{"id":794907,"date":"2019-04-17T17:20:00","date_gmt":"2019-04-17T23:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/giddy-up-blue-river-horse-center-invites-summit-county-community-to-meet-the-horses-at-may-11-open-house\/"},"modified":"2019-04-17T17:20:00","modified_gmt":"2019-04-17T23:20:00","slug":"giddy-up-blue-river-horse-center-invites-summit-county-community-to-meet-the-horses-at-may-11-open-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/local-news\/giddy-up-blue-river-horse-center-invites-summit-county-community-to-meet-the-horses-at-may-11-open-house\/","title":{"rendered":"Giddy up: Blue River Horse Center invites Summit County community to \u2018Meet the Horses\u2019 at May 11 open house"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery\" readability=\"6.8509418509419\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-364554-691\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/HorseCenter-SND-041819-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/HorseCenter-SND-041819-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Courtesy of Blue River Horse Center | Children with SOS Outreach work with horses at the Blue River Horse Center in this photo provided by the center. The center is getting ready to welcome this year\u2019s crop of horses and will have a Meet the Horses Day on May 11.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"7\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/HorseCenter-SND-041819-3.jpg\" alt=\"Children with SOS Outreach work with horses at the Blue River Horse Center in this photo provided by the center. The center is getting ready to welcome this year\u2019s crop of horses and will have a Meet the Horses Day on May 11.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"9\">\n<p><strong>Children with SOS Outreach work with horses at the Blue River Horse Center in this photo provided by the center. The center is getting ready to welcome this year\u2019s crop of horses and will have a Meet the Horses Day on May 11.<\/strong><br \/>Courtesy of Blue River Horse Center<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/HorseCenter-SND-041819-3-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/HorseCenter-SND-041819-3-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Courtesy of Blue River Horse Center | Volunteer Karen Johns gives a horse some love at the Blue River Horse Center about 20 miles north of Silverthorne. As the center gets ready for another summer season, Johns said the work she sees there is \u201ctruly magical.\u201d\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"7.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/HorseCenter-SND-041819-3-1.jpg\" alt=\"Volunteer Karen Johns gives a horse some love at the Blue River Horse Center about 20 miles north of Silverthorne. As the center gets ready for another summer season, Johns said the work she sees there is \u201ctruly magical.\u201d\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Volunteer Karen Johns gives a horse some love at the Blue River Horse Center about 20 miles north of Silverthorne. As the center gets ready for another summer season, Johns said the work she sees there is \u201ctruly magical.\u201d<\/strong><br \/>Courtesy of Blue River Horse Center<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/HorseCenter-SND-041819-3-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/HorseCenter-SND-041819-3-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Courtesy of Blue River Horse Center | A group from Building Hope poses for a group shot with horses from the Blue River Horse Center north of Silverthorne. The center, a local nonprofit that takes in rescued horses, is getting ready for another summer of work and will be introducing this year\u2019s horses to the community during an open house on May 11.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"8.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/HorseCenter-SND-041819-3-2.jpg\" alt=\"A group from Building Hope poses for a group shot with horses from the Blue River Horse Center north of Silverthorne. The center, a local nonprofit that takes in rescued horses, is getting ready for another summer of work and will be introducing this year\u2019s horses to the community during an open house on May 11.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>A group from Building Hope poses for a group shot with horses from the Blue River Horse Center north of Silverthorne. The center, a local nonprofit that takes in rescued horses, is getting ready for another summer of work and will be introducing this year\u2019s horses to the community during an open house on May 11.<\/strong><br \/>Courtesy of Blue River Horse Center<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/HorseCenter-SND-041819-3-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/HorseCenter-SND-041819-3-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"| Horses at the Blue River Horse Center are folded into a wealth of programming at the center, including an event mixing yoga and horses. The horses are rescued animals, and in addition to helping people learn to live better lives, they get much-needed training at the center that helps make the horses more adoptable.\" class=\"h-100\">\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\" readability=\"9\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.summitdaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2019\/04\/HorseCenter-SND-041819-3-3.jpg\" alt=\"Horses at the Blue River Horse Center are folded into a wealth of programming at the center, including an event mixing yoga and horses. The horses are rescued animals, and in addition to helping people learn to live better lives, they get much-needed training at the center that helps make the horses more adoptable.\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"13\">\n<p><strong>Horses at the Blue River Horse Center are folded into a wealth of programming at the center, including an event mixing yoga and horses. The horses are rescued animals, and in addition to helping people learn to live better lives, they get much-needed training at the center that helps make the horses more adoptable.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/local\/giddy-up-blue-river-horse-center-invites-summit-county-community-to-meet-the-horses-at-may-11-open-house\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/local\/giddy-up-blue-river-horse-center-invites-summit-county-community-to-meet-the-horses-at-may-11-open-house\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The main attractions will soon arrive at The Blue River Horse Center, a historic 300-acre ranch in the Lower Blue River Valley, as the group saddles up for another year of nonprofit work.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">About 20 miles north of Silverthorne, the Blue River Horse Center houses rescued horses over the warmer months while the animals are put into play with a variety of programming offered to children and adults, alike.