Therapy Horses
Our speaker on December 4th was Laurie Baer. Laurie is from HIS Haven Ranch a faith-based non-profit that provides one on one mentoring through the aid of horses. With horses, words are optional for healing whatever someone is going through. HIS stands for Healing in the Savior. Laurie spoke to us about the ranch and how their seven horses can help those dealing with some of life’s challenges thru taking care of the horses and learning how to work with the horses. 73% of the riders they work with are under the age of twenty-five and many are dealing with family changes and unhealthy family environments. The second highest rate of suicides is nine to fifteen-year old ages and the highest is in veterans. His Haven Ranch is working to create change in lives to empower and transform each person.
A majority of the ranch has seen improvements through service projects by eagle scouts. In 2006 they had 6 riders, and now in 2019 they had over 230 registered riders. Along with working with youth, they are also developing programs for veterans. Next year will feature a program spearheaded by veterans that have previously participated in summer sessions. The 2020 and beyond goals are to continue to meet operational costs, build an indoor arena so that riders are in the saddle year-round, to build an eight-stall horse barn closer to the arena site, and to increase community outreach to veterans.
Their services are made possible by caring and dedicated volunteers and financial support. To donate online visit www.hishavenranch.org or mail donations to 3245 Lake Ave New Prague, MN 56071.