About Sky View
A cool September day found a small boy and a young woman stepping into a newly created corral. A brown and white horse stood among some other horses in the pen. The little boy, wearing rubber boots, was armed with a halter; he was going to catch her. The young woman walked beside him and talked him through the process of catching a horse. Then they led her out of the pen, tied her up and began grooming her.
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When he had gotten out of the car that day he was barely willing to make eye contact. Trent was painfully shy and lived in the shadow of his older brother. His mother had called Sky View hoping that they would be able to help him; instill confidence in him. She had hoped that doing something that his brother was not doing, something with horses would help him.
Sky View had been a dream for many years. The desire to mesh horsemanship and children with mentoring was a dream. In 2012 the Swayze family decided to embark on the thrilling journey of opening Sky View Horse Ranch. God had gifted them with the land that the ranch sits on and they wanted to use it for ministry so they cut out corrals, cleared brush, found volunteers to help and filed for a 501(c)3 non-profit status. Then with high ambitions they opened their gates. Trent's mom was one of the first to call.
Up until the moment when Hannah and Trent stepped into the arena Sky View had simply been a dream, helmets and an insurance policy. But as they stood grooming the horse all those dreams became reality. Hannah watched him fall in love with a horse that day and over the course of the next few years she watched him grow into a fine confident young man.
Sky View has been open ever since.
In the last four years we have seen countless families come through our gates. Our desire is to offer a refuge for kids and their families. A place where children are safe, where families can come and play and ride free of charge and where mentors invest in the lives of those who come.
Our Staff
The men and women on staff at Sky View Horse Ranch are men and women who have a heart to mentor kids. Their role in the kids' lives is to set an example, be a friend and encourage the kids to grow, mature and learn. They work hard, play hard and live lives worthy of imitation.
Support
Sky View is a non profit and we do not charge anything for the families who come up to come ride and spend time at Sky View. If you are interested in supporting us to keep our gates open to the kids we work with we send out a full tax deduction receipt annually. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Our Facilities
Sky View Horse Ranch is built on 80 acres just outside of Molalla. When the Swayze family purchased it in 2011 it was just land. Where the arena now sits was brush so thick that it was nearly impossible to walk through. There was no well, no electricity and no fences.
Years of work, a track hoe, a lot of sweat, blood and volunteers has made this place what it is today. Sky View was roughed out of pretty rugged terrain and we continue to battle the forest back as we continue to claim more land from the weeds.
Our Horses
The equine staff at Sky View consists of mighty horses who work hard. They not only carry the kids we are teaching, but they help us to bring a smile to each face, laughter and a sparkle to eyes of our children.
Our herd is made up of an odd assortment of breeds, sizes and colors, but each one is chosen to fulfill a crucial role in the life of a child. These horses hold the hearts of many kids, youth and adults who come and ride them each week. They are the treasured, loved heroes of many lives.