Wildhorse Ranch: Parent Interview with Casey Thomas

Watch our Parent interview with Casey Thomas to hear firsthand what children experience and how they grow at Wildhorse Ranch.

Transcript of the interview

What were you looking for when searching for camps?

I wanted to find her a place where she could explore her love of horses, have one of those experiences like, “Wow, I actually got to do that,” and just something she would remember for the rest of her life. Like lots of young girls, my daughter loves horses, and my dad had horses. She took riding lessons. I live in a town, but I don't have a horse. So I wanted her to find that place with girls who have that similar mindset, that enjoyed the same things she does. And I found Ranch Wellness [called Wildhorse Ranch at the time of the interview -- ed].

Probably sounds totally cheesy, but when I tell you it's a place that's pure magic, it is. Right when you kind of pull up, you see this huge herd of horses, and it's just, it is magical to watch them. I love how they walk up to Diane, and I swear they know, they just know that she is somebody amazing. Her whole family is kind of involved in this, like her son; the horses remember that he has treats in his pocket. And, you know, it's just one of those places, like, I wish I had that when I was a kid. I wish I went there, but it's a pretty amazing place.

What was unique about Ranch Wellness that made you want to enroll your daughter there?

I read that Ranch Wellness rehabilitated a bunch of the horses that are in their herd. Honestly, I was looking everywhere for something, and I happened to see an article in our local paper about Ranch Wellness, and Diane and Bear. And I really liked how they talked about it and how they advocated for horses and just kind of this whole Western lifestyle, you know, that she would kind of be immersed in that and have more than just riding, like, for an hour. I wanted her to have that whole experience, and that's really what kind of drew me there.

Rocky Mountain House is absolutely gorgeous. It's in the mountains, and I just knew that place was where I wanted her to be.

What was your daughter's first experience with Ranch Wellness?

Right away she was made to feel welcome at Ranch Wellness. Well, I was kind of worried about her, to be honest. I thought she'd be that kid that was going to be homesick and calling home and saying, “Mom, come get me.” But we pulled up and then there's all these girls standing around. You could see the horses as you're driving in. “Throw your stuff on a wagon.” She kind of met up with a few of the girls and started chatting.

And just right away she felt at home. Like, I don't even think she noticed I left. She just had probably the most amazing time there just from the second she stepped there.

What would you highlight about Ranch Wellness's program or counsellors?

I can't say enough about how wonderful Diane and Bear are at Ranch Wellness. They are truly some of the most amazing people you will ever meet in your whole life. They're so passionate about the horses, and they're passionate about the people that come there. They know their names, like not just the horses, they know the people's names that come there. And the second you step on, you're kind of family. Well, I liked it so much, I think she's been there five times. I also went with her on a Mother's Day retreat. I like it that much there.

In terms of programming, what I really liked is that they're not just riding; they're learning to groom the horses, and they're learning to saddle the horses. There are games they do on horses. And you know, in Alberta, weather happens, and on these rainy days, they're able to do these kind of creative things. They do weaving, willow crafts, they do painting. There's never really a loss of something to do there.

With the programming, it's really accessible, you know, from girls that have maybe never been on a horse before to maybe somebody like my daughter that's pretty experienced to that full all-out seasoned cowgirl. There's kind of something I think everybody would find there.

I kind of like how she teaches the girls, again, beyond riding. It's how to connect with the horses, like how you speak with them, your body language. She does energy work, groundwork with them, like it's just really such an unbelievable experience there.

My personal favorite place there is the Dragon Forest. I absolutely like—it's magic. You walk there and you just feel like you're in a different time and place. It kind of takes you away a little bit.

What does your daughter find most exciting about Ranch Wellness?

Very simply, she likes the time with the horses. How it's worked in the past is they kind of pair off with a horse, and they have that same horse that entire time that they're there. So in each of the times my daughter's been back, she's been paired with this horse, Ghost. And to see that connection between my daughter and Ghost, it's really beautiful. And it's cool, like, I swear he recognizes her even though he might not see her for quite some time.

Also, the friendships. She kind of met this group of girls, and they called themselves the Greasy Gang, and they stuck together through several summers. They would coordinate, and they'd go at the same time. So kind of the friendship, the time with the horses, and just really the whole experience. That's what she loves.

How and when did you know that Ranch Wellness was the right fit for your daughter?

I think because I noticed this tremendous difference in her, like almost you could see the confidence go up, the true joy to be there. She just got to be a kid. You just unplug, you disconnect, and you just get to have fun out there. And I just knew that was her place.

She started saving her money to go. She wanted that for her birthday gifts. Like, that's just—I knew that was her place.

Was there any change or noticeable personal growth that you saw in your daughter after her time at Ranch Wellness?

I guess that confidence is a huge thing for me, not only with the horses. I was blown away by her confidence being around them, her competence, her resiliency, and her leadership. I guess you could almost say like this place kind of gave her wings a little bit. Like, I really just saw her blossom and just become quite the very awesome young lady.

I think they teach you there to manage problems kind of on the fly. If something happens, you learn to cope with this. You learn to kind of give everything your best effort to try hard, and you really see what you put in is what you get out of it. So she's picked up a lot of really tremendous skills there beyond just horsemanship, but life, I guess.

Resiliency, you know, that resilience and that mental fitness, I guess, just kind of this way to center yourself, to connect with nature. Like, I think she really would have missed out on so much of that.

How can you as a parent support your child to get the most out of this camp?

Honestly, to encourage them to just go there, be open to experience everything, soak it all in, and make the most of every moment you're there because it seems like it's going to be a long time. But it isn't, and it just will fly by. And just go there with kind of that open mind and open heart and soak every minute in.

How would you describe Ranch Wellness to another parent?

I would say Ranch Wellness is one of those places that can change your life. It's a very life-changing place, and it's a place I think that my daughter and even myself will hold on to for a very long time. It's a special place. I think there are very few special people out there like Diane and Bear, and any child that gets to go to that camp, it is a tremendous opportunity for them.

What does your daughter say about Ranch Wellness?

She tells people how absolutely wonderful it is, like how much she loves it and how much she can't wait to go back. She kind of progressed as a camper. She started out as kind of that intro basic, then she did trail riding, and then she went up into junior counselor. So she tells people about this all the time. She just loves it.

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