L5 Youth Ranch

"I don't trust people." Lucy* said as she mucked out the stall with a Ranch Volunteer.

Lucy was a new rider at L5 Youth Ranch. It was her first day out at the ranch and she was learning about how to care for a horse before meeting them up close and getting to ride. Chore time goes a lot faster with good conversation, and that day talk had gone to fights with her parents at home and how Lucy didn't feel like she fit in at school.

"Lucy, I know just the horse you should meet. I think you two will have a lot in common."Lucy's new friend and L5 Youth Ranch Session Leader said. 

Lucy was paired with Mika for an afternoon of getting to know each other. 

Mika came to the ranch late 2015. She is a beautiful 12 year old Quarter Horse with a rich brown coat and a two toned mane, brown on top and black underneath to match her long full black tail. Lucy could tell something was special about Mika as soon as they met.

Mika wasn't standing at the fence looking for treats and a pat on the neck with the rest of the horses. She was standing alone at the far end of the field, quietly watching.

While Mika's physical pain has healed in the care of the L5 Youth Ranch staff, she still had some emotional scars. Before coming to the ranch, people she had trusted had hurt her badly. 

Lucy walked out with a halter and spoke kindly to Mika. With the promise of a handful of grain, Mika allowed herself to be caught and led to the round pen. In that round pen, Mika and Lucy learned how to talk to each other without words. They learned that neither of them was going to hurt the other, and that they both needed a friend - maybe more than they each knew.

Eventually, Mika chose to stand next to Lucy by her own free will. She followed Lucy everywhere and leaned into a good brushing and took treats from her hand.

Mika chose to trust Lucy just as Lucy had to choose to trust her Session Leader. Lucy went home that day with a new sense of confidence and new tools to form healthy relationships at home and at school.

Kids like Lucy and horses like Mika are the core of L5 Youth Ranch's mission of Changing Futures and Saving Lives. This is just one story of many where our herd of rescued and unwanted horses give hope to hurting families at no charge. The volunteers and horses at the ranch work with a wide range of situations including bullying, low self esteem, autism and fighting with parents or at school. Miracles happen every day at the ranch! 

*Name changed to protect child privacy