The weather forecast for this coming Saturday may promise cloudy skies and lower than normal temperatures, but the folks behind the Rocky Cove Youth Ranch aren’t going to let that stop them from throwing a great annual fundraiser. Their 2nd Annual Family Fun Extravaganza has kids’ games, raffle prizes, vendor booths, a community yard sale, bar-b-cue, and live music (played by Blue Water Strangers and Steve & Frank Band) on the schedule, and a little late spring weather isn’t going to shut them down. Not when this party will support Rocky Cove’s mission to help children through working with horses.
Just what is Rocky Cove Youth Ranch, and why is it such an important asset to children in need and the community in general? Kelsey Nearing, daughter of the founder of Rocky Cove, was kind enough to answer a few questions for us about the ranch, working with foster children, and how the community can help them with helping others.
How many horses do you currently have at the ranch?
Nine adult horses and a three month old baby.
How did the horses come to live at Rocky Cove? Will you be bringing in more horses in the future?
Each of our horses has a background story that can be found on our website but we have rescued each of them. Some were saved from the slaughter house, some from abuse, some from starvation, etc. As our program grows so will our herd; we have hopes to get a few more horses in the next few years.
What kind of activities do children do with the horses (grooming, riding, groundwork, etc)?
We provide a day camp for the children and they start with a chore (teaches them they have to work hard in order to play hard), crafts, games, lunch, play days (games on the horses), ground work, bareback riding, grooming and one of the favorite things from last year was painting the horses on a hot summer day and then give them a bath (which turned into a water fight and lots of memories).
What do children learn and take away from their experiences with the animals?
We strive to teach these troubled kids to trust and love again. So many of these kids have such horrible pasts that they constantly have a wall around them and it’s incredible to watch that wall slowly come down as their bond grows with the horses and volunteers. We are trying to teach them to take pride in what they do, have patience, work hard, and become a positive part of our community.
About how many children do you have participating in activities on the ranch at any given time?
When we have our day camps there are 5-8 children in the program and about 10 volunteers.
Would you say the majority of the kids who come to the ranch are from troubled backgrounds and foster care?
Yes, one of the homes we work with is worse than others. The children have to have 24 hour supervision and have some of the most heartbreaking backgrounds.
How do you feel the experience of coming to the ranch and working with the horses helps the children – those from troubled backgrounds and those that are there just because they love horses and want to work with them?
The feedback we have gotten so far has been incredible. The children that are in the program build positive relationships with not only the horses but the volunteers. These bonds have helped them overcome some rough patches in their lives. Our volunteers walk away with a new view at life and what is truly important. Spending a day with these kids makes us truly appreciate our own lives and what the good Lord has provided for us.
How do you get most of the supplies needed to keep the ranch running?
We run fully on donations and we have two companies (Double Black Diamond Tree Service & ACI Coatings) that both contribute greatly to our mission. Several of our volunteers bring out items to donate to the ranch activities or pitch in when they are able. We also hold a large fundraiser called a “Family Fun Extravaganza” where we have live music, yard sale, BBQ, vendors, raffles, kid games and much more. Everything at the event is donated from our community and we hope to earn enough to get us through the season.
What kind of help (donations, volunteers) can the community help you with on a regular basis?
We are ALWAYS looking for volunteers. We have different areas for a wide range of people such as riding the horses/keeping them in shape, grooming, cleaning stalls, pulling weeds, preparing lunches for program days, crafts, planning/preparing our fundraiser, marketing, etc. Donations are ALWAYS appreciated and we have set up a program to sponsor a particular horse. When someone chooses to do this they receive a plaque for them to keep, quarterly news letters and updates about that horse. One time donations are greatly appreciated and are used for the day to day costs at the ranch.
