Sun River Equine Youth Ranch--Divine Journey

July Horse Camp

2016-07-19T04:45:00.001-07:00

Sun River Beginner Horse Camp

July 25th-26th

Sun River will be hosting a beginners horse camp Monday, July 25th-Tuesday, July 26th from 9:00am-1:00pm. Participants will participate in crafts, horsemanship and riding. Cost of this camp is $50 and it includes lunch both days. Come join us for some summer fun on horseback! Contact us for more information.

sunriver.equine@gmail.com

208-249-8436

https://www.facebook.com/sunriverequine

How you can help:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=AXWMUX43Z2SXN

June Ranch Camp

2016-06-23T11:39:00.001-07:00

Sun River Equine Youth Ranch

6156 Deer Flat Rd.

Nampa, ID 83686

208-249-8436

sunriver.equine@gmail.com

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=AXWMUX43Z2SXN

May Sessions

2016-04-26T06:41:00.004-07:00

May session time is finally here! All parents who have children participating this year should have received an email confirming their scheduled time for May. Please make sure that this time is accurate.

What we do:
Sun River Equine Youth Ranch Mentoring Program

We feel that we were called to be a mentoring program for all children, using horses (and other animals). We are not qualified or trained to be a "therapeutic riding program," "equine therapy" or to offer "riding lessons." We provide a safe and nurturing environment where a child can experience the love of Christ and healing through equine interaction.

A typical session will involve: ranch chores, quality time between child and mentor, interactive learning and caring for animals (equine or other).

Please contact us if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you all in a week!

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

2 Corinthians 3:17

sunriver.equine@gmail.com

(208) 249-8436

How you can help:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=AXWMUX43Z2SXN

Volunteers: Application Deadlines

2016-03-22T18:11:00.003-07:00

Important Volunteer Information

If you are interested in volunteering at the ranch in 2016, applications are due by the end of this month in order to prepare for training and scheduling. We need to have time to go over applications and availability before we begin focusing on training and the upcoming sessions. Please contact us for these documents if you have not already and are interested in participating this year.

Junior Volunteer Applications are also due at this time. This is a special opportunity for children, ages 11-17 to learn some valuable skills and to serve. Please note, we will not be able to enroll anyone in the Junior Volunteer program for 2016, if we do not receive an application by this date. We will have various special events planned specifically for our juniors and will need a final number of participants.

Thank you all for your heart to serve this ministry! We look forward to seeing you all very soon!

Please feel free to contact us with any questions: (208) 249-8436 or sunriver.equine@gmail.com.

Spring Information

2016-03-10T08:36:00.001-08:00

Mentoring Sessions

Our season officially begins Tuesday, May 3rd! If you are interested in registering your child this year, please contact us for more information about our program. We will also be reaching out to public schools and other entities who work directly with children who could benefit. If you have any contacts, please let us know. Word of mouth is critical for a program like ours.

(208) 249-8436

sunriver.equine@gmail.com

Volunteer Opportunities

We are now accepting applications for the 2016 season. Training begins in a few short weeks. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us for more information. We also offer a junior volunteer opportunity for children ages 11-18.

Our animals cannot wait!

https://www.gofundme.com/5pq4eut8

(208) 249-8436
sunriver.equine@gmail.com

2016 Preview

2015-12-29T13:18:00.001-08:00

Sun River Equine Youth Ranch

Season 5 Preview

The new year is fast approaching and we want to send you all a HUGE thank you for your prayers and financial support in 2015! This past year has been a huge transition period for me personally and for this youth program. We are excited to unveil some of our new animals, session activities and special events for 2016!

With much prayer and consideration, we are now working toward becoming more of a mentoring and counseling program as we originally felt called to do in the beginning. This does not mean that there will not be as much interaction with the horses. In fact, we are hoping this will mean more horse and animal time!

Our volunteer mentoring staff will be more involved in scheduling and their mentoring families, helping with flexibility and bonding.

We now have a variety of animals for children to care for and interact with, along with two new horses!

*Volunteer Training will begin April 1, 2016

*Sessions begin May 3, 2016

Please email for more information:

sunriver.equine@gmail.com

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."

-2 Corinthians 3:17

How you can help:

Sun River Equine Youth Ranch is a 501 (c) 3 youth services organization run by volunteers and donations only. Please consider shouldering with us to help this program grow and reach more families in our community.

