Interest Form

Interested in joining our interest list for classes at Cheyne Ranch? You are in the right place!

But FIRST! Please consider this: We operate with sold-out programs and a waitlist.

Like all of us - I juggle many roles as a wife, mother to 4! teenagers, animal caretaker to 60! animals + all things Cheyne Ranch, Inc. which keeps 5 workers, 8 volunteers, 100 families, all (sort of) going in the right direction. I would LOVE to spend time talking with everyone who is interested, but there are a few important notes to know right from the start:

STEP 1: READ the expectations listed below

STEP 2: Complete the form at the bottom of this page

STEP 3: ALL NEW families must attend a FAMILY VIST** prior to getting a confirmed spot on the lesson schedule.

**or have attended something here at Cheyne Ranch in the past.

Expectations to know:

Cheyne Ranch is our home

We live here, this is our home on 5 acres. We are a family of 6, dad, mom + 4! homeschooled teenagers.

Cheyne Ranch is a passion project, it has evolved since 2016 from creating a place for our 4 children to grow up, to building a barn to take care of a few retired horses, to welcoming a special needs adult class to our barn once a week, to now we operate as a full-time nonprofit 501(c)(3) education and therapy barn. More about our story can be found here.

BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

For our family’s & visitor’s safety and to give our current students our highest priority, we are unable to accommodate visitors unless by appointment.

  • A waiver is required for all visitors: chra.us/w

  • Family Visits can be scheduled online here: chra.us/f

SAFETY FIRST

Our main priority is safety and most of our rules are focused on keeping humans and animals safe. Please review the safety rules carefully as you read and sign the wavier.

INclusive & Accessible

Cheyne Ranch is a community that welcomes students of diverse physical and mental abilities. Not all unique abilities are obvious from the outside and being together in this community is a learning & growth experience for everyone. 

Care & Connection

Our focus is caring and connection with the horses and other animals, we learn how to present ourselves safely to enjoy a growing connection with them.

One of the most beautiful things about spending time with horses (both in and out of the saddle) is that we can spend our lifetimes striving to continuously improve our communication, clarity & confidence, all of which makes us a better partner with our horses and animals

There are no age or time limits on this journey and every step forward helps us improve ourselves.

WORK HARD

Together, we work on increasing our stamina for being outside in all Florida temperatures, for being around smelly barn smells, and pushing through hard things so the animals can get the care they need. In all our programs, we practice animal care such as mucking out stalls, washing out and refilling water buckets, giving out hay, etc. We also learn to react calmly to unexpected things, for the safety of us and the animals.

RAIN OR SHINE

Our programs are rain or shine - there are a lot of fun learning lessons to have in the barn on rainy days. There are no make-up lessons provided for missing due to rain.

  • within reason - please don’t drive in dangerous conditions

  • If Nature club is cancelled from a hurricane or instructor absence, a make-up opportunity will be provided. 

PAYMENT

Please pay on-time for your reserved spot so we can count on these lesson funds to provide food, shelter and vet care to our animals.

There are no refunds for missed lessons. 

  • We offer 1 - 2 make-up opportunities for riding lessons and PALS.

  • There are no make-ups for group classes such as Nature Club

Horseback Riding Lessons

Interested in our horseback riding lessons? We LOVE teaching and sharing our animals!

Our lessons are different than other barns - Cheyne Ranch is NOT a typical sport lesson barn.

Please visit this webpage, it describes many of our policies specific to horseback riding lessons that are important to know and understand upfront.

GET Invovled

Would you like to be part of our incredible community? The BEST moments happen here - the animals are hilarious and need their own comedy show. Our students are inspiring - it is so rewarding to watch students learn, grow and achieve more than they thought possible.

There are so many ways to be involved, here are a few ideas:

  • Read the above expectations and participate in our incredible community with patience and compassion

  • Donate to Cheyne Ranch, Inc

  • Find out how your employer might match your donation

  • Follow & interact on Facebook / Instagram

  • Volunteer at Cheyne Ranch

  • Purchase things from our Amazon wish list 

  • Spread the word to friends and family about Cheyne Ranch - help us continue our mission as we continue to learn and grow together!

UPDATED Interest list form