Spring 2024 Newsletter Update

Hello everyone!

2023 was a great year, and 2024 has been awesome as well! 
Check out this video update for an exclusive update!

Last year we…

• We got insurance! (And fundraised for it!)
• We started up weekly sessions 
• Started the search for a property for Sessions
• Started developing a few different Session programs
• We applied for 3 Grants and were a finalist in a big one!
  
  

And so far this year we have:

• Continued offering sessions
• Kali did a donation presentation locally and won 2nd place!
  
• Had a donor group out for some R&R (Ranch and Relaxation) 
  
• I (Kali) started a Masters program through USD for Nonprofit leadership and management.
  
• We started planning for a volunteer workday where we support a local nonprofit!
  
  

In May/June 2023 - We Got Insurance! (& fundraised for it!)

This was such a cool story! So, as some of you know, I’ve been on the hunt for insurance for our program since we started. I really kicked this search into gear fall of 2022 and had been in communications with many different agencies. There were a lot of closed doors, a lot of slammed doors, and a lot of really high quotes given (Think $2000 and $4500+ a year). We were given a lead by a local ranch here on an insurance provider and after filling out the forms we finally received a quote we could work with! This was a huge accomplishment as this was our last step in being able to offer sessions! The quote came in at $980 per year. (It was such a relief!) This covers our program both on and off our own property and because we don’t have our own property yet, that’s really important. It also covers horses belonging to us and others. 

When talking to the agent she told me that the agency just wanted to make sure we were using “well-trained” horses with “no issues”. Regardless of me worrying I might lose the quote, I told her honestly: The horses we use, they are the ones that aren’t perfect, the ones that have problems, the ones that need help; that is exactly the kind of horse we use. I also explained the safeguards we have in place for sessions and how we take everything so slowly with the goals of peace and confidence in mind. 

I waited to hear back, wondering if I would be back to square 1 again. She emailed back; We got the quote!! Now we just had to figure out how to pay for it! I went to my room to check the envelope where I had started saving for Oaks Restorative Ranch. The Envelope was dated Monday, April 22, 2019, just over 4 years before! I went through the money and donations inside and it came to $80-100 less than what we needed for insurance!! That was huge news!! I made a post that same day and started a fundraiser and within a few hours we had more than enough raised! 

I mailed the check soon after and effective June 1st, 2023 we were fully insured and cleared to start sessions!! (YAY!!! WOOHOO!!) 

We started up weekly sessions for individuals!

In July of last year we started working with two new horses! They are owned and loved by a mom of two young ones and we were so excited to help provide care and enrichment for them while she is doing the most important job of being a mom to her girls! We are so excited to introduce Poncho and Luna, who have been our session eqperts for the past 10 months! We started out by running through our kids program with some amazing kid volunteers and that has been going great! We also got connected with some of our first referral partners who will be helping us in offering our sessions to local youth and adults who need them. We reached out to several agencies who work with people who need these services and we would love to hear about your ideas and connections too! Sessions are limited but we are so excited to get back to offering them! A big thank you to Poncho and Luna’s family for letting us love on them!

Photo from Left to Right shows Luna, then a test session, then Poncho!

We test-ran our Teen and Adult program over 2019-2021, and it has been great to dedicate some more time to developing our kids’ program too! Poncho and Luna both love everyone they meet and are a wonderful addition to the program!

We started the search for a property for Sessions

Last year we really ramped up the search for a more permanent location. We chatted with many local ranches and property owners to see if we could find a space where we can work with rescues and foster horses, as well as provide more sessions to the community! We pursued a lot of different leads, but we didn’t end up finding a spot. (Call me if you know of something!) Once we have our own space we will be able to implement some of the new programs we are working on, such as foster spotlights, and group sessions! As we looked we were so encouraged by how supportive the community has been! We will keep searching over the next few years as we grow our program and our team!

Photo shows one of our youth volunteers giving Poncho the horse a sweet hug!

We are developing a few different Session Programs for People and Horses.

