For anyone thinking of therapy riding lessons for special needs children/teens, as well as for adults and for able-bodied riders, Ivey Ranch is the place to go. The entire staff there has provided such encouragement to my child since age 7 – she is now 14. Lessons provide a fun way to learn physical and emotional balance and a healthy and positive attitude around horses, as well as other riders/peers. My teen has now been volunteering for several years and has achieved a variety of skills in all aspects of horsemanship. Her confidence and ability to listen/follow directions has been increased through interning at the Ranch, and mentoring other riders, as well. Special shout-out to Tonya, Missy, Amy, Mickela, and Ashley for their excellent guidance. Thank you!
As we wrap up another year at Ivey Ranch, I wanted to voice gratitude to you, Savannah, and the amazing team of workers and volunteers.
Ivey Ranch has been our “happy place” for years. My daughter came here with physical therapy and occupational therapy goals. With your help, she has achieved them all. But we have gained so much more than just physical strengthening and healing. The acceptance and encouragement we find here has built my daughter’s confidence and emotional resilience. Above all, Ivey Ranch has helped her recover her joy. Thank you for everything — and especially for making it fun!
We can’t wait to get back in the fall.
With love and gratitude,
Kimberley
I just want to say thank you to you and your team. Ayden felt welcomed and enjoyed the time he spent at Ivey Ranch. I appreciate all of your support throughout the time he was enrolled. You and your team truly made it a wonderful experience.
David loves to show me what he is able to do. God bless you for all you do for his children.
Thank you for all you do for our daughter as well as all your other able-bodied riders and those with special needs. We are so grateful to have you in our lives!
I absolutely love the program. When I am at the ranch with my horse I can just be myself. I can go at my own pace. While interacting with my horse, whether riding or grooming, I don’t have to think of anything else. For that one-hour time, I can just escape. I enjoy the fact that I can come in and say I am having a bad day and know just being around my horse will make it a little better. I know that my horse will not judge me and we will, ultimately, take care of each other. I contribute much of my personal growth and success to the relationship I built with my horse. I will forever be grateful to my horse and for the dedication and support she gave to me.
My granddaughter’s lessons have made wonderful healing changes for her. Her anger and harsh responses are less and less. She chooses joy, especially when we add horses to the conversation. She seems softer and for the first time asked for dolls. She hasn’t played with dolls and her imagination is growing. I am so thankful for your facility.
This facility handles many challenged children in both recreation and education and provides a place for these kids to do things they would most likely never experience without Ivey Ranch. I personally have no ties to this facility but I have definitely put my time in on this project because I can appreciate what Tonya (Director) has done with both the facility and her time. Thank you.
This is Janet, one of your volunteers. I am moving to Yuma at the end of January so I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you how much I enjoyed volunteering at Ivey Ranch Park. You run a top notch stable, your staff and your volunteers are totally committed to the program, and your horses get the best of care. Volunteering at Ivey Ranch will be one of the things missed most when leaving here. I particularly enjoyed the caring staff and volunteers, every body got a long so well! Thank you for all you do.
I am just now able to send you a thank you about the wonderful Interactive Vaulting Workshop I attended in April. I thoroughly enjoyed everyday of the workshop. It was very informative and I can’t wait to get a program started here. You have a remarkable staff that was so helpful, kind, funny and a joy to be around. Your choice of Sandy as a trainer was perfect. I was very impressed with your staff, horses, and facility and really shocked that your facility seems to be in the middle of town. What a blessing for the participants in your programs. I hope to see you all again sometime, somewhere, maybe at another workshop! Thank you and all your staff for making me feel at home.
You all run quite an amazing show down at Ivey Ranch, and I’m truly grateful to have been a part of the team for the small amount of time that I did.
We came last year to your summer camps and we loved your horse and vaulting program. My daughter Emma could not get enough and we would be over joyed to come back this summer.
I just wanted to say how thankful I am for you organizing such an incredible camp. My girls have been having the most amazing time!! It feels so so nice to see their sweating and dirty little faces with huge grins after so many hours of camp each day. You all are such a blessing. Thank you!
Many thanks to you and your amazing staff at Ivey Ranch for all of the hard work, time, and effort at putting on the OSWC; it was a great event. Missy, Sam, Amanda, Bill, Marci, Nikki, and others whose names I am forgetting, worked so hard for me and the other workshop candidates. I also enjoyed getting to know some of your horses, especially Sasha whom I feel truly fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to ride – wow, she is a big, beautiful, sweet, and fun mare. What an experience to ride her. Ivey Ranch is a beautiful facility, and I absolutely love the sensory trail. Thank you for all of the work you did to host the workshop, and all the behind-the-scenes work I didn’t see but I know was going on. Please pass along my appreciation to your staff and volunteers. Hard work, well done. Many thanks.
Thank you, Tonya, for your help in this semester project. We are amazed by the level of service you provide to your community. We also want to thank you for giving us your time. We look forward to a continuing collaboration on this project.
I must tell you what a gem Mikayla is! She is very helpful, friendly, fair, nice and really makes people want to come back. She is great with the younger volunteers and adults too. I think she a great person and represents the Ivey Ranch team well. She makes people feel happy and comfortable. I’m very impressed with her. Thanks very much.
Hi there! I just wanted to send a quick note to say that my daughter Chloe is absolutely loving this camp! We are really happy we found your facility. Thanks!!
I am so thankful for the love and care Ivey Ranch and all the staff, past and present have shown my daughter! Ivey Ranch made it possible for me to work full time and know my child was being cared for. For that you may never know how much impact that has made in our lives after moving here alone post-divorce! I will always carry fond memories and I know Samantha will too. I’m sure she’ll want to stop by and check on the place sometime soon. Thanks again for all the care, kindness and great job working with these special kids! Best regards!!
I don’t think I sent a note to you to thank you again for the wonderful time Steven had out at Ivey Ranch this summer. He worked for three weeks and had a terrific time. He was cheerful at the end of each day, said the kids were fun, and regaled us with detail after detail about the different horses. Thank you again for giving him this opportunity. He thinks the world of you all.
First, I wanted to tell you what a fantastic organization you have. We felt so welcomed by all of your staff and the other children that were there. Maddy thoroughly enjoyed her evaluation and then one of your staff took Maddy around to meet the horses and told her about your Barn Buddies program where she can help clean the stalls. She is so excited and had a great time. So Thank you!
Thank you very much. She is really improving greatly with equine therapy.
Declan is loving his lessons! Your instructors are amazing! They are caring, patient, and clearly love what they do! I grew up riding, but never owned my own horse so I couldn’t do any shows. I can’t thank your association and instructors enough that you make that possible for children who don’t own their own horse! Your staff puts a lot of extra time and effort in to make that happen and it is certainly appreciated! We love Ivey Ranch and are so thankful this small piece of heaven is in our backyard! ❤️
Our girls absolutely loved their day!!
Thanks so much! – Girl Scout Troop #1175
I can’t say enough good things about Ivey Ranch and the incredible staff and volunteers. We firmly believe that much of Isla’s strength, coordination and physical progress can be directly attributed to her time with Mo and Samantha, and her two years of riding at Ivey. Sam has been amazing! Never afraid to get silly, always ready to encourage Isla… Sam has been the perfect combo of gentle fun that draws Isla in and really allows her to flourish. I can’t say enough good things about her. Thank you Sam!!! You played a very special part in Isla’s life and we are forever grateful.