Bit of Hope Ranch

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United States
Gastonia, NC
Bit of Hope Ranch

Bit of Hope Ranch is a non-profit organization that provides mental health, physical therapy and educational programs. Contact us today! Welcome to the Ranch!

We are also a site for the Mace Energy Method that can be done remotely around the world. Our mission is to Reach, Rescue and Restore hurting children, families and horses through equine assisted therapies. Our strategy is to harness the power of Ranch’s Wellness Wheel to empower people to take control of their mind, body and spiritual wellness by celebrating areas that are thriving and to identif

y areas that need attention in order to strengthen their sense of identity. Our services include: Couseling and Coaching, Therapeutic and Recreational Riding, Educational Programs for Schools and Businesses, and Ranch Rentals (for parties and weddings)

05/25/2026

Today, we remember and honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. ❤️🤍💙

At Bit of Hope Ranch, we also recognize that for many veterans and military families, the effects of service can continue long after coming home. Anxiety, grief, trauma, isolation, hypervigilance, and emotional exhaustion are struggles many carry quietly every single day.

That is why spaces for healing matter.

Through the support of our horses, licensed therapists, wellness programs, and peaceful ranch environment, we are committed to creating a place where people can slow down, reconnect, process, and begin healing in ways that feel safe and supported.

If you feel called to be part of someone’s healing journey, click the link in our bio to become a Champion of Healing or explore other ways to support the healing happening here every day.

05/23/2026

We are honored to announce that Bit of Hope Ranch is now offering the Equine Assisted EMDR Protocol® through Melissa, a licensed clinical mental health counselor, and Mackenzie, an Equine Professional, after completing their specialized training.

While traditional EMDR is typically done in an office setting using eye movements, tapping, or auditory cues, the Equine Assisted EMDR Protocol® brings the healing process into the presence of a horse — adding movement, grounding, relational connection, and real-time somatic feedback that cannot be replicated inside four walls.

Horses are able to notice subtle shifts in emotion, nervous system regulation, tension, avoidance, and connection often before a client can fully explain what they are feeling. This allows the therapist, equine professional, and horse to work together as a team to help clients process trauma in a way that feels more supported, regulated, and safe.

For some individuals, sitting in an office talking through trauma can feel overwhelming or disconnecting. The Equine Assisted EMDR Protocol® offers a different approach — one where healing happens through movement, relationship, safety, and the calming presence of the horse.

At Bit of Hope Ranch, we believe mental health support should continue to grow in ways that meet people where they are. Expanding services like the Equine Assisted EMDR Protocol® is only possible because of people who continue investing in healing at the ranch.

If you feel called to help make services like this accessible for children, teens, adults, veterans, and families in our community, we invite you to become a Champion of Healing through monthly giving or a one-time donation.

Visit the link in our bio to learn more about becoming a Champion and helping healing continue to happen here.

05/19/2026

People often hear the words counseling and coaching used interchangeably, but they are actually designed to support people in different ways.

Counseling and therapy focus on helping individuals work through mental health challenges, trauma, grief, anxiety, and emotional pain with a licensed professional. Coaching is not meant to diagnose or treat mental health conditions, but instead helps people identify obstacles, navigate transitions, gain confidence, and create forward movement in areas of life where they may feel stuck.

At Bit of Hope Ranch, Equine Assisted Coaching combines that process with the presence of horses, creating an experience that is both grounding and deeply reflective. Horses are naturally aware of human emotion and often mirror what someone may be carrying internally, allowing clients to better recognize patterns, behaviors, emotions, and blocks that may be affecting their relationships, leadership, creativity, confidence, or sense of purpose.

Mindy Millsaps is currently accepting new clients for Equine Assisted Coaching sessions and is accredited through the Equine Assisted Coaching Association (Equine ACA). For those looking for support, direction, clarity, or personal growth, these sessions offer a unique opportunity to reconnect with yourself while working alongside the horses.

By becoming a monthly Champion for Hope and Healing, you help provide healthy horses, safe spaces, and life-changing programs for individuals walking through difficult seasons of life. Visit the link in our bio to learn how you can become part of the healing happening here. 🤍

05/14/2026

For some people, traditional talk therapy can feel overwhelming. When someone is carrying grief, trauma, anxiety, stress, or emotional exhaustion, finding the words to explain what they are feeling is not always easy. Some clients come into sessions feeling completely “all talked out.”

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy offers a different approach to healing.

Horses are prey animals, which means they are naturally wired to read nonverbal cues in order to stay safe and connected to their environment. At Bit of Hope Ranch, our counseling team is made up of a licensed therapist, an equine professional, and a horse working together to support the client.

Horses are able to respond to what a client may be feeling internally through body language, heart rate, energy shifts, breathing patterns, eye contact, posture, movement, and even the vibrations of footsteps. Their electromagnetic field extends outward around them, allowing them to remain deeply aware of the emotional state of those nearby.

Because of this, horses often help clients feel seen, grounded, and emotionally met before a single word is spoken.

No horse experience is necessary. The horses simply meet people exactly where they are.

