GodSpeed Equine Need Help 501c3

Starting with my story.......leading to where we are.  

My kid both are team ropers, they competed at a National level and had many accomplishments.  My older son went on to a rodeo college team on a full ride scholarship.  His dream is to go to the PRCA and NFR.  Horses were so important in their lives and mine as well.  I barrel raced for 25 years and had some amazing horses.  Once the kids were so involved I stepped back to let them be them to the fullest and pour into that.

With that said God’s path lead me to help kids that had been sexual abused, as a sexual assault program coordinator through CIAC.  Seeing all the hurt, let downs through our system.  I felt really called to get to the healing side.

I then was able to train a therapy dog Daisy, which I took into schools but was also introduced to Wildwood Hill Ranch.  There Al Lorenzen allowed me to start a program called GodSpeed Equine.  When first being introduced to Equine Assisted Therapy I was very hesitant.  I thought this will not work, these kids don’t know about horses.  Won’t do things “right” it will just not be what I want to do……well I was wrong.

My first experience taking kids out to Wildwood I was talking with a 5^th grader who’s mom had overdosed and she was living with grandma.  She was really sad that she didn’t remember her mom.  We arrived at the ranch, going over safety with the kids an I was floating around making sure everyone was implementing the safety instructions we had just talked about.  When I looked over to this little girl.  She was sitting in front Thomas, her horse, on the dirt floor of the arena.  Holding on to his legs and I could tell she was crying.  I ran over worried he had her pinned or she had been stepped on.  I bent down and said “oh my what happened” she said “I just remembered my mom and how much she loved me for the first time”  I did move her outside Thomas’ feet but I hugged her and we processed all of these cool feelings.  I will never forget that day, since then I was a believer.  I can tell you story after story like this…….it works everytime.

We so need help to get this barn off the ground, we have now been “grounded” for 6 months and it is so hard.  We have had several contractors that were willing to help back out.  It has been really hard…..we have a waiting list of kids and now more than ever these kids need an outlet.  They have been stuck at home with their abusers and working in the school right now in Johnston I see the behaviors and it breaks my heart.

Al and I put all we could, retirement, everyday paychecks, commissions….all into to GodSpeed.  We need community help.  I have felt a nudge to reach out….so here it is.

If you are willing to help we have a lot of needs…….here are a few.  We had hoped to start programming back in Aug, with all the set backs we are looking at spring.  As we do not have an indoor either.  I know these are huge asks but anything helps.  We are a certified 501c3 and anything donated is tax deductible. 

water/pipe - labor so far is donated $6000

Mid American - $6,000

Garage doors - $2,600

Hoop barn - $10,000

Fencing - $35,000

Concrete - $30,000

Inside wood materials/stalls etc - $16,000

Other misc for tack rooms/office/conference room for meetings - $9,000 approx

Hay - $5000

Grain $3000

of course there will be vet, shoeing cost, dentist etc....but thats hard to say what that would be.

We owe the Amish another $13k in labor Al and I paid the rest ourselves in cash.

We have a line of credit maxed out of $35K getting started

Al and I also bought the land but we are attempting to get a USDA loan 0% for 10 years we should know soon if that is approved.  

The address of the ranch is:

30151 250^th St

Dallas Center

If you would want to contact us and be of help and give back our contact info is:

Al & Kelly Lorenzen

[email protected]

[email protected]

Al : 515-771-5599

Kelly – 515-739-0073

We also have a facebook page GodSpeed Equine and almost ready to launch our website that will have video, testimonies and much more!

Thank you for your time,