Secure Paypal Donation

Throwing Off the Saddles

2015-09-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

"I call horses ‘divine mirrors’ – they reflect back the emotions you put in. If you put in love and respect and kindness and curiosity, the horse will return that."

Allan Hamilton

We have some big changes for the upcoming Sun River Season.

I recently had the opportunity to spend time with our horses "at liberty." Liberty training involves a free environment, unrestrained, in the absence of tack. Gradually, a bond is created through a series of companionship interactions that are naturally enjoyable to the horse (Robin Gates). There are many ways to train and interact with a horse. Liberty is another natural horsemanship method. I became intrigued by each horse and his/her authentic personality while working in this environment. Liberty allows for natural behavior, including the little quirks and nuisances. How did I miss these behaviors in all the hours I spent with them? I missed them because I was too focused on the end task, riding.

The Eagala Certified Equine assisted Psychotherapy Program uses horses at liberty--no halters, ropes or tack of any kind. Children focus on ground activities, often helping them overcome fear, develop confidence, etc. Sun River has the opportunity to facilitate these sessions on a weekly basis and the response of the children has been very positive. We feel this type of interaction fits best with our mentoring program.

Beginning in the spring of 2016, we will be offering sessions with horses at liberty. The focus will be on ground work and connecting with the horse. At Sun River Equine Youth Ranch our mission is to work with ALL children, regardless of circumstance. But what we discovered these past few years, was that the need was great. We began leaning toward who had the most needs or who had been participating the longest. We struggled with how many sessions we could offer with the horses and volunteers we had available. The load was great and it was heavy. Scheduling the riding sessions became difficult with lack of resources, volunteers and horses. Those hot summer days became more about how many children we could get on a horse instead of focusing on the connection with the animal and the volunteer mentor.

It has taken many months of prayer and consultation with close friends and volunteers to come back to the basics. I have been conflicted and confused as to what direction to take. It's not about the saddle. We were not chosen for this ministry to fill the saddle seats, we were chosen to nurture our upcoming generation in a world that devours anything good and pure.

These sessions will allow us to not only reach more children, but we will also be able to offer group sessions. Thank you all for your grace through this divine journey. We hope to see you all in the spring. Much love to you all!

Blessings, Tanya

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

Romans 12:12

Freedom

Sun River Equine Youth Ranch is a cost-free program relying solely on donations and contributions from our community. If you would like to shoulder with us please visit:

http://www.sreyr.org/how-you-can-help.html

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."

-2 Corinthians 3:17

Scheduling Sessions

2015-04-23T08:26:00.001-07:00

Session time is right around the corner and there has been some confusion about the scheduling process this year. As you can imagine, the need is great so we are always challenged with how to do the scheduling fairly. Over the years, we have tried several ways of doing this. We thank you for your grace as we know this can be frustrating when trying to get your child scheduled.

I would like to clarify what goes into the scheduling process. The amount of sessions available each month is based on how many horses and how many volunteers we have available. In April we focus on volunteer training and scheduling for sessions beginning in May. We first schedule the volunteers and then see how many sessions we can offer every week. Once the volunteers have been scheduled, we refer to both the preseason signup list (offered in the fall of every year) and the waiting list of children who were not able to participate the previous year. We also need to take into consideration children with the greatest need and/or those through referral networks.

Please keep in mind this is a mentoring program ministry that utilizes horses for healing. We are open to all children, regardless of circumstance but we are not a horse back riding program.

We would like all children to have the opportunity to participate but the reality is that horses are so awesome that everyone would like to be with them ( ; We promise to do our best to provide as many sessions as is safely possible with the help and resources that we have. If you would like your child added to the list, please email Marisa at reesyhone77@gmail.com. Thank you so much for your continued support and understanding.

For more information and/or how you can help, please visit:

http://sreyr.org/how-you-can-help.html

New season . . . new sessions

2015-04-18T06:39:00.002-07:00

The Ambler family took a special and very quick trip to Bend Oregon to pick up our newest addition to the Sun River program family of Equine, Shooter. He is a 10 year old Palomino Mustang Gelding.

Very long trip for our road warriors but they were excited to meet new friends and our new horse!

