Melissa Vaught

Licensed Occupational Therapist

Melissa is a licensed Occupational Therapist who graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina.  She has been practicing for over 20 years primarily in the area of pediatrics.  Melissa is skilled in using sensory modalities to work with children on the Autism Spectrum.  She currently has received her micro-credentials for Autism by the National Board of Occupational Therapy.  Melissa has also received certification for treating children with sensory impairments and is SIPT certified. Having grown up with horses Melissa has always been interested in combining her skills with horses and children with Autism.  She completed Level 1 and Level 2 coursework for hippotherapy in 2006.

 

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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.
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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

Horses don't hide what they're feeling — ears back means something, a soft nicker means something else. For many autistic individuals who find human social cues confusing or exhausting to decode, an animal's honesty is a relief. What you see is what you get. That clarity builds a kind of trust that's hard to find anywhere else. ... See MoreSee Less

Horses dont hide what theyre feeling — ears back means something, a soft nicker means something else. For many autistic individuals who find human social cues confusing or exhausting to decode, an animals honesty is a relief. What you see is what you get. That clarity builds a kind of trust thats hard to find anywhere else.

There's a moment we don't get to plan for — the one where months of quiet, patient work suddenly click into something joyful.

Today, after grooming his horse, one of our young kiddo's headed down to the lake with his counselor for some fishing. He's tried before but had never caught one on his own. Fishing takes patience, and patience isn't easy for any kid — especially one who's working hard every day to understand his own big feelings and where they come from.

But that's exactly the work he does here. Caring for his horse. Caring for himself. Learning, session by session, that he can sit with discomfort and come out the other side.

Today, by the still water, that line finally pulled tight. And the smile on his face said everything patience, trust, and time on this farm can build. 🎣💚

This is why we do this work.

#FoxMoonFarm #HealingWithHorses #NatureHeals #TraumaInformedCare #FarmTherapy
... See MoreSee Less

Theres a moment we dont get to plan for — the one where months of quiet, patient work suddenly click into something joyful.Today, after grooming his horse, one of our young kiddos headed down to the lake with his counselor for some fishing. Hes tried before but had never caught one on his own. Fishing takes patience, and patience isnt easy for any kid — especially one whos working hard every day to understand his own big feelings and where they come from.But thats exactly the work he does here. Caring for his horse. Caring for himself. Learning, session by session, that he can sit with discomfort and come out the other side.Today, by the still water, that line finally pulled tight. And the smile on his face said everything patience, trust, and time on this farm can build. 🎣💚This is why we do this work.#FoxMoonFarm #HealingWithHorses #NatureHeals #TraumaInformedCare #FarmTherapyImage attachmentImage attachment
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Healing, Learning, and Growing Together: Empowering Lives through Horses, Community, and Wellness.