Horse Programs

Kids Need Horses!

Today’s youth grapple with unprecedented challenges: rising anxiety, social disconnection, and a lack of hands-on, character-building experiences. At New Life Ranch, horses offer an antidote, transforming lives by teaching leadership, empathy, patience, teamwork, and spiritual lessons. Specifically, we offer Equine Learning Initiatives, which are a tool to help address some of the challenges youth are facing.  

Since 1958, horsemanship has been woven into the DNA of New Life Ranch. New Life Ranch is a “gateway” to the world of horses for campers who might otherwise never have the chance to care for and ride a horse.

Horses are not just part of our landscape—they are a method of spiritual and emotional connection to our Heavenly Father.

The Program Idea

In 2024, we refined the New Life Ranch vision statement to say, “Our vision is to be a growing reflection of the Kingdom of God by being a trustworthy partner with families and ministries.” Living out this vision, we removed the premium fees for horsemanship, challenge course, and mountain biking. These activities had become available primarily to campers who were not receiving scholarships, which didn’t reflect our desire for camp to be equally accessible to all. Our heart’s desire is for every camper to have the opportunity to experience the full range of activities that make summer at New Life Ranch so meaningful. By eliminating premium fees for horsemanship, we saw summer horsemanship participation go from 940 to 1353. With investment in our program and equipment, we hope to see even more campers experience horses. Further, we want to connect at a deeper level with the campers who really need horses.

The Need

Your monthly support keeps the barn doors open for every child who needs to meet and spend time with horses.  When you give to this ministry, your generosity touches every part of the horsemanship program. The gift amounts below represent tangible examples of where your giving goes and how it keeps the ministry thriving all year long:

$250/mo - Adds a horse to the herd. ($3,000 annually)

$80/mo - Provides a week of horsemanship for 12 summer campers. ($960 annually)

$49/mo - Feeds and shoes one horse. ($588 annually)

$33/mo - Provides tack, lesson equipment, and safety gear. ($396 annually)

$10/mo - Helps with veterinary care for our horses. ($120 annually)

The Goal

Our goal is to raise $50,000 in 2026 to help keep our horsemanship accessible to all campers. Every monthly gift, large or small, goes toward all of the needs of our horsemanship program, ensuring that kids can continue to experience the joy, confidence, and spiritual growth that happen when they meet God in the barn.

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