Runnin Free Ranch has touched the lives of over 1,000 individuals and facilitated over 5,000 equine assisted counseling sessions since 2016, offering them freedom, hope and positive life changing relationships. Through our low to No cost services these individuals have been able to gain freedom from trauma, depression, and anxiety through their human/horse relationship experience.
Help Us Expand to Meet the Growing Need
Since opening our gates in 2016, Runnin Free Ranch has seen a consistent and growing demand for accessible, trauma-focused mental health services in our community:
2016 – 80 sessions
2017 – 300 sessions
2018 – 470 sessions
2019 – 570 sessions
2020 – 578 sessions
2021 – 641 sessions
2022 – 947 sessions
2023 - 714 sessions
2024 - 643 sessions
2025 through August 400 session
For many of these years, all sessions were facilitated by just one contracted licensed counselor. In 2022, we were blessed with two counseling interns (at no cost to the Ranch), and with their support, we were able to serve more people than ever before—nearly 1,000 sessions. This dramatic increase clearly demonstrated that the need in our community is real—and that when more providers are available, more people can access the healing they desperately need.
Unfortunately, when one of those interns graduated and became a licensed counselor, we did not have the funding to bring them on staff. As a result, in 2023 and 2024, we were forced to return to relying on just one counselor. That financial limitation—not a lack of need—caused our session numbers to drop to 714 in 2023 and 643 in 2024. So far through August 2025 we have facilitated 400 sessions.
The only thing holding us back is funding.
In 2025, we were once again blessed with a counseling intern who was eager to learn and grow within our unique, trauma-focused equine-assisted counseling model. Her presence has already made a significant impact, allowing us to serve more individuals from our waitlist. The need is clearly there—and growing. We are believing for the funding to bring her on board as a licensed counselor when she completes her internship in 2026.
We’ve also outgrown our current facility and cannot expand where we are. That’s why we’re seeking to raise $500,000 to purchase a permanent location that will allow us to grow our team, eliminate the waitlist, and provide more consistent, life-changing therapy to those in need.
Our services are trauma-focused, equine-assisted psychotherapy—an evidence-based, experiential method proven effective, especially for those who don’t respond to traditional talk therapy. And we’re committed to offering this care at low to no cost to the families we serve.
In addition to expanding our facility and team, we also need ongoing support for the care of our therapy horses—each one a rescued animal who now plays a vital role in helping humans heal.
Your support will help us:
Fund more licensed counselors and increase session availability
Serve more veterans, at-risk youth, and individuals with special needs
Purchase a permanent home for the Ranch
Provide continued care for our herd of therapy horses
The need is growing. The solution is working. We just need the resources to continue.
Please partner with us to help meet the mental health needs of our community. Together, we can bring hope, healing, and freedom to more lives
RUNNIN’ FREE RANCH exists to provide trauma-focused equine-assisted counseling to help North Texas individuals and families embark on a transformative journey toward life, hope, and freedom.
Runnin Free Ranch is a place where veterans, at-risk youth, those with special needs and their families can experience freedom, hope and positive life-giving relationships through the facilitation of equine assisted counseling and activities, at NO to LOW COST to the client!
We depend on generous donors, like yourself, to help us continue to offer hope to those who are confused, healing to those who are broken physically, spiritually and mentally, freedom to those held captive by their past. Yes, rescued horses are a part of the process but ultimately we proclaim this freedom through the life-giving relationship of Jesus Christ.
Please prayerfully consider being a part of what God is doing at Runnin Free Ranch to help change lives by giving today! We can only continue to offer equine assisted counseling at NO to LOW COST to veterans, at-risk youth, individuals with special needs and their families, because of our monthly sponsors and donors.
Donating at these monthly levels will help cover the cost of:
$25 one bag of horse feed/grain for one horse
$50 hoof care
$75 vet bills, hay and supplements
$100 pays for one equine assisted counseling session for a veteran, at-risk youth, an individual with special needs and their families to pay for professional services of a licensed professional counselor and equine specialist.
Or a one-time gift of any amount will go toward a covered arena and land so we can grow and continue to provide services in inclement weather.
These donations will increase our ability to offer hope to children facing the loss of a parent, single moms struggling with raising their children alone, veterans seeking peace within themselves and much more through the work we do utilize equine assisted counseling.
In-Kind Donation Wish List
2-4 person seated bench swings
Small tractor with implements
Folding chairs
2 horse bumper pull trailer
Farm truck
Office equipment
Sand (for Round Pen)
Approximately 10 acres
Runnin Free Ranch does not unlawfully discriminate against any class of persons in the provision of its counseling services. As a Christian ministry, we are committed to demonstrating the love of Christ to all we encounter throughout the course of our business.
Organization name
Runnin Free Ranch
Causes
Mental and Behavioral Health
Operating Budget
$100,000 - $249,999
Counties Served
Dallas, Ellis, Kaufman, Navarro
BIPOC Serving
Black or African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latinx, Native American
Address
1403 Old Bardwell Road