Ruby's Home for Good

06/01/2024

🌟 Welcome to TEAM RUBY, Judy!! 🌟

Wrapping up the good news on our latest board expansion is our joyful announcement that Judy Hall Bragman has joined our Board of Directors!

Judy shares: "When asked to be on the Board for Ruby’s, it felt like the perfect culmination of all my experiences in the horse and business worlds. I am thrilled to be a part of such a special group! And look forward to helping them move towards their goals of reaching even more people with the power of horse magic."

A native Texan, Judy has lived in Montgomery County for 25 years and currently resides in beautiful Magnolia, TX. She grew up in College Station and has Aggie blood flowing through her veins. She began riding horses when she was 2 years old. It was love at first sight!

When Judy first heard about “horse therapy”, she knew she wanted to be a part of helping others find the magic that comes from simply being in their presence. She is trained in the EAGALA model and both volunteered and worked at a therapeutic riding ranch. Watching the children light up when they got on a horse was so rewarding.

She is a retired CPA, having worked in both for-profit and non-profit organizations as well as the corporate world and private club industry. She tutors accounting at Lonestar College and enjoys helping the students achieve their goals and grow in confidence as they decide what direction their careers should take.

Please join us in giving Judy a warm welcome to our team 💖

05/30/2024

✨ Gratitude ✨

Practicing gratitude has tremendous wellness benefits, including:

⭐️ improved social connections
⭐️ reduced inflammation
⭐️ improved mood
⭐️ improved sleep
⭐️ reduced negative emotions
⭐️ improved self esteem
⭐️ improved focus
⭐️ reduced stress

And more!

Spending a few minutes each day focusing on what we are grateful for can have powerful and lasting effects.

What are you grateful for today?

05/27/2024

With solemn gratitude, we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of our country. Your courage will not be forgotten.

05/22/2024

We are proud to join United Horse Coalition and all the organizations across the country working to create safe and permanent outcomes for horses in need. It truly takes every one of us, and each of our supporters, to change lives.

These four new members of the United States Horse Coalition help to continue building a better world for at-risk and in-transition horses across the country.

Scooby's Place Inc. in Amarillo, Texas
Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy in Colorado
Sunny Hill Sanctuary in Nebraska
Ruby's Home for Good in Magnolia, Texas

Has your nonprofit or business joined? Become a member: https://unitedhorsecoalition.org/become-a-member/

05/06/2024

🐴 About horses 🐴

Horses are highly social and connection-seeking animals. They live in family groups and rely on one another for safety and comfort. 💞The awareness of the herd allows individual horses to rest while honoring their prey animal instincts. They communicate with one another through their body language, energy and intention.

💡 Learning with horses 💡

Spending time with horses can be enlightening 🌟in many ways, because we too are highly social and connection-seeking animals who are designed to live in community. With horses, we can learn to be more aware of ourselves, our environment, and those around us and also improve our communication skills.

What have you learned from spending time with horses?

05/02/2024

The good news continues! 🎉🎉🎉

Please join us in welcoming Kristi Wells to our Board of Directors.

Kristi's love for horses began as a child, but since her parents wouldn't get her a pony for her 10th birthday, she spent her teacher retirement on two gaited horses in her early 20s. Since then, she has been active in the Tennessee Walking Horse, Racking Horse and Spotted Saddle Horse show circuit, has owned 3 world champions and many high point winners, stands speed racking stallion Tarzan's Sixth Sense "Taz," and has taught horsemanship, groundwork, and riding to many children and adults for more than 20 years. When she's not in a barn, Kristi enjoys her career in new home sales; teaching Bible studies and singing on her church's praise team; working with the loved ones of alcoholics in recovery; being amused by 4 dogs, 3 cats and an African grey parrot; bowling; and, most recently, playing pickleball. An avid reader and former French teacher, she has curated a library with an entire bookcase devoted to horses and horse keeping. She is married to Doug, a Navy veteran and owner of Wow 1 Day Painting; the Wells family resides in Magnolia.

We are thrilled to have Kristi joining TEAM RUBY and know she will bring tremendous value through her expertise and enthusiasm for our mission.

05/01/2024

✨News Alert! ✨

We are pleased to announce the addition of Alyssa Biestek to our Board of Directors!

Alyssa is a licensed marriage and family therapist with experience in equine-assisted therapy. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience to benefit our youth and veteran wellness programs, as well as a lifelong passion for horses. We are thrilled to have her expertise and compassionate guidance as we continue to bring the benefits of mutually beneficial relationships between people and horses to our community.