Crystal Peaks in the Spring!

Meet Shooter! He will be participating in mentoring sessions this spring. His gentle and honest demeanor is perfect for our program.

Spring sessions will begin Wednesday May 6th. Currently, our volunteers are going through training in preparation for opening day! Stay tuned for upcoming dates and events.

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
- 2 Corinthians 3:17

Please visit http://sreyr.org/how-you-can-help.html for information on how you can help us continue to make this program possible.

Diary of a Horse Rescue

2015-02-09T12:26:00.000-08:00

After a week of planning, we were able to bring home two young horses who were scheduled for slaughter. Horse rescue is a real, unbelievably emotional and stressful experience for not only the people who commit to the care, but also to the animal. I feel compelled to share with our supporters, all that is involved in this type of transaction.

The idea of bringing a horse home and "saving" him or her from an untimely death sounds honorable. It seems like the right thing to do. And with all intentions, it is. But here is our most recent experience and what many do not realize:

Kill buyers and traders will advertise an animal who may be a good candidate for rescue. In our case, the animals being shown were said to be 6 years and younger. They will then charge a price on the animal that competes or surpasses the price they can get for slaughter.

There were many people involved in this particular rescue. Many donated money to pay the "bail" for the horses and one lady in particular donated a large amount of money just to get the horses away from danger. The lot owner will then give a deadline, usually a very short deadline to collect the money and to hold the horses before putting them on a slaughter horse truck. So the next challenge is in transport. I learned a great deal about this issue this week, as the horses we hauled were in Twin Falls, ID. We had until Saturday for pick up.

On Saturday, we loaded up horses in the lot Twin Falls and headed home. At this point many believe the hard part is over. Not at all. The animals we unloaded on the property were terrified, lice ridden and had possible viruses. Then we relieved pressure and let the horses free, setting them in the arena to run, roll in the sand and check out their environment. After this period of rest, they need to be quarantined because of what illnesses they could possibly be carrying.

The quarantine pen must be a distance from the rest of the herd so as to not pass on respiratory illnesses. Horses need to be watched particularly well in the first 24 hours and although we were present, we could not be overly pushy with the animals.

On Sunday, my husband spent time reinforcing the newly built quarantine pen due to damage caused by the horses leaning and scratching the parasitic itching, while I dusted the horses for lice.

Next, we scheduled a veterinarian ranch visit to check overall health, teeth and soundness. The paint we brought home contracted a respiratory virus that we are lucky her immune system is fighting. Fortunately, her lungs are clear and she is not running a high temperature, but she still needs a few injections throughout the week before we can be sure she is safe to meet the herd.

In the process of writing this blog, I pondered the point of sharing all of this information. Maybe it is a coping mechanism. Maybe it is a way for us to feel okay that we cannot save them all. Mostly I think it is a way to share an experience that is bittersweet in so many ways. These horses, who have been abandoned or abused, often make the best healers. If a horse can learn to trust again, they can connect with children who have trust issues.

Please consider shouldering with us this these endeavors. We need prayers and strength to continue to fight the good fight for these animals.

Love to you all,
Tanya

www.sreyr.org

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. -2 Corinthians 3:17

A New Season . . . Sun River Spring 2015

2015-02-08T09:08:00.001-08:00

In the fall of 2014, we were saddened to have to say goodbye to our Goldie. On her final day, our families came to give her hugs and decorate her mane with flowers. It was a bittersweet moment, as were reminded the impact one horse can have on a child's life. We will never forget her service here at Sun River.

The two horses pictured above were bought at an auction and scheduled to be hauled away for slaughter. Time was short and with the help of some amazing people, we were able to pick them up yesterday. The bay (Alfonzo) is a 4 year old gelding and already has a new home in Washington. The paint (Azure) is with us for the time being. She is timid and people seem to make her very nervous. For now, she will rest here at the ranch and hopefully learn to trust again.

Alfonzo right off the trailer.

Azure after a good roll.

Although the ranch is technically "closed for the winter," a lot is still happening "behind the scenes" getting ready for our spring season! We are so excited for this year! Sun River is officially accepting volunteer and junior volunteer applications. Please contact our Program Manager, Marisa Hone @ 208-989-4888 for more information about junior volunteering. We will be hosting an orientation for all new volunteers on Saturday, March 21st from 10:00AM-1200PM.

