Horses that Help provides FREE horseback riding and horsemanship training to special needs children, at-risk youth, veterans and their families, using rescued and rehabilitated horses.
“Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something”
Max Lucado
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Our Mission
Using horses to break through physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, and cultural barriers.
Early on at Horses That Help, we learned that everyone needs help in one way or another. Everyone has a story, everyone has a past, a hurt, or tender area and everyone needs love and to feel they belong.
What started as a ministry for special needs children has evolved into so much more. I think in the day and age, most children are “at-risk” and we aim to provide a safe, wholesome, loving environment where these kids can let down their guard and simply be kids. A child lights up when you point out their potential and they rise to the occasion when they are trusted to help. Something amazing happens when you take a kid from their everyday environment and expose them to nature and horses and hard work. They get to groom, ride, and wash down the horses but the best is when they are entrusted to help a special needs child that comes to ride. Now you have a kid that gets to experience the amazing feeling of helping and making a difference in the lives of others and instead of a victim of circumstance, this kid is a hero, an overcomer, a vital part of something special and that’s when the real miracles happen.
As the children heal, their families heal too. And it all starts with a kid and a horse.
Vision
Dream big… there’s a lot of people to help.
We currently serve 80-200 children a month. Kids with special needs, teens that are facing crossroads, youth that are considered “at-risk”, and teens in foster care. In this supportive, safe, caring environment, these kids are thriving and are empowered through each obstacle they overcome. They become family. These kids come to the ranch for mentoring, food, fellowship and learning. Learning not just about horses but life skills as well. But I envision even greater growth… I see mentors in place to teach mechanics and carpentry and sustainable gardening. I see teams fixing the cars of single moms and special needs families. I see teams building tables where families gather to eat the food we all prepare with the organic produce they helped grow.
I see hurting, starved, abused horses being loved on tenderly by kids who’ve been through the same. I see abandoned animals and people being made whole and given a new purpose and hope for their future.
I see good people in bad situations being helped.
I see urban youth going camping, roasting marshmellows, and riding a horse deep into the woods. Healing happens on long, quiet trail rides for both horse and rider and neither return unchanged.
I see kids that feel hopeless rising above their circumstance and becoming leaders and mentors.
I see community support and resources available to help their families and a network of people joining together to help however needed. I see lives changed for generations to come… and it all starts with a kid and a horse.
Horses
Just like people, each horse has a story…
Alvin
Mustang
Color: Bay
Age: 8 Years
Weight: 1200lbs
Moses
Tennessee Walker
Color: Blue Roan
Age: 19 Years
Weight: 1100lbs
Gus Gus
Tennessee Walker/Mustang
Color: Black
Age: 9 Years
Weight: 1500lbs
Pepper
Quarter Horse
Color: Grey
Age: 21 Years
Weight: 900lbs
Icee
American Shetland Pony
Color: Black
Age: 20 Years
Weight: 450lbs
Teddy
American Shetland Pony
Color: Black & White Paint
Age: 25+ Years
Weight: 600lbs
Rosette
American Shetland Pony
Color: Chestnut
Age: 5 Years
Weight: 500lbs
Simon
Mustang
Color: Chestnut
Age: 5 Years
Weight: 900lbs
Frisco (Cocopuff)
Mini Pony
Color: Black & White Paint
Age: 5 Years
Weight: 200lbs
Photos
Sponsors
We could never do what we do without all our amazing sponsors!
Help
Please fill out the contact form or call 561-281-8599.
Horses That Help is always looking for volunteers to help!
Ocala, FL
(561)281-8599
[email protected]
www.horsesthathelp.org