It is with a VERY heavy heart we tell you that Blossom, our beloved pony, went home to be with Jesus and was humanely euthanized on August 1.

It was a long and painful process to arrive at this decision. The Board, veterinarians, Kristen (our previous horse trainer and current farrier), another farrier who reviewed her x-rays, and Kennedy, our current barn manager, were all in agreement that it was Blossom’s time and that she was suffering.

Blossom’s quality of life had decreased exponentially over the last few years due to chronic lameness, laminitis and then founder; a condition that is caused by sugar in the diet producing a painful foot/hoof condition. Sugar, for horses, is in all grasses and anything green. Because Blossom was so sensitive, we kept her in the dry paddock without grass for years and would supplement grain and hay. Whereas, she used to be able to go up to the riding ring for sessions, she had not been able to do that in years. She kept to a bare minimum of movement due to pain in her hooves.

There are so many people who loved her and that she has been a true friend to … we probably put this off longer due to this fact alone. She served everyone at Wings of Hope Ranch faithfully for almost 10 years. She came to us a truly wild little pony, afraid of everyone and everything, with feet that had never been trimmed. She slowly “Blossomed” into a true minister; ministering not only to our ranchers but to our volunteers as well. So many people found comfort

Ranch Roundup

A Wings of Hope Newsletter • P.O. Box 1674 • Ashland • Virginia • 23005 • 804.883.8903 • www.wingsofhoperanch.org

Fall 2018

by Alison Boyd

Inside This IssueMessage from the Executive Director............... 2

Our Beloved Blossom continued....................... 3

Praise Report and Wish List.............................. 4

Sensory Area for Special Needs....................... 5

Welcome New Horses Cody & Levi.................. 6 & 7

Hoedown for Hope............................................ October 13

Our Beloved Blossom

Our Beloved Blossom continued on page 3

“He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.” (Psalm 91:4 NKJV)

As Blossoms time approached, a special friend to Blossom, Sutton asked if he could organize a memorial service for her. The whole event Sutton planned pointed to the miraculous work Jesus is doing. Through the unconditional love of a horse, Sutton found Christ and hope, a purpose for his life, and a unique and new appreciation for his tremendous talents, skills, and value. Credit: Ashley Cogbill

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A Message From Our Executive Director

While Jesus is always blessing me with new physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges to grow my faith, lately, I have felt that He is blessing me in two new ways. He is showing me that I have a unique perspective in what I am privileged to see and be a part of at Wings of Hope Ranch; sometimes over a period of days, weeks, or months. The second part is that He is also teaching me to submit to His will and the work of the Holy Spirit, sometimes day-by-day and minute-by-minute. Altogether, I can only liken it to Him saying…”follow me here, I can’t show you the end of this story yet but trust me…step out on faith and when the time is right, you will see how I worked all things together for good.” I often hear myself say, “I can’t wait to see whatGod does next!”

When God started the ministry, we felt Him piecing together a puzzle for us, one piece at a time. Allowing us to fit that piece into the puzzle before giving us the next one….maybe because if we saw what was coming we would have been scared, or overwhelmed, or given up. Now, there are so many moving parts to this ministry and He keeps providing! This past couple of years, I saw ranchers who started in our program in 2007 head off to college. I have seen volunteers overcome tragedies and hardships, and through them start and deepen their relationship with God and start new ministries. I have seen the Lord introduce us to one unique rancher with sensory issues, then more ranchers with similar issues, and then He provided a Girl Scout troop, the resources, and even a trained occupational therapist to teach us how to minister to these amazing children and their families.

I have been privileged to be a part of most every horse rescued. He has allowed me to witness their lost and found stories and see them grow in to their roles here. Each horse relating to ranchers and volunteers …so many times in surprising ways that only God could orchestrate. I often times get to hear the painful stories of the children who visit, from the children themselves or the parents who share with me. They share the challenges they face on a daily basis raising a child with special needs, or the bullying they experience in school. But then, God shows me the next chapter, how this Ranch is a refuge for hurting spirits, how the horses speak to their wounds, and give them hope to love and trust again.

