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December 11, 2018 <br />Re: Trot Brook Farm Proposed Equestrian Facility <br />Location: 17902 Saint Francis Boulevard Ramsey, Minnesota <br />From: Dale/Tammy Wills and Centra Homes <br />1. The Vision <br />Social challenges facing children and teens have grown exponentially in the past several years. <br />While issues like peer pressure, low self-esteem and social anxiety have been around a long <br />time, recently their prevalence has reached epidemic proportions. Fueled by technology, social <br />media and an increasingly polarized world, anxiety and depression are on the rise. <br />Raising six children in the early 2000s, Dale and Tammy Wills understand these challenges well. <br />Through skills gained in their successful property development company Centra Homes, they <br />now find themselves in a position to help. <br />Research has shown improved mental health for children can be fostered by offering safe <br />outlets for kids to express themselves, explore, learn emotional awareness and build resilience. <br />The Wills' hope to create a program using horses as the hands-on avenue for this growth. The <br />new program will help students enhance self-esteem and build problem -solving skills while <br />increasing empathy and social responsibility by learning to ride and care for horses. <br />The Wills' plan to develop their new program in Ramsey at the Trot Brook Farm. In addition to <br />skill -building, the program will offer volunteer opportunities to help establish meaningful <br />relationships as participants learn to work with and care for horses in community with others. <br />2. The Program <br />Through the new program, youth will have the ability to sign up for weekly lessons with a <br />professional trainer as well as volunteer to assist with feeding and grooming the animals. They <br />will begin their journey by learning how to care for horses then progress to tacking and riding. <br />Participants will have the ability to choose to pursue riding in either a western or English <br />discipline. Western riding includes familiar events such as barrel racing while English riding <br />primarily consists of horse jumping. <br />3. Trot Brook Farm <br />