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Loafing Shed for Idaho Youth Ranch - Project Description
The Idaho Youth Ranch horse herd is used in the Equine Assisted Psychotherapy sessions for youth. EAP is an experiential, in the moment therapy highly effective with youth who have experienced victimization or other trauma. IYR therapists are EAGALA certified (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association), the gold standard certifying body for EAP providers.
Equine therapy connects with youth in ways that are more comfortable and natural, engaging them in physical, hands-on activities where they can learn through experience - in their body - and not just in their heads. It often helps clients change more quickly and effectively than traditional talk therapy approaches because of its engaging, real time, interactive format. Equine therapy helps kids who have not seen therapeutic gains in traditional talk therapy, are "resistant" to traditional means of counseling, connect to animals more easily than people, or lack insight into how their own patterns of thinking and behaving are contributing to some of the challenges in their lives.
In this setting, the horse picks up and reflects the youth's emotional state, creating a unique interaction that can be a catalyst for emotional growth and learning. Guided by a master's level licensed equine therapist and trained equine specialist - and assisted by a horse in the arena - the youth participates in problem solving exercises with the horse using props without using voice commands. In this way the youth develops insights to their unique life situation and makes connections between their arena experience and current life challenges. IYR has 10 horses that are used in this program, and the therapy team (the therapist, equine specialist, and the horses) served over 130 youth in fiscal year 21.
In consultation with Susan Visser the Regional Director of Hands of Promise Campus at Idaho Youth Ranch, there is a need to provide loafing sheds for the longevity, safety and health of the horses involved in EAP. The Idaho Youth Ranch has recently installed fencing at the Hands of Promise that will provide irrigated pasture space for its horses to supplement the dry lot pasture that is currently available for turnout. Adding a loafing shed to each of these pasture spaces will provide the horses with a place to shelter from the sun on hot summer days. The horses will also be able to escape the windy conditions that are often experienced at the ranch. In colder weather the sheds will also be important to give the horses a place to rest when it rains or snows. This shelter is particularly important for the Youth Ranch horses as most of them are older animals, all of which have been donated to IYR when they were "retired" by their previous owners.
The larger Hands of Promise Campus project will unfold over several years as partners and components are determined jointly with our collaborators. However, the first therapeutic service selected for the Hands of Promise Campus was Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP). We chose to offer EAP as our first service because of its proven effectiveness with youth, our deep knowledge and long history of providing this therapy, Idaho's historical relationship to horses, and because it was the fastest way to serve the most individuals right out of the gate. It was a natural fit for an area with widespread ranching and equestrian activities.
The Rotary Club of Boise Metro will be purchasing the loafing shed frame from D&B and assembling it onsite. Then the side walls will be constructed on 3 sides using 12 sheets of ¾" CDX plywood and 8 sheets of 26 gauge 3'wide x 14'6" long metal roofing will be used for the roof. See cost break down below.
The project will engage member of the Boise Metro Rotary club in the following ways:
1. Hands on involvement in constructing the loafing shed
2. Site visit to the Idaho Youth Ranch Hands of Promise
3. Engagement with the horses
4. Fellowship with members
Cost Breakdown for one Loafing Shed:
D&B Supply: Loafing Shed Frame - $4,340.70
Franklin Building Supply: 12 Sheets of ¾" plywood - $953.88
RM Steel:
- Metal Roofing: 8 Sheets of 26 Ga. 3' wide x 14'6" long - $688.00
- 2 Gable Trim 26 Ga. - $116.00
- 2 Eave 26 Ga. Trim - $87.00
- 500 #12-14 x 1-1/2" tek screw - $50.00
- 250 #10 x 1-1/2" wood screw - $25.00
- Tax 6.0% - $57.96
Total = $6,318.54
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