About Us

Wings of Eagles Ranch

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About Us

Who We Are....

Wings of Eagles Ranch is situated on 88 acres of beautiful countryside in Cabarrus County.
Wings of Eagles Ranch is a place where symbols of limitations transform into limitless possibilities.
Where one develops self-esteem and muscle tone.
We are a non-profit (501)(c)(3) organization which specializes in a practice known as therapeutic horseback riding.
Our therapeutic horses serve as unique vehicles for exercising one's body and mind.
Horseback riding provides physical, mental and emotional rewards.
The horse's gentle rhythmic movement helps increase the balance, muscle control and strength of riders with impaired mobility. Riding motivates children and adults with learning challenges to increase their levels of concentration, patience and discipline.
A relationship forms between horse and rider allowing riders to overcome fears and develop trust in the therapeutic team.

Memberships

Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH)
Association of Challenge Course Technology (ACCT)
Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA)
United States Pony Club Association (USPC)
Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce
North Carolina Center for Non-Profits

We are in our 13th year of serving the special needs community in Cabarrus County and the surrounding areas. Hundreds of riders have consistently taken part in our program since it began.

Our Mission

Provide a place where children and adults with special needs can enjoy the freedom and enhanced physical fitness provided by horseback riding.

To promote a lifestyle that contributes to physical, spiritual, and emotional health empowering not only our riders, but our volunteers as well.
To create a safe haven, where those with special needs can feel accepted and have their own special recreational activity.
To build cooperative relationships with local healthcare professionals and educators.
To provide a place for parents of riders to form friendships with others who can relate to the daily challenges of raising a child with special needs.
To provide a place for volunteers to help make a difference in the lives of the special needs community.

Our Programs

Horseback Riding: Wings of Eagles Ranch is a non-profit organization that offers therapeutic horseback riding sessions for children and adults with special needs. The sessions provide numerous benefits to the riders including increased flexibility and balance, increased confidence and self-esteem, normalization of high or low muscle tone, enhanced socialization skills and more. We do charge a nominal fee for riding lessons with full scholarships available by contacting us directly. New riders please sign up by requesting a "New Rider Evaluation" appointment time by using the Contact Us page.

Outdoor Adventures: The ranch has expanded our facilities to incorporate other activities while working towards our dream of being a universally accessible full service retreat center. In addition to horseback riding we offer low ropes, high ropes (coming soon), wall climbing, zipline, geo-caching and many other thrilling experiences designed to build teamwork and self confidence. These activities are used during our summer camps, school field trips and other community group events.

Scholarship Funds: Please contact us if you or your business are interested in providing scholarship funds. They may be donated for general use or for a specific rider. Your gift of $200 will sponsor a rider for an eight week session, sponsor a child for summer camp or sponsor a community group field trip. Scholarships are awarded on a need basis - contact us for more information.

Volunteering: There are a wide variety of opportunities to help keep our operations running. Needs include people for riding lessons, field trips, summer camps, work days, fund-raising events and regular maintenance. Please visit our volunteer page for details.

Our Location

Officers

President

Bob Cronin

Vice President

Christine Cronin

Secretary

Terri Tsistinas

Treasurer

Kim Salisbury

Board of Directors

Chairman:

Bob Cronin

Member:

Kevin & Julie Buck

Member:

Cary Gluf

Member:

Pat Winecoff

Member:

Kimberly Salisbury

Member:

Patrick Martin

Member:

Alex Bishop

Member:

JoAnn Lampe

Wings of Eagles is actively seeking people who are interested in this ministry on our Board of Directors. If you feel God’s calling to serve on our Board, please email us at wingsofeaglesranch@ctc.net.

Staff Members

Founder & Director
Volunteer Riding Instructor
Challenge Course Facilitator
PATH Certified
ACCT Certified

Christine Cronin

Volunteer Riding Instructor
PATH Certified

Pat Winecoff

Volunteer Riding Instructor
PATH Certified

Bev Flinn

Volunteer
Barn Manager/Riding Instructor
Challenge Course Facilitator
ACCT Certified
WAFA Certified
(Wilderness Advanced First Aid)
Member USPC - C3 Rider

Allie Cronin

Volunteer
Challenge Course Facilitator
ACCT Certified

Dr. Butch Winkler

Volunteer
Challenge Course Facilitator
ACCT Certified

Megan Hunt

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