Spring 2018

We do a variety of groundwork in our sessions at the Ranch. We like to teach the basics of horsemanship, including how horses think, to help kids relate to them and understand how they communicate in a herd and with us humans. One of the “games” we like to play in our round pen we call “tag”.

Horses are flight animals, so if you drive them away from you they will run around the perimeter of the enclosure until you stop pursuing them, at which point they will return to you in the center. This is mimicking the behavior of horses in herd where the alpha horse will stand their ground and make the horses lower in the pecking order move their feet more, until the alpha allows them to join the herd and stops chasing them away. There are certain signs horses give when they are ready to be submissive to the leader (either horse or human). They will lower their neck bringing their head close to the ground and blow at the ground from their nostrils, they will lick and chew with their lips often making smacking sounds, their gaze will be soft and one ear will be locked on you, listening. It’s as if they are trying to say “Ok I understand you are the leader. I would like to stop running away now. I would like to come and be close to you because I know that then I can stop moving because I am safe.”

When we play tag with our horses we will chase them off using various cues that they know and then look for those signs to see when they are ready for us to allow them back in. Sometimes though, they don’t give us the submissive cues we are looking for right away, sometimes they choose their independence over being willing to have a leader. In this situation they have to work harder and longer doing laps of the round pen until they are ready to choose to follow the human as their leader.

It was a cold crisp morning, the kind where the sun provides a bright glow but not a lot of heat as it touches

the snow and ice making everything sparkle. The farrier was coming to trim the horses feet and I wanted to get some of Clyde’s energy out before he arrived. We went into the round pen and started with our usual game. I intended to only have him work for a few minutes as it was cold enough out that

I didn’t want him to sweat too much. Clyde had other ideas that morning though. He trotted around the round pen, head held high, blowing and snorting and looking at everything around us. His ears were pricked and his eyes were focused on things outside the round pen, he wasn’t paying much attention to me at all. I drove him on in circles asking for changes in pace and direction. He followed my cues well, as he knows the routine, but wasn’t giving me the signs I was looking for. He was choosing his independence over following me as his leader. Harder and harder he had to work, still fighting what could’ve been easier. I allowed him to stop several times when he started to show signs of wanting to come to me, but he kept losing focus on me and paying attention to other things outside the round pen.

Patience. If there is one character you need when working with horses it is patience. I squatted in the middle

of the round pen waiting for Clyde, he took a couple of steps toward me and then decided to move off again.

“I have a lot of patience with you don’t I?”

I heard the question, clear as the sky was that morning. It became so obvious to me then, this lesson wasn’t for Clyde, this lesson was for me. How many times had I been choosing my own independence, taking the longer, harder route, instead of allowing God to be my leader? Instead of locking my ear into listening for His voice, I was listening to everything in the noise around me. When I could have been resting quietly in His peace I was running hot laps around the round pen searching for stillness. He could have stepped out and stopped me, but instead He patiently waited for me to choose His leading, only then could I find the rest I was looking for.

By this time, Clyde had decided that he was tired and was willing for me to be the leader. He followed me in zig zag patterns around the round pen without a halter or lead, just the connection of trust between us. As I led him back to the barn I thought about my round pen lesson. God really is patient with me, He is patient with us. Always waiting for us to choose Him at every change in course or decision there is to be made. He gives us the choice, we can run more laps of the round pen, or we can find rest in the center in His presence.

Ranch News

Spring started out with colder than normal temperatures, but we are grateful for the many sunny days that have come along with it. We were able to host our “Christmas in the Barn” event this past December. The evening was chilly and our barn was filled with people who have become our “Ranch Family” over the past years. It’s always a special time to gather with the sounds of the stable and read about back when Jesus came to us as an infant. We humans and the ranch animals enjoy the visit from our kids and their families then as well, as we are on break from sessions for the cold, short daylight months.

We have a new herd member to introduce this year. Titus is a ten year old, Clydesdale/Gypsy Vanner cross who was kept in less then ideal conditions for a horse his size as a youngster. He has a curious but calm personality and is always eager to accept a treat. Titus came to us from Redemption Ranch in Canada. They are a similar ministry to ours and we look forward to having him join our sessions this summer as well.

Prayer Requests

We ask for your support in prayer for the following:

Guidance in the development of the ranch, we look forward to expanding our program and looking into various ways we can connect with the community

That the Lord would continue to send people to us

That the Holy Spirit would guide us as we interact with children and families

Volunteer Opportunities

We have many different opportunities for anyone who has a willing heart to invest in the Ranch. Whether you’re good with kids or adults, horses or mechanical things, we’ve got opportunities to help here. Let us know if you’ve got a free weekend to help with a project or two, or you just want to spend an hour once in a while unloading a hay wagon, grooming a horse, or picking up poop! There’s always stuff to do here!

Donate

Donations to support our ministry can be submitted on our website or sent to:
Timber Ridge Ranch, 2691 Route 174, Marietta, NY 13110.

We are a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization.