Episode 17 | 🐎 From Worthless to Priceless - How God is Using Horses to Heal Broken Hearts

UPDATE: Since this episode was recorded, Freedom Reigns has been able to secure approximately 25 acres to house their “forever home!” This increased their capacity to partner with God to heal more children and see greater miracles!

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Connect With Our Hosts & Guest

Kevin Beasley - Co-host, Kingdom Effect & Disciple-Making Catalyst
🌐 Website: kevinebeasley.com

Glenn “Buckshot” Buckley - Co-host & Former Law Enforcement
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/rambler113.6

Carissa Ramsdell - Founder, Freedom Reins Ranch
🌐 Website: freedomreignsranch.com

Kingdom Effect Podcast Community
👥 Facebook Group: CLICK HERE

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Show Notes

What if the very thing the world called “worthless” became the exact tool God used to save lives? When trainers labeled a spirited horse as “mean, uncontrollable, crazy, and worthless,” Carissa Ramsdell saw something different. And when she bought that $700 rescue for pennies on the dollar, she had no idea God was about to use a half-Arabian, half-Thoroughbred to heal her own shattered heart—and launch a ministry that would rescue both horses and humans from their darkest moments.

In this powerful episode of The Kingdom Effect podcast, hosts Kevin Beasley and Glenn “Buckshot” Buckley sit down with Carissa Ramsdell, founder of Freedom Reins Ranch, for a conversation that will shatter your assumptions about ministry, trauma recovery, and what it really means to be an “ambassador of yes.” This isn’t a sweet horse story—it’s a raw account of how God takes the broken, the abused, and the thrown-away and transforms them into instruments of healing.

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🎯 What You’ll Discover:

The Parallel Redemption Story You’ve Never Heard

• Why rescued horses and rescued kids mirror each other’s trauma responses

• How prey animals living in constant fear reflect the human experience of abuse

• The intentional design of horses: powerful yet fearful, majestic yet vulnerable

• Why Jesus chose to return on a horse “the animal most fearful but most relational”

From Abuse Survivor to Equine Minister

• Carissa’s brutal journey through sexual abuse, eating disorders, self-injury, and suicidal ideation

• The anger at God that manifested as high-achieving performance

• How a misunderstood horse became the unlikely tool of her salvation

• The moment a non-verbal girl kissed a dangerous horse—and everything changed

What Freedom Reins Actually Does

• Serving 50 youth monthly with 106 on a 12-16 month waitlist—completely free

• Four distinct programs: one-on-one mentorship, Junior Ranchers groups, family sessions, and youth leadership

• The pathway from traumatized participant to confident leader who mentors others

• Why they rehabilitate body score 1 horses (walking skeletons) despite the risk of losing them

The Theology of “Worthless” Things

• How kids always choose “the horse that needs the most love” over the easy rescue

• The 2-hour feeding schedule for starved horses—and the lesson of sacrificial love

• Why participants say “we’ll risk losing them because they need love in whatever time they have”

• From death’s door to session horse: the redemption story that mirrors the Gospel

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💡 Game-Changing Insights:

“Natural horsemanship is being an ambassador of yes.” The revolutionary shift from “no, no, no, don’t do that” to “I am FOR you and want to partner WITH you”

The performance trap: How childhood trauma drove Carissa to seek approval through achievement—looking perfect on the outside while dying on the inside

Boston’s breakthrough moment: When a dangerous, head-shy horse leaned INTO a non-verbal girl’s kiss instead of bolting—God’s unmistakable sign

The hospice horse decision: Kids choosing the mare who’d only live a month because “she needs the most love in the shortest amount of time”

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🚨 Who Freedom Reins Serves:

• Human trafficking survivors

• Refugees (with government agency support)

• Domestic violence survivors

• Kids dealing with anxiety, depression, and suicidal tendencies

• Children navigating divorce and family trauma

• Foster and adopted children are working on attachment and communication

• Anyone who’s “seen the worst humanity has to offer”

Common thread: Self-identified need for mentorship and safe space to heal

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🔥 The Breakthrough Moment:

“She lifted both hands right up in his face to give him a kiss. I was like, ‘Oh no!’—because that would have been the cue for him to sit back on that halter, snap it, and run. And instead of doing that, he actually reached forward into her. It was so uncharacteristic that it got my attention, and I felt like God was like, ‘Get ready, this is what we’re going to do.’”

