Article Contributed on: 6/22/2009 10:54:49 AM
A new nonprofit is working to help troubled kids by pairing them with rescued horses.
Zuma's Rescue Ranch, a 142-acre ranch located in Douglas County near Chatfield State Park, provides free equine assisted psychotherapy to foster children, said Jodi Messenich, executive director.
The ranch takes in neglected, cast off horses, some so emaciated they can barely stand, and rehabilitates them with the help of foster kids, Messenich said.
"The kids and horses heal one another," she said.
According to CPS Watch, a national organization that provides information to families involved with child welfare agencies, 80 percent of prison inmates were once involved with the foster care system.
Zuma's mission is to break this cycle by changing the mental health care in the foster system, Messenich said.
"The horses are able to teach them empathy, as most of the rescued horses can related to the path they are on," she said.
When Dawn Roemer, co-organizational leader for the Sedalia Spurs 4-H group, heard about Zuma and its efforts to help kids and horses, she thought it would be a great cause for the group to get involved with.
"I thought, wow, that's exactly what 4-H is about," she said. "The 4-H philosophy is that if kids are involved with 4-H and focusing on and working with their animals and parent involvement, they also stay out of the crime scene."
The Sedalia Spurs hosted a 4-H Buckle Series horse show on June 13 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds and will be donating $500 of the proceeds to Zuma.
Besides the show, the Sedalia Spurs will be volunteering to clean at the ranch, Roemer said.
Messenich, along with her husband, Paul, and daughter, Victoria, started the nonprofit endeavor in January and began offering equine assisted psychotherapy classes in March.
To document how the horses help kids, Zuma is partnering with the University of Denver for an EAP pilot program.
"Our goal is to get research to prove the positive effects of equine assisted psychotherapy and get it covered for kids in foster care," she said.
EAP is not covered by Medicaid or other insurance, and Zuma has more requests for therapy than its funds allow.
EAP addresses a variety of mental health and human development needs including behavioral issues, attention deficit disorder, substance abuse, eating disorders, abuse issues, depression, anxiety, relationship problems and communication needs, Messenich said.
It is the presence of the horse that open the doors of communication, Messenich said.
"I had a therapist tell me, 'I got more out of that kid in one session than months of treatment in traditional therapy,'" she said.
UP NEXT
What: Open house gala inviting the public to learn more about Zuma's Rescue Ranch and meet the board of directors
When: 4-9 p.m. July 24
Where: Zuma's Rescue Ranch, 7745 N. Moore Road, Littleton
Cost: Free
More info: Call 303-346-7493 or go to
www.zumasrescueranch.com