Statements

Mission

Igniting hope, with the help of a horse. Providing mentor sessions to children and young adults who have been through trauma and other life-challenges.

We accomplish this through our Individual Session Program, Junior Ranchers Group Mentorship, and Family Sessions... all completely FREE-OF-CHARGE.

The Ranch also serves as a foster home for horses recovering from abuse and neglect in Middle Tennessee. Participants are offered the opportunity to assist in the rehabilitation process of caring for abused and neglected equines.


The INDIVIDUAL SESSION PROGRAM is open to applicants ages 5-35 and pairs a participant with a leader and a horse in an intentional, one-on-one mentor relationship. Individual sessions are 90 minutes in length and are scheduled once or twice per month. Healthy self-image, loving relationships, trust, and boundaries are built through activities that can include riding, ground and liberty work with horses, hiking on the land, playing games, doing crafts, and farm chores. Mentors work hard to adapt programming to meet the individual needs of each child.

Junior Ranchers, a GROUP MENTORSHIP PROGRAM for ages 9-24 broken up by age and circumstance, builds upon the healing attained in the Individual Session Program and adds to the child's peer community. In addition to learning basic horsemanship and riding skills which are inherently empowering, Ranchers engage in group activities and practical application Bible study. The program's goal is to grow self-confident and servant-hearted young
 leaders who are empowered to step outside of their own self-limitations. Junior Ranchers are 3-hour Sessions twice per month.

FAMILY SESSIONS are an opportunity for families dealing with inter-relational challenges to step outside of their routine. The session can focus on topics including teamwork, respect, communicating emotions, problem-solving, and boundaries...or the time can simply be used as a "bright spot" in the midst of family turmoil.

Background

Founded in 2015, Freedom Reigns Ranch offers free-of-charge mentor sessions to children and youth who have experienced trauma or other challenging circumstances. Guided by a mentor, each individual or group session is a step towards growth and healing from trauma and other life challenges. The ministry's focus is on giving participants a safe environment where they can regain hope with the help of a horse. 



Horses, by nature, are relational animals whose desire to engage is based on trust. In herds, horses give up control and accept vulnerability, with the expectation of being protected from harm. Horse - human partnerships are based on the same dynamic. Participants build trust with the horse and, in doing so, learn how to build trust with people. Learning to partner with a horse grows other characteristics such as confidence, patience, and self-awareness.

Freedom Reigns Ranch is a Christian, faith-based program that is not affiliated with any particular denomination. We don't "preach" but rather serve as an example and vessel for Christ's love to flow through us. Freedom Reigns is a safe and loving environment for children and young persons to come and experience a retreat from everyday life where, through the love of Christ, hope is restored.

Participant referrals come from a variety of sources including law enforcement, child-centered advocacy groups, churches, and others simply by word-of-mouth. The ministry is open to individuals from every walk of life and the only requirement from participants is a willingness to come.

EQUINE RESCUE AND FOSTER CARE:
A majority of horses used for ministry at Freedom Reigns have been rescued from abuse and neglect. Our Christian faith instructs that we are to be caretakers of God's creation, yet so many times, humans fail to steward well those in their care. Horses are majestic, yet fragile animals who are vulnerable to cruelty. 



Freedom Reigns works in cooperation with established equine rescue organizations and law enforcement. Our program fosters horses in need of physical and emotional healing. The children in our Individual and Group Programs, many of whom are scarred by their own experiences of abuse and neglect, gain valuable experience and hope in working to heal the horses.

Impact

Testimonial from Parent of a Participant:
"The combination of a Christ-centered and therapeutic riding program seems too good to be true, but it truly IS that good. We are beyond grateful for the amazing staff at Freedom Reigns, for what they do, and for helping our daughter to get past a difficult time and find her true self again."


Recommendation of LCSW Amber Stevenson, LCSW, LADAC, 20 years of experience in the field:
"Freedom Reigns Ranch is at the top of my list of referrals for children and adolescents that are needing supplemental support while they are in trauma therapy with me. Many of the clients I work with have experienced trauma and harm at the hands of humans they should have been able to trust. By being with a horse, they are able to experience non-threatening connection and they learn to build trust in a safe context, at their pace. Horses allow the child/adolescent opportunities to build self-esteem and confidence, both of which are often shattered within traumatic experiences.
I have had multiple clients share with me how safe they feel when they are at FRR. It becomes their sacred space. It is beneficial in multiple ways for these children/teens/young adults to have one consistent mentor, a horse they feel bonded to, be outside in nature, and have uninterrupted time where there are no other distractions and someone is pouring into them on a consistent basis.
 Truly could go on and on about what a special place FRR is. To have this gem of a program, offered completely free-of-charge to participants, is a gift to our community, the children who have experienced adversity, and their families".

Testimonial from a Current Ranch Participant
:
"...My eagerness to see a horse started to outweigh my anxiety and the first horse I met was Dancer. He was kind and looked happy to see me. It lifted my spirits and I began to talk to my mentor and get to know her. Since that first time I've continued to go to Freedom Reigns for about 3 years and worked with just about every horse there. I've learned a number of lessons:

From Boston I've learned persistence in my opinion makes a difference.

