The White Horse Youth Ranch

Las Vegas Only Free Horsemanship Program for Socially Challenged Youth.  Donate Today! bit.ly/donate2whyranch 

Are Donations To WHY Ranch Tax Deductible?

According to IRS Publication 78, "You may deduct charitable contributions of money or property made to qualified organizations if you itemize your deductions." If you go about this properly, you can reduce your taxable income thereby lowering what you owe in taxes come tax time. If you're interested in doing this, just follow these guidelines:

• A promise to donate is not tax deductible therefore an actual donation of money or property must have been made
• The charitable donation you donate to must be tax exempt
• You must be able to itemize your tax return
• Record-keeping is a must! You may need to furnish canceled checks, appraisals of the donated goods and / or acknowledgement letters from the charity
• You can claim the tax deduction on Form 1040 Schedule A

As long as you follow these guidelines, you'll be able to claim a tax deductible donation. Since WHY Ranch is a non profit 501 (c)(3) organization, we can supply tax receipts for all donations that include money, horse tack, ranch equipment, feed, land, building supplies, horses, etc.

Does Animal Therapy Really Work?

British novelist George Eliot, in the year 1857, wrote, "Animals are such agreeable friends. They ask no questions and they pass no criticism." Many people have long believed that animals of all sorts possess therapeutic abilities which can benefit mankind. Can our furry, feathered and four-legged friends improve our mind, body and spirit health whether they are "therapy animals" or merely our pets?

On average, 63% of households in the United States have one or more pets. Many official studies have shown that the majority of pet owners are happier than than those who do not own animals while research at the University of Maryland School of Nursing has shown that owning and caring for a pet predicts a one-year survival rate among  heart attack victims.

On an official level (going beyond pet ownership), an article by Sandra B. Parker, Ph.D. and Kathryn S. Dawson, Ph.D. details a study whose objective was to introduce hospitalized psychiatry patients to a trained animal, along with the human owner, to facilitate the patients' progress towards therapeutic goals. During the study, 230 patients participated in which a pre- and post-treatment crossover study design was used to compare the effects between a single-animal therapy session and a regularly scheduled therapeutic session. The conclusion was that animal therapy was directly related to a reduced state of anxiety levels within patients with an assortment of psychiatric diagnoses while the regularly scheduled therapeutic session only assisted patients with mood disorders.

At the WHY Ranch "Diamonds in the Rough" youth mentoring program, horses are utilized to heal children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds or who face "special" circumstances. During the course of the program, children learn to care for, feed, groom and pick up after their horse. Then, a nationally-recognized horse-woman trains them to ride the horse properly. The result? Increased self-confidence, self-esteem, compassion, patience, discipline and a deeper appreciation for a strict work ethic.

I believe it's clear that animals, whether within a household or within a specially-designed program, offer healing and therapeutic properties that can benefit people in so many ways.

Volunteer Las Vegas!

At White Horse Youth Ranch, children facing special circumstances in their lives are paired with an American living legend, the horse, whom they learn to care for, groom and ride. In the process, they learn important life skills, build self-confidence and self-esteem and begin to heal so they can move forward in life. Volunteers are considered the lifeblood of WHY Ranch. All of the programs are brought to life and  function according to plan through the dedicated efforts of the generous individuals who offer their valuable time and skills. At WHY Ranch, we sincerely believe that every person is gifted with a valuable skill-set that makes them unique. Child-care and horse-care are the primary focus of our operations but they represent only a segment of what makes our facility run. WHY Ranch offers, what we believe to be, one of the most fulfilling options to volunteer Las Vegas has to offer. If you would like to volunteer your unique skills to the Ranch, please visit the volunteer page at www.WhyRanch.com.

The White Horse Youth Ranch

At White Horse Youth Ranch, our mission is to educate minds, inspire creativity, and encourage integrity for the underprivileged youth of Las Vegas through positive and direct interaction with an American living legend, the horse.

“One of the hardest things for an underprivileged child to learn is that he or she is worth being loved. WHY Ranch is committed to reaching out to disadvantaged or underprivileged children by providing an enriching environment where they can learn life skills and work with rescued horses who need a child’s love and care, too. I walk in faith knowing that the White Horse Youth Ranch will not only be a place of healing for any hurting child, but will begin healing in each of their family’s wounded hearts.”

-Amy Meyer, Founder

The White Horse Youth Ranch, a jewel among childrens charities, presents the students of Clark County with the irreplaceable opportunity to experience life-changing interactions with rescued horses during the free “Diamonds in the Rough” program. This specialized program’s approach is “One Horse - One Student - One Trainer - One Hundred Percent of the Time.” It is our goal to nurture and cultivate our students’ inner character and confidence.  The students who participate in “Diamonds in the Rough” will experience the connection between themselves and their horse and exit the program with improved self-confidence and self-esteem.

Please support the childrens charities and youth mentoring programs in your area!