REINING LIBERTY RANCH

Organization information

Reining Liberty Ranch is a 501(C) (3) Non-Profit Organization and a Center Member of the "Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, International" through which our instructors are certified. We are nestled on 11 acres near Traverse City, Michigan. The ranch offers a working equine stable, heated indoor riding arena and an outdoor arena, an 1890 farm house used as a Veteran Center for gatherings and weekly Thursday evening Veteran dinners. We have beautiful country gardens composed of native plants, a water feature and garden areas for our veteran families to plant and grow their own food. Any Veteran with a honorable DD214 can be involved with programming at Reining Liberty.

History:
Reining Liberty Ranch was founded in 2012 by Dennis and Rebecca Bigelow. The organization received its non-profit 501 (c) (3) status in July, 2014, and since then has obtained assistance with programming costs through local organizational grants, foundation gifts and the generous contributions of members of the local community.

Vision Statement:
Reining Liberty Ranch is a community based organization that serves military veterans, active duty military and first responders at no cost, their families, and other disabled/at risk individuals, by offering programs centered around the horse-human relationship. Through these activities, opportunity is provided for participants to connect with others facing similar challenges. The Ranch becomes the catalyst for healing through building relationships, mentorship opportunities, reintegration and interaction within our community.

Staff / Volunteers / Collaboration
Our operations rely 100% on volunteer efforts and time. Because of our volunteers and the impact they provide, we have no payroll or paid employees. In calendar year 2020, our volunteer numbers were reduced by COVID 19. Despite this statistic, we had 57 program and stable volunteers with a total of 8,316 hours of service.

Reining Liberty Ranch collaborates with other service providers such as Child and Family Services, local Veterans Administration, Michigan Veteran Affairs Agency, Northern Michigan University and is increasing our collaborative footprint to include art as a healing activity.