Hope Ranch

By Amy Brase Photography by Olive Juice Studios

Stepping inside the office of HOPE Ranch feels almost like visiting a favorite aunt and her beloved pets. Honey, a 6-yearold golden Labrador retriever, greets visitors with a friendly wag of the tail and sometimes even a ’pawshake.’ A basket of decorated horseshoes on the counter and a cozy living room with big comfy chairs and shelves brimming with books create a relaxed and welcoming environment.

“What I want most is for people to feel calm and comfortable here,” says Kit Muellner, a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, psychotherapist, horse professional and owner of HOPE Ranch, nestled alongside Salem Road southeast of Byron.

EAP and EAGL

HOPE is an acronym for “Horses Offer Personal Empowerment.” Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) is an emerging field in which horses are used as a tool for emotional growth and learning. Though EAP does not focus on riding or horsemanship, the therapy is a hands-on approach that addresses mental health issues including depression, anxiety, abuse, attention deficit disorder, parent-child conflict and stress.

The horses at HOPE Ranch are also used for Equine Assisted Growth and Learning (EAGL), which is not therapy. “I run one-week personal growth and learning camps for kids in the summer that focus on social skills, interpersonal relationships, and self-confidence,” says Kit.

Kit has led a staff team building retreat for Olmsted Victim Services and other work groups. She has led board development retreats. “We also facilitated a retreat this winter for Filmore County’s 4-H ambassadors, focusing on team development, leadership skills and respect in dating relationship,” says Kit.

Why Horses?

The size of a horse alone presents a natural opportunity to conquer fear and cultivate confidence. Accomplishing a task that involves a horse feels especially rewarding and provides an amazing metaphor for dealing with other challenging situations. “Horses are completely honest, powerful ’mirrors’ of human body language and mood. Oftentimes, people find it easier to learn about themselves from an animal’s response. The horses need you to be firm and confident in your communication so that they feel safe. I often have my clients practice skills such as assertiveness and confidence first with an animal and then with me,” says Kit.

HOPE Ranch is a dream come true for Kit whose favorite things in life are kids, families and critters. It’s not unusual to see a child cuddled up with Honey and taking a nap in the middle of the day. People feel at home on the ranch and that’s where the peace, healing and personal growth begin.

Besides using animals with adults and women’s groups, Kit has a special outreach to young people. “I worked with a big, tough kid from a divorced family who didn’t trust anyone. He used his tough attitude to hide his fears. Even though he loved animals, he was terrified of horses,” explains Kit. “At camp, he chose the smallest horse. But after grooming and caring for and getting to know his horse for those five days, he decided to try riding a bigger horse. And that horse took care of him,” Kit remembers with a smile. “It’s what I care about most helping to heal others.”

A Morning at the Ranch

The staff of Rochester Women magazine recently visited Hope Ranch and participated in a clever team-building activity called “Appendages.” After being fitted for our helmets and being reassured that riding skills and knowledge of horses were not required, we divided into groups of three. Our assignment was to catch a horse, attach a harness and lead it back to the group in five minutes or less.

The seemingly simple task became several hay bales trickier as we were told to hold hands and assume the role of right hand, left hand or brain. Only the brain could think and speak. Only the hands could operate the rope and touch the horse. It required intricate teamwork and intimate trust. There were muffled giggles and eyes rolling as the “brains” commanded us to do things like “hold one end of the rope in your mouth” and “make raspberry sounds like the horse does.” We quickly learned that horses have distinct personalities and moods. There was no easy way out; we had to try different approaches to see if the horses would respond differently. Though we didn’t necessarily lead a horse to water, we did experience the power of working with an animal to learn about ourselves.

Later, we processed how the dependence on each other made us feel and how we could translate the experience with horses to our working relationship as a team. “That’s the magic of animals,” says Kit. “We can talk about the real issues more quickly.” Kit provides a caring, professional environment to help people sort through whatever life has tossed their way. “There are so many life skills  that can be learned by working with the horses: work ethic, assertiveness, communication and healthy relationships.” She loves getting phone calls from people she helped long ago. “My goal for my clients is for them to not need to come back.” For more information on equine-assisted therapy, see eagala.org

There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man. 'Winston Churchill He knows when you’re happy He knows when you’re comfortable He knows when you’re confident And he always knows when you have carrots. 'Author Unknown