Warrior Mission Ranch Inc

Warrior Mission Ranch was founded by Major Michael McCave, a Green Beret whose own road to healing began on the back of a horse.

On October 8, 2014, Michael was severely injured during a HALO training jump at Yuma Proving Ground when his main and reserve parachutes tangled and he hit the ground at 119 mph. By the grace of God, he survived, but with shattered legs, a broken pelvis and spine, and a traumatic brain injury that affected his vision, memory, and language. Over years of hospitals and rehabilitation, he relearned how to walk and read.

The physical wounds were only part of the battle. A growing dependence on prescription painkillers, a painful withdrawal, and the loss of the career he loved left Michael angry, hopeless, and withdrawn from the people who loved him most, including his wife and daughter.

Then a doctor referred him to a therapeutic horse ranch in San Diego. There, two generous mentors taught him horsemanship and met him where he was. The turning point came the day a horse, a prey animal that instinctively sees humans as predators, chose to trust him. Michael’s anger and anxiety began to fade, and in their place came purpose and a renewed call to lead. As the old saying goes, “The best thing for the inside of a man is the outside of a horse.” That healing carried home, reopening his heart to his family.

After years of learning from ranches and trainers across the country, Michael and his wife partnered with like-minded leaders to found Warrior Mission Ranch, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to helping others find the same purpose he found.