If I can do it, you can too!

When I was 3 I did my best to write a letter to Santa asking if he could bring me a horse. Santa did bring me a horse, but much to my disappointment, it was plastic. Maybe it was that he couldn’t decipher the crayon scribbles of a 3 year old or maybe he was simply confused about the specifics of my request. He didn’t come through with a real horse that year…or any of the years to come for that matter.

For as long as I can remember I have dreamed of being a “horse girl.” As evidenced by my ongoing grudge with Santa, I did not grow up with horses. In fact, I spent some of my childhood in a wheel chair as a result of a farming accident that threatened my ability to ever walk normally again.

One might think that being in a wheelchair would be pretty depressing for a little girl, but the reality of the matter is that hope deferred is what depresses the heart, not a situation. The chair seemed to be fuel for my fire…I wasn’t at all depressed. I was excited, because it was in this wheelchair that I began daydreaming about brushing and braiding manes & tails, saddling up and riding astride through the woods…while rolling my chair down the slanted floor of my grandmother’s crooked old farm house I would imagine myself galloping through fields on a real live horse. I daydreamed so much that I could practically smell the smell of leather, feel the soft muzzle of my imaginary horse nuzzling my face & could almost hear the sound of a horse munching grass right beside me. I knew that having a horse would be one of the greatest gifts life could offer.

I’m not sure exactly when it was that my daydreams and fantasies faded away and were replaced in my mind with the realities of school, sports & getting an after school job so I could get a car. Looking back, it was probably around the time where the reality of Santa faded away and life became more about practicalities than about the dreams buried deep inside that 3 year old little girl’s heart.

Eventually I went on to college and was blessed to have a very successful career as a social worker straight out of college. It might seem that it would be that successful career that would satisfy me, but it didn’t. I worked in an office where, between clients, I would daydream about brushing and braiding manes & tails, saddling up and riding astride through the woods & galloping through fields all on a real live horse. I daydreamed so much that I could practically smell the smell of leather, feel the soft muzzle of my imaginary horse nuzzling my face & could almost hear the sound of a horse munching grass right beside me. I knew that having a horse would be one of the greatest gifts life could offer.

So I did it. I allowed God to take the deep desires of my heart in His hands and mold me into who He created me to be. I jumped head first into my passion. I learned about horses from everywhere I could, I took lessons & I brushed and braided every mane and tail I could get my hands on. I rode through the woods and I galloped through fields. Eventually I combined my love for both people and horses and became certified in therapeutic horsemanship and equine assisted learning. I made it my mission to use my life story, experiences & knowledge to found Right Foot Ranch, Inc.

The long version of what I do is: I do EAAT…
An overall term that encompasses the many different things I do is referred to as Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies (EAAT).
I do various activities, both mounted & unmounted, that involve interactions with my horses. I now have a whole herd of them!

The biggest question I get is “What do you do?” Do you just play with horses all day? Well, the short version is: I do whatever it takes for both horses and humans and, yes, I play with horses all day!

I teach lessons & horsemanship and I work with both individuals & groups with and without special needs, those with physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioral issues & those who just want to be better versions of themselves or work on overcoming things in their lives that most often have nothing to do with horses. I always try to teach people to follow their dreams!

So, if you have ever dreamed of brushing and braiding manes and tails, trail riding through the woods, galloping through fields…or barrel racing…or jumping…or just sitting quietly with one of God’s most amazing creatures, then pursue it. If you have ever imagined yourself around or on a horse I want to encourage you to partner up with someone who can help you make your dreams a reality!

The People of Walmart Are Laughing At Us…AGAIN!

We have all seen the photos & videos or heard the stories…the ones of “the people of Walmart.” If you haven’t, a quick google search will enlighten you to things your eyes most likely won’t be able to unsee and most likely leave you wondering what the heck those people were thinking.

Well, as someone who is quickly realizing that myself & my family ARE the people of Walmart, I can tell you that we weren’t thinking about much except for getting our groceries and getting through the checkout line and back to the ranch as quickly as possible…until we noticed a trend.

Rubbernecking, pointing & laughter in our direction while out & about, particularly at the local Walmart, has become all too familiar since moving back east, along with comments such as…

“You must not be from around here.”

“Do you wear your costume every day?”

“Howdy Tex!”

“You have boots on…do you line dance?!”

“Is your horse in the parking lot? Hahahahaha!”

Actually, I was born in York County…I’m a local like you! My clothing is not a costume and aside from my wild rag & boots I’m wearing jeans & a sweatshirt just like you…and yes I do try to get dressed almost every day….I also like lipstick..alot. My name is Mandy, not Tex. I do not line dance, but I do ride horses. I even rode my horse to a Walmart once, but he’s not in the parking lot now. In fact, all 6 of my full sized horses plus my magical unicorn are at home waiting to do therapy with hurting people & heal a broken world that judgement, such as yours, contributes to creating.

