Big Star Ranch, Inc.

Big Star Ranch, Inc. A therapy horse is a very special animal. They need to be patient and kind and slow to react…yet responsive at the same time.

Located in beautiful Molalla, a specially trained herd of “horse therapists” help students overcome their grief, face their fears, build self-confidence, learn to trust, foster a sense of responsibility and develop problem solving skills. We have an amazing herd of horses at Big Star Ranch. Each horse has had special training and each one has their own story and history. Their training and history

have molded their unique personalities over time and instilled them with the gifts for working with our students. It is important for you to understand that while magic happens at Big Star Ranch, it doesn’t happen in one lesson or sometimes even a year of lessons. Each student has different needs and challenges. Big Star offers equine assisted programs to children and adults who come to us with a variety of behavioral, emotional and learning challenges. When we think of children who are handicapped we usually visualize wheelchairs or leg braces. We are not yet equipped to work with these types of disabilities, but most of our students are handicapped – it’s just that their handicaps aren’t quite so visible. They come with broken hearts, no self-esteem, fears we can’t even imagine, poor or nonexistent impulse control. This list just scratches the surface. All of these are “hidden handicaps” – hidden at least until the steam valves on their internal pressure cookers blow. Lessons at Big Star are much more than learning to sit on a horse without falling off. All the students learn how to approach a horse, how to groom them, how to be comfortable around them and to respect and be patient with them. They learn that the horses are loving, intuitive creatures who want to be friends. Even those students, children and adults, who come to Big Star just to learn to ride, come away with a better sense of themselves and how to deal with the world. Big Star’s heart is helping our students to be the best they can be.

In July of 2009, this sweet little quarterhorse mare came to live with us. Beautiful little Sierra! I will never forget...
07/04/2025

In July of 2009, this sweet little quarterhorse mare came to live with us. Beautiful little Sierra! I will never forget that day. She was scared. Jake and Jasmine, Molly and Lance were all interested in her, but she spent the next 2 days looking down the street for the horse trailer to come back. It broke my heart. I took her in our arena and I sat down on our mounting block and just hung out with her for a while. Pretty soon, she walked over and rested her head in my lap. I explained to her that we were her forever home and she could just relax. To my amazement, she stopped looking down the street from that day on. 8 months later, she surprised us with a baby in her stall one morning. Over the years, Sierra has been a favorite here at Big Star Ranch. Dependable, smart, loyal, I just cant say enough about this amazing little mare.
She turned 30 last month. She is still spunky, still has baby May by her side, who is now 15. Its a pleasure to be able to say that everyone who has come to Big Star Ranch since the summer of 2009 has met this amazing horse. If you have a fond memory of Sierra, please put it in the comments. If you would like to come out and give her a hug, just let me know!

Hey there friends, I know I have not been good at posting things here. I am planning to do better and get more current w...
07/02/2025

Hey there friends, I know I have not been good at posting things here. I am planning to do better and get more current with photos, stories and testimonies. Truth is, we are seeing some marvelous things here and our horses are making an impact on the people they serve..
This has been an interesting season. Our students are including more grown-ups! We have started a Veterans group, have students who want to learn about horse ownership and of course our horse crazy kiddo's who find the horses help with anxiety and bring them peace and better focus.
We could use some help with our Tuition Assistance Funds. We dont turn people away when they cannot pay for services and have enjoyed having special funds to help us continue to pay for feed and horse care, but our tuition assistance fund is running out. If you or anyone you know can make a donation, this would be a good time. Also, if you know someone under 18 that has been affected by crime, abuse or neglect, we have partnered with a wonderful organization called Angels in the Outfield who will sponsor that young person for sessions here at Big Star Ranch. Just call me for more information.

Wowsers it’s hot! We are happy to have shade and our covered arena. Sprinklers!
06/09/2025

Wowsers it’s hot! We are happy to have shade and our covered arena. Sprinklers!

06/09/2025

We had an amazing week! Thank you to Angels in the Outfield for coming to visit this week.

Who would have guessed that this experience of me with my cousin on a pony would someday lead to Big Star Ranch! We are...
07/03/2024

Who would have guessed that this experience of me with my cousin on a pony would someday lead to Big Star Ranch! We are all geared up for Summer and ready to take on new kiddo's who want to learn all about horses. Whether you are 9 or 69, we have fun and exciting experiences waiting for you!

We are in the process of adding signs and creating and updating form and our website. This article was really good at ex...
10/29/2023

We are in the process of adding signs and creating and updating form and our website. This article was really good at explaning why, so here it is!

This week's article tackles barn rules and why they are necessary. Stable Management spoke with barn owners from around the country to get their ideas.

05/17/2023
11/23/2022

Thank you all for the birthday wishes. Its hard to believe all that we have been through, but so exciting to be starting another year with great expectations. We will be adding much to our programming at Big Star Ranch! More to offer and more horses!

11/23/2022
We completely revamped our website last month! Let us know what you think.
01/28/2022

We completely revamped our website last month! Let us know what you think.

Located in scenic Molalla, Oregon, a specially trained herd of "horse therapists" help students overcome grief, face their fears, build self-confidence, learn to trust, foster a sense of responsibility and develop problem solving skills.

Address

Molalla, OR
97038

Telephone

+15039138680

Website

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