2024 Letter from Jackie Kaschel and John Cox

Dear Friends,

Bobby’s life was a repetitive story of neglect, abuse, and chronic illness. In his ten short years he had already lived in 24 different homes. It was not surprising that Bobby developed many serious emotional issues and both erratic and explosive behaviors. He was recommended to Peace Ranch for trauma therapy after all other interventions had failed. We created a special treatment plan based on the information we had. Our focus was creating a safe space for Bobby. On his first visit, Bobby was reserved as he walked with us to the pasture. He asked questions about the horses, and we explained how “horses that come to the ranch have had something happen in their lives. And they come here to be safe.” Bobby approached the horses with unusual sensitivity. He spoke to them quietly as he gently reached out. When one moved away skittishly, rather than react, he comforted her and waited for her to settle.

Bobby came across the biggest horse in the herd in a shelter. It was a hot day, and he was concerned the horse was hot and asked why he had a suit on. We explained that the horse had seasonal allergies and sensitivity to bug bites that made him hot and itchy. With great compassion the boy put his hands on the big horse’s face and crooned gentle words of support. The horse lowered his head relaxing into the boy’s hands. They stayed like that for the rest of our time and when it was time to go, the boy told the horse “I love you.” All the following visits were gentle, intimate meetings with “his” horse and others. Bobby displayed so much compassion for them, each time verbalizing his feelings. Each horse met him with the same gentleness. During this time, the explosiveness resolved as Bobby’s nervous system began to regulate, serious medical issues were addressed and his need for relationship was safely met- first by a horse and then by his new family who committed to adopting him.

As I write, it is late October, and this has been one of our busiest years for client hours. We have increased our time with clients by over 30% from 2023 and as a result have transformed more lives. To date, Peace Ranch has provided over 750 hours of therapy for children and adults with similar issues. We are the last chance for these referrals from schools, courts, child welfare agencies, area counselors, physicians, and the VA. The rate of payment is consistently well below the cost of these services.

Expanding our program has costs associated with it, but reaching more individuals who are struggling is central to our mission. To support this growth the ranch has set a year-end fund-raising goal of $75,000. Next year we will introduce several new fund-raising events to support additional programing. We hope you can join our year-end campaign to help people in need of our services regardless of their ability to pay.

Please help us meet our goal. Together we will restore hope and transform lives! To donate please click HERE.

Sincerely,

Jackie Kaschel, Peace Ranch Founder
John Cox, Peace Ranch Executive Director