Affinity Ranch is the result of a collaborative partnership between Promise Ranch, established in 2008, and Praying Hands Ranch, founded in 1987. Together, these like-minded organizations are committed to enriching our community through connection and inclusion. We welcome every individual—whether neurodivergent or neurotypical—to experience personal growth and build meaningful relationships with others and our animals through our diverse ranch-based programs.
CAN YOU HELP? ANYTHING IS APPRECIATED!
During the Holiday Giving Season, we are working to raise $50,000. We can only do it with your help! Please consider making a tax-deductible donation. Join other Coloradans by Giving Where You Live.
If your organization is interested in sponsorships, partnerships, or stock donation options, please contact us directly at info@affinityranch.org. We would be delighted to assist you in exploring these opportunities.
Testimonials
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 donkeys, 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 Affinity 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. I LOVE my instructor Megan 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 Affinity 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 Affinity Ranch and their tremendous programs!"
Carson S. said: "I like coming to Affinity 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 Affinity Ranch. 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."