“Horses reflect our emotions, while at the same time they seem to know how to give us exactly what we need to soothe our pain” – Barbra Schulte
In a world where much of society is unsure of so many things, finding people, events, or locations that bring hope are welcome. If we take the time to seek this great province for places of respite, we will be pleasantly surprised at the gems so close to home.
Talk with Teresa Johnston of Rising Hope Ranch and you will realize such a find.
Many years of experience raising, caring for, training and working with horses has led to her current lifestyle and focusing on her dream of sharing her love of horses with others. Teresa will smile and tell you how horses have changed her life and retell many stories of how they have changed the lives of children, youth, adults, teams and entire families that she has been able to share her horses with over the years.
One aspect of the ranch that brings her joy is to be able to breed, raise and sell draft-thoroughbred cross horses to be used in police forces across the U.S. and Canada. Breeding registered percheron or clydesdale mares with registered thoroughbred studs follows a very specific process of having the mares foal, the foals being weaned and halter broke, the studs being let out, putting up hay, breaking and even marketing.
There is much more to it than that, but the specifics would need an entire story in themselves.
Teresa and her family of helpers deliver the horses to a university in Kentucky where they enter the equine management program to be further trained. After training is complete, the horses are deployed to various city police and RCMP detachments across North America.
“The horses are great for use in places a cruiser just cannot get to,” Johnston explained.
“The really fun side of my farm is the equine assisted learning,” she said excitedly. “Watching people of all ages really connect with a horse and learn about their strengths and weaknesses at the same time makes my day.”
Teresa’s experiences with youth who are timid or even afraid blossom into opportunities to empower them to build a bond of trust and communication with a huge, beautiful animal. The sense of accomplishment, the joy and the love are palpable.
“A horse is communicating with you all the time. Maybe he is telling you that he is unsure or fearful. Maybe he is telling you that he just doesn’t want to do what you want him to,” Teresa explains. “I get to facilitate a way of communicating that brings not only understanding of the horse but brings the result the handler is trying to achieve.”
People must stop and process what is going on, the way they are communicating and how the horse is responding back. Is what I am doing working? If not, what must I change to achieve my goal? Sounds like something we all need to ask in our relationships every moment of every day.
What is equine assisted learning? Well, research has shown that animals can offer an extraordinary amount of emotional support and can often be used in therapeutic settings. When people engage in the basic care of a horse with grooming, feeding and leading a bond begins to form.
Realization that a human can bond and communicate with a mature horse that may weigh anywhere from 900-2,000 pounds can be intimidating but having this large, majestic creature participate in activities with you can also bring emotional regulation, self-confidence and build a sense of responsibility.
Getting you outdoors and allowing you to use all your senses can be crucial to learning and processing through emotional challenges. Equine assisted learning is a multifaceted program providing all of these opportunities.
“Some town and city youth will never have a chance to experience life on a farm, or the opportunity to work so closely with a horse. I love to be a part of and stand back and watch the process,” Teresa said wistfully. She is already offering equine assisted learning to groups of school children, youth, families, individuals and teams where they learn individual and team building skills. This summer her goals include summer day camps and even overnight trail rides with riding students. Yep, she also offers riding lessons.
As many farmers do, Teresa has multiple spaces on the home quarter she will use to help support her love of working with horses while being a blessing to others and a good steward of what she has. Her insulated and heated barn is for year-round use with the horses, another barn she offers for cold storage and she has shop space for rent as well.
To learn more about Rising Hope Ranch or to contact Teresa please go to: rhrsk.com.
