Equine Mentorship
We are proud to offer an equine mentorship program at Servant’s Heart Ranch. Participants are paired with a mentor and a horse that best fits their personality and individual presentation. We seek to partner with and encourage children to exist with confidence, connection, empathy, and growth as they find strength within themselves.
Our mentors are trained in how to form a positive, trauma-informed relationship with a child, to facilitate the relationship between horse and child, and to serve as a strong Christ-centered role model. We believe that godly principles are tools that children can take away from the Ranch to nurture their relationship with Christ and to live a fulfilling and fruitful life.
Our Programming
Programming is made up mainly of one-on-one sessions with the child & mentor and small group sessions with other children and mentors (if appropriate). All programming is offered at zero cost to participants and their families.
We offer multiple session times per year in the spring, fall, and summer months. Once approved for our programming, participants will be asked to commit to 4 consecutive weeks of programming in order to get the full benefits of building relationships with their mentor and horse.
We incorporate Biblical principles into our sessions for children to discover the hope and healing of Jesus Christ.
Sessions may include:
A ranch chore
Basic horse care
Natural horsemanship
Ground work with a horse
Grooming
Fun activities, games, or crafts
Why Mentorship?
Mentoring programs involve pairing a child with a caring adult with focus on fostering a relationship that will contribute to the young person’s growth opportunities, skill development, and future success.
Research suggests that mentoring programs can dramatically improve behavioral, social, emotional, and academic outcomes in children and teens.
Why Horses?
Horses are incredibly intuitive creatures - they can sense a human’s heartbeat up to 4 feet away and can often read our body language and emotions better than we can! Horses can help us to better understand and respond to emotions and non-verbal cues in ourselves and in our relationships with others.
Researchers have found a variety of positive benefits that come from working with horses, including:
Reduced feelings of isolation, loneliness, depression, and anxiety
Improved social, motor, and executive functioning
Decreased blood pressure, heart rate, stress, and tension in the body
Improved impulse control and problem-solving skills