6 minute read
Soarings on W.I.N.G.S. of Hope
Eagle Wings Ranch provides social grounding through horsemanship
Story by Doug Hill // Photos by Cody Giles
Newcastle’s Eagle Wings Ranch is a place where helping and horses come together. It’s a working spread that’s also a 501©3 non-profit.
They specialize in providing a hands-on experienced based learning environment for people with a variety of needs. Shanin Moore is Eagle Wings Ranch director and an attorney based in Newcastle.
Her career has transitioned away from corporate law towards horse rescue, a commitment to children facing challenges and adults struggling with difficult situations. She still provides some legal counsel for clients in the horse industry and pro bono work for other non-profit organizations. Now most of her focus is directing Eagle Wings Ranch.
“I work behind the scenes and in public matters too,” Moore said. “Teaching riding lessons and running our W.I.N.G.S. (Work Integrity Nuance Growth Service) teen mentoring program that I designed and wrote the curriculum for.”
That program is for teenage girls 13 and older in groups of around a dozen or less.
“Those girls come out and volunteer at the ranch,” Moore said. “They receive horsemanship lessons either on the ground or on horseback, depending on interests and abilities.”
The girls also learn to do presentations on equine related topics to their group.
Few of these participants will ever work in the horse industry but they benefit from the camaraderie and being with others who love horses.
“We have our system now so it works pretty well and they learn about horses and how to do the basic chores that come up,” Moore said. “If there’s broken fence wire or equipment that needs to be tore down and rebuilt, change a tire on a truck, I teach them how. Parents have asked, how do you get them to do these things with you. It’s from doing it with them. That’s how I got this dirt and grease on my clothes.”
Moore empowers these young people with actual hands-on work knowledge they’ll undoubtedly need in the future.
“You’d think most people know which kind of screwdriver to use but they really don’t,” she said. “They’re not getting the kinds of opportunities I had growing up on a small farm in rural Oklahoma where my dad taught me to do things.”
Independent thinking with some fundamental problem-solving thrown in is the aim.
“There’s also nothing better than being around horses to teach basic self-awareness,” Moore said. “They’re walking around parking lots or a store with their heads down looking at their phones. Out here in a pasture with a bunch of horses you have to observe to see which horse is in charge. Reading that body language is important, especially after so many of these kids have been at home during a pandemic with no social interaction.”
Moore noted that horses don’t speak English but they’re in tune with the body language of both other equines and the humans around them.
“Teaching those kids that body language matters and changes how the animals interact with them and with other people is what I do,” Moore said.
Some teenage girls come to the ranch unable to look others in the eye or make social connections.
“Within weeks they’re standing up straighter, look you in the eye, tell you what’s going on and figuring out when something’s wrong with a horse,” she said. “They’re starting to read their environment which is a vital skill for being a productive member of society. You can then communicate your own needs or advocate for somebody else.”
W.I.N.G.S. is presently the ranch’s primary non-profit program and the participants are not charged a fee. Regular horse riding lessons for children and adults cost money and pay the ranch’s bills. Even though she’s a highly educated counselor Moore continues to learn about horses and people. [6101401406]
“Horses are great teachers,” she said. “Even if I can’t get a point across to someone here, that horse figures out how to get the point across. They teach in ways that are more fluid. You can move 1200 pounds of muscle just by the way you shift your weight and the direction you point your belly button or turn your head. It’s so empowering, especially to a child when that’s all it took. You don’t have to be aggressive, mean or hateful. Leadership isn’t about forcing someone to do as you say, its partnership and getting someone to come alongside and be in step with you.”
These are lessons about both horseflesh and people through taking a leadership perspective.
“Good leadership is about a partnership, not a domineering relationship,” Moore said. “If you really want people to follow you, you need to invite them to be part of what you’re doing.”
Eagle Wings Ranch is a regular OEC customer but they’re presently involved in what many are probably unfamiliar with although interested in.
“We recently began converting over to solar energy,” Moore said. “OEC is really good about working through that process. They are very forthright in explaining how any power we produce that isn’t used here will be purchased back.”
Moore was extremely enthusiastic about their experience of going to partial but not 100% solar power.
“There have been none of the nightmares or hassles I’ve heard about with other electric companies,” she said. “They’ve been marvelous to sit down and talk to about how solar energy works. It has been very economical to put solar panels onto our arena. OEC has also been so easy to work with when putting up extra pole lights. They were even helpful getting everything hooked up in our indoor arena. OEC has always been super easy to deal with.”
It’s a mutually beneficial relationship. OEC is proud to be powering an organization that’s doing so much good in the community.
