being ruled by what they feel.

They danced. They breathed. They lay still on this deck under the trees and let the vibration of the sound bowls settle into their bodies. They walked beside our horses — and let the horses teach them, in that quiet, honest way only horses can, how to notice a feeling before it becomes a reaction.

This past Sunday was our last official Hoofbeats & Heartbeats gathering, and it felt like a celebration — of who these women have become, and the space between themselves and their thoughts that they’ve learned to hold onto. That space is everything. It’s where choice lives.

In two weeks, we’ll come together one final time for a closing ceremony to honor this journey fully. We are so grateful to have walked alongside these women — and alongside Lora and our horses, who never stop teaching us what healing actually feels like.

🐴 Hoofbeats & Heartbeats — where the horses meet you exactly where you are. ... See MoreSee Less

Sunday, we closed a beautiful chapter. 🌾🐴Twelve sessions ago, a group of women showed up at Fox Moon Farm ready to do something brave: look honestly at themselves. Over these months, they’ve done the deep work — naming the core wounds they carry, gently loosening the emotional armor built to protect them, and learning to feel again without being ruled by what they feel.They danced. They breathed. They lay still on this deck under the trees and let the vibration of the sound bowls settle into their bodies. They walked beside our horses — and let the horses teach them, in that quiet, honest way only horses can, how to notice a feeling before it becomes a reaction.This past Sunday was our last official Hoofbeats & Heartbeats gathering, and it felt like a celebration — of who these women have become, and the space between themselves and their thoughts that they’ve learned to hold onto. That space is everything. It’s where choice lives.In two weeks, we’ll come together one final time for a closing ceremony to honor this journey fully. We are so grateful to have walked alongside these women — and alongside Lora and our horses, who never stop teaching us what healing actually feels like.🐴 Hoofbeats & Heartbeats — where the horses meet you exactly where you are.Image attachmentImage attachment+3Image attachment
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  • Shares: 11
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