UPDATE: Ready for a challenge this new year? Join our Spartan Race SREYR Team! The race is scheduled for June and will benefit our youth program. You do not have to run to participate. Our runners are running in honor of the children that come to the ranch.

If you would like a runner to run in honor of your child here's what you need to know:
Get in touch with Kristi Young or message us and we'll put you in touch with her. She will gather your information and assign you to a runner. That runner will give you their racing shirt to decorate. Your family will decorate the shirt and include the phrase
"I run 4 _(your child's name here)_".

The runner will wear their shirt on race day and they will take a picture holding your child's picture so that your child can see that someone is running for them. A portion of the runner's race fees comes back to help fund the ranch which means our runners really are running for your children!

This idea is credited to a growing movement across the nation, you can read more here:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/15/irun4-running-children/3547705/
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-05-16/health/sc-health-0507-fiitness-i-run-4-20140516_1_tim-boyle-buddy-system-special-needs-kids

Thank you for all of your support and love! We can't wait to see you all soon . . .

Blessings, Tanya Ambler
Ranch Manager
Tanya@sreyr.org
208-249-8436

If you would like to shoulder with us, please visit: www.sreyr.org for ideas on how you can help us reach out to more children and animals.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. -2 Corinthians 3:17

Crystal Peaks-The Arrival

2014-05-22T22:21:00.001-07:00

The day had finally come. We were going to return to a place were it all began. A place where the Lord called Troy and Kim Meeder to build a ranch for children. I remember the first year we visited this breathtaking property in Bend, Oregon. Three years ago, Lauren and I arrived a little early for the informational conference and gazed at the pristine landscaping, feeling a tinge of discouragement. "Look at this place," we said. "How in the world were we going to build something at all worthy to even be considered a SIMILAR ministry?" We walked up the wood chipped driveway and were greeted by joyful and friendly faces. We were led into a large meeting room full of others like us . . . strangers . . . but not for long. Kim Meeder led the first sessions beginning with the history of their property. She explained how their cinder pit acreage started as a blank slate and the Lord provided. We quickly realized that WE were not going to do this. God was.

Fast forward a few years and Mike and I have the opportunity to return to this inspirational place. We planned the departure carefully and quickly realized just how much responsibility we actually have:

Make list of ranch chores (check)
Refill all critter feed bins (check)
Water garden (check)
Drop off kids (check)
Drop puppy off at dog boarder (check)
Drop Gus off at Reesy's (check)

A few hours later, we were on our way. When we arrived at the ranch, we were greeted with the same joyful faces but this time there were many hugs from our friends.

Crystal Peaks breathes God's love. This is the only way I can describe it. One feels safe here, protected from the world. Even all the animals are peaceful.

This was the view from my quiet time spot today.
Every morning we are given one hour to go to anywhere we choose on the property to sit, read and pray. I traveled to the highest point I could find. The silence was intoxicating. I could only hear the horses "clop" along the rocky hill.

We attended sessions throughout the rest of the day, learning the ins and outs of everything from community outreach to how to develop a wood shop for children not interested in horses. And THEN they feed us this incredible lunch! I am pretty sure I ate more today than I do in a week!

But we are being fed with SO MUCH MORE than this amazing lunch spread. The Spirit is here and filling us all! We are so blessed to have the opportunity to know these beautiful people who we now consider lifelong friends.

Tomorrow, we will return at 8:00am for worship time and a day full of knowledge, Truth and fellowship. We CANNOT wait!.

Thank you all for shouldering with us through this journey. Reesy Hone, we wish you were here! NEXT YEAR SISTER!

Blessings!

Tanya

www.sreyr.org

Gallop into Season 3

2014-05-21T22:53:00.000-07:00

"The spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ." -Romans 8:16

With God's will and grace, this ranch was founded. With His hand, this ranch grows and reaches into this community. With His love, we have the capacity to continue to do this work.

We consider our Sun River Family as God's earthly hands. We COULD NOT continue without the help of, not only our AMAZING family but also all of our supporters and friends whom we consider our church family.

We are into the first month of season 3 at Sun River Equine Youth Ranch. We have experienced challenges, heartbreaks and all out attacks from the enemy. But through all of this, God has never forsaken us. His hand has been our guide and His love our strength. He continues to empower this ministry.

