‘We’re just so thankful’: After 25 years, Healing Reins holds ribbon-cutting to showcase their new Tumalo location, arena

(Update: Adding video, comments from staff)

'We heal people's hearts and their bodies.'

TUMALO, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The nonprofit Healing Reins Equine Assisted Services has put its roots down at a new site in Tumalo. In January 2022, the nonprofit was gifted the new 30-acre site in Tumalo. After two years of work, the nonprofit celebrated with a ribbon-cutting on Monday. 

"Getting this site ADA-accessible, building an indoor arena so that we can provide year-round services and then just acclimating to this site," Polly Cohen, Healing Reins' executive director said Monday. "We're thrilled to be celebrating our 25th year with a ribbon-cutting today."

 Healing Reins provides people of all ages and abilities the chance to heal emotionally and physically through horse-centered therapies. 

Board Chair Dawn Cofer said, "Every person who comes out here gets this amazing feeling of peace and happiness."

Healing Reins currently has 27 horses you can meet at their new location. The nonprofit serves ages 4 to 94 with a wide variety of conditions like anxiety, Down syndrome, cancer and PTSD. 

Cohen said, "It's always a nonprofit's dream to own their own site, and we never imagined that this like beautiful 30-acre equestrian facility could be gifted to us, and we're just so thankful for that."

Healing Reins moved to the Tumalo site in April and started its spring session in May as staff and the horses adjusted to the new location. 

The Tumalo site also makes services at the nonprofit more accessible to clients.

Cohen said, "It's allowed us to expand our equine-assisted mental health services, so we provide therapy here utilizing the clients. So our counseling program has expanded greatly by having this property, as well as our adaptive horsemanship. That is where we teach our participants horsemanship skills. It's where they learn how to groom their horses, how to brush." 

Eighteen staff and more than 100 volunteers come out to the site each week, along with about 200 clients.

Cofer added, "We heal people's hearts and their bodies. It just provides hope for everyone out here. Please call and schedule a tour to come out here, and just visit and see what we are all about."

Healing Reins has an upcoming fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 28 called the Diamonds and Dust Gala. You can find more information and tickets on their website.