Our Story
God doesn't call the equipped, he equips the called.
It was the fall of 1994, when Greg and Abby Bozard’s daughters were in high school and college, when Abby decided to fulfill a lifelong dream of learning to ride horses.
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Knowing that she’d feel better with the support of her husband, she packed her dreams in a pretty little delivery as something she and Greg could “do together” — a request that would prove hard to deny! Little did they know they were embarking upon the journey God set before them –– the inception of what would someday become Valley Trotters Youth Ranch.
Abby got to work just weeks later, making sure she had all her ducks in a row signing agreements, enlisting the help of a local stable and trainer to assist in her first-ever riding lessons, and so much more.
“We weren’t leading, but being led. God was leading us through a portal where we had never traveled, seeing things that we had never seen, asking us to do things that we had never done.” - Greg Bozard, VTYR Program Director
For years, they continued praying and seeking the Lord in pursuit of fulfilling the calling He had on their lives. In this season, spring of 2005 to be exact, the Bozard’s were invited to bring their horses to a spring celebration for a local rehabilitation center that specializes in working with children who have physical and emotional differences. Interested but apprehensive, they stepped out in faith and accepted the invitation that would forever change their lives.
It was at that celebration where they met Jaime – a precious 11-year-old boy who was confined to a wheelchair. With assistance from volunteers, Jaime was lifted onto the saddle of Voorslag, a gentle Arabian Gelding. Voorslag immediately let out a friendly, feathery nicker, and Jaime responded with smiles and laughter. There was a short but important conversation that took place between these two friends, something they’d cherish forever.
“This was the exact moment we knew the Lord was inviting us to accept a homework assignment of learning the special love language that exists when a gentle horse is introduced to a willing child.” - Greg Bozard, VTYR Program Director
This life-changing season included so many other impactful seeds, including the mentorship and guidance from dear friends at Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Bend, Oregon. Valley Trotters Youth Ranch was officially founded on December 8, 2008, helping children and their families one hoof beat at a time.