Spirit of Hope Youth Ranch is a 501(c)(3) founded in 2006 as a ministry to provide hope, healing, and restoration to children in foster care, DHR custody, or other familial distress and unwanted or rescued horses. Our goal is to demonstrate God’s love through mutual healing between child and horse.

Soon after we opened, John (name changed) came to participate even though he was terrified of horses. After talking to his counselor about his fears, John decided that he wanted to face them. As John and his counselor were driving up to the ranch, they noticed a volunteer petting one our horses named Job.

The counselor decided to get out of the car to also pet Job, but told John that he could stay in the car if he wished. Within a few minutes the door of the car opened and John tentatively came close enough to reach out and touch Job with the tips of his fingers. The volunteer began to tell the story of Job. He was the only survivor of a herd of twenty; the other nineteen had starved due to neglect and abandonment.

In a voice thick with emotion, John said, “That’s what happened to me,” and began to talk about his painful past. At that moment John became comfortable with Job and began to pet him affectionately. The bonding was immediate. John said, “I want to take care of that horse.” In a moment that could have been orchestrated only by God, John made a significant step along his healing journey and an unpretentious colt gained a new friend.

Numerous studies of equine assisted programs similar to ours have proven that participating children significantly improve in their self-esteem, empathy, tolerance for stress, problem-solving skills, impulse control, and interpersonal relationships. By working with the horses, children at the ranch are encouraged to draw conclusions and metaphors about how these experiences relate to their own lives.

Our mission is to restore hope to children by showing them that even as bad as things might be in their life right now, with God’s help and the help of others who genuinely care they can overcome their difficult circumstances.