The Ranch
We’re located in the scenic Wild Cat Hills area, just 20 minutes west of Cochrane, Alberta, Canada. The Rocky Mountains are on our doorstep mere minutes away, while the lushly forested foothills are right outside our door. All of our programs are held at our ranch inside our arena, which is dedicated to hosting schools and other groups. Our ranch is a place of communication and understanding, where judgments are not made.
We love dogs as well as horses, but due to our insurance, all dogs must be kept on a leash while here at all times. Thank you.
Programs
Participants of our program learn effective communication and collaboration skills by means of interacting with their human partners and equine teachers to solve a series of enjoyable and often challenging problems. Our EAL program has helped many participants thrive; a few examples we’ve seen include increased abilities in confidence, listening, and communication.
Volunteers
Spirit Winds Ranch is extremely grateful and proud of the volunteer base we’ve built, and we believe everyone’s role is important, no matter how small it may seem. We have three types of volunteer positions: program, general, and professional maintenance.
Our program volunteers, who frequently collaborate in groups, oversee and support participants in our programs. Their combined experience, love of horses, and training as Equine-Assisted Learning facilitators enable us to provide positive impacts through our programs.
Our team of general and professional volunteers often work behind the scenes, contributing their time and expertise to tasks that are frequently overlooked, like website maintenance, gardening, repairs, organizing, barn clean-up, and even crafts. These volunteers have a direct impact on the operation of our programs and are crucial in helping to maintain the ranch.
Our Horses
“The horse. Here is nobility without conceit, friendship without envy, and beauty without vanity. A willing servant, yet never a slave.” – Ronald Duncan
For thousands of years, horses have been essential to human survival. They have been a source of transportation, food, and physical labour. Throughout human history, the horse has been by our side; we have loved, owned, and ridden horses, but what we are tapping into more recently is how horses speak to our hearts.
The beauty of working with horses from the ground is understanding that they are non-judgmental, listen without interruption, and offer participants the immediate gratification of being unconditionally accepted.
Horses are prey animals and are in a constant state of awareness for any signs of danger. They are highly sensitive and intuitive, which makes them excellent working partners.
About Laurel Griffin – Our Chief Horse Officer
Laurel is the contracted Equine Service Provider for the Municipal District of Rocky View West. She works with thirteen schools in Cochrane and the surrounding area and has had the privilege of working with the local schools for several years now. Her programming is also available to other marginalized groups. The combination of horses and Equine-Assisted Learning has had a great impact on students, schools, and other groups.
Working around horses from a very early age, Laurel has an extensive background and history within the horse industry of Alberta. Though she grew up with a rich ranching background in the foothills of Alberta, she has worked extremely hard to create the Spirit Winds Ranch concept, becoming an equine specialist in numerous horse-related modalities. She is the founder and independent operator of Spirit Winds Ranch, and has built a unique equine experience.
Laurel previously instructed riding and horsemanship for over 30 years. She was also once part of the local Cochrane Pony Club and then later moved on to a successful show career on the “A” circuit across North America. One of the highlights of her career was a top-ten Open Jumper finish at the World Paint Show in Reno, Nevada.
It is in her more recent work with horses that she has deepened her relationships with them. Formerly a skeptic of natural horsemanship and alternative equine modalities, she is now known as the “Horse Sensei” around Spirit Winds Ranch and takes natural horsemanship and horse connections to a new level. She has completely retooled her ranch to reflect these horse-powered connections and is happy to share the experience of connecting with horses in this new way. Laurel is a graduate of the Cartier Farms/Dreamwinds EAL program, certified in FEEL with Horse Spirit Connections, and is a licensed coach with Equestrian Canada.
Read more about Laurel certifications:
- Cartier Farms / Dreamwinds EAL Grad Spotlight for Laurel Griffin of Spirit Winds Ranch – Watch on YouTube here
- FEEL Facilitator profile on Horse Spirit Connections website
(NOTE: Though she coincidentally shares the Griffin last name in print, Laurel is a completely separate entity from the Griffin Valley Ranch.)