A place for horses, healing and second chances.
Rocking Star Ranch is a guest ranch with a mission, We are building a place where veterans, young people leaving foster care and folks in recovery can find purpose, community and a sense of belonging.
Who the ranch is for
Horses have a way of meeting people right where they are. The ranch is being built for the people who could use that most.
Veterans. Meaningful work, good company, and wide open country after service.
Youth aging out of foster care. A place to land, learn real skills, and be part of something.
People in recovery. Steady days, honest work with horses, and a fresh start.
Why I am building this
I am Erika Harding. I spent most of my life searching for a place to belong, and for a purpose to go with it.
My son Keenan had four years of sobriety in a very structured program. Then he stepped out into regular life: an apartment, a job, a car, a girlfriend. Then covid hit. There was no good bridge between that structure and the real world, and we lost him to a fentanyl overdose.
I have also had two foster kids in my world. One of them is still part of my life, and he is working his way through that same hard change right now. From where I sit today, I can't give him all the help he needs.
Rocking Star Ranch is the bridge I wish had been there. A place to land between structure and real life, with honest work, good people, and horses who are glad you showed up.
A day at the ranch
Here’s what we picture a day at Rocking Star Ranch looking like, once the gate opens.
Morning. The day starts early, with coffee, cold air and Hermit Peak catching the first light. Residents and guests head down to feed the horses. There’s no better way to wake up than a barn full of hungry, nickering horses who are glad to see you. Then it’s back to the kitchen, where breakfast gets made together and eaten together.
Midday. Everyone pitches in. Residents learn real skills by doing real work: fixing fence, caring for the horses, building, keeping the place running. Guests saddle up for a trail ride through the pines, or learn to groom, lead and read a horse from the ground up. Lunch is simple and shared, wherever the work is.
Afternoon. Time with horses, time with counselors, and time to just be. Some days bring a visiting partner to teach a craft, share a tradition or work alongside us. Later in the afternoon, the kitchen fills up again. Someone’s chopping, someone’s stirring, someone’s learning a family recipe for the first time.
Evening. Everyone sits down at one big table. Preparing and sharing a meal is where we really come together: passing plates, telling stories, laughing, being part of something. After supper, we move to the fire. Somebody always has a guitar. There’s music, stories and a sky full of stars, and a place where everyone belongs.
Ways to help
Lend your hands, your skills or your know-how, from fence building to bookkeeping. Tell me what you can do.
Every gift goes toward getting the ranch off the ground. Give on GiveButter
Follow along
Horse rescues, schools, programs and land partners who want to build something together. Let’s talk.
Where your gift goes
Rocking Star Ranch is starting from the ground up. Right now, every gift helps with the first steps that make everything else possible.
Making it official. Legal fees and filing to set up the nonprofit the right way.
Permits. Getting the land approved for campsites, horses and people.
Insurance. So we can safely welcome people and horses from day one.
Building what we need. Depending on the land, that could mean fixing up what’s there or building from scratch.
A home for residents. Beds, kitchen basics and everything it takes to make a house feel like a safe place to land.
The right people. Paying therapists and staff who will walk alongside our residents as they heal and find their footing.
Starting a ranch means a long list of costs, big and small. Every gift, of any size, gets us closer to opening the gate.
Where we are
Done
GiveButter campaign launched
Rocking Star Ranch on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, sharing the build as it happens
Website built and live
Happening now
Welcoming our first advisors
Forming the LLC and filing for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status
The land is picked out, fingers crossed!
Coming next
Securing the land near Hermit Peak
Permits, insurance and getting the land ready
Furnishing a home for residents and bringing on staff
Opening the gate
Building it one step at a time
Step one: Campsites and a few good horsesStep two: Cabins, a herd, and retreats
Cabins to stay in, a full horse herd, and retreats built around the people we serve.
Simple campsites and a small amount of horse time to get folks out on the land.
Where we are today
Step three: Pack tripsSetting up the nonprofit, bringing a board together, and looking for the right piece of land.
Heading into the backcountry on horseback, the way it has always been done.
Come along for the ride
I am sharing the whole thing as it happens, the wins, the open questions, and Rooster and Gator nudging their way into every video. Your ideas shape what this place becomes.
The chapel John Varian built at the V6 Ranch, one of the places that showed me what belonging feels like.
This ranch will get built by a lot of good people pulling in the same direction. Here is where we could use a hand.
Land and investment partners. We are looking for a partner who shares our values. You own the land and guide the big money decisions. We run the programs, the people, the animals, and care for the land.
Program partners. Horse rescues, schools, Native communities, veteran groups, foster youth programs, and recovery communities who want to build something together. We would love to hear from folks who can share music, crafts, and hands-on work skills.
Board and volunteers. People with know-how in fundraising, marketing, finance, or ranch life who want to lend a few hours and a good head.
Tell us a little about yourself below.