Volunteers are needed at Blue Star Ranch, a nonprofit equine therapy ranch in Newhall that serves veterans in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Additional volunteers are needed as Blue Star Ranch heads into the new season. Ranch hours are 8:30 a.m. to noon Monday to Sunday.

Volunteers groom the horses, turn them out, make the horses special, individualized lunches and do a few chores around the barn. The stalls are cleaned by on-site personnel. It is not necessary to have a horse experience background. Blue Star Ranch will train you if you are interested in horse care.

Blue Star Ranch is an equine-assisted safety-net provider for mental health services with internationally recognized certification. The horses help veterans overcome known barriers to engaging and staying in treatment. They can help families in post deployment transition build resilience.

The ranch was founded by Nancy and John Zhe. Nancy spent 27 years designing equine therapy programs for children and adults with various life challenges i.e.; disabled children and adults, at-risk youth, recovering coma patients, recovering cancer patients, senior citizens and others. John served two tours in Vietnam and knows first hand how difficult the adjustment is when soldiers return home.

The Zhes met in 2006, married in 2008 and founded Blue Star Ranch in 2014.

For more information and to support Blue Star Ranch visit https://bluestarranch.org.

To volunteer contact Blue Star Ranch.