Thank you to all who participated, donated and attended our "Gallop Into Spring Fundraiser." This is a view of our street, full of cars on that beautiful night.

Sessions!!!

Thank you for sharing this Divine Journey with us!! Stay tuned for more updates as Mike and I are in Bend, Oregon, visiting Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch for their "Similar Ministries Leadership Conference." Love to all of you and thank you for your grace and friendship!

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." -2 Corinthians 3:17

www.sreyr.org

Sun River Season 3 Sessions

2014-03-19T11:00:00.005-07:00

Oh how we have miss everyone over these cold months! It does give us the opportunity to reflect and revise how best to implement our mentoring program. This year has been especially exciting as we prepare our new location for events, volunteers and our families!

There are many important dates coming up here at the ranch:

March 22nd (This Saturday)-Volunteer Orientation 10:00-11:30AM

March 29th, April 5th, and April 12th-Volunteer Training/Meet the Herd

April 12th-Volunteer cleanup and Season Preparation Day beginning at 1:00PM

April 26th-"Gallop Into Spring" Season Opener Fundraiser 5-7PM

May 1st-Mentor sessions begin!!

As you can imagine, we have a list of fun projects in store. Our new round pen, named: "The Horse Play Pen," is located at the far corner of our property, away from distractions and noise.

Stay tuned for fireside worship evenings as the weather changes. Mike and Ranch Pastor Sam will head up the music as we gather for fellowship around the fire.

Just a funny picture of Scrapper hanging out with Alley ( :

This is such a creative idea! Thank you Mom (Gail Stearns) for sending it over. We think it will make a perfect home for our goats, Seymore and Merle and for Hammy.

Some of the changes to our youth program will be the following:

-Morning and afternoon session times available
-Saturday sessions offered
-Special event days
-Junior Volunteer Program Additions

We are so excited to have Mrs. Marisa (Reesy) Hone as part of our Sun River Family. This has been a dream of hers ever since she read Kim Meeder's books as a little girl. As program Coordinator, Reesy will be on site during sessions to help with any tasks and to answer questions.

Thank you Gail Stearns (My Mama) for volunteering to do the volunteer schedule! This is quite the task and takes a very organized individual . . . not a gift I inherited.

Please check out our new website for all upcoming dates and information. Spring is ALMOST HERE!

www.sreyr.org

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
-2 Corinthians 3:17

SREYR 2013 Season Review in Photos

2013-12-03T06:38:00.000-08:00

"All horses deserve, at least once in their lives, to be loved by a little girl." –Author Unknown.

Destiny and Belle

"Horses lend us the wings we lack." ~Author Unknown

Sammy and Beauty

"Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity." ~Lindley Karstens

"Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven."-Unknown

"Horses and children, I often think, have a lot of the good sense there is in the world." ~Josephine Demott Robinson

"He knows when you're happy
He knows when you're comfortable
He knows when you're confident
And he always knows when you have carrots."
~Author Unknown

"A horse is the projection of peoples' dreams about themselves - strong, powerful, beautiful - and it has the capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence." ~Pam Brown

Shannah and Belle

Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch exists to Rescue the Equine, Mentor the Child, offer Hope for the Family and Empower the Ministry.

"The heart of a volunteer is not measured in size, but by the depth of the commitment to make a difference in the lives of others."
DeAnn Hollis

The idea of kids helping other kids is such a great way to introduce children to being involved in charitable causes and volunteer work, setting them on the path to doing good for others throughout their lives.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/volunteer.html#7lQYuvzMR4KT6Bw2.99

"Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead

Makiah and Belle

Maddie and Willie

“When we come together to play and be we are truly ourselves When we are truly ourselves it is wonderful and when we act collectively in that wonder we do transformative work for our community and our world.”-Brad Colby

"The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and fire." ~Sharon Ralls Lemon

Malieha and Willie

"A man on a horse is spiritually as well as physically bigger than a man on foot." ~John Steinbeck

"I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him." ~Abraham Lincoln

Issac and Ty

Ty and Shadow

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."-Maya Angelou
u

"A dog may be man's best friend, but the horse wrote history." ~Author Unknown

Grandma Louise and Dude

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."-Seneca

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is FREEDOM."

