Cowboy Horsemanship Philosophy – Equine Therapy At Mount Carmel Youth Ranch

Our Mount Carmel Teen Programs develop the mind, body and soul of troubled youth through active involvement in a ranching environment. Mount Carmel is a full life cycle in the cattle industry. From birth to the selling of yearling steers, Mount Carmel raises cattle in the traditional cowboy spirit.

Horses play an integral role in traditional ranch life. Mount Carmel has thirty head of horses for ranching purposes. We are very proud of our herd. Like the boys at MTC, these horses come from many backgrounds. They are primarily Quarter Horses, with some Arabian, Paint Horse and Mustang breeding represented as well. It is amazing how quickly the boys will pick out a favorite horse among the herd. There is an old saying that goes, “The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man.” This is proven true here at Mt. Carmel.

Our horse program does not allow for one horse to be ridden continuously by one boy. The old horsemanship philosophy is that, “Many horses make a horseman.” The boys learn how to feed, groom and care for the horses soon after they arrive. Some at risk teens have never been close to a horse, or even seen one in person, and the experience of close contact can contribute greatly to the boys healing process.

Since Mount Carmel is not a “Dude” Ranch, we do not recommend that the troubled teen ride our horses while he makes his initial adjustment to the Frontier Program. Trust, work ethic, self motivation, and a sense of responsibility are key factors in behavior improvement and in determining the boy's progress as he becomes more closely associated with the horse. Riding a horse has many responsibilities attached to it, successful horsemanship requires many hours of study and a desire to learn about horses
As the at-risk youth enters our initial Frontier Program he is introduced to a way of living that resembles the 1880's lifestyle. They live in a log house and cook their food in a log kitchen or outdoors. They also take care of ranch animals including calves, pigs, chickens, dogs and cats. They learn how to irrigate crops, and assist in the harvest of hay and corn.
The troubled teens will also learn things about range management, natural spring development, and living the “simple” way of life. During these lifestyle changes the horse plays an important role in the behavior modification therapy for the troubled youth. Several staff members here at Mount Carmel are certified in equine therapy. The horse is used to determine and assist the boys in recognizing their problems and how to deal with those problems. As a boy develops a relationship with his new environment and becomes more knowledgeable and responsible, he will be allowed to experience more of the daily chores and events that make Ranch life a maturing and challenging life experience. Mount Carmel horses are ranch horses in every sense of the word.

We use our horses for many aspects of our program for troubled teens including herding, roping calves for branding and doctoring sick cattle, transporting salt to grazing cattle, hunting, and maybe a “jingle” ride on a nice day. Our horses work hard when needed, but yet seem to relish visits from the youth that need inspiration or an intermediary with God.

Part of the horse program is training and riding colts. Training colts is very exciting as boys learn how to develop a young horse into a mature saddle horse. This involves the initial training process, saddling, bridling and the first ride. Colts are started at about 2 years old and will be ridden and packed during their third year.