Katie Samuelson acknowledges she was “born in a barn,” and a love of horses has followed her through life. This year the ranch, arena and facility — which she also calls home — she has designed, built and nurtured in the town of Vinland becomes the official property of BEAMING Inc., the nonprofit organization she has stewarded for more than two decades. Last year alone, the organization facilitated 4,014 equine experiences for Northeast Wisconsin residents.
Samuelson, who serves as BEAMING’s CEO, says the sale of the ranch to the organization’s board of directors ushers in a new era for the nonprofit after 14 years of renting and three years of subletting to Rawhide Youth Services.
“To me, it’s about trying to have the community be able to use this facility,” Samuelson says. “I built the facility, and my goal was that this will be a place where area nonprofits can come together.”
Among the groups to which BEAMING has increased outreach are individuals with dementia and memory loss — BEAMING is just the second site in the nation to offer the innovative Riding in the Moment memory care program — and veterans, with the recent additions of free monthly veteran events and overnight experiences for groups of up to 16 in the ranch’s bunkhouses.
Examples of BEAMING programs include the “Pony Power Academy” that assists children aged 4-12 who have learning disabilities; “Steady Strides for Parkinson’s” to help mobility, cognition and emotional well-being; “RideStrong” for survivors of trauma and grieving loved ones; the “Hold Your Horses Camp” for troubled teens; and “CANTER,” which is a community arts program.
Upcoming community events include “Red, White & Blue,” a horse experience for military personnel, first responders and their families scheduled for May 3, as well as a Community Carnival and Art Show planned for Aug. 2.
BEAMING has forged partnerships with Reach Counseling, the Fox Valley Memory Project and many other community organizations — with more to come, Samuelson hopes. She says she encourages collaborations that allow each nonprofit to leverage its individual strength to help serve vulnerable communities. And BEAMING’s strength? Horses and their power to change lives.
“There is not [a group] we don’t support, besides violent criminals,” says Samuelson, adding that BEAMING has served individuals ranging in age from 4 to 96 over the last 20 years. “A veteran or a teenager who’s struggling, or a person that’s had trauma, can come in here and tell everything they want to a horse, and the horse is going to listen.”
The horses, Samuelson explains, are obviously “the backbone of the program.” There are currently a dozen at the ranch, which she donated to BEAMING following the sale of the property. Sparkles travels to nursing homes. Charity loves toddlers and pregnant women. Kids with autism gravitate toward Thunder. Annie is an especially great listener.
The BEAMING staff, which includes Clinical Director Janet Hagen, holds certifications from Spirithorse International and PATH International. Equine assisted services help with assertiveness, empathy, stress tolerance, impulse control, emotional awareness, problem solving, self actualization, independence, self regard, social responsibility and interpersonal relationships, Samuelson says, both for BEAMING’s clients as well as its volunteers.
“Our volunteers come here and say ‘Oh, I’m going to help,’” she says. “But how much are we really helping them? We’re raising their oxytocin level. [Working with horses] promotes overall happiness. They build relationships with these families and have a place they can come to where they are part of something bigger.”
Volunteers are among BEAMING’s greatest needs to grow, Samuelson says, and the organization is also in the midst of a capital campaign called “Raise the Ranch” to help advance her vision.
While it’s been far from easy building BEAMING, Samuelson keeps the faith. She recalls the day when she taped 37 cents to her desk — all the money the organization had left after adopting multiple horses and rolling the dice on its future.
Then, she says, in walked Jim Webb of the Neenah Rotary Club with a check for $2,500.
“He said, ‘We’re going to keep your doors open,’” Samuelson recalls. “And I knew then I could make it work.”
On the web: beaminginc.org