When all of this was new, I became defensive, especially when my family was the target. However, it was my family who calmly reminded me that, even though it’s hard to take the jabs & jeers, we are a walking advertisement for all that we stand for and that we should be either be proud it or change what we are advertising.

I have been dwelling on this statement, as profound as it is, for some time now. Not only does the innocence & simplicity of it keep me grounded, but the truth of the matter is that we all represent ourselves not only with how we choose to dress, but also with our actions and our words, both in public and in private.

It seems so simple, yet our society is one that has trained us to make a mockery of difference and insult hearts based solely on variation from the norm. I am certainly guilty.

So, speaking as one who is now proud to be one of “the people of Walmart” I pray that my apparent uniqueness would help me to stand out so that I have the opportunity to advertise myself in such a way that your eyes won’t allow you to unsee some things…

that my smile in your direction is genuine, that my kindness towards you is sincere & that I will do all that I can to make it apparent that I have a true appreciation for who you are simply because of your created value and all that you have been through on your journey.

I pray also, that you would all take a moment to ponder on what you stand for and if you advertise yourself accordingly.

If you don’t know what you stand for or who you are, or your advertisement doesn’t reflect your reality send us a message or give us a call…we have herd of 6 full sized horses and a magical unicorn who are experts in empowering people to become who they are created to be.

When Things Get Ranchy, You Gotta Learn To Be Punchy & Gritty

Since moving from the Wild West back to PA, I have been made aware that some of the lingo that my family has been accustomed to using has left east coasters staring at us with puzzled grins. That being said, we are gonna cover the top 3 words that get us funny looks.

1. Ranchy: resembling a ranch or the things that happen on a ranch.

The western lifestyle is often romanticized and portrayed as a cowboy riding peacefully off into the sunset on his horse with his loyal dog strolling along by his side. However, as with all things in life, how things seem are not always how things are.

For example, the other day we were outside moving fence panels in preparation for the impending winter weather. The goat was grazing with the horses in the pasture and my “loyal” ranch dog was by my side. The critters were all lined up perfectly with the sun just starting to peep through the clouds. Though we were working hard, it was peaceful…the kind of peace you might expect to find on a ranch…that is, until the dog took off through the pasture and the goat (Milo & Oyster are, strangely enough, animal best friends) hauled off after him. We thought they might stop at the fence at the far end of the pasture, but only moments later we saw them running as fast as they could through the neighbor’s yard towards the woods. No time to saddle a horse, my husband jumped on the 4 wheeler in the driver’s seat & my son, rope in hand, jumped on the back and they join the high speed parade of chaos. Not having any clients scheduled for the day and no hope of leaving home, I embraced the thought that it doesn’t matter if I get dressed or even brush my hair that morning…a lesson I should have learned years ago. A neighbor stopped by to make me aware of the crazy train tearing through his property (as if I didn’t notice) and kindly offered to help on the search, though I’m pretty certain it was strictly for his own entertainment purposes. The boys quickly returned both dogless & goatless, so we jumped in the truck and took off. We spotted Milo & Oyster several miles away in a residential neighborhood, where I proceeded to march up a stranger’s long driveway in my pjs & flip flops to catch the renegade dog while my husband roped the goat and loaded him into the back of the truck. As we started our drive home we noticed our audience…they learned that day what it can look like when things get ranchy.

The holiday season is in full swing and I have been hearing a lot of varying scenarios regarding the things going in peoples’ lives during this time of year. Overwhelmed seems to be a common theme.

There are moments on the ranch where life just seems perfect…all of the pastures are dragged, the manure picked up, the grass is lush & green & we are riding great horses off into the mountains with our loyal ranch dog by our side or maybe we are running as fast as we can on a great horse at our hometown rodeo, carrying our flag while the crowd happily cheers us on. Maybe this season you have your tree up & decorated, gifts bought & wrapped and all of your nutcrackers are lined up in a perfect row. The excitement, peace and joy you feel are overwhelming.

There are plenty of times on the ranch times where you experience loss or are worried about losing everything. Not too long ago we lost my aunt Teresa to cancer, which was devastating for my entire family. Not long after we had to sell our ranch, say goodbye to our Colorado friends & to our mare, Stilettos. Some say she was just a horse, but to us she was family. We were with her as she crossed the rainbow bridge and sat with and mourned for her & for all of our other losses for hours after she was gone…and still to this moment. A few weeks ago, we found out that 5 of our 7 horses had been poisoned by a tree on our new property. Thankfully a crisis was averted, but they aren’t always. Whether you have lost financial stability, a loved one or maybe even your loved ones are hurting, lost or not present, the sadness, emptiness, pain & anxiety you feel are overwhelming.

