John Curley & Summer @ the Ranch

Raven Rock Ranch Report

June-July 2025

Billows of winter horse hair mixed with trillions of cottonwood seeds formed skirts around every tree and colored the landscape in tiny clouds as it was blown by the sweet June breeze. Duck couples arrived and brought their ducklings to the pond. Senior pictures with their favorite horse helped our summer to officially launch.

Our event with John Curley on June 1 was an enormous hit and we had so much fun hearing the pro storyteller wend his way through funny and poignant moments of his life. He volunteered (perhaps I drafted him-?) to take the challenge of the round pen as our clients do each day to actually feel how it was to truly connect with a horse. Rex, a former racehorse, worked alongside John and when they were done, John truly understood this kind of therapy. We will be having other events this summer and hope everyone can attend. It’s a lovely place to relax, enjoy some good wine and food and learn a little about Raven Rock too.

People often want to hear “how the story ends.” Those who read this report know the issues that plague our kids today- here and nationally. There are more kids in therapy than ever before, more psychotropic drugs consumed than ever before and a much higher suicide rate than ever before. Can we blame Covid? Yes, to a degree. But with the stats staring back at us in such a dismal way, we can ask if we are on the right path with the current state of mental health care.

Our stats are encouraging, however. When we take suicidal clients, that suicidal ideation goes from 98% to less than 2%. Our kids finish high school; some get good paying jobs. Some go on to college. Many come and their parents tell me in tears that they don’t think their child will ever graduate from high school.

One such grandparent told me she didn’t see a way her granddaughter, “Kathy” could ever finish high school. Her adopted daughter had Kathy unexpectedly and was in no mental state or maturity level to care for a child. But she resolved to “do it herself”. When Kathy was about 7, her drug addicted mom found a new boyfriend. Soon after, Kathy’s mom packed up all of her things and put Kathy and her one bag of belongings in her car and took her to grandma’s house.

“You are going to live here now.” That was all Kathy got as an explanation. Kathy’s grandma got less. Kathy knocked on the door and their life together began. Grandma sought therapy for Kathy and found Raven Rock when she was a freshman in high school. Other therapies had failed to help Kathy have a productive life, so she turned to us.

Kathy found her joy, peace, and life’s work after attending Raven Rock. A high school counselor found a program that gave Kathy credit for learning horse massage therapy. It took her years to complete, well after her high school graduation, but she persisted and at our last event, her grandma proudly handed me one of Kathy’s cards. I asked her out to the ranch, and she gave 3 of our horses a great massage! I am so proud of Kathy. She has her own horse, is involved with a drill team and other horse events and supports herself. I can’t ask for anything more.

Thank you, loyal supporters and readers of our newsletter. We write to you in love, hoping to share some of the miracles that YOU are a big part of. We all hope to see all of you at one of our upcoming events. Be sure to join us.

*Coffee with the Herd – July 26th from 11-1pm | Registration is open: https://ravenrockranch.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/coffee-with-the-herd 

*Sip, Smoke, and Graze on the Range – July 31st from 6-7:30pm | Registration is not open yet

Warmly, Sandy