Stormhaven Youth Ranch

02/07/2025

Stormhaven is now accepting applications for our 2025 season’s leaders. This offer is available to adults 18 and up who desire to volunteer with us and serve teens in crisis, training as a mentor in our program.
If you love Jesus, teens, and horses, we offer a course using Parelli Natural Horsemanship and how a relationship with a horse can lead us to a relationship with Christ. Our horses are rescued or unwanted and the teens relate to their stories. You must commit to serving one full season, March-November on Monday evenings from 5-7:00, with an initial mandatory training Saturday, March 1st from 1:00-5:00. The natural horsemanship course is free with the commitment. Applications my be picked up at the ranch by appointment. Please call 502-655-0845 and leave a message.

02/01/2025

01/11/2025

So of course this is today’s devotional. We have cancelled help since the storms hit, not wanting anyone to have a wreck, freeze, get sick, hurt their back, ……
And once again God reminds me that it takes a village to do ministry to others. That I get in His way when I try to carry it alone when it’s hard. That even when the kids aren’t here the ministry continues. It’s not just Gaye and Mike’s backyard. We are getting older and the call is still there. The youth are hurting. God has provided the tools to help them.
Let us know if you want to help.

01/08/2025

Much of the east is predicted to get a nasty rain/ice/snow event in the next couple of days.

Here is what you need to know about horses and winter storms.

It is fine for your horses to be out in the snow in most cases. Often even if a horse has free choice access to a shelter, he will stay out in the snow.

Throwing them more hay will help to keep them warm. The very act of digestion is what provides them with an internal furnace.

Where horses will be in trouble is if there is a heavy rain event followed by freezing temperatures. A heavy rain will thoroughly soak them and ruin the body's ability to raise its hair and trap air for insulation. If you can, we encourage you to either put your horses inside or put a waterproof blanket on them so that when the temperatures fall and the snow starts, they will be dry and able to weather the storm fine. (Let them out or take the blanket off when the rain is over)

Horses with snow piled on their bodies means their insulation system is working. Please don't call animal control if your neighbor's horse has snow accumulation on their backs. That is what they Should look like.

That being said, some horses just can't figure out how to insulate themselves so if your horse is shivering and is not accumulating snow, something else must be done for them.

We understand that some of you will not be able to do this. In that case, please throw out a lot of extra hay for them. Hopefully those of you that can't bring them in have trees your horses will be smart enough to get under.

Horses need access to water, salt and loose minerals during the cold weather. These things are very important for them to deal with the cold better. (these are, of course, important at all times) Be careful with your tank de-icers and water heaters.

Watch out for ice balls to form in your horse's hooves, especially if they are shod.

Over the next several days if you'd like to pm your snow collecting pony pics we'd like to share them in a post

Batten down the hatches folks. It is going to get interesting for some of you out there!

01/06/2025

God’s perfect design.

12/31/2024

12/25/2024

Merry Christmas ♥️

Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world. C.S. Lewis

Forever Cowgirl♥️

12/18/2024

12/17/2024

So so relating to this. Ditto. Amen. 
I’m taking a break (at home) for several weeks. Going to have the teens over a couple times, but that’s it.
This guy has inspired me in so many ways this year. He gentled horses inside Flatiron Church outside of Denver this summer. ( our son, Jesse’s church.)
He has their hat on in this video.
Powerful. Beautiful. Highly recommend looking the videos up.
It’s hard to take a break in horse ministry. But I’m learning it’s essential. Please pray for rest for all of us in this kind of ministry.
You all have been so good to us.
May God bless you. Love you all.
Mike and Gaye

12/15/2024

12/10/2024

Whoa, what a glorious year!! A tough one for us physically , but soooo good!!! Thank you to all who have been journeying with us!! We are so excited about next year!!!
MERRYCHRISTMAS to you all! God bless you !!!