I have seen fast friendships form among the volunteers, and teens, now young adults, getting married and having children…what a gift! It is like God has moved from providing us puzzle pieces to “connecting the dots!” He is teaching me to remain open to whatever the day brings, whatever horses and people He brings into my life, and relax in faith knowing He is at work even if I can’t see what is happening, yet. He shows me the different connections He is making through the Ranch, amongst people and creatures, but most importantly, those dotted lines leading directly to Him!

One of these dotted lines goes way back to a little book called Hope Rising by Kim Meeder that inspired the creation of Wings of Hope Ranch and more than 200 other similar ministries. Wings has had the privilege of hosting what we call the East Coast Ranch Ministry Clinic the last three years. This year, one of our previous attendees offered to

Gratefully,

Alison Boyd, Executive Director

host the 2018 clinic at her ranch Walk on Water Horses in Merritt Island Florida. Our keynote speaker was Troy Meeder, husband to author Kim, and Chief Operating Officer at Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch, the setting of the book Hope Rising. Another unique experience was to travel with a handful of Wings volunteers to Florida to attend and help run this clinic. As a surprise, my husband Charlie came along this year to help celebrate my 50th birthday which happened to be on the clinic weekend. It was unexpected and wonderful….again, I can only imagine what God is doing and how He might see fit to bring Charlie into His ministry.

Our volunteer Andi Masch attended the clinic, and wrote down inspirational words she heard by another clinician, “It is a real-life Field of Dreams story orchestrated by God Himself!” I couldn’t agree more and we are so grateful for YOUR role in making our Field of Dreams story a reality!

The View from My Saddle

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Our Beloved Blossom continued from page 1

in brushing her sweet coat or burying their tears into her wooly mane that happened to be just the right height.

She came to us with the name Blossom and we assigned her the scripture verse in Isaiah 52:13, “Just watch my servant blossom! Exalted, tall, head and shoulders above the crowd!” She served us well, and it was time for us to let her go be with her Creator, tall and head and shoulders above us.

Her last assignment was introducing Cody to the Ranch. Restricted to the paddock, just like her, due to his blindness, she showed him around and became his little seeing-eye pony for the first month he was here.

Our volunteer, Teri, had an amazing and vivid dream about a horse at Wings who was suffering and that was laid to rest under a pure white linen sheet, complete with an overwhelming sense of peace and calm. This was before she knew anything about what had been decided regarding Blossom. It is now clear to me, and to Teri, that Jesus was calling her home and that we did the right thing.

Thank you for all the prayers and “check ins” as we laid little miss Blossom to rest. She had a great last few hours eating carrots, apples, grazing on her beloved grass, and even enjoying a carrot and apple popsicle that Michael A. made for her. Kennedy and I appreciated all of you who lifted us up and also those who came to say good bye to her. She had many visitors and hours of love and affection during her last week. She lived her God assigned duty well by sharing her unconditional love of Christ with so many.

Blossom is at peace and pain-free, and buried on the hill behind the riding ring with her old buddy, Morning, who passed away several years ago.

“Tho I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me, your rod and Your staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

Blossom – 2000-2018

Credit: Ashley Cogbill

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2018 Ranch Wish ListThe following items, listed in order of importance, are things that would be a huge blessing to us!

• Items for our annual Hoe Down for Hope Silent Auction on October 13 (favorite items include gift certificates, jewelry, upscale craft items, special giveaway trips, horse paraphernalia, unique services to donate, etc.)

• Quarterly Landscape Grounds Team to help keep the ranch tidy and maintained

• Contractor to clear land to create more pasture on existing land

• Newer Spreader brand Manure Spreader model number 225

• Fimco 20 Gal. Trailer Sprayer SKU # 123138699 at Tractor supply

Please contact Wings of Hope Ranch if you have any of these items to donate. We will happily give you a tax deductible in-kind donation receipt for your gift!

