Charis Youth Ranch Home Of New Life Thoroughbreds

Founded in 2009, Charis Youth Ranch is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded on the mission “Broken Horses Healing Broken Children.” For more than a decade, Charis provided a place where rescued horses and young people could find acceptance, connection and purpose together. At the heart of Charis has always been a simple belief: horses should not be valued only for what they can do. Every horse has worth, whether young or old, sound or injured, rideable or not. Many horses who came to Charis had experienced neglect, injury, abandonment or the threat of slaughter. Their stories often resonated deeply with young people facing struggles of their own. Through programs including the Equine Adventure Pr... read more Founded in 2009, Charis Youth Ranch is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded on the mission “Broken Horses Healing Broken Children.” For more than a decade, Charis provided a place where rescued horses and young people could find acceptance, connection and purpose together. At the heart of Charis has always been a simple belief: horses should not be valued only for what they can do. Every horse has worth, whether young or old, sound or injured, rideable or not. Many horses who came to Charis had experienced neglect, injury, abandonment or the threat of slaughter. Their stories often resonated deeply with young people facing struggles of their own. Through programs including the Equine Adventure Program, Triumph Youth Program and Junior Volunteer Program, children and teens learned horsemanship, responsibility, leadership and relationship skills while experiencing the unconditional acceptance horses so naturally provide. The rescue stories of our horses became an important part of that work. On the common ground between a child who had experienced hardship and a horse with a difficult past, connection could begin—and sometimes healing followed. When Everything Changed At the end of 2021, Charis lost the facility where much of our work had taken place. At the same time, COVID-era fundraising challenges significantly reduced the financial support available to the organization. We faced difficult decisions. Our herd was reduced, our traditional youth programs were suspended and Charis became much quieter. But we never went away. The programs changed. Our commitment to the horses and young people did not. Today, Charis Youth Ranch continues to provide lifelong care for 10 rescued horses. Eight of our horses now live on 55 beautiful acres in Fort Collins, surrounded by pasture and open space. Each has an individual paddock and shelter with regular turnout, giving them opportunities to graze, move, socialize and simply enjoy being horses. We also continue to support two beloved senior horses living in Wellington. These seniors remain an important part of the Charis family and have created an opportunity for the next generation to become involved in their care. Youth Are Still Part of Charis While our larger structured youth programs are currently paused, young people have not disappeared from Charis. Our Junior Volunteers help care for our senior horses while learning the fundamentals of responsible horse ownership and equine care. Through hands-on experience, they learn about feeding, grooming, horse behavior, health and safety, along with the responsibility and consistency required when an animal depends on you every day. The setting may be smaller and more personal than our programs of the past, but something important remains unchanged: horses continue to teach lessons that extend far beyond the barn. They teach patience, responsibility, empathy, confidence, leadership and the importance of showing up for another living being. The Next Chapter of Charis We don’t yet know exactly what the next chapter will look like—and we believe it’s important to be honest about that. We continue caring for our horses while thoughtfully considering and praying about what comes next. Our future may include expanding Junior Volunteer opportunities, one-on-one experiences for youth, smaller equine programs or new ways of bringing young people and horses together. We aren’t trying to recreate the past simply because it is familiar. We want the next chapter of Charis to honor everything that came before while leaving room for something new. What Your Support Makes Possible Right now, donations to Charis Youth Ranch help us fulfill the promise we made to the horses who depend on us. Support helps provide feed and hay, veterinary and dental care, hoof care, supplements and medications, shelter and other necessities involved in caring for aging and rescued horses. It also helps us continue providing opportunities for young people to learn, serve and experience meaningful relationships with horses. Some of our horses have spent many years giving children confidence, connection and joy. As they grow older, it is our privilege to give back to them with the safety, dignity and excellent care they deserve. Charis has changed. Our herd is smaller. Our programs look different. Our future is still unfolding. But the heart of Charis remains. Every life has value. Every story matters. And sometimes the ones who have been rescued have an extraordinary way of helping rescue something in someone else. The next chapter of Charis is still being written—and we invite you to be part of it.