The horses that reside at The Legacy Ranch are the reason we are able to provide such a unique service to our community. Our horses have been professionally trained to assist with our therapy programs. We have horses that range from 2 years old with our oldest horse who has reached the age of 26!
The expenses are ongoing as we strive to keep our equine partners happy and healthy so we can continue to use them effectively in our program. We are in need of sponsors for all of our therapy horses.
The Legacy Ranch would not exist without our herd, and the support that our sponsors provide ensures that they will be have the best care possible that they deserve!
Cost breakdown:
$600.00 a month to sponsor one horse
$7,200 a year to sponsor one horse
Additional Costs associated with the care of our herd:
-Grain and Hay
-Supplements and special medical care for senior horses
-Shavings and stall equipment
-Veterinary Care, Chiropractic work, massage, and emergency services
-Farrier
Our story:
In 2016, our friend Anne Swaney was the victim of homicide while she was on a horseback riding trip in Belize. Anne was an avid philanthropist and equestrian in the Chicagoland area. In an effort to provide her with a living legacy, we created Legacy Equine-Assisted Services NFP, formerly known as The Anne Elizabeth McComb Swaney Foundation. As we began to look for programs to assist in honor of Anne, we discovered there were no facilities providing equine-assisted mental health, therapeutic riding, behavioral, physical and occupational therapy all under one roof. The individual programs and facilities that were in existence often had year-long waiting lists to get treatment, were offering minimal therapy and/or were so far outside the city that they were not conducive for the majority of Chicagoans to get the help they needed.
In 2017, we purchased a 10-acre farm on Farrell Rd. in Lockport, IL and began to build The Legacy Ranch. Here we host special needs children/adults and their families, veterans with PTSD, foster children and the general public to provide a well-rounded suite of therapy services in a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere.
Our Mission at Legacy Equine-Assisted Services NFP is to provide equine-assisted services and direct financial assistance for therapeutic activities in the Chicagoland area. Our goal is to improve the lives of people experiencing different types of challenges, physical, mental, emotional or developmental through therapies and activities incorporating horses in a safe, supportive and accessible environment.
Our Vision is to be a transformative organization where participants of all ages and abilities will have the opportunity to grow mentally, physically, and emotionally by utilizing horses in a variety of programs offered. Our purpose is to grant clients the support that horses can provide by encompassing trust, relationships, strength, and communication. We will assess measurable objectives and outcomes for our participants to continually build our support team to make all goals attainable for both The Legacy Ranch and our participants.