804.883.8903 ext. 2wingsofhoperanch@aol.com

Praise Report

A financial statement for Wings of Hope Ranch is available upon written request from

the Office of Consumer Affairs at P.O. Box 1163 Richmond, Virginia 23218

Thank you to everyone who gave to our second annual Fund for Hope

solicitation that began in November and ended June 30. We surpassed our $35,000

goal and raised $41,166.36. This fund allows us to keep serving families at no cost. We are most grateful for your loyal

and generous support!

Highlights from the 2019 East Coast Ranch Ministry Clinic

in Merritt Island Florida

Ashley Boswell of Shepherd Youth Ranch in North Carolina demonstrates her session Sharing the Gospel through Horsemanship. Credit: Andrea Masch

Troy Meeder from Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Oregon was the featured keynote speaker at the clinic. He led attendees with beautiful praise and worship music. Credit: Andrea Masch

It was a cold and rainy night, but in true Girl Scout fashion, the troop showed up at the ranch with no complaints for one of our preliminary meetings regarding their Girl Scout project. Under the direction of their fearless leader Bri Jackson, the troop decided they wanted to do something truly special and useful for their yearlong silver award.

After a few meetings we all decided that it would be amazing if we had a sensory friendly area at the ranch for our ranchers….thus began a learning process for all of us! Under the consultation of local expert Wendy Atkinson, occupational therapist “extraordinaire” and business owner of Cornerstone Therapy Associates, the Girl Scouts got to work.

Wendy shared her expertise with the girls and inspired them to make a plan

to help the children who visit us. In the process, we all learned a lot to better understand ourselves, our senses, and their relationship to behaviors. The girls started selling hundreds of boxes of cookies to raise funds for the project. One night they were selling cookies in front of the Montpelier Chiropractors office when a friendly goat came by for samples! Animal Control was called and the goat taken back home….only to return a second time to the cookie sale!

Wendy also raised $850 via a Facebook birthday drive to cover the remaining expenses for the project. The Scouts met with contractors, wrote plans and designs, got approval from the Girl Scouts association. They constructed what we now know as our Wings of Hope Ranch Sensory Friendly Area! It is BEAUTIFUL!

by Wendy Atkinson

Local Girl Scouts are Trailblazers for Children with Sensory Issues

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Benefits of a Sensory Area

The idea of a sensory room or sensory area came about in the 1970’s with studies completed by Occupational Therapist Dr. Jean Ayres. Her initial studies discussed sensory processing issues found in students with disabilities. Over the years her information and further studies have expanded on sensory issues and how they are attached to

many disabilities … and that all of us have an individual sensory profile that affects how we respond and interact with the eight senses in the body.

A sensory area is designed to have calming or alerting activities to help someone reach their ideal calm-alert level to allow participation without frustration, shut-down, or behaviors. These are the eight senses: vision, olfactory, oral, auditory, touch, vestibular (movement/balance), proprioception (deep pressure/body awareness/muscle tone), and interoception (internal triggers for hunger, thirst, etc). Each of these areas has its own threshold, which when not typical, (either high or low) can cause disruption in a person’s ability to focus, participate,

and respond to their environment.

The idea of a sensory area is a “no fail” environment, a place where individual sensory thresholds can be met, allowing the person to be at their best place for learning and participating. This is a therapeutic area, not just a play area. Regular exposure to this type of area helps a person with self-regulation skills and allows them a place to self-soothe, and allows for positive daily interactions. It removes the frequency of refusal, overwhelmed, and shut-down behaviors. Having a sensory area shows respect to those with different sensory thresholds, and allows them a place to go so that overwhelming stimuli do not disrupt their ability to participate and learn.

This summer, Wendy agreed to become a session supervisor and also train all of our supervisors and volunteers on how to use the tools in this area to benefit the children when needed. We thank you Bri, all the girls and their parents who helped, and of course Wendy, a force to be reckoned with when it comes to implementing and educating us all on what inclusion truly looks like!

