Today we’d like to introduce you to MG Tindall.
MG, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up in Houston and my family is all in this area. I had moved away 30 years ago and was living in the Chicago area working for Willow Creek Community Church. I was running their children’s program at one of the regional sites. At that time, I was a single parent to 2 amazing kids, Kali and Cole. We were looking to move back to the Houston area to be closer to family and put out an email to my family to please be in prayer and keep their ears open for any opportunities. Within hours of my email, a family friend had reached out about an organization she was doing some consulting for. I had a phone interview the next day with the founder and was on a plane to discuss opportunities the following week. Inspiration Ranch offered me a job the following week.
This was late 2010, and I was engaged at the time to be married the following spring. My sweet husband, then fiancé, agreed to give up an 11-year career, move the wedding up to November and then ship me off to Houston to find a place to live while he finished up his commitments.
I hired on as a full-time admin and development person. It was the first full-time position the ranch had hired, so my job encompassed many opportunities. I continued in this position for 2 years. In early 2013, the founders left the organization and the board of directors promoted me to CEO/President.
I love the journey that God has us all on. I feel like I have been preparing for this position all of my life. I had some horse experience, but what really caught my attention was the kids. Seeing the results of these special children and what they were gaining by being on the back of a horse was amazing. To be a part of the daily growth, advancements and even the miracles of hearing first words and seeing physical improvements that were impressing even their doctors is such a gift.
Panther Creek Inspiration Ranch has seen some significant growth in the 7 years I have been involved. When I first arrived, we were operating out of one open arena and a tent. We had no office space, no running water, no electricity and no significant equipment. There were many evenings we had to finish up lessons by shining our headlights on the arena and too many days we had to cancel lessons because of the weather. In 2103, because of an amazing gift of a covered arena, from Arena Energy and a small office donated by two local families, we were able to start growing the program significantly. We went from 17 clients to 35 in one year.
We currently see 68 riders a week and 15-20 clients in our mental health program. It is a privilege to use my leadership gifts and to work with such an amazing team of staff members and volunteers to grow and increase the capacity of the ranch. We are currently looking to expand our program by moving to a larger location and hope to have an announcement soon!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The journey has come with many obstacles. One of our biggest challenges is that our current property sits in a flood area. We have had to evacuate our horses on a regular basis to avoid any harm to them when there is significant rain. This past year during the tax day flood and the Memorial Day flood, we saw flash flooding that produced over 10 feet of water on the property. After experiencing these significant floods, the board of directors and leadership of the ranch made the decision to look for a new home. We had a five-year strategic plan that included either a larger location or a second location, so the flooding just accelerated our plans. In 2015 I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy. I lost my mom at an early age to breast cancer so the health risk has hung over me for years. While it was a devastating health encounter, I was so grateful to have my family and my team surrounding and supporting me!
Please tell us about Panther Creek Inspiration Ranch.
Panther Creek Inspiration Ranch exists to strengthen children, youth, and adults striving to overcome their physical, emotional, and social disabilities with Therapeutic Riding and equine-assisted therapy and activities. Each week nearly 70 special needs children and youth ride in our Therapeutic Riding Program to physically and emotionally strengthen their core muscles, improve their walking, and elevate their ability to communicate. Through our H.E.A.R.T. program we reach at-risk homeless teens and survivors of domestic sex-trafficking that have suffered severe emotional trauma. It’s here, on our 15-acre ranch, that we can help them learn new boundaries, skills and overcome obstacles. We are excited about the growth of the mental health program. The Montgomery County area has a significant shortage of mental health providers and we are anxious to be a resource to the community in the very near future.
While it’s evident that these programs are vastly different from one another, the common thread is the horse and the compassionate team of highly trained staff. We invite clients into an arena with horses to facilitate the therapeutic process. As a result, our clients can gain strength and insight into their nonverbal communication and behavior patterns. A non-judgmental and keenly trained horse can instinctively analyze and react to our body language and other nonverbal cues. They possess the remarkable gift to assess a situation quickly and encourage interaction – no matter the hurdle to overcome.
Every day, the team at Inspiration Ranch strives to break down stigmas, barriers and celebrates the inclusion of individuals that strive to reach new goals. We provide exceptional equine-assisted therapy and activities in a loving Christian environment.
Panther Creek Inspiration Ranch is a Premier Accredited Center through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH). This was a 14-month journey for us and one that helped us align our values and strategy as a team and an organization. I hear all the time from our stakeholders that Inspiration Ranch is such a peaceful place. We incorporated the word “oasis” in our vision statement a few years ago because we heard this all the time. The Ranch does have an amazing feel and the atmosphere is so beautiful and peaceful, but I really credit this to our staff and volunteers. So often parents will share that they feel like they are part of a family and that the staff loves their kids like they are their own.
I am proud of our team of staff and the dedication that they have to see the success of the ranch. I am also amazed at the strength and courage of our riders and their families every day. These are the real heroes. They overcome daily challenges and struggles to show up. These children work hard to overcome fears and physical limitation so that they can partner with our horses. Our parents face not only the huge challenges that can accompany raising a child with a special need but in many cases the financial burdens are overwhelming. The ranch does not turn anyone away because of finances. I am very proud of our decision to do this. These families have enough to worry about. I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine finding something that could help my child and then not be able to afford it. I had one mom tell me that she would do anything she had to in order to have her child ride. She was afraid that if she asked for the scholarship dollars that we would deny her son a spot to ride. She was willing to sacrifice her meals to get him in. I am so grateful to our donors who share what they have so moms like this one don’t have to make decisions like this.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would have gone through the accreditation process sooner, I was skeptical that this would do a lot for us. There did not seem to be a lot of advantages. In the end, it really aligned our team. It helped us define our values and who we were as an organization. I would also have pushed for more strategic planning earlier. In the early days, the strategy seemed to be to get through the day. Going through this process helped us plan, set goals, know what we were looking toward in the future etc. All those things that strategic planning does!
Contact Info:
- Address: 25902 Glen Loch Dr
Spring, TX 77380 - Website: www.InspirationRanch.org
- Phone: 281-719-9322
- Email: info@InspirationRanch.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/panthercreekinspirationranch/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InspirationRanch/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TherapeuticRide
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPyyUa8IAEuIwg39yhFyYfA
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