Welcome to Swan Center Outreach, a public outreach program of The Swan Center for Intuitive Living, a spiritually based organization that people from all walks of life, ethnicities, and religious backgrounds can turn to for peace, inspiration, acceptance, healing, love, and kindness. 

 

     The Swan Center for Intuitive Living was established in 1987 in Marble Hill, Georgia, and relocated to the Santa Clarita Valley in California in 2015. Our outreach program partners with horses to offer free and fee-based educational and therapeutic programs to the community at large.

 

      We view animals as “Teachers, Healers, & Friends” because they have an incredible capacity to teach humans compassion, patience, and tolerance, to heal the mind and body, and to demonstrate how to love and be loved in return.

 

     Many of our horses were rescued from backgrounds of neglect, abuse, and improper training, and several were rescued from being sold for slaughter. They have since been rehabilitated and properly trained and have served as therapy animals for many years.

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     If you would like to donate to the horses of Swan Center Outreach, please click on the donation button below:

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THE CASTAIC RANCH

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Swan Center Outreach moved to its present location shortly before the 2021 Covid outbreak. We leased the ranch with the intention that it would serve as temporary housing for the animals until we could locate, purchase, and develop a ranch of our own. When the Covid restrictions were enforced, we had to suspend our programs for a lengthy period of time, donations dropped considerably, and our plans were postponed. As a result, we are not able to offer our full range of programs at this time.

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PROGRAMS PRESENTLY BEING OFFERED

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Our programs do not involve riding and are open to children, adults, and individuals with special needs.  Participants do not need any previous horse experience and can participate at whatever level they feel comfortable with. 

 

HORSE THERAPY PROGRAM

The Horse Therapy Program is free of charge and is open to children, adults, and individuals with special needs. It is similar to the Horse Handler Volunteer Program in that it is centered around the feeding and care of the horses. This program is ideal for anyone seeking a peaceful respite from the rigors of everyday life or activities that can contribute to physical, mental, and emotional healing while boosting one's confidence. Participants do not need any previous horse experience and can participate at whatever level or length of time they feel comfortable with.

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Children under the age of 10 and individuals with special needs must be accompanied by an adult guardian until they demonstrate that they can safely participate without one. 

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HORSE HANDLER VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

The Horse Handler Volunteer Program is open to children, adults, and individuals with special needs. It involves the handling, care and feeding of horses and related ranch chores. Participants do not need any previous horse experience and can participate at whatever level or length of time they feel comfortable with.

 

Horse Handler Opportunities:

•Feeding horses

•Cleaning the water troughs and feed pans

•Filling water troughs and buckets

•Horse handling and training

•Catching & haltering horses​

•Leading a horse over and through obstacles

•Leading multiple horses 

•Putting fly masks and blankets on the horses

•Horse grooming and bathing

•Instruction on parts of the hoof​ and hoof care

•Instruction on horse anatomy 

•Instruction on horse behavior and psychology

•Instruction on animal communication​

•Instruction on the body language of horses​

•Instruction on earning the horse’s respect

•Instruction on moving like a leader​

•Assisting with Horse Health Inspections

•Worming the horses

•Instruction on identifying sick or injured animals 

•Instruction on treating horse wounds & administering medications

•Assisting with Farrier visits

•Assisting with Vet visits

•Assisting with ranch maintenance

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Children under the age of 10 and individuals with special needs must be accompanied by an adult guardian until they demonstrate that they can safely participate without one. 

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RANCH MAINTENANCE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

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The Ranch Maintenance Volunteer Program is open to children, adults, and individuals with special needs. It is ideal for individuals who do not want to handle the horses but enjoy being outdoors and would like to offer their time or special skills to assist with the daily maintenance of the ranch. 

 

Ranch Maintenance Opportunities:

•General repairs including fence panels, muck carts, hoses, and misc. equipment

•Cleaning and scrubbing water troughs, buckets, and feed pans

•Cleaning horse blankets

•Cleaning and maintaining the Polaris vehicle

•Tree clipping and trimming.

•Stacking and moving hay. (Hay bales weigh approximately 75 pounds each.)

•Repositioning of fence panels

•General property maintenance

•Assisting with feed and hay deliveries

•Removing muck from pens 

•Inventory and restocking (Feed, Supplements, Medicine)

•Paddock inspections 

•Hay barrel inspection and repairs

•Vehicle maintenance

•Weed whacking and cleaning.

•Drainage work and flood prevention

•Road maintenance

•Tarping the hay

•Raking the hay 

•Trash disposal

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 Children under the age of 10 and individuals with special needs must be accompanied by an adult guardian until they demonstrate that they can safely participate without one.