Read more about Alyssa and the rest of our team here:

https://www.rubyshomeforgood.org/about

🎉 Welcome to TEAM RUBY, Alyssa!🎉

04/25/2024

🐴🤝 Forge Deeper Connections: Exploring the Power of Horses for Social Skills and Relationships 🤝🐴

Looking to enhance your social skills and build stronger connections with others? Look no further than our equine companions for a journey of growth, empathy, and collaboration! 🌟

🌿 Learning Through Interaction: Interacting with horses provides a unique opportunity to hone essential social skills such as communication, empathy, and cooperation. Whether grooming a gentle mare or navigating an obstacle course together, every interaction with horses offers valuable lessons in teamwork, mutual respect, and effective communication.

💖 Empathy and Understanding: Horses are masters of nonverbal communication and can sense our emotions and intentions with remarkable accuracy. By observing and responding to their cues, we learn to become more attuned to the feelings and needs of others, fostering empathy and understanding in our relationships both with humans and animals.

🌈 Building Trust-Based Relationships: Developing a relationship with a horse requires patience, trust, and consistency. As we earn the trust and respect of our equine partners, we also learn valuable lessons in building and maintaining healthy, trust-based relationships with others. Through shared experiences and mutual respect, we forge bonds that are built to last.

💪 Empowering Leadership: Working with horses offers opportunities to practice leadership skills in a supportive and nonjudgmental environment. Whether leading a horse through an obstacle course or guiding a group activity, participants learn to lead with confidence, clarity, and compassion, inspiring others to follow their lead.

04/23/2024

🎉✨ This is it! ✨🎉

There's just one week left in our GALLOPING FOR GOOD campaign to support youth and veterans in our Wellness with Horses program. Every donation counts!

And we have some great news❣️

For this remaining week (through April 30th), we have a generous donor who will match EVERY DOLLAR DONATED up to $1,000. Woo-hoo! 🥳🥳🥳

We humbly ask everyone who believes in the work we do - bringing together horses and humans to overcome trauma and truly THRIVE together - to consider a donation of any size.

Are you with us?

Celebrating horses and humans helping each other - nonprofit fundraiser for veterans, youth and horses

04/20/2024

People often share stories of feeling better when they spend time with horses and it can feel a bit like magic 🪄

It is!

AND, science backs it up 🌟

Numerous studies have shown that spending time with horses in a safe and consent-based environment (for both the human and the horse participants) can and does lead to tremendous mental and physical health benefits. 💞

What do you notice most about how you feel with horses?

04/17/2024

🐴💪 Unleash Your Inner Strength: Harnessing the Power of Horses for Personal Empowerment 💪🐴

Ready to step into your power and embrace your potential? Look no further than our four-legged friends for a transformative journey of empowerment and confidence-building! 🌟

🌿 A Source of Strength: Horses are natural leaders and embody qualities of strength, resilience, and confidence. When we engage with them, we tap into their energy and draw inspiration from their powerful presence. Interacting with horses encourages us to connect with our own inner strength and cultivate a sense of empowerment.

🌟 Setting Boundaries: Horses are excellent teachers when it comes to setting boundaries and asserting ourselves. They respond to clear communication and assertive body language, teaching us to be clear in our decisions and stand up for ourselves. Learning to set boundaries with horses translates into increased confidence and assertiveness in our personal and professional lives.

💖 Building Trust: Developing a relationship with a horse requires trust, patience, and mutual respect. As we earn the trust of our equine partners through consistent and compassionate interactions, we also learn to trust ourselves and our abilities. This newfound self-trust is a powerful catalyst for empowerment, enabling us to take on new challenges and pursue our goals fearlessly.

🌈 Overcoming Challenges: Working with horses inevitably involves facing challenges and obstacles along the way. Whether it's navigating an obstacle course together or overcoming fear of their impressive stature, every challenge presents an opportunity for growth and empowerment. With the support of our equine companions, we discover our resilience, perseverance, and inner courage to overcome adversity.

Join us in bringing empowering equine experiences to youth and veterans in our community today! For the month of April we are raising funds to support our Wellness with Horses program.

https://givebutter.com/GallopingforGood

04/16/2024

We love our community partners!

Thank you to Josh of Regions Bank in Magnolia for coming out to learn about our mission and needs to support the youth and veterans we serve.

Business sponsorships are a win-win for our community: nonprofits get vital support to provide essential programs, and businesses get both the feel-good benefits of making a difference while also promoting their services to a larger audience.

Contact us today if you’d like to learn more about becoming a sponsor for Ruby’s Home for Good.

04/15/2024

Ruby isn’t the only one celebrating an April birthday around here! 🎉🎂🎉

Please join us in wishing a very happy birthday to Butch, our dedicated Treasurer and board member. Since officially joining the team in 2022, Butch has worked tirelessly in support of our mission and has been a longtime supporter of Ruby’s.

