Mt. Moriah Ranch is Helping Clients Heal Through Equine-Assisted Coaching

By Karen McBride
Published in the Dunndeal Gazettes December, 2023

Even as a young child, Linsday Anderson dreamed of owning a ranch. She would tell her family and friends that one day she would have land with lots of horses. When she was 16, she was given the book “Hope Rising” by Kim Meeder. The story takes place on a ranch owned by a Christian family in Oregan, and it inspired her to start her own equine-assisted coaching ministry.

In 2013, Lindsay and her husband, KJ, were living in a small apartment above her in-laws’ garage and God spoke to her and said, “You have to start something” even though they didn’t have the land or horses. He placed in her heart the scripture in Genesis 22. She admits she struggled with this chapter in the Bible. Abraham takes his son, Isaac, to Mt. Moriah to sacrifice him because God told him to do so. His son had to be willing to do it as well because he was old enough that he could have run away from his father. But the two of them had so much trust in God that they were willing to make whatever sacrifice was necessary to please the Lord. And then God provided the ram and spared Isaac.

“So, Abraham called that place the Lord will provide. And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.’” Genesis 22:14 NIV

So, their journey to establish Mt. Moriah Ranch began with the use of other people’s horses. Later a horse named Dee-Dee was donated to them, and they embarked on the search to find a place to board her. God blessed them even more in that the owners would allow Lindsay and her team to continue their work as Mt. Moriah Ranch and even use their horses for the equine-assisted coaching.

Equine-assisted coaching has proven to be a valuable tool in the healing process. Horses have< double or more mirror neurons. A mirror neuron is when someone yawns and you yawn too. Your friend’s eyes tear up and so do yours. Horses will mimic you. A horse can hear a heartbeat 4 feet away and will synch their heartbeat to yours to connect the two of you. One of the methods that has been very effective is when a child is scared about something, he/she may say the horse is scared. The coach can then work with the child through a series of questions. Why is the horse afraid? What can we do to help the horse not to be so afraid? The child can then use these tools when he/she is feeling afraid. “It takes a very courageous person to walk the road of healing through trauma. You have to change your coping mechanisms. You have to train your brain, because trauma affects it so much,” said Lindsay. Two coaching programs offered at Mt. Moriah Ranch are Equine-Assisted Coaching and Relational Horsemanship.

Equine-Assisted Coaching:

The team of specialists at the ranch include an equine specialist, a coach, and a member of the horse team that teach a client through a series of techniques, including guiding a horse through an obstacle course. These interactive sessions build confidence in the client while focusing on building healthy relationships and communication.

People who can benefit from this program are dealing with depression, anxiety, grief, eating disorders, addictions, ADD/ADHD, PTSD, and may be recovering from emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. The client is required to meet with a counselor apart from the help he/she receives at Mt. Moriah Ranch to further promote healing.

Relational Horsemanship

This program is geared towards children. Some children in this program may be non-verbal and have physical challenges. Others may have experienced trauma and find it difficult to relate to and trust people.

The curriculum involves hands on interaction with a horse while learning about horse behavior. This helps clients in learning about themselves, building communication skills, and trust.
Having experienced childhood trauma in her younger years, she knew that she needed a place like Mt. Moriah Ranch. Now she uses the horses on the farm to share the love of Jesus Christ.
“True ultimate healing is really about our walk with Jesus and unhealed trauma can keep us from fulfilling the life God has planned for us,” said Lindsay.

If you want to help Mt. Moriah Ranch to continue to serve our community, please consider becoming a monthly partner. Their immediate needs are for sustainability so that when they transition to their own property, they can hire more coaches and/or equine specialists. They are sustainable for their current size, but they have a waiting list now of clients needing help and need to grow before they can accept any more clients.

For more information on this amazing organization, visit https://www.mtmoriahranch.org

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