Fall Offerings at Spirit Ranch JSP

In addition to Saturday SEL and Equine Activities, we offer the following:

Girl and Boy Scout Equine Information and Instruction classes.
Homeschool gatherings on weekday afternoons with an SEL and Equine Activities focus.
Individual and small group (3-5) weekend gatherings featuring Equine Activities focusing on building resilience, confidence, and social emotional regulation.

With an MA in Curriculum and Instruction and as a Certified Equine Facilitated Learning Practitioner, I design sessions that incorporate the unique perspective of our equine partners along with your specific needs.

Please call 303-521-7009 or email psippel7@gmail.com with questions or to set up a visit.

Fall Social Emotional Learning with Equine Activities!

Spirit Ranch JSP offers all the fun of horses with a Social Emotional Learning focus at Saturday sessions throughout the fall! Saturday sessions limited to 5 participants per session with a ratio of 2 campers per staff member. From 9:00-11:15 a.m., kids ages 6-10 have the opportunity to develop social emotional learning (SEL) skills while working with peers, camp staff, and our equine partners! We will introduce and reinforce skills they can carry from the barn to life at home, in the classroom, and in their social lives. As prey animals, horses live in the present; observing their nonjudgmental, authentic selves provides perspective into our lives outside the barn.

SEL skills involve self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. We will blend a daily SEL focus with grooming, Western riding, horse health, and outdoor fun!

At Spirit Ranch JSP, we are invested in the learning and healing power found in the human-equine relationship, and we welcome your child on our journey!

Please go to "Book Services Online" (top tab) to register for Saturday sessions!

Welcome
to Spirit Ranch JSP!

Our Background

Spirit Ranch JSP was born of barn spirits past and present. The best part of my childhood in rural South Dakota was the time spent at my grandparents’ farm with our horses and all the farm critters. That love of horses and the open space brought my family to 374 Buckskin Ct. in 2003 where my childhood dream of owning a farm with horses came to life! Within a year, my daughter Kelly and I were bareback riding Alley Cat and Ozzy through the open space. Kelly would join 4-H and compete in showmanship as well as local gymkhana shows. My husband and son were never bitten by the horse bug but have supported our love for horses by attending shows and helping to care for the horses and property.

We hope that all who come to Spirit Ranch will feel the joy, love, and nurturing the spirit of our beloved family members who introduced us to horses, namely Grandma and Grandpa Buss and my mom Jean Sippel. We also honor the spirits of our first horses--Alley Cat and Ozzy. Along with their spirits are the critters who came to love the barn activities, our rescue cats and dogs. Their spirits welcome all to the learning, laughter, and cathartic experiences that we embrace at the barn.

Worries and burdens shed themselves in the presence of unconditional love at the barn. What Kelly and I embrace as horse-loving girls and women we wish to share with you. Spirit Ranch--all are welcome at the barn!

We recognize that this business is being held on the traditional lands of the Ute, Cheyenne, Arapahoe, and Lipan Apache People, and we pay our respect to elders both past and present. We respectfully acknowledge the Ute, Cheyenne, Arapahoe, and Lipan Apache People, who have stewarded this land throughout generations.

OUR SERVICES

Social Emotional Learning Through Equine Facilitated Activities Sessions

According to a July 2023 Yale School of Medicine article, students exposed to social-emotional learning demonstrated"self-efficacy, self-esteem, mindset, perseverance, and optimism, among others." The study goes on to state that kids "who participate in SEL programs also feel better in school, reporting less anxiety, stress, depression, and suicidal thoughts."

What better way to support students than in an environment with horses, peers, mentors, and nature? We offer SEL and Equine Activities camps in the summer and follow up camps in the morning on Saturdays in the fall. Please check "Book Services Online" for current offerings. Kids do not have to have attended a summer camp to attend in the fall. All are welcome at the barn!

With an MA in Curriculum and Design, I can design sessions for your group's needs. For individual sessions, please check our Equine Faciltiated Learning opportunities.

Please call to discuss opportunities for your group. Scheduled visits are welcome to determine if Spirit Ranch JSP can meet your needs.

Call 303-521-7009 or email psippel7@gmail.com

Private Lessons

Private lessons are catered to the individual. Grounding the participant before meeting the horses and covering equine safety come first. Then, the participant builds communication with the horse through groundwork. Building a relationship helps ensure respect and safety while mounted.

Spirit Ranch JSP offers the opportunity for kids and parents to see how far they would like to progress with riding.

Please call or text 303-521-7009 with questions or to set up a lesson.

Mounted and Unmounted Equine Facilitated Learning

After thirty-nine years teaching middle and high school students, I felt another calling that nurtured me through childhood and adulthood. After becoming certified through The HERD as an Equine Facilitated Learning Practitioner, we opened our doors to Spirit Ranch JSP. Horses sense our feelings, and their presence allows us to identify what's happening within us and take that understanding from the barn to our daily lives. Spirit Ranch JSP helps kids and adults develop their resilience, confidence, self-awareness, and self-regulation "toolbox." By observing and engaging with our equine partners Hammer, Ariel, and Gidget, participants gain insights that travel with them from the barn to their daily lives. Please contact me with inquires or to schedule a series of sessions. I ask clients to commit to six, one-hour sessions ($75.00/session) to work toward an agreed upon goal.

Welcome to Spirit Ranch JSP!