Exodus Farms Ministry

Mission Statement

Exodus Farms Ministry brings the hope and healing of Jesus Christ to children of all ages through a horsemanship program in a safe and accepting farm environment that gives value and purpose to both the horse and human who have been broken, abused, neglected and/or discarded.

More About Us

Exodus Farms provides a completely free-of-charge, donor-supported horsemanship program that serves at-risk and emotionally broken children in our community. Just over 140 children visit the farm each month (weekly or biweekly) to ride and learn about horses and to experience a safe environment, filled with the unconditional love and acceptance shown by our fantastic volunteers! Each child works one-on-one with a horse and a volunteer, to make sure that every child gets undivided personal attention and an opportunity for mentoring and connection. Through their work with our herd of 17 adopted horses, 4 minis, 1 donkey, and 1 mini mule (many of whom were also "broken" or "discarded" when they came to the farm), the children learn confidence, better emotional coping strategies, self-discipline, ways to handle challenging situations, and appropriate and positive ways of interacting with others. 

Because our goal is to impact families and stop negative cycles of abuse and neglect, we also provide "Horsemanship and Parenting" sessions for parents and guardians of children who participate in our program, and have, with the support of a grant, offered several therapist-led support groups for grandparents who are raising their grandchildren, parents & guardians experiencing grief, and teenagers learning better emotional regulation tools (see more details on these classes/groups under "Our Programs").  

The horses who work in our program are all donor-supported, and we are actively seeking "horse sponsors" for many of our horses this year, at $2,600 for the whole year (or $1250 for a pony/$825 for a miniature horse), which covers hay, grain & nutritional supplements, vaccinations, dental, veterinary, and hoof care for these hard-working "equine therapists"! For more on horse sponsorship and how it helps both the horses and the kids, visit the sponsorship page on our website, here: http://www.exodusfarms.org/how-you-can-help/sponsor-a-horse/ .  

Children who have gone through Exodus's program have become the first in their family to finish high school, to go to college, to hold a steady job - and most importantly, they have learned that they are valuable, capable, unique, and precious human beings who have many gifts to share with the world! Because of the positive results, Exodus continues to grow and consistently gets referrals and requests for assistance from schools, social services, churches, families needing help and many others in the community. We partner with many local community agencies to make sure we are serving those children who are most desperately in need of our program. Through our simple horseback mentoring program, the future of children is affected in a positive way, which benefits the local community as well as the individual child.  

Two years ago, Exodus Farms completed an eight-year process to receive our permanent Shasta County Use Permit to ensure the longevity of our program at its current location, giving us the longterm stability to serve future generations. The new Use Permit came with many conditions and improvements, most of which were completed over the past two years, and some of which need to be completed this next year. The ongoing process of getting our use permit and completing all 81 of its conditions has taught us that the lesson we teach our kiddos in the arena is so true: NEVER QUIT! Through the incredible generosity of our donors and volunteers, we have served our community for 20 years, completing almost all of our 81 conditions, and intend to continue to serve our community for another 20 years and more! The remaining use permit improvements include two large projects/purchases: the construction of a new, permanent restroom facility; and the purchase and installation of a well pump to serve our newly dug commercial well. Our community is AMAZING, and we have already raised a number of in-kind donations of material, offers of help with skilled labor, and some cash donations toward the bathroom-building project. As Giving Tuesday is typically our only large yearly fundraiser, we have set our goal high this year in order to raise both the operating support we need and a portion of the remaining funds to complete the bathroom and purchase the well pump! If you or a company you know would like to help with in-kind donations or skilled labor, please let us know!

As we go into this campaign and this next year, we just want each and every one of you to know how very grateful we are for you. Your support encourages us - and each child who visits us - to never quit: loving, hoping, healing, and moving forward together! You are part of the triumphs and successes of every healed heart!