1. Home
  2. About
  3. Our Program


About Our Team Our Program Our Veterans Our Herd Testimonials Our Contributors

Warrior Ranch Horse interaction program

The purpose of this program is to assist veterans and first responders with a focus on those suffering from PTSD. By rescuing, retraining, and repurposing horses, the Warrior Ranch Foundation will give veterans a path and purpose. The Warrior Ranch Foundation will educate veterans on the nature of horses. An equine specialist will do the initial retraining while the veteran observes. When the equine specialist deems the horse safe, the veteran will step into the arena with a trainer and execute the basic skills he or she was taught. 

Why does this work? For safety reasons, anyone working with a horse must be one hundred percent "in the moment" with that horse. This is because, by nature, the horse is a prey animal, and, to the horse, humans are potential predators. When horses are around a human, their senses are heightened. They must be aware at all times because, as a prey animal, their life depends on it. Horses feed off of our energy. Horses are a mirror of us. For example, if a human is feeling anxious, the horse will sense that and respond anxiously. Our equine specialist will give the program participant tips on how to relax by breathing, and the horse will relax in response. For the program participant, this the beginning of becoming self-aware.

PROGRAM ITINERARY 

Day 1: 

9:00am-10:00am Orientation

  • Introduce the staff.
  • Demonstrate how horses behave in a herd.
  • Explain the Prey/Predator relationship in nature and how to use it to succeed with horses.
  • Explain what is to come and what is expected of program participants.
 

10:00-10:15 - Break

10:15am-12:00pm

  • Equine professional will demonstrate, in the round pen, how safe we can keep things, as long as we maintain principles before goals. 
  • Equine professional will show the importance of human demeanor and how it affects the outcome when handling horses.
  • Equine professional will demonstrate the positive change we have made for the horse and how his life will now be better in every way moving forward.    

      . 

12:00pm-1:00pm - Break 

1:00am-2:00pm Assign Squads and Bonding with Horse

  • Assign participants to horse interaction trainers.
  • From outside of the fence of the round pen, trainers introduce participants to the horses.
  • Observing and noting the level of experience and fear - or not - each participant has with the animals.
  • Trainers will teach the participants how to move around the horses, safely, while having them touch, brush, and love all over the animal to eliminate as much anxiety as possible for both horse and human.

.  

2:00pm-3:30pm The Basics of Movement

  • In a very safe and low-key way, trainers will show and explain the significance of movement in the horse world and have the participants succeed at moving the horses in the most basic way.
  • Bonding, again, to end on a perfect note.

3:30pm-5:30pm - Basic Movement with Exercises added

  • Participants will learn how and be expected to move the horse successfully, from the ground, in all directions, at the lower gaits of walk and trot.
  • Basic exercises such as circling a horse in a specific direction.

5:30pm-6:30pm Question and Answer Session

  • Equine professional will pass-the-microphone Q&A session.
  • A briefing on what will happen on Day 2.

 

 

Day 2:

9:00am-10:00am Review

  • Equine professional will demonstrate, in the round pen, how safe we can keep things, as long as we maintain principles before goals.
  • Equine professional will show the importance of human demeanor and how it affects the outcome when handling horses.
  • Equine professional will demonstrate the positive change we have made for the horse and how his life will now become better in every way going forward.

 

10:00am-12:30pm Participants Begin Working with Horses

  • Participant enters the roundpen with their assigned trainer and horse.
  • Review while bonding: Trainer will review safety and basics of horsemanship.
  • Each participant will interact one-on-one with the horse
  • Participants will learn how and be expected to move the horse successfully, from the ground, in all directions, at the lower gaits of walk and trot.

12:30pm-1:30pm - Break

 

1:30pm-2:30pm  Advancing the Basics

  • With original horse and obstacles throughout the arena, Equine professional will do advanced training, utilizing all of the things the participants were taught thus far.  They will emphasize the importance of accuracy and recognition of certain things that will keep them safe. 
  • Equine professional will then demonstrate how advanced the horse has become in just two days showing the difference they can make for these animals should they choose to continue their studies.

 

2:30pm-4:30pm  Advancing

  • Trainers will continue with participants and horses to ensure the safety, understanding, and success of both horse and human from previous session. Those that have demonstrated the ability to do so, will utilize obstacles in their exercises.
  • Equine professional will visit each group for refinement of techniques. 

4:30pm-5:30pm Question and Answer session

  • Equine professional will pass-the-microphone Q&A Session and conclude the horse interaction workshop.