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Horse sanctuary on a mission to give kids confidence and a “connection to God’s creation”
WILLIAM NORTHCUTT
Staff reporter
According to studies from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), connecting with animals reduces stress in people with ADHD, autism, anxiety, depression, and anyone who needs uplifting. This is part of the mission of Home Safe Horses. Scott and Kristina Rupp have turned a disused farm into a paradisal homeplace, their children, their 11 rescue horses, a donkey, geese, goats, and for kids who need to build self-esteem, confidence, and happiness, with, as their web site says, a “a connection to God’s creation.”
The Rupps, who, before moving to the farm sitting between Halls and Ripley, had lived for a time in Florida. Rupp said, “We had a strong faith and belief in what we needed to do, and we looked for four years in Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, but nothing felt right.” They began looking in East Tennessee, but Kristina Rupp found the property in West Tennessee, flew out the next day to look at it. They needed fields to provide hay, and they needed a barn for the horses they planned to rescue.
But their mission was foremost to help children. Scott Rupp said that there are two rules about the kids who come to Home Safe Horses and the reception they get. “First,” he said, “the kids must want to be here, not forced, and second, anyone who shows up here…we want to make them feel welcomed.”
He added, “We serve families of all kinds.” He explained that their goal is to give children a boost. He noted that with bullying at school and with what happens to children in their personal lives, Home Safe Horses offers a safe place for children to grow and realize their self-worth.
He remarked, “We start each session off with a prayer. We teach natural horsemanship”—nothing that would add stress to the kids or the animals.
And the Rupps charge the families nothing. Two times a year, they host camps, a summer camp and a Christmas camp. Last year they had good numbers for the Christmas camp on December 21. “This year,” Kristina Rupp said as she supervised the riders, “we hope to have 75.”
On the day of our visit, two girls who became fast friends when riding, Farrah and Lily, joined the Rupps’ daughter Alia for a ride. Their son Elliott also rides. The girls helped to get their horses saddled and posed in the saddle for photos before riding off to a pond in the expansive field.
Lily’s mother Ambria Conrad, said, “Lily found out about it, we called and left a message, and we heard back the same day.” She noted, “What they’re doing is great for the community, and they never ask for a dollar in return.”
Farrah’s great grandfather, whom she calls “Dad,” Lanny Braden said, “It’s been wonderful for Farrah.” He added that Farrah would not do her homework and had a challenging attitude. “But,” he said, “It really changed her attitude. It’s a great place here.”
He cuts the hay free of charge for the Rupps. Ambria and Lily donate bottles of water for the people who come to the place. Scott Rupp noted that while he and his father built the frame for the barn, Home Depot donated the rest of the wood and supplies for it. He said Home Safe Horses gets grant money. Obviously, the Rupps use their own finances too.
Scott Rupp planted a fruit orchard, grows apples and grapes. While he has built a mini-house and small playground for the kids, he plans on building a bigger playground soon. He remarked, “We have a lot of plans.”
While their mission is to help children, they also rescue horses. One of their horses, Lainey, weighed 600-700 pounds less than it should have. Rupp said that some of the horses are just bones when they get them. “You wouldn’t believe how some people have treated these animals.” They rescued one horse, Shadrak, from a “kill pen,” awaiting butchering and exporting to European countries where horse meat is commonly eaten.
Rupp concluded, “If God can restore these horse, think what he can do for people.”