You can join Butch in helping the youth and veterans we serve through our active Galloping for Good campaign. Together, we are making a difference ✨🇺🇸🐴❤️

https://givebutter.com/GallopingforGood

04/11/2024

🥳🥳🥳The weekend is almost here, and with it comes our GALLOPING FOR GOOD birthday celebration!

⭐️ Don't forget to reserve your free tix here ⭐️
https://givebutter.com/GallopingforGood

We hope to see you there!

If you can't make the event but want to support Ruby and the veterans and youth who benefit from our programs, we'd be so grateful for your contribution. Use the campaign link for donations and messages of support 💓

04/10/2024

Today we had the pleasure of sharing our mission with the dedicated therapists at . Thank you for your hospitality, for the wonderful work you do for our community, and for partnering with to provide wellness opportunities for youth and veterans in our community. Our work is made possible through the support of and the many individuals who donate to bring impactful equine programs to those in need. 🐴❤️🐴 JOIN US this month through our Galloping for Good campaign. Together, we are making a difference!

https://givebutter.com/GallopingforGood

04/10/2024

🐴💖 The Healing Power of Connection: How Being with Horses Supports Mental Health and Wellness 💖🐴

In a world where connection feels more important than ever, time with horses offers a unique and transformative way to build meaningful relationships and support mental well-being.🌟

🤝 Building Trust: Horses are masters of nonverbal communication and authenticity. Through gentle interactions and mutual respect, they teach us the importance of trust and vulnerability in forming deep connections. As we learn to trust and connect with our equine partners, we also develop greater trust in ourselves and others.

💕 Genuine Acceptance: One of the most beautiful aspects of horses is their ability to see and accept us exactly as we are. In their presence, we can let down our walls, honor our emotions, and experience love and acceptance. This experience fosters a sense of belonging, worthiness, safety, and security that is essential for mental health and well-being.

🌈 Emotional Support: Research has shown that interacting with horses can have profound effects on mental health, including reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Their calming presence, engaging nature, and authentic way of being provide a safe space for emotional expression and healing. Whether we're feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or lonely, horses can offer a source of comfort and support that can't be found elsewhere.

👫 Strengthening Relationships: The lessons we learn from connecting with horses extend beyond the pasture and into our relationships with others. By practicing empathy, communication, and boundary-setting with our equine companions, we develop essential skills for building healthy and fulfilling relationships with friends, family, and ourselves.

04/03/2024

✨🐴Discover the power of equine-assisted mindfulness!🐴✨

In a fast-paced world full of distractions, finding moments of peace and presence can feel like a challenge. That's where our equine friends come in! 🌟🐎

🌿 Mindfulness with Horses: Did you know that spending time with horses can be a powerful practice in mindfulness and grounding? Activities such as grooming & leading require focus, presence, and awareness of one's surroundings. Horses have an incredible capacity to live in the present moment, and when we engage with them, we too can experience a sense of calm and clarity.

🌻 Grounding Techniques: Whether it's grooming a gentle mare, taking a leisurely walk together, or simply observing the herd in their natural environment, every interaction with horses offers an opportunity to ground ourselves in the here and now. Their rhythmic movements, soothing presence, and nonverbal communication can help us let go of worries about the past or future and focus on the present moment.

🌈 Benefits for Well-Being: Incorporating equine-assisted mindfulness into your routine can have numerous benefits for your mental and emotional well-being. It can reduce stress, anxiety, and rumination, while enhancing self-awareness, resilience, emotional regulation, and relaxation.

04/01/2024

🎉🎉🎉Today is Ruby's 15th Birthday!!! 🎉🎉🎉

Please join us in wishing our favorite little red mustang 🐴 the best of days.

Since coming home in 2017, she has won the hearts of our team, our veteran and youth participants, and all the families that have spent time with her.

In honor of her big birthday, we are celebrating ALL MONTH with our Galloping for Good campaign. Funds raised will directly support the youth and veterans who greatly benefit from their time with our beloved Ruby 💓

And don't forget - we are celebrating in person on Saturday, April13th at Deacon Baldy's in Magnolia. Ruby will be happily munching hay with her friends at home, but we hope you will come out to celebrate with us 🥳

For more information on our gathering, to reserve your free tickets, and/or to make a donation, visit:

https://givebutter.com/GallopingforGood

03/30/2024

Team Member Highlight!

Voyage Houston recently interview Ruby's Home for Good Program Director Erin Malia for their Inspiring Stories series. Read about the heart behind Ruby's and what makes our mission unique here:

https://voyagehouston.com/interview/check-out-erin-malias-story/

03/28/2024

Ruby's Story, continued -

Many people are shocked to hear that Ruby was at risk of slaughter, and that this is a real issue in the horse industry. The reality is that the widespread, casual and commodified view of horses results in an abundance of unwanted and discarded horses every year.