2 Corinthians 3:17

http://www.sunriverequineranch.org/how_to_help/

Healing

2013-11-22T10:43:00.001-08:00

There are many natural remedies that we have found to be helpful when working with our horses and in aiding their illnesses. This is not to say that we do not consult a veterinarian first. When considering natural remedies:

-Are they truly "natural" or do they include additives?
-Are there any side effects?
-Cost?

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a favorite in our household and for our animals. Not only is the vinegar an aid in fly prevention, but it is also excellent for the digestive system. One of our horses benefited from ACV with his bladder issues.

http://gerson.org/gerpress/8-amazing-uses-for-apple-cider-vinegar/

Essential Oils: Herbs

Essential oils can be expensive but are very potent in small doses. Because they are completely natural, we have used a few on a number of our horses.

Lavender Oil: Often used for anxiety and nerves.
Peppermint Oil: Aids in digestion and respiratory issues.

These are just a few that we have tried on our animals as they have little or NO side effects. They are often overlooked because they are not regulated through the FDA. However, there are many personal testimonies on how essential oils have both prevented and healed even the most complicated diagnosis.

http://www.essentialanimals.com/articles/how-use-essential-oils-horses

**We highly recommend discussing options with an experienced veterinarian. Many are very open to the benefits of natural medicine, along with modern medicine.

Goldilox Update #2

2013-11-18T09:28:00.001-08:00

Goldie began limping a few weeks ago. We were unsure the cause but treated it as a soft tissue injury. The pain seemed to be in her shoulder. We gave her some Bute and separated her from the herd so she could rest. The limp continued into last week, despite our efforts.

Sometimes love and attention is the best medicine. Goldie is spoiled by our eager little girls. They brush her, feed her treats, and whisper in her ear. She lowers her head to their level, closes her eyes and soaks up the affection. Yesterday, I took her out of her stall and the limp was gone.

I realize her injury could very well have been healed with rest and time but I like to think that perhaps it's been a while since she has been loved by little girls.

Goldilocks (Goldie) Update

2013-11-07T12:36:00.002-08:00

Goldie is a registered Arabian/Quarter Horse mare who came to us last week. She was scheduled to be euthanized because her owner could no longer care for her. The phone call came in around noon and we had minutes to make a decision. Sun River Equine believes in second chances . . . so . . . we went to pick her up at the vet. Goldie had a clean vet check on Friday and is very gentle and loving. Yesterday we tested her in the round pen with a saddle. Even though she is 21 years old, she still has a lot of spirit and her show quality came out. She holds her head beautifully and she maintains a slow steady trot. We are thrilled with her progress after only a week!

http://www.sunriverequineranch.org/how_to_help/

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is FREEDOM."

2 Corinthians 3:17

The life of a horse . . .

2013-10-31T06:48:00.000-07:00

Imagine for a moment . . . a little girl looking up at this enormous animal. The horse lowers her head to the child's small hands. She grows up with her horse, leading her, talking to her and trusting her with not only her secrets but her very safety. The horse follows, responds, and respects this child. Then something happens. The child grows up. The horse is sold to a breeder. Now her role changes. She must produce. When she is no longer able to produce, she is cast aside as a nuisance and sentenced to death by euthanasia.

This is a story of so many of these great animals. This is why we do what we do. We believe in giving a second chance, not only for children but also for horses.

Meet "Goldie"

We received a call about this 21 year old mare a couple of days ago. She was literally minutes away from being put down. Apparently, she was used as a 4H horse for very young children for years. She is sweet and gentle and deserves to have a retirement to enjoy the rest of her life. We realize hay is expensive. It has reached over $10 a bale in the winter months but what does it say about us as a society to kill an animal who is otherwise healthy, just because we don't have use for her anymore. Well, Sun River Equine Youth Ranch has use for her ( ;

www.sunriverequineranch.org

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is FREEDOM."

2 Corinthians 3:17

Welcome Home Sun River!

2013-09-09T06:08:00.000-07:00

Sun River Equine Youth Ranch has officially moved! Our program will operate at our new permanent address: 6156 Deer Flat Rd. This is about 3 miles west of the Black Cat property.

As you can imagine, this move has been enormous. We had so much help from our family, friends and families. Thank you all so very much. We couldn't have done it without you!