Girl Scout Troop #5285 has truly outdone themselves in the planning, fund raising, and building of this new and valuable space.

Levi, previously known on his papers as Flan-Tastic or just Flan around the barn, a large Thoroughbred gelding, never tattooed (customary for racing thoroughbreds) or trained for racing found himself at a rescue in PA. This could possibly be due to a “roar” which can be described as a wheezing noise he makes when he runs hard. A local friend Ashley adopted him from the rescue in PA with hopes to ride him in shows.

After 18 months of work and continual lameness issues they determined he has two suspensory injuries and

cannot be used for showing. At age 12, he was still a young man, but needed a home for “walk only” or very light use. Ashley and her riding teacher Tori Bosse (a volunteer and session supervisor at Wings of Hope Ranch) suggested Wings would be a perfect home and job for him! Apprehensive of taking a thoroughbred due to their reputation of being fast and high-strung horses, we found that Ashley and Tori were right - Levi is truly a gentle giant! He is focused, sweet, loves human

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Cody is a sweet little storybook pony that was used for schooling and showing until he lost is eyesight. He has THE most gorgeous light green eyes, which may or may not have contributed to his blindness. At age 18, he has a lot of life left to give and is also very healthy. We were in search of a new and sound pony to allow us to retire our lovable, safe, and “go-to” pony Angel. Our friends at White Bird Appaloosa Rescue and Sanctuary told us about this fella that ended up with them after his diagnosis. They found him to be fully rideable and certainly safe for lead line rides. Exactly what we needed! We praise God for helping us find him and giving him a second chance job after his “first” life in service was considered “over.” We thank White Bird Appaloosa Rescue for letting him go to find his new career as a minister to hurting people.

He has fans all over Virginia who are excited to see him embark on his new career, one specific person, Alison Fisher, has “held his hoof” making

sure his transition to Wings has been smooth. Since all our horses have or are given bible names to mark their new positions, and Cody knows his name (had it his whole life) but it’s not technically in the Bible.... his FULL Wings of Hope name will be Nicodemus, (Nic-CODY-mus) and his nick name will be Cody! The story of Nicodemus can be found in John 3:1-18 and conveniently steers people directly to the salvation message shared in John 3:16. Amen!

Other fun facts about this guy, he is a Paintaloosa! He is white except for delineated sections of Appaloosa spots! He is getting along well with everyone, even Samson. Everyone loves him already, no surprise there!

Cody’s Scripture:John 3: 16 – 18 The Jewish teacher Nocodemus asks Jesus how one receives eternal live? Jesus answers Nicodemus:

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only

Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Welcome New Horses Cody and LeviCody’s Story

Given Name: Ni-CODY-Mus

Welcome New Horses Cody and Levi continued on page 7

Levi’s Story

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MISSIONThrough hands-on experience in a safe and peaceful environment, children facing conflicts and challenges come together with rescued horses to help each other learn to love and trust again.

OUR VALUESWings of Hope Ranch is a Christian organization that rescues neglected horses and rehabilitates them to provide a horse ministry, free of charge, to children in need. We strive for an environment where both volunteer and horse model God’s unconditional love and acceptance. We seek to love, encourage, and share hope with everyone while providing a place where all people feel welcome, safe, and accepted just as they are. We pray the ranch is a place where children who come hurting leave each week seeing their true beauty, value, and self-worth.

CONTACTBARN LOCATION

Wings of Hope Ranch 14505 West Patrick Henry Road

Montpelier, Virginia 23192

MAILING ADDRESSWings of Hope Ranch

PO Box 1674Ashland, Virginia 23005

804.883.8903 ext. 2wingsofhoperanch@aol.comwww.wingsofhoperanch.org

Wings of Hope Ranch is a Christian 501 (c)(3) nonprofit and mostly an all-volunteer organization that relies solely on the generosity of volunteers and donors. These men and women are the lifeblood of the Ranch and we could not continue to serve families at no cost to them without volunteer time and donor resources. Would you consider becoming one of our volunteers or making a donation? Volunteer applications are available on your website, and we accept online donations at our secure giving site at: www.wingsofhoperanch.org

SUPPORT

attention, and can be ridden bridle-less in just a halter and reins!