This side of the horse industry is ugly and hard to look at, but it’s a big part of why our mission exists today. Educating the public, directly helping horses in need, and advocating for a change in how we view horses are all critical ways to change the status quo.

03/27/2024

03/27/2024

Ruby's Story Part 2 - A Bit of Backstory

You may have noticed that Ruby has a white mark on the left side of her neck. What does it mean and why is it there?

That mark is a freeze brand - a means of identification placed by the Bureau of Land Management on any mustangs that are captured and/or processed through that agency. It consists of a series of symbols that correlate to numbers that tell us information. Clear as mud, right?

It’s actually quite helpful when it comes to learning a bit of history about a mustang in your care. What Ruby’s brand tells us is that she was born in 2009 and her family band was out of New Mexico. She was born in an Oklahoma government–holding facility where mustangs are kept after being rounded up before they are adopted or placed in a long–term facility. We assume that her mama was pregnant when she was rounded up, as the mares and stallions are separated once captured.

Through her brand, we also know that she was adopted at a Texas adoption event when she was just 8 months old. That’s where our knowledge of her early history ends.

The round up of wild horses is widely contested, not only for the extreme trauma that the horses experience in the round up itself but also the hardship of being separated from family bands on lands they have always known to then be thrust into the human world. It’s a highly contentious issue, with arguments on one side advocating for the protection of our wild horses in their natural habitat and the other side promoting use of that land for agriculture purposes and purporting the overpopulation of the horses. One thing is for sure – every mustang that is rounded up under the current practices experiences exceptional trauma and may even die in the process. We are grateful that Ruby did not experience being rounded up and yet we know that being separated from her mama, transported to a different state and adopted at such a young age is terribly traumatic. And of course, the fact that she ended up a step away from slaughter years later tell us that her adoption was not a safe or permanent happy ending for her.

We’ll share more about the conditions around her rescue in our next post!

You can read more about the freeze brand process here:
https://wildhorseeducation.org/blm-freezemark/

03/20/2024

✨✨✨New Swag Alert! ✨✨✨

Celebrate with us the positive impact of horses with this new tee! 🥳🥳🥳

Available in both youth and adult sizes and a variety of colors. Adult shirts are lightweight and moisture wicking to ensure comfort in the summer heat that will be here before we know it.

Your merchandise purchase is the gift that keeps on giving - not only are you repping Ruby's everywhere you go, but a percentage of the profits come back to Ruby's in support of our youth and veterans program. It's a WIN-WIN-WIN!

Be sure to check out other items in our online store that includes long and short sleeve tees, sweatshirts, hats, and more.

https://www.bonfire.com/store/rubys-home-for-good/

03/18/2024

What makes Ruby's Home for Good unique?

🐴 We believe that learning about and facilitating positive relationships with horses can be life changing. 🐴

💓 We know that connection to others is vital to our health and wellbeing. 💓

✨ We choose to draw on our strengths and similarities rather than focusing on limitations and differences. ✨

We'd love to hear from you - what do YOU think makes Ruby's unique?

03/10/2024

Changing lives truly takes a community and we are grateful to be a part of one that values the wellbeing not only of people but also horses. Together, we are setting the bar for mutually beneficial relationships between people and horses - relationships that have deep and meaningful impact.

If our mission rings true for you and is something you want to be a part of, we invite you to JOIN OUR HERD. We are currently seeking volunteers and potential board members who are interested in helping our mission grow through administrative support, PR, fundraising, marketing, and more. Even a few hours a month can make a difference!

Local support is great, but we also have needs that can be met remotely.

Email [email protected] for more information.

03/08/2024

Doesn’t Ruby look lovely? 😃

This week youth participants learned about the horse’s anatomy while enjoying creative expression and the benefits of being in proximity with a happy, regulated horse.

03/07/2024

Mark your calendars!!!

🎉🎉This April we are CELEBRATING! 🎉🎉

Our beloved Ruby is turning 15 years old and it seems like a perfect time to celebrate not only her but all the horses that change our lives FOR GOOD 💓

In honor of the occasion, we are raising funds to support the youth and veterans that benefit from time with Ruby in our unique Wellness with Horses program.

Make a donation and reserve a (free) ticket for the birthday celebration here:

https://givebutter.com/GallopingforGood

Stay tuned for more updates as April will be here before we know it.

03/04/2024

Have you HERD the news?

Our latest newsletter shares program updates, an exciting updating occasion, and ways to get involved here at Ruby's. Don't miss out!

https://givebutter.com/messages/view/4f8d7be3-cd7c-477d-805c-3a7d11896626

You can find other news updates and subscribe to be the first to know through our website. See you there!