Mission Statement
"Learning and healing through horses and nature"
Our mission is to provide a natural environment, and the opportunity and tool, to empower individuals in making life-enhancing connection with horses, nature, others and themelves.
Description
Located in Topanga Canyon and surrounded by the beauty of the Santa Monica mountains, El Dustberry is a non - profit ranch offering Equine Assisted Therapeutic Activities and Outdoor Classroom Programs that foster self-esteem, confidence, empowerment and character building in a beautiful and natural environment.
El Dustberry was originally founded to serve cancer patients and those with other special physical needs, giving them a calming and nurturing respite from the often grueling and uncomfortable medical treatments required. However, over the past six years we have expanded to include specialized programs for autism, ADHD, teens at risk, grief recovery and substance abuse, with wonderful and measurable results. We are very excited about the recent development of a program for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire, offering their "matches" new opportunities to experience the relationship building techniques facilitated through our horses. We offer free services to guests of weSPARK , a San Fernando Valley based cancer support group founded by Wendie Jo Sperber. We are especially grateful for the opportunity to work with youth at risk by facilitating for Spirituality for Teens and Angel's Flight Homeless Shelter, and we look forward to furthering our work with Ronald Mc Donald Family Camp. Our future goals include satellite programs in Ventura County, Paso Robles, and in New York working with those suffering post-traumatic stress disorder related to the events of September 11.
Our unique character building programs teach, through the histories and stories of our rescue horses, key principles of life such as the power of respect, tolerance and sharing and that each one of us makes a difference. Out of this learning often comes emotional healing, fortifying those who need the strength of will to continue on their paths with hope and confidence.