That non-verbal little girl became a confident young lady who spoke clearly to a judge at a horse show. That dangerous horse became a gentle session horse. And Carissa realized God hadn’t just saved her life with a horse—He’d given her a blueprint for ministry.

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📚 Key Topics Covered:

• The difference between prey animal fear responses and predator responses

• Trust-based relationship building through horsemanship principles

• Why God used a “spicy” half-Arabian, half-Thoroughbred to reach an angry heart

• The body score system (1-9) and rehabilitating near-death horses

• How performance became Carissa’s false god—and how God broke that idol

• The seven-year ministry journey from one girl to 50 participants (106 waiting)

• Volunteer structure: 67 volunteers powering the ranch operations

• The land crisis: 8 acres for 12 horses when Tennessee recommends 1.5 acres per horse

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💬 Powerful Quotes from This Episode:

“God created horses to be strong, powerful, majestic—but they’re prey animals, so they’re always afraid. Anyone who’s been through trauma operates out of that same place of fear.” - Carissa

“The kids always say, ‘We want the horse that needs the most love.’ They don’t care if they risk losing them. That’s self-sacrificing love, knowing they’re probably going to be hurt.” - Carissa

“Trainers called him mean, uncontrollable, crazy, and worthless. And I was like, don’t you DARE tell me something’s worthless.” - Carissa

“God showed me that the way my horse was acting—always being told no—was making him resentful and angry. That’s exactly how I felt about God.” - Carissa

“God saved my life because of working with my horse. I wasn’t saved BY a horse—Jesus saved my life. But He used that to teach me so many things.” - Carissa

“You see how God can take something that by world standards was thrown away and worthless—and with care, healing, and hope—it goes from that to thriving and having purpose and helping heal others.” - Carissa

“I should be a statistic right now. It’s an absolute miracle. God calls the unqualified, the least, the least likely people to do the greatest work.” - Kevin

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🙏 The Urgent Need:

LAND CRISIS: Freedom Reins is desperately seeking 25-40 acres in South Williamson County or Northern Maury County, Tennessee (near I-840/I-65).

The math: 40 acres immediately rescues 25 children off the waitlist

Options: Purchase OR long-term lease (you keep ownership!)

Why it matters: Currently, it is only operating 3 days/week due to lease restrictions

The impossible prayer: Their capital campaign is literally called “Impossible” because land in this area is nearly unattainable—but nothing is impossible with God

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Ready to Say Yes?

Whether you have land, time, or resources—God is calling His people to step into this redemption story.

Next Steps:

1. Visit freedomreinsranch.com to learn more about the ministry

2. Volunteer - No horse experience needed! Session leaders, horse care, facility maintenance, tack conditioning

3. Donate - 100% free programming means 100% donor-funded operations (1,700 lbs of feed/month, 250 lbs of hay/day)

4. Pray - Specifically for land, for the 106 kids waiting, for resources

5. Share - Someone in your network might have the land God’s preparing for this moment

Special volunteer need: Session leaders with hearts for mentorship—they’ll teach you everything about horses

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“It’s terrifying to say yes, truly terrifying. I ended up stepping away from my career. It’s going to cost you, but it’s SO worth it. Nothing else will work except God’s way.” - Carissa Ramsdell

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Fun Fact: Carissa’s favorite non-cheesy horse movie is Secretariat, but her favorite cheesy one is Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken (the one where the horse runs up a ramp and dives into a swimming pool—which actually happened!)

Kingdom Effect Podcast - Where we celebrate people who said yes to the impossible and watched God show up. Available on all major podcast platforms and Substack.

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🐴 P.S. From Glenn:

Bring apples or carrots when you visit. No sugar cubes. (But if you have 40 acres, Carissa says you can definitely bring sugar cubes.) 😊