This project will provide feed & care for 24 horses rescued from the slaughter pipeline in northern Colorado who have found a second career connecting with at-risk youth in our equine assisted learning programs. Not only do the horses find purpose & a new life, but by learning to care for, communicate with & ride the horses, the youth garner valuable life skills such as confidence, compassion, responsibility and self-awareness. As horse & child mirror one another in brokenness, healing begins.
Over 100,000 US horses are sent to slaughter yearly. Most are 3-10 years old & healthy. We rescue our horses from slaughter by outbidding the kill buyer at auction, purchasing from feedlots or removing them from abusive/neglectful homes. Some we take in from owners seeking a soft landing for their older steeds. Our ranch is a safe haven to heal & rehabilitate. Once in our care, we evaluate & retrain the horses for use in our youth programs where they find purpose & new life helping kids heal.
Charis Youth Ranch provides its horses sanctuary for life. We provide individualized feeding protocols based upon their age, health and physical ability. Once integrated into our youth programs, the horses' rescue stories are shared with the kids. As the youth identify with the horses' rescues, a kindred spirit is born. Our goal is to demonstrate through the action of rescuing broken horses, that no "brokenness" is beyond healing and just as the horses can be healed, so too can they.
The project will support continued care of our 24 horses which are the heart of our youth programs. This project keeps vulnerable horses safe from slaughter. By using rescued horses in our programs, we demonstrate that we have loved the unloved which we believe builds trust in the youth to believe that we love them too. We believe that when a child or youth knows he or she is accepted unconditionally, it provides the solid foundation necessary for them to go on to build healthy, safe futures.
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