I am so excited about the programs we are working on! The first one I want to talk about is our Foster Program! When we have our own space we are excited to open up our foster program to horses in the community who need extra support beyond what they can get in their current space. This will be a 0-guilt zone; We believe in supporting owners in their horsemanship journey, and sometimes horses have issues that are hard to handle on your own. We want to come alongside individuals and rescues to provide support so these horses can stay in their homes when possible, and so rescues can be ready to find their forever homes. 

Working with local rescues is a big part of the “Community” aspect of what we do. (Our Mission includes “People” “Horses” and “Community”) In order to help local horses in the community heal and find homes that are safe and loving, we want to partner with local rescues by helping their horses grow and heal through our sessions. Sessions are developed for horses and humans evenly and healing is twofold. We have seen great success, and great healing, with the horses that have been through our program so far (A total of 5 horses!). Our first session horse was highly anxious and reactive when we met her, and after going through our program she went to her forever home with a family who loved her. Amazingly, they said they didn’t see any of that anxiousness in her! We want to help other horses in the community in this same way! This means partnering with both rescues and individuals.

We also started working with some amazing individuals locally

 In order to help each of the horses we work with we have partnered with some awesome people locally! One thing I started learning this year is horses need specific help sometimes, and healing looks different for each horse. We’ve worked with highly anxious horses, horses that missed a few classes when they went through training 101, and some that needed support and healing physically.  

We learned that some horses need a lot of this support through nutrition and bodywork in order to be healthy and heal! (It’s not all training - pain can be the root of many issues!) We were really excited to have a few professionals in our corner this past year! Two in particular helped a lot! Ruby Doss Equine and Madison Madrid with Golden Touch Bodywork.

Ruby Doss Equine

RubyDossEquine.com

Ruby Doss is a local equine professional who offers nutrition consultations and support to many horses in Ojai and surrounding areas. She also offers lessons and workshops! Ruby has helped us so much in providing both nutrition assessments and nutrition plans for the horses we work with! We have seen so much positive change thanks to her expertise and recommendations. One thing I love about Ruby is that she explains everything in ways that are very digestible for horse owners (Pun intended), and empowers you to help your horse be their best!

Photo of a recent clinic hosted by Ruby Doss Equine

Photo from a clinic Ruby and Maddie did together!

Madison Madrid

Golden Touch Bodywork

 Maddie Madrid is an equine bodyworker who founded Golden Touch Bodywork. She is intuitive and passionate about helping horses find release and healing so they can be their very best selves and be free of pain or at least have it managed and supported well. Maddie has volunteered COUNTLESS hours helping our session horses feel their best and we really can’t recommend her enough.

Maddie and Ruby, you both are the best! Thank you for supporting us with your talents! <3

Last year we applied for 3 grants!

Let me be honest, applying for grants is a lot of work! We applied to three last year and were a finalist in our category for a big one! We had the grant committee come out to view a session and they were very impressed with the program! We did not end up winning the grant, but we were proud to increase our visibility! We did go on to receive a $2500 donation from Zeffy, which is actually our fundraising platform! (We are obsessed) Thank you Zeffy! We also got a $500 donation from the team at Comfort Real Estate! Thank you so much! We also had our very first recurring donor sign up for monthly donations! (Thank you mom, you are the best!) <3

We are doing everything we can to build consistent funding as well as one-time gifts to ensure we can set up a sustainable future for the horses we work with, and eventually set up a safe space for both horses and humans to heal together! If you would like to become a monthly donor, or if you would like to start a donor team, click the button below! We would love to have you on board! One time gifts are so helpful as well. If you know of any other grants or big businesses that need a nice write-off, please let us know! (Or send them out info!)

I want to help with Donations!

Thank you so much for coming along on this journey! It was many years ago when I first started learning about how healing it can be to work with horses and how guided and intentional sessions can change lives for both kids and adults. Since then I have been learning how much it can change lives for horses too!

Love you all. Remember, you matter. This world is so much brighter with you in it. (And I still have to manually add each of your emails to the BCC field, so yes, I mean you!)

Talk to you all soon!

-Kali and Oaks Restorative Ranch