Rock Ranch organizers outline expansion, indoor arena project

Marie and Dan LaRock, founders of Rock Ranch west of Hills, attended the Sept. 3 Rock County Board meeting to discuss their planned expansion and indoor arena project.
Rock Ranch, which began as a non-profit organization in 2016, offers horsemanship classes to children ages 5 to 17 with various riding abilities.
“This year has received remarkable interest,” Dan told commissioners.
Participation increased 40 percent over 2018 with 122 children utilizing the ranch’s eight available horses. Eighty children participated in the program last year.
Rock Ranch also offers a Senior Saddles program, where nursing homes visit the horses and other animals at the farm.
Marie LaRock said many senior citizens grew up with horses and, in some instances, farmed with the four-legged animals.
“We had four over the age of 80 from Luverne ride a horse,” she said.
The ranch recently expanded into a new service area called Eagala, an equine-assisted psychotherapy program.
The weather this year has caused problems for scheduling the three programs, and the LaRocks want to move some operations indoors.
“Right now we do a lot of rescheduling,” Dan said.
The LaRocks plan to devote six acres of their farmland to the 80- by 120-foot facility and expand the offerings to year-round.
A steering committee is currently organizing a fundraising campaign.
Commissioners indicated support for the Rock Ranch programs, possibly with in-kind assistance through the highway department but didn’t make a decision at the meeting.