Equine Assisted Therapy and Learning
A Horse Facility Offering Education, Outdoor Activities, and Assisted Emotional Counseling in Cottonwood.
Our Mission: Connection and Growth at DLB Ranch
Finding strength through connection
Healing and Resilience
We are a non-profit equine center based in Cottonwood, California, where we help people grow through therapeutic work with horses. At DLB Ranch, we see how the bond between a person and a horse can help them overcome almost anything. We provide a sanctuary where kids and adults can work through life's hurdles and find the inner strength to keep moving forward.
Work that makes a difference
Professional Support
Our team combines professional expertise with a genuine heart for people. Using proven methods developed by Greg Kersten, OK Corral Series, our certified specialists and therapists lead ground-based activities that help people navigate anxiety, depression, and grief. By learning how horses interact and communicate, our participants gain real insight into their own lives and learn how to build healthier boundaries and emotional intelligence.
Serving the whole community
A Place for Everyone
Everyone is welcome at DLB Ranch, from youth looking for a fresh start to people in recovery or teams building leadership skills. Because we have a covered arena, we can offer sessions all year long, so the weather never stands in the way of progress. We are dedicated to helping every person who walks through our gates find the confidence and joy that comes from personal growth.
Learn More About What We Do
Our Equine Assisted Therapy and Learning Sessions offer many benefits to individuals, groups, and families that specifically address mental, emotional, and behavioral issues. One of our sessions is designed to address human development issues quickly, directly, and effectively.
We at DLB Ranch incorporate Equine Assisted Therapy Learning And Learning (EAT/ EAP), using horses as tools to gain understanding and personal insights into human nature. This includes having fun with horses under the guidance of a Certified Equine Specialist. These fun activities are effective for establishing boundaries and improving problem-solving skills. EAL sessions encourage critical thinking about life in different ways to help expand our knowledge of what is possible. EAL can be scheduled for an individual or a group.
Donations are always appreciated!
EIN # 84-2931128
What Our Customers Say
Start Your Path to Healing
Start Your Path to Healing
At DLB Ranch, we provide a welcoming environment for children and adults to find emotional healing and build life skills. Working with our horses helps you face challenges like anxiety, depression, or stress so you can move forward with more confidence. Our certified specialists guide you through the process, bringing both professional experience and genuine care to every session. We know what it takes to overcome life's hurdles, and we are here to help you find the strength and resilience to do exactly that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about the services we provide? We hope you find the answer below.
Located in Cottonwood, DLB Ranch is a non-profit equine center dedicated to enriching the lives of both children and adults through interaction with our loving horses.
DLB Ranch allows our guests to connect with horses and with others to build relationships, grow, give and receive love, and heal. There’s no place quite like it!
Our ranch is a place of equality: every person can experience the sheer joy that comes through the triumph of the human spirit as they work alongside our beautiful horses. We cater to the mental and emotional needs of our riders, providing help for anxiety, depression, and more.
Through time with our horses, riders overcome barriers and obstacles that have been holding them back for years. What’s left behind is a stronger, more confident, more capable person. Seeing the transformations that take place at DLB Ranch can be overwhelming in the very best way. We invite you to be a part of this experience with us!
When you give us a call, you will be connected directly to our owner, so you can expect immediate attention to your inquiry. So don’t wait. Call now!
The address of our ranch is: 17596 Southlake Rd, Cottonwood, CA 96022
We are open every day, Monday through Sunday, from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm.
Have a question and need to get in contact with someone at our horse ranch? No worries, we have you covered! Contact us using one of three contact methods:
Phone: (530) 360-0427
Email: nightstarranch@gmail.com
You can also use the contact forms found on this website to get in touch. Once we receive your inquiry, a member of our team will be in touch with you as soon as possible. Thank you for reaching out!
Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) encompasses a range of treatments that involve activities with horses and other equines to promote human physical and mental health. The use of EAT has roots in antiquity, and EAT applies to physical health issues in modern form dates to the 1960s. Modern use of horses for mental health treatment dates to the 1990s. Systematic review of studies of EAT as applied to physical health date only to about 2007, and a lack of common terminology and standardization has caused problems with meta-analysis. Due to a lack of high-quality studies assessing the efficacy of equine-assisted therapies for mental health treatment, concerns have been raised that these therapies should not replace or divert resources from other evidence-based mental health therapies.
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) offers experiential psychotherapy sessions to diagnosed or diagnosable clients. Natural horse and herd behavior are observed and honored as a model for healthful human behavior. Equine-assisted exercises are designed to elicit metaphors and self-awareness. These exercises help clients recognize their own behaviors and patterns and create their own solutions. The term Equine Assisted Psychotherapy was coined by Greg Kersten in the early 1990s to describe the exercises he created to work with at-risk and incarcerated youth. The field of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy continues to grow and adapt to every type of psychotherapy client.
Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) offers experiential communication, teambuilding, and personal growth experiences to individuals, groups, families, and corporations. Equine nonverbal communication, herd behavior, and equine development demonstrate successful interaction as an example for human relations. Equine Assisted Learning is a valuable component of corporate retreats, church group activities, and family growth seminars. EAL is not psychotherapy and does not require facilitation by a licensed mental health professional.
Serving NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
DLB Ranch, Inc.
Send Us a Message
Have a question or need assistance? Reach out today and our team will get back to you as soon as possible.
