Due to COVID-19 visits to the farm are currently by appointment only. Read More in Great and Small's COVID-19 Action Plan
Great and Small moved into Phase 4 of our Reopening Plan with additional sidewalker supported lessons on June 21st, 2021.
Effective March 7th, 2022: In accordance with Montgomery County Guidelines, masks are NOT required for vaccinated visitors in on our indoor and outdoor spaces. Masks remain required for unvaccinated visitors, riders, and volunteers indoors and in program when appropriate social distancing cannot be maintained.
Tickets are now available via Eventbrite here.
Please consider making a ticket donation of $25, $50, $75, $125 or more in support of our important work at Great and Small.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Many families impacted by autism or other challenges are tremendously stretched financially. We hope to help them by raising funds through sponsorship instead of charging for tickets.
Your sponsorship will allow many more to join the event and benefit from hearing Temple speak. Please consider sponsoring the event. We would be pleased to discuss combinations. All contributions are fully tax deductible.
Interested in Sponsoring? Email us at Info@greatandsmallride.org
About Great and Small
Great and Small is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in Boyds, Maryland, that provides therapeutic and adaptive equine services to students with a wide range of physical, emotional, and cognitive challenges, including autism.
The movement of the horse is a natural strengthening agent for those with balance or impairments, and the connection between student and horse is empowering. Our unique lessons instill confidence, a sense of mastery and accomplishment, and independence. Students build a social community and develop friendships, as well as having fun!
Rider fees contribute only 30% of our annual budget. We rely on donations like yours to make our activities and therapies possible, keep costs low, and provide access for those who need them the most. Our programs require funding of $195 per hour, yet participants pay only $20 to $70 per session. Your generosity truly has a direct impact on the life of a child or adult with physical, emotional, or cognitive challenges.
About Temple Grandin
Dr. Temple Grandin is the focus of a semi-biographical HBO film, broadcast in 2010, entitled “Temple Grandin“ and starring Claire Danes as Grandin. It is a fascinating look at Grandin’s story and journey.
Grandin is an outspoken advocate for people with autism, Professor of Animal Sciences at Colorado State University, and a leading voice for animal welfare. She recognizes the transformative affect that horses can have on those with physical, emotional, and developmental challenges, as they did on her. As a teenager with autism struggling to find her place in the world, a summer on her aunt’s ranch in Arizona sparked an interest in horses. Horses gave her a purpose.
In 2021, the new state-of-the-art Temple Grandin Equine Center opened its doors as a leading equine-assisted services facility, offering a variety of therapy and therapeutic services to clients of all abilities and backgrounds, from 18 months to 99 years.
About Debra Moore
Dr. Debra Moore draws on more than three decades of work as a psychologist with kids on the autism spectrum and those who love and care for them. She has collaborated on numerous articles and book chapters, as well as two books with Temple Grandin: "Navigating Autism" (Norton, 2021), and "The Loving Push" (Future Horizons, 2016; 2nd edition 2022).
What is Autism?
There is no one type of autism, but many. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a broad
range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech,
and nonverbal communication. In 2021, the CDC reported that approximately 1 in 44 children in
the U.S. is diagnosed with an ASD. While autism affects all ethnic and socioeconomic groups,
early intervention and therapeutic programs help support healthy development.