Mission Statement

Achaius Ranch exists to provide refuge for neglected, abused and unwanted horses.  We welcome children and their families to the ranch to help care for and interact with horses in a Christ-centered, loving environment in order to nurture healing and growth for both horse and person.

Beginnings

This website is our way of sharing our experiences on this wonderful journey of love, faith, growth and service to others. Through our blog we will share with you every aspect of this journey from the perspective of as many people as possible that join us along the way. We hope you will walk along with us, too!

Achaius Ranch is a faith-based ministry for youth and their families. It is modeled after Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Bend, Oregon. Written by Kim Meeder, one of the founders of that ranch, the true stories in the books Hope Rising and A Bridge Called Hope clearly illustrate the kinds of life-changing experiences that can happen through this kind of ministry.

Two of our members, Nicole Wilson and Elisha McCulloh (see below), having been inspired by the stories from Crystal Peaks and wanting to see where God would lead them with their dreams, interests and various giftings, traveled to Crystal Peaks in May, 2010, for an Information Session. They were delighted and inspired by the ministry at Crystal Peaks Ranch and they learned the specifics of how horses, children, and families find love, healing and growth there. Upon returning, they started planning and building Achaius Ranch, along with our 11 member board of directors. We obtained nonprofit 501(c)(3) status in March of 2011 and are currently focusing most of our efforts on preparing the ranch property.

The Ranch

Achaius Ranch is located near Ladoga, Indiana. The property currently includes about six acres of pastures, a pole barn, a couple of run-in sheds and a modular home. We have been replacing the old barbed wire fencing around the pastures with wooden fences. We will build an outdoor arena and a horse play/training area in one of the smaller pastures. We have set a quarantine and recovery area for newly rescued horses. We will use a portion of the barn to work with the horses inside when the weather is too severe, as well as for storage of hay, feed, tack and equipment. We plan to build additional run-in shelters for the horses as funding allows. We will build restrooms for visitors and workers. We plan to remodel the house for use as housing for the care-takers (Nicole and Sam Wilson).

Horses

We currently have seven horses residing on the ranch. Two of them are our personal horses, two of them are rescues, and three of them came to the ranch because they will make a great addition to our Youth Program. Our horse specialist and Ranch Manager, Nicole, facilitates these aspects of the ranch ministry, consulting with a vet and other horse experts as needed. Nicole has been a horse owner for nearly ten years and is trained in natural horsemanship primarily using the Parelli method. (She has passed level 3). She will head up natural horsemanship training of any volunteers that work and interact with the horses.

Children

By late spring of 2012 we plan to welcome children and their families onto the ranch for scheduled, structured activities. These sessions will last 90 minutes during which one child, one adult leader, and one horse will interact, beginning with the child and leader working together on a service task that benefits the horse and/or ranch. This service element is designed to help build the child’s sense of self-respect, self-giving and self-confidence. The leader will then facilitate interaction between the child and horse, which will include a wide variety of activities, according to the needs and interests of child and horse.

Leaders

One of the important elements of these sessions involves positive, loving interaction between the child and the leader as well as the horse, providing children, many of whom will have lived through some difficult life experiences, a place of sanctuary, healing, and hope, which can impact their lives in a powerful way. The leaders will be trained in natural horsemanship, leadership and techniques for effective communication and relationship-building, etc.

Trained volunteers will also be available to interact with any family members that accompany the child to their session. (All volunteers and workers will undergo careful screening.)  Our Program Director, Elisha McCulloh, LCSW, will facilitate the screening, training, and activities of our volunteers and workers.

If you are interested in being a part of Achaius Ranch, please check the blog frequently for additional information. And please feel free to contact us.

Achaius Ranch is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Your contributions are tax deductible and greatly appreciated!