Blog

RGR Co-Founder, Amanda Moore’s vision for empathy, understanding, and unity through equine therapy Amanda reflects, “As I read the experiences and narratives penned by our Ranch participants for our quarterly, “Ranch Stories” newsletter, a resounding theme emerges: CHANGE. Webster’s Dictionary defines change as making something different, altering, or modifying.

Guest Post By Arizona Business Today.

National Bank of Arizona helps Rio Verde horse ranch offer hope and discovery Sprawled across more than 15 acres of the Arizona desert, the sun warms patches of earth where horses heal. Since 2009, Reigning Grace Ranch in Rio Verde has provided a sanctuary for youth and families through experiential equine programs.

No matter the destination, life’s journeys are easier when you’re prepared. For many of us cowboys and cowgirls, we generally prefer to ride in a saddle. The role of the saddle is to protect the horse’s back from sores and chafing.

A brand is much more than just a visual element. Ideally, it also symbolizes the characteristics or qualities of who or what is represented by the brand. To say Reigning Grace Ranch has a lot going on these days, would be an understatement!

In the the day-to-day busyness of life at the Ranch, I rarely am ever able to ponder the answer to the question: Are we making a difference in the lives of those we serve? Recently, though, I received a letter from a leader of MIKID (Mentally Ill Kids in Distress) who testified that, indeed, we are making a difference—a huge difference.

Guest Post By Mechelle Moore.

To insure that the ever-growing needs of our community will be met, Reigning Grace Ranch looks to the present to secure its future financial health. Since this is my first article for RGR, allow me to introduce myself. I am Mechelle Moore and have had the recent privilege of joining the Board of Directors for Reigning Grace Ranch.

When it seemed at times that there was no one to hear a little girl’s tearful call for help, a horse with a big heart, named Shiloh, answered the call with love and reassurance. One of my favorite stories is of an 8-year-old little girl who was a foster kid from China that had reactive attachment disorder (RAD).

Not all horses come to the ranch unwanted, at least that was not the case for Lakota, a registered paint horse, with funny little quirks of sticking his tongue out and sitting back on the hitching rail. Prior to Lakota coming to the Ranch, he had served the purpose of comforting a teenage girl, whose dad had purchased him for a very special reason.

I remember back in the “old days” when we would order 64 bales of hay, and my heart would be full. This meant the horses would be fed for another month and I was safe from the worry of whether there would be enough.

It was Thursday evening about 7:45, when I received a voicemail on my phone from a very serious horse buyer, who then followed up the unanswered phone call with a text message. Lola called because she was ready to purchase her favorite horse at the ranch and she couldn’t wait any longer.

Our culture is so fascinated by super heroes—good vs evil. Perhaps it’s because these caped, brave men and women perform good deeds and make great sacrifices on behalf of others. Perhaps they inspire us when they can perform great deeds with power and might that we simply could not fathom doing.

Amid the distractions of life, keeping focused on what lies ahead keeps us on the straight and narrow. “Now, lead your horse over the bridge,” I said. The teenager looked briefly ahead to the bridge, took a deep breath, and then looked back at her horse.

A look back at years of memories of the little ranch that brought big changes to the lives of many. The love at the ranch is undeniably awe inspiring. On Thanksgiving day, while at my brother’s family dinner, I logged into the cameras at the ranch to check up on the horses and I saw bustling volunteers serving the ranch, each other, and all the creatures great and small that take up occupancy at this little place in the desert.

What I love about horses as healers is that they have the ability to push their human to action. Many of us know what to do, that is insight. We read about it…how to lose weight, how to become present, how to set boundaries, how to get over our past, how to be a leader, how to, how to, how to.

There is so much going on right now in our world that it almost seems trivial to be writing about anything else. Horses are a big piece of my world, and I want to share a little bit about how Reigning Grace Ranch was able to save the day from an incredibly bad situation.