If there is any aspect of the ranch or sessions that you are not comfortable with, ask a CVYR employee for help. Your comfort is of the utmost importance to us. We desire for you to take ownership of this ranch and the areas you are responsible for. If you are in a session and a kid wants to do an activity that you are not fully confident in, you have two options.

         1) You can tell them “No.” The generation we mentor does not get told “No” often enough. They can wait until you get more training to do that activity.

         2) You can be honest and tell them that you are not comfortable in that area yet, but you two can figure it out together! This creates an atmosphere of transparency. A lot of these kids are surrounded by adults that “know everything.”

          Of course, if there is a safety concern like with tools or animals, option one of saying “No” is best. But if it’s something in the craft room or the garden, this is a great option! It’s okay to mess up a craft project or plant a seed incorrectly – again, a transparent atmosphere full of grace can be life-changing for a child.

Scott, our founder and horse expert, is always available for horse questions and even training. All CVYR staff members have been trained to work with CVYR horses, so please feel free to ask them for help. Although we have frequent mentor training sessions, we understand that may not be enough at times. Reach out to Janet at janet@cvyr.org, or call us at (559) 564-2897, if you ever have questions or training needs. It is our duty to prepare you for sessions.