Welcome to the Manzanita Ranch
Mental Health
Doctors tell us that a positive attitude is an important part of healing.
Our mission is to serve people who are suffering by building a relationship with horses.
Our primary focus is on veterans, first responders and others with PTSD, people with physical disabilities, patients and survivors of cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, and at-risk youth.
We constantly strive to care for and maintain the horses. Our horses are available for the clients we serve, which includes exploring the beautiful equestrian trails of Riverside County.
Our clients feel an emotional connection with the horses. Our horses are all calm and well trained. From the moment our clients give a horse a carrot, brush their coat or learn to clean their hooves, they relax; they focus on the horse and the relationship that quickly develops.
Whatever their problem, whatever the source of their pain, these big, beautiful creatures have the unique ability to help others escape for a few hours. Our hope is that they will develop a new perspective and face their difficulties from a positive point of view.
The Manzanita Ranch Inc. is a non-profit human services agency. The One Good Day Project: A full day experience is provided to disabled veterans, first responders, cancer patients/survivors, and at-risk youth through the One Good Day Project. Our ranch supporters allow the recipients to enjoy these amazing creatures. For more information about the OGD project, read this page. Donations are essential to support the One Good Day Project.
The One Good Day Project and Riding Classes
It may not seem like much for a lot of people, but spending just one good day is something very rare for some. Not everyone is able to enjoy life fully or just enjoy it at all and some of us are having way more issues than we might think. At Manzanita Ranch, we decided that having one good day in a while is the bare minimum for a human being and that's why we decided to create this One Good Day Project called OGD, designed specifically for this kind of people.
The riding classes
We also offer riding classes for people who want to learn how to properly ride those beautiful creatures that we call horses. You will be able to enjoy the surroundings of this beautiful ranch while bonding with your new best friend. We offer different type of classes for different levels and budgets so everyone can find what's best for them. We're sure you will enjoy the nature, the mountains and the hills as well as the beautiful rivers that surround our place. This lovely landscape is waiting for you only as our horses are already enjoying it all day everyday, alone or with a rider.
PTSD Among our Veterans
Our veterans are real life super heroes that went through the toughest you can go through on this planet, most of the soldiers that went to Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and other hardcore operations, came back with what is called PTSD. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is an anxiety disorder that can be caused by many different things, usually considered ver stressful, frightening or distressing. Those kind of events will traumatize even the toughest men among us and leave no difference in term of acceptation. A lot of fathers, sons, brothers are lost in their own PTSD, not being able to live a normal life when they come back from the frightening place that is the war.
This mental health condition can lead to very serious issues and will often create lonely people. They're not able to spend time with other people anymore, even their dear friends or their own family. We believe that horses can be so calm and so gentle that they can help veterans and other type of people with PTSD to calm down, think about something else than negative energy for a moment. Even just a few hours can be enough to save someone.
Mental Health and PTSD
Our services
How to contact us
mail: contact@manzanita.org
phone: 707-946-7464
Fax: 707-946-7465