Along with our move, we have had to add material, fencing, etc. to our needs. There are many future projects planned along with the necessary set up for our animals. We cannot thank Terry and Susan Thayer enough for their TREMENDOUS donation of sand for BOTH our round pen and arena!
Terry and Susan have become dear friends of Mike and I and of Sun River. They own and operate Dreamhaven Ranch in Eagle, a similar ministry to ours. Terry and Susan have attended seminars at Crystal Peaks and plan to open their facility in the spring. This will allow for us to reach so many more children and families in the Treasure Valley area. We will be working together to ensure that we are as efficient as possible in bringing this mentor program to as many counties as possible. They have been a rock for us through this move. We will support and encourage each other through this journey.

The move has required so much of our time. We originally planned to host our second annual Fundraising Harvest Party in October of this year. After careful consideration, we have decided that we are going to postpone this event to the spring. We would like to focus on our little ones and getting our animals comfortable in their new homes. Having the party in the spring will allow us to settle in. We would like the party to be as organized and beautifully set up as possible. We are disappointed because we have really looked forward to seeing all of our families and supporters but know you all understand how difficult such a big move can be.

Lauren Koller, our beautiful friend and co-founder, welcomed her little girl "Laynie" into the world this weekend. As many of you know, Lauren and I worked closely together to design and operate this youth program. Lauren has decided to step down from Sun River and focus on her family and new baby at this time. With sad hearts we support and respect her new calling. We love you Lauren and will miss you! Thank you for your service, love and understanding over these past few years! We can't wait to meet your baby girl!

Stay tuned for future events! We will revamp our website very soon which will allow for easier viewing of important dates.

If you would like to partner with us and help in building this ministry, please visit our existing website @

http://www.sunriverequineranch.org/how_to_help/

We are thankful for each and every one of you. Thank you for hanging in there with us as we tackle all of these changes.

Blessings,
Tanya

Our mission is to bring all children, regardless of circumstance, as well as horses who have been abandoned or abused, together to watch the Lord heal their lives.

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is FREEDOM."

2 Corinthians 3:17

The Move

2013-08-01T13:43:00.003-07:00

We have thoroughly enjoyed our 2 seasons here at Sun River Equine Ranch on Black Cat Rd. in Kuna. When Mike and I moved here, we never imagined we would be called to this ministry.

God has opened the door and led us to another property just a few miles from here, where we were able to purchase a permanent home for Sun River. Our needs for a place were specific and difficult to find. However, in the Lord's timing, everything fell into place beautifully. We were able to buy a place with land and in the same school district. The entire experience was a testament of how anything can be done with Christ.

The new house closed on July 26th just as we were finishing up this months sessions at the ranch. We quickly started pulling carpet, painting walls, etc. to get the place ready to move.

Thank you all for your patience through this time of adjustment for us!

This season we have been blessed by our amazing volunteers and families!

Thank you for your generosity and love for our staff and family!

We would like to send out a huge THANK YOU to Chuck and Beth Ambler who bought a bunch of Gator raffle tickets, won the auction and then turned around and donated back!

The next few months are going to be challenging but we are at peace taking it one day at a time.

Thank you all for your support and love for us!

Ranch Welcome BBQ October 5th and time TBA!

Blessings, Tanya Ambler

www.sunriverequineranch.org

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
-2 Corinthians 3:17

On Labels

2013-06-03T07:13:00.003-07:00

We are often asked if we just serve those with special needs. All children should be accepted and loved and that is what we strive to do here. In our opinion, all have special needs. Sun River Equine serves ALL children, regardless of circumstance. All children can benefit from the connection with animals. We encourage families to come, rest and enjoy. We do not single out those who have a "label." I have seen more joy and humanity from children with the most descriptive labels.

http://sunriverequineranch.org/

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is
freedom."
-2 Corinthians 3:17

Leadership Conference and Renewal Trip to Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch

2013-05-30T06:22:00.001-07:00

Mike, Lauren and I had the opportunity to return to Crystal Peaks this spring. Last year we attended the "Similar Ministries Informational Conference" and this year we continued on to the "Leadership Conference."

We arrived Wednesday May 22nd and were welcomed with open arms. Upon setting foot on this beautiful ranch, we all felt a sense of peace and rest.

