Program Name: Established in July of 2023, Dare to Dream Youth Ranch BREATHE™ program is for grieving families and their children. BREATHE stands for:
Bereaved REcovery And Therapeutic Horse Experience
Program Goal: The aim of the experience is to provide an environment of where comfort and healing can take place for families and children recovering from the death of a loved one.
Program Participants: Families with children 4-18, who are dealing with the recent (within the past six months) death of a parent, spouse or sibling. Participants may include:
- Immediate family members—Parent(s) and Children
- Extended family members/Guardian—Those who are caring for the Children
Program Overview*: The program is a non-riding Ranch experience intended to place family members into a real ranch environment, surrounded by nature. During this experience, participants will be guided and supported by Ranch staff in structured activities. Participants will work together to complete barn tasks including:
- Stuffing hay bags
- Feeding horses
- Cleaning stalls
- Sweeping and cleaning the barn
- Cleaning paddocks
- Filling water troughs
- Grooming one or two horses
- Reflection time at the arena: After barn chores are completed, participants are invited to walk to the outdoor arena and be seated as a family at the observation platform. Ranch staff will invite the children to help walk two horses to the arena. The child or children will then join their parent or guardian on the platform as the horses are released to meander freely around the arena (approximately 15-30 minutes). This element of the experience is intended to facilitate an intimate and personal family time of pause and reflection, surrounded by the beauty of nature and observing the horses
Participant Group Size: To ensure the integrity and intended goals of the BREATHE program, we strongly encourage the participant group be limited to a small number, i.e., Immediate Family or Guardian and Children (2-6 total participants, depending on family/group size).
Program Duration: Approximately 2 hours, depending on such factors as weather and the types of activities facilitated.
How to Get Started: Call or message the Ranch