Founder Christy Menke knew Lakeland, her grand-prix show jumper, was feisty, talented, and independent. On the jumping circuit, she also learned that Lakeland formed bonds with unlikely people - those in need of love, acceptance, and confidence building. Witnessing these bonds sparked Christy’s interest in the therapeutic riding industry. When a car accident ended her Olympic-pace career, Christy and Lakeland returned to their roots in Indiana and founded Hope Haven Horse Farm, Inc., in 2000, with the help of her mother Nancy and grandparents Ralph and Virginia.

For the next 17 years, Hope Haven focused on its mission and vision by identifying innovative and unique approaches to the field of equine assisted therapies. One of the biggest needs identified was simply that there was minimal technology available in therapeutic riding to provide hard data on its benefits.  In 2012, Hope Haven began to collaborate with Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, as senior biomedical engineering students developed and advanced the use of technology in the therapeutic riding field.  Incorporating new designs into the riding lessons vastly improved clients’ experiences.

The collaboration, combining PATH certified lessons with technology, and the data retrieved sparked a change in Hope Haven’s mission, vision, and brand of the farm. On October 28, 2017, in honor of Lakeland, Christy’s jumper, Hope Haven introduced its new direction as the farm was officially re-branded the Lakeland Center for therapeutic riding research.