$4,800 raised by 24 donors
16% complete
$30,000 Goal
In March of 2023 we moved to our new location in Parker. We have had the incredible opportunity to partner with Praying Hands Ranch to better serve the missions of both ranches. We now have a beautiful space that will allow us to continue to grow our programs. We truly are better together.Â
THIS YEAR, the Ranch is in need of major plumbing and electrical updates as well as major renovation to our small animal enclosure!
We urgently need to:
CAN YOU HELP? ANYTHING IS APPRECIATED!
During Colorado Gives Day, between now and December 6, 2023, we are working to raise $30,000. We can only do it with your help! Please consider making a tax-deductible donation. Join other Coloradans by Giving Where You Live.
Tricia said: "I absolutely LOVE teaching! I am very passionate about how animals can helps us learn about ourselves and help us grow. Horses are absolutely amazing animals. Who doesn't love horses? They are the ultimate healers. Their energy is so calming an kind. Working with the special needs population is truly a gift for me. Every ride for them is so special. It is their one hour a week to be in charge of their world. Our volunteers are amazing and are right there with me helping the client to be successful in their lesson. The best part is when the client has that "ah ha" moment and everything comes together. It's a celebration for all of us! Some clients are intimidated by the size of our horses. That is when we spend time together learning about the donkey's, alpacas, goats and sheep. We learn their behaviors. We learn to halter and walk the goats (although to be honest they take us for a walk sometimes)! It doesn't really matter what the animal is as long as there is a connection. I would invite everyone to come out to our ranch to experience the connection."
10-year-old Cora said: "I like (coming to Promise Ranch) because of the horses and the teachers, and how the teachers help you through stuff and how they talk to you and make you feel calm and get through your feelings. I like it because I get to play games and if I don't want to talk to my parents I can talk to one of my teachers here and feel comfortable and get help with something I am struggling with. I like that the horses can also help you stay calm sometimes. If you like horses it might be good to come here. I've learned about the horses, how to tell how they feel sometimes, when they are feeling something you can tell mostly by their ears, and their facial expressions."
18 -year-old Brinley said: "I love my time at the ranch each week. It is an opportunity to strengthen my body in a way that helps me feel free. It isn't boring like regular physical therapy. Â I LOVE my instructor Tricia and my volunteer Rondi. They find a way to make me feel special every single week. The horses have a way of reflecting my emotions and my attitude for the day. It helps me connect to my body and I forget for a moment about all of my other concerns. It is just my time to be me without any labels."
Daniel's grandparents told us: "Daniel is our 12 year old with Down Syndrome. We came to Promise Ranch with high hopes of Daniel increasing his large motor activity, and he has benefitted so far beyond our initial hopes. He loves horses and was hesitant at first, but the staff was encouraging and patient and now he can't wait to be at the ranch and to see the horses. We have seen great strides in many areas. While his balance is greatly improved in class, we see how that has helped him in general with running, playing, stairs, and much more. We also see the improvement in his core strength which has helped his posture and general activities. He has even improved his speech as he has learned to communicate effectively with the horse and therapist. Finally, he has built tremendous confidence on the horse, which is displayed in other settings.
We are grateful to Promise Ranch and their tremendous programs!"
Carson S. said: "I like coming to Promise Ranch because the people are so nice. They play fun games and it doesn't even seem like work. I get stronger and get to practice conversation. I like horseback riding!"
Sarah's parents told us: "Sarah LOVES going to Promise. She gets up on Saturday and puts on all of her horse gear so she can go ride her horse, Lucky. She was up so early to go there this weekend that we had trouble getting her to understand that we still had to wait 2.5 hours before we could leave! With her blue sweatshirt on, you can't see the horse shirt that she's wearing, and her pink boots are covering her horse socks. She was so happy that her new horse riding gloves came this week. We've tried several other hippotherapy options and they weren't on the same level as Promise. I'm so happy we tried one more before giving up."
Our mission is to Enhance our Community Through Connection and Inclusion.
Promise Ranch provides Equine-Assisted Services for children and adults with developmental, physical, social or emotional healing needs.
We offer Adaptive Riding, Horse-Mounted Therapies, Horsemanship for Veterans, and Ranch-based Occupational, Speech, Physical, Music and Mental Health Therapies, as well as Supported Employment.
At Promise Ranch, lives are changed through working with horses - whether our clients are in a saddle or working on the ground, riding or grooming, or experiencing how horses respond to the facial expressions and moods of people around them.
The benefits of improved social, cognitive, physical or emotional growth don't just stay at the barn; those benefits go out the door with our clients and into their everyday lives.
A teen learns valuable skills in empathy and assertiveness through equine-assisted counseling: Horses are herd animals and look for a leader, so teens must stand out and become leaders.
A person who uses a wheelchair is able to experience, on horseback, the same neuromuscular sensation felt during walking. No machine can provide what a horse's movement can: movement most similar to the human gait.
A previously nonverbal child says, "Walk on," to ask her horse to move. Horses are inspiring, and they can motivate humans to feel, do and say powerful things!
Founded in 2010 as Promise Ranch Therapeutic Riding, the organization originally had the purpose of providing equine-assisted activities for children and adults with disabilities. Because the gait of the horse mimics the natural gait of the human walk, horse-mounted therapies are effective for treating neurological and developmental conditions.
Through the years, the broader social-emotional-cognitive benefits of equine-assisted therapies have been validated and the demand for these services has increased. In response to community demand, Promise Ranch began offering multi-disciplinary services in 2020. In February 2021, the organization changed its name to Promise Ranch Therapies & Recreation, a name which more accurately reflects our expanded programming and plans to further grow. We are now working on a merger with Praying Hands Ranch and will soon have a new name to represent our partnership.
We serve over 100 participants each week, and we partner with 20 wonderful therapy horses who help to make our program possible.
Not only does Promise Ranch promote the social, emotional and physical well-being of participants, the organization also fulfills a desire for community members to give back through our volunteer program. We have over 150 active volunteers, donating over 1160 hours monthly, helping with horses in therapy sessions, barn chores, or facility improvements.
Since 2010, PRTR has grown significantly. This year, moved from our beloved property in Castle Rock to a larger facility in Parker where we have partnered with Praying Hands Ranch to better serve our clients. We love our new space and our new friends.
Fast facts and where your donation goes:
80% of our clientele has an intellectual or developmental disability
20% of our clientele comes to the Ranch to work on mental wellness and emotional healing
We provide sliding scale fees and scholarships to those unable to afford the cost of therapy.
$150 will provide one therapy session for one client
The yearly cost to care for just one therapy horse is $6,900
$520 provides an 8 week session of adaptive riding for one client
$3,000 provides monthly hay for our herd
$125 provides one bale of hay - one day's worth!
$145 provides monthly grain for one horse
$200 provides monthly shoes for one horse
$50 pays for a hoof trim for one horse
Organization name
Promise Ranch Therapies & Recreation
other names
Promise Ranch Therapies & Recreation, PRTR, Promise Ranch Therapeutic Riding
2008
Tax id (EIN)
26-2431767
Category
Human Services
Organization Size
Medium Organization
Address
11892 Hilltop RdMailing
11892 Hilltop RdDouglas County, CO, US