Cat Thompson

Cat, founder of BDF and certified speech pathologist of 22 years, specializes in: autism, severe speech and language disorders, apraxia, cleft palate, feeding aversion and swallowing disorders. She is also certified by PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International) as a therapeutic riding instructor and with the American Hippotherapy Association. She has been using hippotherapy as a treatment modality since 1994, when she helped to build a hippotherapy center as an adjunct to traditional therapy services at St. Mary’s hospital in Athens.

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Ashley Burdette

Ashley Burdette, M.S., CCC-SLP grew up on a small farm in Hart County, Ga, with cows, goats, cats, and dogs. She has always been passionate about working with children and animals, and when she realized she could combine those passions through hippotherapy, she was hooked. She immediately began utilizing horses through hippotherapy to create meaningful and effective treatment sessions for the pediatric population she has served since completing her graduate school training in speech-language pathology. She received her undergraduate in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Georgia in 2014 and her Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Georgia State University in 2016. She has experience treating a variety of pediatric speech and language disorders including, but not limited to, autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, genetic disorders, pediatric stroke, stuttering, articulation disorders, and language disorders. Ashley is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the Georgia Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She has completed both American Hippotherapy Association Treatment Principles Part I & II courses.

Heidi Maloy

Heidi Maloy acquired her love for horses when she got her beloved first pony at the age of six. At this point she went on to join and graduate from the USPC (United States Pony Club). Then continued on with her career earning her silver medal in Vaulting and demonstrated in the 1996 Olympics. She has competed in regional and national events in Vaulting, Eventing, and Games. Heidi developed her love for working with special needs students while volunteering at Camp Sunshine. Heidi then went on to get her PATH certification in 2007 and her interactive vaulting certification in 2011. Heidi has also decided to expand in her development and gained her YTT (Yoga Alliance certification) and her Equine Om Yoga certification. Heidi has combined her love of horses, yoga, and teaching to touch individuals lives from children to adults.

Ansley Goss

Ansley Goss, M.S., CF-SLP developed a passion for serving people and a love for all animals at a very early age. She volunteered with a therapist providing hippotherapy during high school in her hometown and fell in love with it. Ansley graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Georgia in May 2019 and received her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of South Carolina in August 2021. She has experience working with individuals of all ages who have a variety of speech, language, voice, cognitive, and feeding/swallowing disorders resulting from traumatic brain injury, stroke, autism, hearing loss, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, stuttering, cancer, laryngectomy, tracheostomy and ventilator dependency, Prader-Willi, and other acquired and/or genetic disorders. Ansley is excited to provide services to our children and their families at Butterfly Dreams Farm and is looking forward to sharing her passion for animals and Speech-Language Pathology.

Kyle Courtney

Kyle Courtney M.S. OTR/L grew up in Evansville, IN and attended school at the University of Southern Indiana earning degrees in exercise science, psychology, and occupational therapy.  He spent much of his time in school volunteering with youth programming and parent support groups. Through his love of working with kids and families, he decided to focus his career on pediatrics. Kyle has been working with kids utilizing Hippotherapy for over 4 years and has completed The American Hippotherapy Association Treatment Principles Part I Course.