22862 Dover Bridge Road, Preston, Maryland 21655
The Women of Campbell's Lane Farm
Anne Altvater
Anne Altvater
Anne Altvater
As a child horses were my sounding board. They helped me filter experiences so that I could focus on what was good and healthy. My relationship with these four-legged healers made me who I am today – a skilled horse woman, an award-winning riding instructor, a compassionate energy healer, and an intuitive equine therapy practitioner.
I have been training horses and riders for 30 years. Through decades of working with children and adults I have seen that much more goes on in the ring than just a riding lesson. I have witnessed how people grow and heal when they come face-to-face and heart-to-heart with a horse.
I expanded my professional practice to include massage therapy after graduating from the Southeastern School of Massage in Jacksonville, Florida. In 1999 I began my studies at the Barbara Brennan School of Healing. As a Brennan Healing Science practitioner I combine high-sense perception and hands-on techniques to help clients discover the psychological, physical, emotional and spiritual blocks that create “dis-ease” in their lives.
I earned certification in the EAGALA process of equine therapy to expand my healing practice. The EAGALA method of using horses as healers validated what I have seen happen in my own life and in healing work I have done with others: Horses open our hearts and minds to insights that we may not be able to imagine on our own.
Jennifer Fox
Anne Altvater
Anne Altvater
Horses have been my companions for most of my life. I got my first pony when I was four years old and have been riding ever since. When I graduated from high school I wasn’t sure what was next. School was not my favorite place to be. What I did like to do was spend time playing with and nurturing young children.
My love of children an
Horses have been my companions for most of my life. I got my first pony when I was four years old and have been riding ever since. When I graduated from high school I wasn’t sure what was next. School was not my favorite place to be. What I did like to do was spend time playing with and nurturing young children.
My love of children and my experience as a nanny led me to study early childhood development in college. My personal experience with a child diagnosed with autism inspired me to specialize in working with children whose special needs require creativity and sensitivity. With these special young people I learned the importance of setting boundaries. I followed their lead toward activities that spark their interest and help them learn their own life lessons.
What I do at Campbell’s Lane Farm is much more than teach people how to ride horses. I listen, observe, and offer ideas that suit the needs of each client. In this safe environment people of all ages experience lessons that follow them off the farm and into their relationships with family and friends
Nicki Swann
Anne Altvater
Nicki Swann
Growing up on a farm inspired my creativity and helped me develop an appreciation for the life lessons available out in nature.
I graduated from Chesapeake College with a degree in human services, focused on substance abuse and addictions. I rely on creativity to engage, inspire, and empower to live up to their potential.
I began my
Growing up on a farm inspired my creativity and helped me develop an appreciation for the life lessons available out in nature.
I graduated from Chesapeake College with a degree in human services, focused on substance abuse and addictions. I rely on creativity to engage, inspire, and empower to live up to their potential.
I began my career working with children in my family’s daycare business. I have been a teen mentor at the Talbot County YMCA and directed teen summer camps at Camp Mardela in Denton, Maryland.
I came to Campbell’s Lane Farm team as a riding instructor. I also create and direct the farm’s camp experiences. I love to introduce kids to beginner riding lessons. During lessons and at camp I balance fun and discipline, which helps my students develop confidence as they learn to ride and to play.
Anne invited me to help produce the first fundraiser hosted at Campbell’s Lane Farm. I wrote and directed the mystery dinner theater show “D-Taned: A Wild West Bank Robbery.” This play brought together seasoned talent from the local stage with teens and adults new to performing. This project gave me an opportunity to use my passion for creating stories and bringing together people who want to have fun for a good cause.
In 2020 I published my first book, Puzzled Pogo, a story that reminds readers that it's OK to ask for help. My second childrens's book, Super Stanley was published in 2021.
The Horses
Through millions of years of evolution horses have become hard-wired to survive by sensing what is around them with acute accuracy. These instincts keep the horses safe and let them determine how to act in their best interest. This same keen awareness allows them to mirror the inner lives of people they invite into their healing field.
We humans tend to live behind the masks of our roles, professions, beliefs, and wounds. We obsess about the past and worry about the future. Horses see through to our hearts where insights arise when we pay attention to what these healers show us.
Pogo the Donkey and his critter sidekicks
All of the critters at Campbell's Lane Farm have their own personality. Our Pogo never misses an opportunity to step into the spotlight. He had a starring role in our first mystery dinner theater show, in which he played D-Tane, the Sheriff's Deputy, who helped detain suspects during the search for the bank robber.
Fiona and Silas Paul
Fiona the Donkey made Campbell's Lane Farm her home on February 1, 2020. We suspected that she might be pregnant when she arrived. On May 25, we noticed that Fiona was pacing the fence line. A few hours later we saw that she had delivered a baby boy in the field! We quickly prepared a stall for mom and baby. Fiona wasted no time teaching her boy how to be a well-behaved jack. His name is Silas Paul. Silas in some traditions means “asked for, prayed for” and Paul was Anne's Campbell grandfather.
The Farm
Campbell’s Lane Farm in Preston, Maryland, has been a place of comfort and welcome for over 100 years. The 50-acre farm on Maryland’s Eastern Shore was owned by Anne Altvater’s grandparents for 69 years. She was a frequent visitor to the farm during her childhood. Her memories are filled with days spent playing on horse-shaped swings built by her grandfather.
Anne took over the farm in 1999. In the following years she began training horses and coaching riders who have gone on to earn ribbons and develop self-confidence. Riders and visitors alike breathe more deeply as they step onto the grounds of what has become known as “tranquility acres” of Campbell’s Land Farm.