Levi has started training this summer to learn his job at Wings and we fully expect him to by ready for ranchers this fall! True to Levi’s scripture, sometimes Jesus shows up out of the blue and says, “follow me, I have a new and wonderful assignment for you!” We are grateful the Lord led Levi to us. Please welcome Levi to the herd as of May 2018!

Levi’s Scripture: Luke 5: 27-28

27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

Welcome New Horses Cody and Levi continued from page 6

P.O. Box 1674Ashland, VA 23005

804.883.8903 ext. 2wingsofhoperanch@aol.comwww.wingsofhoperanch.org

If you select Wings of Hope Ranch as your Amazon Smile charity, we can earn money every time you shop on Amazon!

Go to www.smile.amazon.com and select Wings of Hope Ranch as your charity once logged into your Amazon account.

Do you shop on Amazon?

Pastor Gerald Castlebury of Carmel Baptist Church led our first cowboy style baptism service on the lawn at the Ranch during our season ending picnic. Our weekly ranch sessions include a 30-minute group bible study about God, Christ, and biblical truths. In response to what they learned, we had four children profess faith in Christ as their Savior and decide to be baptized this spring! Pastor Gerald did a wonderful job baptizing our newest four believers in our horse water trough, but before he was finished we had three more people (one more child and two adults) step forward in faith to be baptized! Praise God for calling his people to Him through Christ!

Season Ending Picnic and First Annual Baptism

Wings of Hope Ranch Statement of Faith

A place where Jesus holds the reins, our feet are firmly placed in the stirrups of the Bible, and people are encouraged to sit securely in the saddle of God’s hope and love.

Wings of Hope RanchPRESENTS

Hoedown forHopeAND SILENT AUCTION

October 13, 20183:00-6:00 PM

For more information or to purchase tickets in advance visit:

WWW.WINGSOFHOPERANCH.ORGAdults: $20 • Children 16 & Under: $10 • Families: $60

All ticket and silent auction proceeds benefit Wings of Hope Ranch.Wings of Hope Ranch is a 501(3)(c) non-profit organization/ministry that pairs rescue horses with children facing conflicts or

challenges to teach each other to love and trust again. Our organization is funded by individual donors and fundraisers. A financial statement is available upon written request from the Virginia Office of Consumer Affairs P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23216

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO

LIVE MUSIC • Q BARBECUE DINNER • KIDS GAMES • CRAFTS RESCUE HORSE DEMO • S’MORES • CORNHOLE • CHICKEN BINGO • AND MORE!

WINGS OF HOPE RANCH 14505 WEST PATRICK HENRY ROAD • MONTPELIER • VIRGINIA • 23192

Kenny Janes, VP

Please visit our website for event details and online registration: www.wingsofhoperanch.org

Wings of Hope Ranch 2018 Calendar of Events

SEPTEMBER 4Term 1 Fall Rancher/

Volunteer Sessions Begin

SEPTEMBER 8 Rehab the Ranch Day

SEPTEMBER 19 Guest Tour & New Volunteer Training

OCTOBER 9 Term 2 Fall Rancher/

Volunteer Sessions Begin

OCTOBER 13 Hoe Down for Hope and Silent Auction

OCTOBER 17 Guest Tour & New Volunteer Training

OCTOBER 20 Ashland Harvest Run &

Pumpkin Walk (proceeds to benefit Wings of Hope)

NOVEMBER 03 Trail Ride and Tack Sale

at Millstone sponsored by Inspired By The Dress

NOVEMBER 12 Fall Rancher sessions end

DECEMBER 8 Rehab the Ranch

day/ Deck the Stallssponsored by Inspired By The Dress

DECEMBER 19 Guest Tour & New Volunteer Training