“So if a person has a bunch of horseshoes laying around, that’s a good way to donate as well,” Terry said.
Another way for the ranch to forge relationships within the community is through riding lessons, which are given during the summer months at a rate of $15 per one-hour session.
Terry is a native of Wyandotte, Oklahoma. He graduated from Wyandotte High School in 1985 and fi ve years later married a Quapaw girl, Carol Keeton. Between them they have four children, including Samantha, Arin, Jake and T.J.
Twenty-fi ve years after graduating high school, Terry returned to school to obtain a degree in social work to try and make a difference in people’s lives.
Watch for the train at local events or call to hire the train for your party.
Around 40 animals are currently part of the Way’s Ranch Horse Rescue network.
“We would prefer to stay around 20-30, but we can take as many as we need,” Terry said. “We can always fi nd more land or locate another foster family. We are always working on feed donations. Could you turn a child away if they really needed food? These horses basically become our family. We love them all and there isn’t one we would turn away.”
To help make ends meet, the ranch accepts various forms of donations. From direct donations of hay, feed and supplies, to volunteers to come out and feed and water and brush down the horses, to monetary contributions and donations of items for resale. Resale items are advertised on the ranch Facebook page (
www.facebook.com/WaysHorseRescue) or available at its booth at The Hitch-N-Post antique and fl ea market in Commerce (www.
thehitch-n-post.com).
Train rides for children are also a ranch specialty. The ranch owns a four-car train that it can take to birthday parties or even larger events for a small fee. It can carry up to 16 small children. You may even see the colorful locomotive at a town parade near you.
“We use the train rides for benefi ts and to raise awareness,” Terry said. “There is no age limit on the train as long as you have fun. The train brings out the kid in everyone.”
The ranch also sells one-of-a-kind welded horseshoe crosses and fi re pits to benefi t the rescue program. The items are made right there at the ranch by Terry and his ranch manager, Justin Conlee.
These unique, hand-cra ed fi repits are a work of art.
“Things didn’t quite work out like I planned as far as a career in social work, but God did put me in a position to rescue horses,” he said. “Hopefully, we are also rescuing a few people along the way.”
Added Terry: “What we do here is actually very much like social work. I always wanted to deal with children. Now I have the best of both worlds. There is sense of satisfaction that comes from watching a smile on someone’s face and the ability to help out not only people but the horses. The satisfaction really comes when the horse leaves to go with its new owner. For us, it’s a job well done. I have never had a job more fulfi lling than this. I hardly even consider it a job. It’s pretty special knowing we’ve been able to plant a seed that may help someone, somewhere down the line.”
To contact Way’s Ranch Horse Rescue or for more information, call Terry at 918-541-3572, visit them on Facebook, or go on-line at
www.waysranchhorserescue.org.
6 - NE Connection
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