From Joseph I learned I can come back from anything. 

From Bronson I learned things don't have to be scary all the time.

I learned little things can make a big difference from Goliath. 

I learned confidence from Finn and kindness from Dancer.
From Pogo I've learned it's okay to have fun and try new things. 

But there's been one horse who's had a special imprint on me and that's Freedom. He's taught me so many things like it's okay to trust and people can hurt you but that doesn't mean they are all like that. Freedom has seen some of the worst from people and yet he still chooses to love everyone. When you are with Freedom it's like instinct to keep yourself calm so he stays calm because he reflects how you feel. It really opened my eyes to how nervous I was for no reason all the time. When I'm at Freedom Reigns I feel like I'm safe and I don't have to worry about what's around the corner and the lessons I learn there carry into everyday life."

Testimonial from Current Volunteer:
"I have seen the confidence of an eight year old girl grow exponentially as she commanded the attention and obedience of an excited Arabian on a windy night in a remote round pen. I have witnessed teenagers willingly trust enough to open their hearts and share their thoughts and struggles with each other and encourage one another. I tearfully watched as a powerful moment unfolded in the arena when a feral mini horse chose to "partner" with a teenage girl who had experienced more trauma and loss than anyone ever should. His willful trust and decision to choose her brought a true "heart" smile and the weight of life lifted off her shoulders. I have seen the gentle spirit of an emaciated and abused horse reveal the power of love to heal and forgive. God is constantly working miracles through Freedom Reigns, whether we see them or not!"


Needs

All activities, sessions, programs, and events at Freedom Reigns are completely free-of-charge. We rely on the generosity of private donors and businesses who believe in the work we do to continue to help bring hope and healing to so many individuals in Middle Tennessee. Simply put... we need you!

Freedom Reigns Ranch is exclusively dedicated to its mission, all dollars support providing sessions and caring for our beloved session horses so they are able to give of themselves to serve participants:

Cost to sponsor one session horse for one calendar year: $6,000
Average cost to the Ranch per hour of mentorship provided: $58
Sponsoring one Participant for one season: $1,392

Warrior Fund: A special fund that is dedicated to the rehabilitative work of horses received in rescue from neglect/abuse/abandonment (the costs in the first weeks and months of refeeding emaciated horses, and the initial triage vet care involved with neglect, abuse, and abandonment cases). Once horses are rehabilitated, they are evaluated for suitability as a session horse or placed for adoption.

Current In-Kind Needs:
- Pasture drag attachment for tractor
- Heavy-duty, construction-grade hoses

CEO Statement

To think that a creature so powerful could embody such gentleness is perplexing... until you realize that the horse is a gift from God to mankind and his purpose is far beyond simple companionship."

Carissa Ramsdell was, by her own account, an ordinary young woman. As a child, she had experienced tough periods of abuse and neglect. The emotional scars left her unwilling to trust other people. Carissa entered early adulthood angry with God and determined to never be hurt again. The positive childhood memories she had centered around interaction with horses and so, when her regular job afforded her the life-long dream of horse ownership, Carissa purchased an Arabian/ Thoroughbred named "Boston".

It was soon evident to Carissa that her dream horse was a high-strung, spirited creature - prone to biting, bolting, and shying from any perceived threat. 
 Carissa worked daily with her new horse to gain trust through kindness and progress was slow, but constant. During this season of training her equine friend, Carissa herself learned how to trust. She came to realize that the things she was teaching Boston were things she needed to learn. God began to soften her heart towards understanding that God didn't cause the pain and abuse she endured and that He was the path for healing. She learned to understand God's true heart and compassion, and on October 31, 2012 she made the decision to follow Jesus with her whole heart.

Aware that God in his compassion had given her this season to understand His purpose, for her to create a ministry to help heal others as she had been healed - through horses. God's message was, "this is what I've done with you, and now I'm going to use you to do it with others."

Two years after that vision, she had the release from the Lord to leave her career and, on faith, fully step into Freedom Reigns Ranch, with its mission based on 2 Corinthians 3:17 "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom".

Today, Carissa is continually in awe of God faithfulness in the Freedom Reigns Ministry and states, "He often has provision for a need before we even realize it's there, or it comes right in the nick of time. That provision is always wrapped in the heart of who God is, as it's a direct answer to the need of a person. Even if it comes in the form a horse who needs love and a child who needs to give that love to that horse in order to heal their own heart....There is nothing that compares to seeing a child's' life change in their time at Freedom Reigns! What a joy it is to serve Him in the way He used to reach me.

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Mental Health & Crisis Intervention  - Mental Health Treatment
Secondary Category:	Youth Development  - Youth Development NEC
Tertiary Category:	Human Services  - Victims' Services

Areas Served

Located in Maury County in Columbia, Tennessee, Freedom Reigns Ranch serves all of the Middle Tennessee area. Current participants are from many surrounding counties including: Williamson, Davidson, Maury, Lawrence, Wilson, Dickson, Bedford, Marshall, Cheatham, Coffee, and Giles counties.
80% of participants are from Williamson and Maury counties.

TN - Williamson