It was a time to come together and pray, worship and listen. Each morning we met in the Crystal Peaks Barn for worship time led by Troy Meeder.

Following morning worship we broke into personal Bible study and prayer. This was a quiet time of reflection and time to grow closer to Christ.

Mike and I found a quiet place near the chicken coop and back horse corral. We felt at home hearing and smelling the horses.

Meet Eclipse. She is Troy's personal horse and has a very gentle demeanor.

So Blessed to have been able to spend another week at this amazing place with Lauren, my great friend and co-founder of Sun River Equine.

View from my Bible Study spot ( :

One of the Crystal Peaks riding areas. This is "Sandy Pants Arena." What a view!

Detail and careful planning in every building. Town Marshal building, "Lightfoot Memorial" and Troy's office.

Now this is an arena!

This journey has been truly divine. We have had our struggles but have grown closer to the Lord and each other. THANK YOU to Crystal Peaks staff and volunteers for the awesome week of spiritual renewal! We miss each and every one of you!

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
-2 Corinthians 3:17

How you can help:
http://www.sunriverequineranch.org/how_to_help/

Ready . . . Set . . .

2013-04-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

It is already April and we are a few weeks away from the beginning of season two here at Sun River. In the beginning of April, Amy Bowman @ Mustard Seed Photography, donated her brilliant services and captured some amazing moments with our families. We hope to add them to our website very soon! Thank you Amy!

Many of you who follow our Facebook page, may have heard about the recent emergency with one of our star program horses, Babe. She suffered sand colic at the end of March. Her severe pain caused balance issues and disinterest in water or food. Blaney's Vet Clinic, along with Kortnee Fleming rushed out to our aid.

Her condition slowly began to improve over the following couple of days. We tried various remedies, including essential oils, to ease her discomfort. We are thrilled to report that she has recovered 100% and is back to her quirky self. PTL!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sun-River-Equine-Youth-Ranch-Inc/286619888022836

We will be planting and preparing the grounds throughout the month of April to greet all of our families beginning in May.

Sun River Kuna High School day at the ranch. These amazing young adults enjoyed some bonding time.

Lauren, John and "Scrapper."

We would like to thank all of our new volunteers for your dedication and willingness to stand along side us for this ministry. We are so thankful and humbled to have the opportunity to work with all of you!

Thank you to Atlas Pallet Company for filling ALL of our lumber needs at this time. We have some very special plans for these materials which will be revealed very soon ( ;

McAlvain Group of Companies has generously offered their equipment to help improve the property. We are so very thankful for their support and partnership!

Upcoming events:
April 17th: Scheduling begins for the month of May. Those interesting in sessions, please contact Lauren Koller @ 208-863-7906 beginning at 9:00am.

April 26th and 27th: Sun River Fundraiser Yard Sale begins at 8:00am. If you have any items you can donate, please let us know. We are humbled by your generosity in helping us get through this very cold winter. All horses are thankfully healthy and happy! Please share and help us get the word out ( :

You can also help by visiting:

http://sunriverequineranch.org/how_to_help/

Looking forward to another blessed season!

Tanya Ambler
(208) 249-8436
tanya@sunriverequineranch.org
http://sunriverequineranch.org/

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there
 is freedom."
-2 Corinthians 3:17

2013-02-17T06:26:00.001-08:00

Who ever said it doesn't get below zero in Idaho! Negative temperatures in January caused our water line to freeze. We were challenged with running hoses from the house, out to the horses and then draining and bringing them in at night.

All our animals weathered the cold very well. We didn't have any incidents of colic or other major illness which we are very thankful for. With the temperatures nearing 50 this past week, we have been able to get out and start the much needed cleanup and preparation for our upcoming season.

Big THANK YOU to Western State CAT for donating a backhoe for the weekend to help us with some of these major projects. They have been such a generous supporter of our program.

We have been working with our horses every afternoon. They are enjoying the sunshine and opportunity for some exercise.

Time to get our equipment cleaned up and ready! Sierra and Maddie "painted" saddles yesterday as we began the process of organizing tack.

Thank you all for your support this winter! Newsletter coming out very soon with some wonderful stories . . .

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."-2 Corinthians 3:17

www.sunriverequineranch.org