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Residential Camps are in Full Gallop at LT Ranch

This past summer, LT Ranch launched its week-long residential camps, where children and teens participated in programs to enhance their social-emotional development. They strengthened their friendships and self-awareness through art projects, ʻāina-based activities, and interactions with animals.

“I got comfortable with others around me and with our routine,” shares a participant who spent one week at the Ranch. “I felt balanced with life at the Ranch and being able to do things I haven't done before.”

Located in Waimea, Hawaiʻi Island, LT Ranch sits on land stewarded by Liliʻuokalani Trust, dedicated to supporting Hawaiian children, particularly orphans and those from impoverished backgrounds. The Trust employs five dedicated Teammates who manage the sprawling facilities, create enriching programs, and care for the animals.

These animals are integral to the Ranch’s therapeutic focus and include horses, sheep, pigs, a mini mule, and Silkie chickens. All are either rescued or retired.

“Our camps provide a way for ʻōpio to reconnect to themselves and others through nature,” says Jill Beatty, Program Director for LT Ranch.   

During the summer camps, each day highlighted a different social-emotional skill, paired with themed activities at the Ranch. For instance, when focusing on emotional regulation, campers observed how horses use breathing and grounding behaviors to settle themselves.

“In a natural herd environment, horses instinctively calm themselves by exhaling through their noses,” notes Beatty, a Social Worker and Counselor trained in Equine Psychotherapy and Natural Lifemanship. “They typically don’t hold onto stress the way we do and model both social connection and self-care, which is powerful for ʻōpio (youth).”

Beatty and her Team enjoyed the presence of summer campers who filled the Ranch with laughter and excitement. For many, it was their first encounter with a horse or their first visit to Hawaiʻi Island.

“This whole experience made me more confident in myself and the way I do things,” says another camper about her experience. “At first, I was scared to make mistakes, but with each activity, I learned that it was okay.”

To encourage positive interactions among themselves and with the environment, the campers embraced the Ranch’s Aloha Agreements — principles of aloha (love), onipaʻa (steadfastness), ʻimi ʻike (seeking knowledge), kuleana (responsibility), and kūpono (righteousness). The Aloha Agreements were developed by Ranch teammates and are unique to LT.

In addition to hosting summer campers, the Ranch also welcomed teenagers from programs at the Trust. Members of ʻŌpūaliʻi Hekili, a boys’ program at Kīpuka Waiʻanae, spent one week at the Ranch to care for the animals and immerse themselves in art and ʻāina activities. And members of ʻAha ʻŌpio Wahine, a teen girls’ group from Kīpuka Koʻolau Poko, visited the Ranch for similar activities.

Both groups share a mission of blending ʻike kupuna (the knowledge of ancestors) with modern-day applications for school, family, and community life. The Ranch complemented this mission, as the teens experienced paniolo life (Hawaiian cowboy) and the rich history of Waimea.  

The Ranch’s programming was many years in the making. Nearly a decade ago, Teammates at the Trust had a vision to support the Queen’s children through animal-assisted therapy. Now, the residential camps have turned that vision into a reality.

Says Beatty, who was on the visionary team, “The Ranch environment provides a perfect space to disconnect from all the noise and busyness of the world and settle into a peaceful space.”

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LT Introduces Kamaliʻi to Equine-Assisted Therapy