At Cheekye ranch in Squamish, volunteering is an act of healing

After experiencing ‘pretty hefty’ emotional trauma that included months of medical complications following a missed miscarriage and the end of a long-term relationship,  Squamish resident Colleen Murphy felt like a tattered shell of a human being.

She says she wanted to work on being whole again and found solace and healing at an unlikely place—Second Chance Cheekye Ranch. In July 2019, almost a year after suffering from emotional turmoil, a friend brought her to the ranch to spend an evening with the horses. The day will forever be etched in her memory.

“I vividly remember coming down the driveway… the sun was shining, there were dogs, donkeys, and horses everywhere… The only thing missing was an angel chorus, for I genuinely felt like I had died and gone to heaven!” she says.

Colleen was hooked and returned to the ranch almost every day that summer, even after returning to work as a teacher in September. She committed to her two weekly shifts and spent additional days off at the ranch. Being welcomed and accepted by the community of volunteers, spending time with the animals, and being a small part of a more significant cause was crucial to her healing process.

The horses are so in tune with her emotions that they almost force her to be calm and present. It’s incredibly healing. As her time at the ranch continued, the only thing missing was that undeniable bond between herself and another animal. When she was given a “shopping list” of horses that needed an updated adoption photo for the ranch’s website, she found her soulmate. Brye, a big, muscular, stunning, paint palomino gelding, was one of the horses on that list. When Colleen entered the paddock, Brye made a beeline for her, and they became inseparable.

“If you are anxious, the horses will feed off that energy. Countless times, I have come to the ranch frustrated, angry, hurt, or just feeling heavy from my day, and Brye would so patiently stand there with me and help me process and release all that negative energy so that I could be present in that moment and space with him. He’s quite frankly the best therapist I’ve ever had,” Murphy says.

Over 100 volunteers like Colleen Murphy help at the Cheekye Ranch, spread over 60 acres of coastal forest in the Squamish Valley. Kris Latham, who bought the property in 2014, runs the Second Chance Cheekye Ranch, a charitable organization that rescues, rehabilitates, and re-homes horses in troubling situations.

For the last ten years, Kris Latham has seen firsthand how therapeutic working with the horses has been for those who volunteer at the ranch. Latham recalls a 17-year-old girl who came to volunteer at the ranch a few years ago. The young woman suffered from dysfunctional anxiety and depression, and she was closed off, didn’t want to speak to people, couldn’t work, and felt she had no purpose in life, but she loved animals. Over three years, with the help of the animals at the ranch, Latham saw her transformed.

“She works full time, has gone on to start her own company, adopted the horse that helped her through the turbulent time, is vibrant, and has taken charge of her life,” Latham says. “I am so thankful to be able to provide a safe space for so many people and animals here at Cheekye Ranch.”

‘Being around horses is therapy.’

Talk to any other volunteer, and you will hear a story about how spending time with horses is like seeing a therapist. For Squamish resident Lara Menzies, being around horses has taught her something powerful yet elusive: Being present in the moment. It has also taught her to be more loving of herself. She has become calmer and learned to slow down in a fast-paced life. As she points out, being erratic in the presence of horses would only scare them away, so a calm presence is essential. This healing process has allowed her to be surrounded by love and to stay present with her thoughts and feelings.

“I feel love for myself because I want them to feel love. I don’t know their history, but some of these horses have been tossed to the side, disrespected, etc. I want to show them they are loved and safe,” Menzies says.

Lara recalls an incident during her last shift when a shy mule approached her and allowed her to love him with slow caresses to his face and neck. The mule’s kind eyes and quivering bottom lip brought tears of joy to her eyes, she says. She believes volunteering at the ranch and giving back to these majestic animals is precious and healing, especially for those suffering from anxiety or caught up in their heads.

“For anyone who is suffering from anxiety or is in their head all the time, I believe that being around horses would be medicine for you,” Lara says. “To get out of your head and into a healing sanctuary volunteering to give back to these majestic animals is precious and healing.”

When Squamish local Stephanie Imeson saw a Facebook post inviting people to the Cheekye Ranch to paint horses as a fundraiser and awareness day for the ranch, she decided to go along with her daughters, changing their lives from that day onwards.

At the fundraising event, Stephanie was brought to tears just from being in the presence of the horses. Their smell, the sound of them chewing their hay, brought her complete bliss and a sense of peace. She introduced herself to the ranch owner, Kris, and explained that she had to come back to the ranch again. Of course, Kris welcomed her back the next day to help muck and feed the horses. Stephanie and her daughters have been going to the ranch virtually daily for six years.

“Volunteering has been the most amazing experience for my girls. It has taught them about hard work, perseverance, responsibility, and dedication,” Stephanie says. Being around horses is therapy.”

When they enter the ranch’s gate, a sense of peace washes over them. If one has had a bad day, it only takes a few minutes in a paddock with a herd for the stress, sadness, or anger to vanish. Stephanie believes that horses have an inexplicable power to heal. Both she and her daughters are extremely sensitive and prone to anxiety. While the standard protocol is often anti-anxiety medication and counselling, for them, spending time with horses does the trick.

“When one interacts with horses, one has to live in the present and be aware of surroundings and every movement that horse makes, as each movement means something,” she says. “Being with horses is almost a form of meditation.”

You can fill out the volunteer application form to volunteer at the ranch.