Remembering Edward Nierman

May 12, 2022

Last week, friends and family gathered for a memorial service to celebrate the life of Edward Nierman, who passed away in early January at the age of 98. Ed was a beloved member of the Ironstone Farm community and a long-time supporter of our nonprofit programs. Many of our farm’s amenities that allow year-round therapeutic riding to happen, such as our indoor arena’s heating system, were made possible, in part, through the Nierman family’s generosity. However, we would like to take a moment to remember Ed Nierman for the lasting effect his dedication and love had on the earliest stages of our nonprofit.

As the father of one of our earliest riders, Ed came to Ironstone Farm in the mid-’80s with his son David, who was a teenager at the time. Diagnosed with spastic Cerebral Palsy, David had activity limitations that we had not yet experienced. Our founding Executive Director, Deedee O’Brien was our only therapeutic riding instructor at the time and was concerned about putting David on top of the horse. When she expressed this to Ed, he quickly pointed to the other clients that were mounting.

“Why should those children be able to ride and not my son? Any one of them could get hurt. Why is my son not allowed to take that chance if he wants to?” he asked. And he was right.

With Ed beside him, founder Dick Donovan lifted David onto the horse. Deedee herself remembers the moment saying, “David’s legs were tight and held high on the saddle like a jockey while I supported him from behind. As Dick walked Buckshot [the horse] he turned around and told me, ‘you should see the smile on his face!’ Then we witnessed for the first time what I believe to be the real miracle of the horse. In about 15-20 minutes, David’s legs began to relax. He was riding – he was sitting on his own, straddling the horse, and riding! It was a transformative moment at Ironstone Farm.”

Ed’s words and the effect therapeutic riding had on his son demonstrated an important lesson we still hold dear. Everyone deserves a chance – to take the chance, to go beyond the expected. Everyone deserves the opportunity to stretch their limits and find their greatest potential. Ever since that day, Challenge Unlimited at Ironstone Farm has maintained that spirit in all practices, with all our people. And since that day hundreds of clients have come to the farm to find strength and joy in their time with our horses.

We are forever grateful for Edward Nierman. He will be deeply missed, and the change he created will live on for the years to come in the heart of Ironstone Farm.

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