MAGNOLIA, Texas – Hope, renewal, and inspiration are at the heart of Inspiration Ranch, a Magnolia nonprofit that is now struggling to recover from storm damage.
The organization offers equine-assisted services to people with disabilities, along with mental health programs.
However, storms during the Memorial Day weekend caused thousands of dollars in damages.
According to the ranch, high winds and heavy rain came through twice, causing about $25,000 to $35,000 in damages. Fortunately, none of the horses were injured, and with the help of the community, the start of their summer program went on as planned.
Jessica Gieser, an instructor at the ranch and a mother, shared her experience. Her son, Michael, has been riding at the ranch for two years.
“So soon after becoming an employee here, my son was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD. He was struggling, having the confidence, kind of just wanting to do anything in fear of being looked at differently,” Gieser said.
She noticed a change in Michael’s confidence and sense of belonging.
“I saw the change probably a little quicker in his ability to feel welcomed and a part of something that came pretty quick,” she said.
Inspiration Ranch has helped hundreds of others just like Michael. According to MG Tindall, the president and CEO of the ranch, they have two main programs.
“We have our therapeutic riding program that serves children and adults with special needs. Our highest population that we serve is autism. We see a lot of cerebral palsy, Down syndrome. In fact, we serve 53 different diagnoses, and most of our clients have multiple diagnoses. The riding has huge therapeutic value to them,” Tindall said.
She added that riding helps with physical strength and cognitive development.
“It’s also got a cognitive side to it that helps fire things, retrains the brain, how it thinks,” Tindall said.
The ranch also offers a mental health program for high-trauma clients, including women who have been victims of sex trafficking and abuse, as well as at-risk teens.
However, all of that was put in jeopardy after two separate storms, the first one on Friday caused significant damage.
“Monday night, the second wave came through, and we got hit really hard then. We had trees that went down on our family center, probably about 22 trees across the property went down, hit a lot of the fence lines, picked up a shed that we use in mental health, and tore it up. We got rain into our arena and got our footing wet, so it was a significant amount more of damage,” Tindall said.
Volunteers stepped up to help clean up the mess, but recovering from the costs won’t be easy. Still, the ranch knows they have no choice. Riders and volunteers like Hunter Westbrook depend on them.
“It helped me just find somewhere where I can be with other students that have similar struggles as I do, knowing I’m not alone in my struggles,” Westbrook said.
He has mild autism and struggles with daily activities.
“The riding just helps me calm down,” he added.
The ranch does have insurance, but it doesn’t cover tree damage, which accounts for about 90 percent of the problem.
To learn more about how you can help you can visit: Equine Activities and Therapies | Inspiration Ranch