One of our incredible moms said, "Bit of Faith Ranch is an amazing organization run by wonderful people. My son goes there and the acceptance, love and kindness he receives is amazing. He feels he belongs and is so happy."
Our Winter Adaptive Riding Season was a hit. 24 riders enjoyed equine-assisted activity sessions. The weather was on our side and we did not have to cancel a single ride. Spring Season begins at the end of the month!
Thanks to our donors and partnership with Special Nation, 35 friends and family enjoyed 'Uncharted' at our monthly Movie Outing.
Moms Roundup was a lovely luncheon and a great time to catch up, laugh and relax. Community matters! Be sure to get connected and attend our next one!
Did you know that every riding session and movie outing is provided free of charge?! Our goal is to provide riding, recreation, and respite to make an impact on the entire family. Monthly donors for as little as $25 a month make a big impact like covering the cost of an equestrian for an entire season or one month's movie outing.
Click here to give today. Thank you!
What is Horse Desensitizing?
Desensitizing is the process to teach a horse not to be afraid of things that would ordinarily frighten them. Desensitizing helps horses understand why they needn’t be afraid. Horses are natural flight animals which means they are constantly on the look out for danger, and their first instinct is to run away from anything that appears to be a threat. Reasons for desensitizing your horse include:
A calm horse is easier and safer to handle than a spooky one
Helps control the horse’s natural “flight” instinct, making him safer to ride
Being around a horse that’s chilled-out helps to increase rider and handler confidence
The bond between horse and rider grows stronger and builds trust
We continually work to desensitize our horses. Desensitizing is a progression of steps. We work on these during our 'Barn and Session Prep' days. Recently, our horses were introduced to a wheelchair in preparation for a new participant.
Volunteers worked with the horses over multiples sessions to help ensure a safe successful session. Each time a new obstacle or activity is introduced, our horses have practiced extensively beforehand so they know what to expect.
Sometimes in takes several months to introduce new obstacles like the horse wash with pool noodles and water. The process is a lot easier with rock star equine partners Jewel, Ranger and Comanche!
Want to Join our Herd as a Volunteer?
The Adaptive Riding program has a huge impact on our volunteers! Special bonds are formed between our volunteers and riders. Many times our riders inquire when they haven't seen their favorite volunteer around.
Whether you have horse experience and not we have a volunteer role for you! Our next Adaptive Riding Season starts 3/26. Contact us today for more information to join our volunteer team: contact@bitoffaithranch.org
