OCEANSIDE IVEY RANCH PARK ASSOCIATION

We view respite as temporary relief for family caregivers. It’s a service in which care is provided to individuals with disabilities or special needs. We see respite care as a vital part of the continuum of services for families. Respite care reduces family stress, supports family stability, prevents abuse and neglect, and minimizes the need for out-of-home placement. It provides caregivers an opportunity to take care of other kinds of business or the opportunity to relax and take a break from the high demands of full-time care giving to special needs individuals. Ivey Ranch can provide in-home respite care to those who have contractual services through the San Diego Regional Center.

Our horses bring health, happiness and hope! A natural and fun therapy for physical, mental, emotional and behavioral challenges.
If you’ve ridden horses or enjoyed their gentle love, you know the experience is unlike any other. And for those with physical, mental, emotional or behavioral challenges, the interaction can be remarkably life changing.

Therapeutic horseback riding can enhance:
Strength, coordination, self-esteem, concentration, emotional states, posture, balance, a sense of well being, personal mobility, a feeling of independence.

How do these gentle, four-legged therapists help?
Horses and humans walk using a similar motion and gait. Horse movements cause riders to respond using natural body movements. Exercise equipment works specific muscle groups, where horseback riding promotes integrated “whole person” flow of movements. Students with physical disabilities improve their muscle strength, balance, flexibility and coordination.

Our horses are also friendly, nonjudgmental companions. Their gentle natures improve mental and emotional states. The bond that develops between a horse and rider inspires a sense of teamwork, responsibility, communication, caring and joy.

What sort of challenges can therapeutic riding help with?
– Physical: injuries, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke, spina-bifida, paralysis
– Cognitive: autism, Down’ s syndrome, mental retardation, sensory integration disorder, attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

One of Oceanside’s community gardens is located on the Ranch. Forty spaces are rented to families and senior citizens who otherwise may not have the opportunity to cultivate a garden. The Ranch also operates a Memorial Tree program.

Ivey Ranch provides the space for local citizens to exercise their green thumb. Community garden plots are rented beginning April 1 of each year with partial year rentals that are prorated by the month. Plot rental includes the use of the parcel, water, and access to the community storage shed. The gardener must provide their own seeds, plants, and tools.