Sprawled across more than 15 acres of the Arizona desert, the sun warms patches of earth where horses heal. Since 2009, Reigning Grace Ranch in Rio Verde has provided a sanctuary for youth and families through experiential equine programs.
“When you walk through the gates of the ranch, you feel like you’re transported somewhere else,” says co-owner Amanda Moore. “Kids [especially] feel safe and not judged.”
Early on, however, the ranch almost didn’t come to fruition. Amanda and her husband, Christopher, found themselves struggling in their marriage due a looming recession and trying to “keep up with the Joneses” where “stuff” took precedent over their relationship.
Christopher explains, “It had so much to do with stuff that was like chocolate bunnies. It looked great from the outside, but when you bit into the middle of it, it was always empty.”
But their trajectory changed when the couple consciously decided to work on their relationship by finding something they could do together, something they could have in common.
“That’s when we adopted our horses,” Christopher says. “As we started working with them, I began to see that they were talking to me in ways that I didn’t understand.”
With their horses in tow, the couple moved to Rio Verde, not only for the wide-open spaces, but also for a quieter, simpler life. Little did they know how much their lives were about to change. On their first night, a herd of wild horses appeared. And as the days passed, even more came.
Eventually, it took Christopher and Amanda several weeks to bring in an entire herd of about 67 horses.