There are times on the ranch where you are just at the end of your rope. Hard work with little rest, bad weather, daylight savings time & monotony have started to play with your mind and your emotions take over…maybe a cocktail of depression, anxiety & hopelessness start to set up camp in your mind. You want so badly to experience the fullness of what life has to offer, yet you barely have the gumption to get out of bed or off the recliner, let alone find a purpose in it all. In fact, if it weren’t for your herd of best friends in the pasture needing to be fed, you might not get up at all. Whether you are physically or emotionally exhausted, burned out, angry, hurt or maybe even just bored with what life has thrown your way, it feels overwhelming.

The scenarios go on, but I think most can relate. Life happens pretty much the same way both on and off of the ranch…the ranch just magnifies it a bit for me & helps me hear the voice of God a little more clearly. Triumph & tragedy, as well as everything in between cycle through our days and we all go through things, but being ranchy can not and does not involve shutting down or quitting. This brings me to our last two terms. When life is overwhelming, whether because of plenty or because of want, it is time to learn about being punchy & getting gritty.

2. Punchy: having an immediate and profound impact. This can describe anything from a piece of clothing to an action and most certainly describes a purposeful and intentional way of life. I’m sure my pjs had impact on all of my neighbors, but I have since made it my goal to represent Right Foot Ranch, Inc. a little better from now on. Wild Rags & cowgirl hats, in my opinion, are far more punchy than pajamas and rats nests in my hair.

3. Gritty: when you stick with something no matter what, showing courage & resolve, tough & uncompromising. You can get gritty in a wild moment with a good dose of adrenaline or even peer pressure, but the ultimate goal is to develop true grit deep within…the kind that doesn’t pass with a moment…the kind that empowers you to finish the race.

If you are pleasantly overwhelmed by your season of plenty do something with it…get punchy.! Do something right now that will have an immediate impact on you or someone who may not be as fortunate as you. Maybe you don’t have a unicorn in your pasture to help you share hope, but I bet you have or could give someone something punchy to share that would knock their socks off. I’m guessing that your giving will touch you far more than you could even imagine.

If you are overwhelmed by a season of want or lack, get gritty. Stick with life even when it tries to buck you off or lay down with you in deep water. Choose to be patient, steadfast & immovable. Stick with it, no matter how scary or difficult…don’t sell your saddle because the ride isn’t what you thought it would be. Grab the horn, hold on & ride it out. If you do, I can almost guarantee that peace will come along with your strengthened character.

If you are feeling overwhelmed this season or in any season, or just need a listening ear, whether it be horse or human, we are here for you. Message, call or email us for any reason.

#DHOHFergus: 1 Year Later

The Journey Of A Rescued Horse Who Helps Rescue People

One of “my girls” recently said to me “Everyone talks about rescue, but no one talks about what happens after you’re rescued.” When I say one of my girls, I am referring to one of my clients who is coming to hang out with our herd to participate in Equine Assisted Activities & Therapies at Right Foot Ranch, Inc. She wasn’t talking about horses, but about people like herself, who have suffered from severe trauma and are now tasked with healing.

Last week, almost to the day of the one year anniversary of Fergus’ rescue, one of “my girls” laid on the ground at Fergus’ feet, crying & sharing how thankful she was that he understood what she had been through, he lowered his head to just over hers in silent support and stood with her until they both took in a big breath & let out a release that was felt even beyond the walls of the round pen. She stood up and they acknowledged one another’s vulnerability & bravery and she thanked him for being him. His big, bright eyes followed her as she walked through the gate to go home. He was content with their work and it was almost as if he was telling her how proud he was of her.

The next day I recieved a text from the girl’s caretaker saying that “Fergus was the first “person” she really openly cried to about how painful it was when she was starved. She would talk about it very disconnected, but she allowed her emotion to come to the surface with him…PRAISE GOD”

It has been just over a year ago that I received a message from Jacqui Avis at Drifter’s Hearts of Hope saying that she had a standoffish, but aggressive, skinny, gray horse that needed me.

I have enjoyed training horses and absolutely loved to volunteer at the rescue helping the untouchable one’s come around…so off I went to meet the skinny gray horse. I first saw him from behind as he stood with his face in the corner of the shed & my heart sunk at seeing every bone in his ribs, spine & hips through his disheveled, scar marked coat. After some persuasion he turned to face me and struck out with his front right foot to warn me to not get too close. Then, I looked into his eyes and saw something familiar. I had seen that same look in the mirror.

As someone who has endured trauma myself, I knew the reasons for his standoffishness and his defensiveness. In people we refer to it as Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In horses it referred to as bad manners, untrainable & useless. Far too often these types of horses find themselves to be bound for slaughter, which was the case with Fergus until Jacqui stepped in to save him. Little did I know at the time, I needed that skinny gray horse just as much as he needed me.