Horse Program
“Whomever said diamonds were a girl’s best friend never owned a horse.”
Heartland Ranch is a working ranch that uses horses as a catalyst to bring about positive change. Every girl that comes to the Ranch is assigned her "own" horse. Girls are paired with a horse that will best benefit their unique personality and circumstances. Each girl is then taught the basics of horse care, which includes feeding, grooming, and communication skills.
The horse program at the Heartland Girls’ Ranch focuses not just on learning about horses, but also on what horses can teach us about ourselves. The girls’ learning and experience comes in many different ways. The girls are also able to participate in the following:
Experiential learning and therapeutic activities utilizing the horses
Learning responsibility through care of animals
- chores
- caring for an assigned horse
On grounds horse shows held throughout the year
Facilitated certified horsemanship association lessons with the options to earn level certification
Participation in 4H through the Heartland Jolly Ranchers 4H Club
Indoor & Outdoor riding facilities utilized year round
A variety of activities utilizing horses on the ground and under saddle
- ground driving
- groundwork sessions
- riding lessons
- Liberty work
- essential oils and other holistic animal care techniques
- intro to vaulting
- visiting clinicians
- visits to the local nursing home with HGR minis