Every Hope Reins horse is a hero.

What some kids go through just breaks my heart.

Brandon included.

He was 15 when he first came to Hope Reins. One thing you’d notice about him right away: he was on edge.

Brandon had seen too much. 

Like his father’s drug abuse and imprisonment. Or his mother’s chaotic lifestyle which left them homeless. The two of them once lived in a shed, of all places. Brandon was left alone often. As a little boy, he had to fend for himself in a strange place, wondering where his mom was off to … wondering when she’d be back … wondering when he’d be able to eat again.

Can you imagine?

Will you please donate now to give a teen like Brandon the new start they need, by connecting them with a horse, a mentor and all the other support they receive at Hope Reins?

Your gift will be DOUBLED while matching funds last.

Thankfully, Brandon was adopted into a safe and happy home. But some of the things he’d seen as a small child would not leave him. These awful memories were like ghosts prowling the dark corners of his mind. He felt haunted.

You might not expect a boy like Brandon to be bullied at school. He’s 6’2” tall now and a very solid 260 pounds. He’s a baseball phenom who’s being scouted and trained for a career in the major leagues. In spite of all that, some of the other kids targeted him because he was different.

Of course he was different. He had PTSD, ADHD, and anxiety.

It’s no wonder Brandon could be defensive, especially when he felt like he was being treated as “less than.” It’s no wonder he could be aggressive, to protect himself from further trauma.

Hope and healing start with a horse.

I wish you could’ve seen it when Brandon met Zeb.

Next to Zeb, a Mustang Belgian Cross measuring 16.3 hands (the largest horse at Hope Reins), Brandon almost looked small.

Immediately he noticed the horse was missing an eye.

“Zeb used to be an Amish cart horse,” Brandon’s mentor Colton explained. “After his rescue, he became a police horse for Raleigh PD. Now he’s here, of course, doing his best work ever!”

Brandon nodded. He patted the horse’s forelock. Then he inhaled deeply, as if he’d been holding his breath. “Zeb’s big,” Brandon said, “and has a disability … just like me.”

This was Brandon’s turning point.

Every turning point is different.

It’s always a God moment.

God is there in the sacred connection between child and horse, as hope and healing begin to take root.

Every Hope Reins horse is a hero. Please seize the opportunity to DOUBLE your impact for the horses who are there for the kids.

Every week, Zeb helps many children who’ve experienced trauma. So do each of the 16 other horses at Hope Reins. Kids who can’t trust a single person learn to trust again because they can trust the horses.

Training, feeding, and keeping a herd this size healthy requires tremendous care year‑round.

And your generosity can make sure a horse like Zeb is ready for the day a hurting kid like Brandon arrives at the ranch.

Thank you for being a hero for the horses who are there for the kids and leading the way to hope.

In Hope,

Kim Tschirret
Founder & CEO
Hope Reins

P.S.  If you give right away, your donation will be DOUBLED to care for the horses at Hope Reins. Please give now while matching funds are available.