Outside of the great deals featured by our site highlighting all there is to see and do in Las Vegas for locals and visitors alike, there is a normal life for people living in this great city.
You only have to travel a short distance to see big ranches like you would see in movie westerns.
Recently, on a typical Saturday, I had the opportunity to visit White Horse Youth Ranch (WHY Ranch). As soon as I entered the place, I was greeted by a beautiful setting where 8 horses were busy going about their lives.
Deanna Iniguez was waiting to give me a tour of the facility and to explain how the programs work. She told me about the important mission that WHYR has developed with the youth of our city.
While Deanna was busy going over their responsibilities, we were interacting with their horses. She also told me about the history of the ranch, which once belonged to a daughter of one of the owners of the famous Johnson & Johnson brand.
They currently have eight horses, six of which were rescued and now live on their four acre property. They have been at their current location for less than a year after previously renting a space at another ranch. Altogether, the program has been going strong for over five years.
The program currently aides approximately 25 young people and is primarily focused on serving socially challenged children in the community between the ages of 5 through 18.
The youth are introduced to a more nature-based setting that they may not be used to, and they get to experience everything there is to do with handling a horse, just like people in America have been doing for hundreds of years. They get to do this twice a month.
Of course they get to have the fun of riding the horses, but maybe more importantly, they also are taught to care for the horses from beginning to end – from equine maintenance, basic health care, grooming, dressing, etc.
As they progress through the program, the young people start to develop pride in their hard work, as well as show a sense of responsibility and accountability. Also, a respect for the trainers and horses starts to show as well as compassion and mutual trust which can lead to lifelong benefits for the participants.
The ranch is so spacious and beautiful, that they think in the near future they will be able to expand their programs. Having a place where young people can work at designing things with wood, field trips, weddings and other events are some of the ideas they have in mind.
WHYR is a faith-based organization. However, the ranch is not specifically associated with any denomination and everybody can participate in programs or activities regardless of their own personal beliefs.
Join the cause! WHYR is always looking for volunteers and donors who want to financially support this program which provides so much to the benefit of our city. Please be sure to check out their site HERE for more information.
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