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">It\u2019s a win-win scenario, said John Longhill, the center\u2019s executive director and founder, who sees benefits not just for the people whose lives are improved through their relationships with horses, but for the horses, as well.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cHave you ever been out there?\u201d asked Karen Johns, who\u2019s volunteered with the center for over a year now. \u201cIt\u2019s magical, truly, and I don\u2019t use that term lightly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The way it all works is fairly simple and straightforward. The rescued horses are wrapped into the center\u2019s programming, which is designed to teach children and adults new leadership and self-awareness skills, at the same time that the horses become more adoptable because of the training they receive through the center.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">While the horses get much-needed training and a nice summer home in the mountains, they form the backbone for the nonprofit\u2019s mission by demonstrating the educational, therapeutic and spiritual value loving relationships can have, even if those relationships are with a horse.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">These types of programs have been shown to produce long-lasting impacts on people because of a horse\u2019s positive effects on human thoughts and emotions, Longhill explained.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe believe that success in the human arena depends on the thoughts, attitudes and actions that need to be present to support a happy and fulfilling life,\u201d he said via email. \u201cHorses can teach us communication, collaboration, kindness and unconditional love. There is something \u2018magical\u2019 that happens when a horse shows a child what they are thinking. \u2026 The horse \u2018tells\u2019 us when we are being successful or not, by being reflections for our behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">After the winter break, the center\u2019s work kicks up again on May 4 with a volunteer orientation and training. There will also be a Meet the Horses Day from 1-5 p.m. on May 11 so that anyone in the community can become more familiar with the center\u2019s horses. For those who already know about the center, the day is simply a chance to reconnect with the nonprofit after the winter.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">About 80 people attended last year\u2019s open house, and Longhill hopes to see a few more this go-round, as the event comes with introductions of the center\u2019s miniature and full-sized horses, along with grooming, feeding, round-pen demonstrations and even riding lessons.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The Blue River Horse Center also has scheduled events with Summit High School and Summit Middle School students later in May.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">For Johns, just seeing the adults and children, some of whom are at-risk, work with horses really brings home exactly what the nonprofit does.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">For starters, she said, the ranch is simply breathtaking with a nice, consistent breeze, deep blue skies overhead and the Blue River running through the property. More amazing, however, is seeing how horses pick up on the energy people put out and how those interactions can change lives for the better.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe horses read people\u2019s energy so well,\u201d Johns said, adding that it\u2019s like getting immediate feedback on your mood.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIf you\u2019re angry or drepressed, the horses just take off across the field,\u201d Johns continued.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">However, if someone is calm, at piece and feeling love and acceptance, the horses \u201cwill come straight up to you. You don\u2019t even have to say a word \u2026 It really translates into a lot of areas of life with the energy you send out being received by other people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The center will also be partnering with Rocky Mountain Youth Core in June and Building Hope in May for leadership-awareness programs, said Longhill, adding that the center did a similar program last year with people suffering from PTSD and saw dramatic results.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cBy the end of the day, it just seems like everyone is calm and in harmony with what\u2019s going on around and treating the horses like part of the pack,\u201d Johns said of her experience at the Blue River Horse Center. \u201cIt\u2019s just amazing for me to watch. I\u2019ve been in awe of the way horses interact with people and how they have changed personalities for the better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The Blue River Horse Center relies on volunteers like Johns, who help with the center\u2019s educational programs while also learning to evaluate, retrain and rehabilitate rescued horses so they may find forever homes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The center offers free training for volunteers of all levels of experience. The first training session will be May 4 with subsequent sessions scheduled for May 25 and almost every other Saturday after that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">For more about the center, its different programs or how to volunteer, go to <a id=\"N0x1830b30N0x1a62d00:N0x1830b30N0x191c350\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blueriverhorsecenter.org\/\">BlueRiverHorseCenter.org.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/news\/local\/giddy-up-blue-river-horse-center-invites-summit-county-community-to-meet-the-horses-at-may-11-open-house\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Summit Daily<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Children with SOS Outreach work with horses at the Blue River Horse Center in this photo provided by the center. The center is getting ready to welcome this year\u2019s crop of horses and will have a Meet the Horses Day on May 11.Courtesy of Blue River Horse Center Volunteer Karen Johns gives a horse some [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-794907","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-14 15:48:02","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSMT The Mountain","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/794907","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=794907"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/794907\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=794907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=794907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=794907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}