Drage Second Chance Ranch
Hi, we are the Drage family, and a dream has a hold of us! In 2014 we stumbled across a kill field (a field of horses bound for slaughter) and were able to save two of the horses. We would never be able to predict that these two horses would actually be saving us.
In 2015 we unofficially started our rescue and named it Drage Second Chance Ranch, it is now a 501c3 non-profit. All money earned and donated from our riding programs gets funneled back into the horses that we provide and care for. We raise most of the money needed to run the rescue sector ourselves by doing the following:
-Horse Back Riding Lessons for kids and adults
-Guided Trail Rides
-Guided Gallops
-Birthday Parties
-Riding Therapy for Special Needs & Handicapped Kids/Teens
We also offer:
-Riding Seminars for Groups
-Green Horse Training
-Overnight Ranch Stays & Weekend Camping Excursions
-Horse & Human Partnership Programs (Work for Lease, Ride to Rehab & Therapeutic Riding)
Owner and Operator Shaun Drage has found freedom from depression, anger, and addiction and has seen personal growth in unimaginable ways due to working with these rescued horses.
Our rescue horses have brought our family so much joy and yet thousands of horses are displaced, unwanted and slaughtered everyday. Seeing a need, and realizing that we had the power to help, we started rescuing as many horses as we had the money to feed and care for. When a horse is rescued they receive any needed medical attention, dietary assessments, supplements, hoof and dental care, and most importantly the gentle loving care that every living being so desperately needs and deserves.
Once a rescue horse is healthy, it is put into a training program. Through this program we can discern what type of home and what type of riders would suit this horse the best. These special horses are then put up for adoption. Adoption applications are looked over very closely and adoption fees are charged help cover their medical bills and feed as well as to insure the horse is going to a home that is adequately prepared to care for them.
Unfortunately, some of these horses cannot be re-homed due to medical or behavioral issues that have arisen from poor care suffered in their past. These horses find a forever home in our pasture, enjoying the grass, the clean water and all the love they can imagine.
Rescuing horses is not, however, the end of our dream. We realize that these horses have rescued us in ways that we cannot begin to repay, but we need to do more to try!
At the Ranch we are passionate and empathetic towards kids, teens and young adults slipping through the cracks of the foster care system, suffering from mental illness and behavioral issues, and attempting to recover from addictions. We want to help those who simply get overlooked. The Ranch is a safe place for these individuals to land. It is a place to learn about horses, to rescue a horse themselves and, in turn, be rescued.
Our ultimate dream is beginning to take shape. In 2019 we started our first "Work to Lease" and "Ride to Rehab" programs. These programs target different populations but both allow teens and young adults who either need a home, need work, or just need love and time with horses to come spend several days a week at the Ranch. Applicants can apply to live on site when availability allows. These individuals are paired with a rescue horse and tasked to get this horse as healthy, well-trained, and well-loved as possible. We teach them horsemanship, anger management, responsibility, hard work, and ultimately love through this relationship. Helping them to get education, find jobs, stay sober and find permanent places to live is the second step of this process.
At Second Chance Ranch we believe that no matter where you have been, no matter what you have done, no matter who you are, YOU are a child of God. You are valued. You are loved and you deserve a Second Chance!
