Supporting Injured Veterans

This Memorial Day, our thoughts go to the countless men and women who have served our country in war and in peacetime, to their families, and to the many friends we have made over the past five years through the LIVE program. We salute you, and we thank you for your service.

All of us at Lava Lake feel fortunate to live in such a beautiful place where we experience the peace and healing properties of nature every day, whether we’re doing the hard physical work that is part of ranch life, or just spending time outside taking in the scenery. For years, Brian wanted to find a way to share the experience of being on a working ranch in a wilderness setting with injured veterans. He believed that it would be healing and restorative. A former Marine himself, he wanted to give back to our country’s service men and women, especially those who face challenges from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and other physical and emotional injuries.

This September, for the fifth year, Lava Lake will welcome injured veterans and their VA recreational therapists to the Ranch for two one-week sessions of camping and riding in the backcountry. Participants will ride some of the Ranch’s most beautiful ridges and canyons, take care of their horses, learn to rope, see some amazing wildlife, and drink a lot of cowboy coffee. It’s a privilege to be able to make the Ranch available each year for this good work, and we are grateful to the institutions and individuals whose contributions make it possible. For more information, visit the Lava Lake Injured Veterans Equine Program webpage.

Give an injured veteran the opportunity to horseback ride, camp, and receive recreational therapy at Lava Lake for a week with a tax-deductible donation to the LIVE Program here.