Echo Ranch Bible Camp has made a lasting impact in the lives of thousands of young people and through the years, God has continued to use the ministry of camp to reach hearts, change lives, and draw people into a relationship with Him. One of the avenues of ministry at Echo Ranch is our Horse Program!

Horses hold a unique place in Alaskan culture, making our Horse Program an incredible tool for reaching young people who may not otherwise be drawn to a traditional camp experience. While at Echo Ranch, depending on their age, campers have the opportunity to do trail rides or pony rides, sign up for horsemanship classes, or participate in a full week at the barn called a “Horse Focus Camp.” Our Horse Focus Camps have grown over the years and are now offered to both girl and boy cabins. As we look ahead, we believe there is an opportunity to expand the Horse Program even further. Our vision is to offer two Horse Focus Camps during the same week, one for girls and one for boys, for each of our Maverick and Senior High camps.

We have the team, experience, and skills to make this happen. What we need now are the right horses to support the vision.

Our herd is aging, and many of our horses are beginning to decline rapidly. In 2024, we had a herd of 25 horses. Today, we have just 17. We have lost several horses due to old age and have also had to make the difficult decision to remove horses that were not a good fit for a safe, child-friendly camp environment.

We are now at a critical point in the future of our Horse Program. We urgently need to begin bringing new horses into the herd. Without introducing new horses by the spring of 2027, there is a very real possibility that we would not be able to offer a Horse Program at all during the summer of 2027.

The needs are not only new horses, but new equipment for the barn, like new riding helmets and saddles. And getting the horses to Juneau offers a challenge in itself since they can only be brought to Alaska by ferry. It will take a lot of planning in advance to get horses to camp, which is why we need to begin this process as soon as possible.

This is about more than simply adding horses to our herd. It is about protecting a ministry that God has used for decades to reach young people with the Gospel.

Will you join us in prayer for this need and for our Horse Program? And will you consider giving toward this need to help our ministry continue to reach many campers and retreaters?

If you would like to donate, you can you can click the link below to the “give” page on Avant’s website. The missionary account number to type in the “Missionary Number” space is: 72057.

We are so grateful for each of you as you partner with us and with what the Lord is doing in Alaska. We can’t wait to see how God provides for us and uses our Horse Program in the future!