If you feel called to help hold hope for someone who can’t carry it on their own right now, click the link in our bio to learn more about becoming a Champion of healing and the different ways you can give hope to others.

05/12/2026

At Bit of Hope Ranch, we believe healing is not one-dimensional.

Mental health impacts the way we think, feel, connect with others, process grief, handle stress, and understand who we are. That belief is what led us to create the Ranch’s Wellness Wheel — a tool helping children, teens, adults, veterans, and families better understand areas of wellness that may need support, healing, or growth.

And one of the most powerful parts of that process?
The horses.

Alongside licensed therapists guiding each session, our horses become active partners in healing.

Recently, a teenage girl came to the ranch carrying deep grief after losing her mom while also navigating a difficult relationship with her dad. For most of the session, she stayed guarded.

But as the conversation deepened and tears finally began to surface, Rocket quietly stepped closer and began nuzzling her.

No words.
No pressure.
No judgment.

Just connection.

While the therapist gently guided the conversation, Rocket helped create a moment where this teen finally felt safe enough to let her emotions exist.

That is why this work matters.

When you support Bit of Hope Ranch, you help make moments like this possible for people carrying grief, trauma, anxiety, heartbreak, and pain they may not know how to put into words yet.

Click the link in our bio to become a Champion of Healing and help healing continue to happen here. 🤍

05/11/2026

There are children carrying trauma they don’t have words for yet.

Teens battling anxiety and grief.
Parents, veterans, and adults silently carrying battles most people never see.

And every single day at Bit of Hope Ranch, our horses step into those stories with them.

Alongside licensed therapists, our horses help people feel safe, regulated, connected, and understood in ways words sometimes cannot reach.

We have watched guarded children begin to trust again.
We have watched anxious minds slow down through movement, rhythm, and connection.
We have watched people who felt completely alone begin to feel seen.

That is why this work matters.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, we are proud to launch CHAMPIONS — the giving community behind Bit of Hope Ranch helping make trauma care & recovery possible.

Because healing takes more than awareness.
It takes healthy horses, licensed therapists, trained staff, safe spaces, and people willing to invest in hope for someone else.

This is more than donating.
This is becoming a Champion of healing.

If you believe in the power of healing, connection, and the incredible role these horses play in changing lives, we invite you to become a Champion with us. 🤍

Visit the link in our bio to learn more about monthly giving, one-time gifts, sponsorships, and ways you can help healing continue to happen here.

05/10/2026

Mother’s Day holds so many emotions all at once. 🤍

For some, today is full of laughter, hugs, handmade cards, and babies in their arms. For others, it’s grief, longing, complicated relationships, empty chairs, or missing someone they wish they could call one more time.

Today, we honor every kind of mother’s heart. The moms in the thick of raising babies. The women longing to become mothers. The mothers carrying loss. The grandmothers, bonus moms, foster moms, adoptive moms, and the women who love and nurture others so deeply.

At Bit of Hope Ranch, we see every day how healing begins when someone feels safe, seen, loved, and cared for.

So wherever this day finds you… joyful, grieving, thankful, exhausted, healing, or somewhere in between — we’re holding space for all of it today.

Happy Mother’s Day 🤍

05/06/2026

🌱 Garden Wranglers is back for our second annual gardening day at the ranch this Saturday, 5/9 from 8:30–10:30am!

We’re looking for any and all members of the community to come enjoy a beautiful morning at the farm helping us care for and grow our garden spaces. No horse experience or volunteer training needed — all ages are welcome! 💜

Whether you come solo, bring your family, or invite a friend, we’d love to have you out at the ranch serving alongside us. Please note: children attending must be able to stay with the group, as riding lessons and counseling sessions will also be taking place during that time.

Before attending, all participants must complete our online liability waiver. Click the link in our bio to sign before coming!

Please also send us a message or email if you plan to attend so we can get a headcount. We can’t wait to spend the morning with you all 🌿

05/04/2026

‼️ FOURTH WEEK JUST DROPPED ‼️

Y’all showed UP, so we listened 💛

Because of the incredible support from our community, we’ve officially opened a FOURTH week of summer camp 🎉

📅 May 25–29 | ⏰ 9AM–12PM
Daily horseback riding, crafts, snacks, and all the fun your kids already love about camp ☀️🐴

Spots are limited (and going FAST)

👉 Register through our website

We seriously can’t wait to welcome even more campers out to the Ranch this summer 🤍

05/01/2026

Such a special week celebrating our adaptive riders 🎉

We are so proud of all the hard work they put in leading up to their showcase—and getting to welcome their families to cheer them on made it even better!

Huge thank you to our sponsors:
• Fidelity Bank in Belmont
• Herdmanship University
• The Abramovich Family
• Josh Derenge
• Bea and Jim D’innocenzo

If you feel called to get involved or support moments like this, check out our website or DM us for more information ❤️

Address

5001 Cr Wood Road
Gastonia, NC
28056

Telephone

+17048620095

Website

http://www.bitofhoperanch.org/, https://secure.qgiv.com/for/bitofhoperanch, https://www.bonfire.com/store/bit-of-hope-ra

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