Flames to Hope started when Kelly King and her husband, Ron, decided to march with their miniature horse, Trigger, in a parade. They had such a great response that they wanted to share Trigger and their other mini horse, Reba, with more people. They decided to start with people who might not normally be able to get out to interact with animals, and brought their two mini horses into a nursing home in Noble, OK.
One of the staff members remarked that it was a perplexing sight to see a horse roaming the halls of their care facility, but the joy that Reba and Trigger brought to the residents was amazing. Kelly says that the horses took right to it, particularly Reba, who would not let a resident walk by without at least giving her a pat on the head. Since then, Flames to Hope has expanded greatly.
Kelly and Ron have sectioned off part of their property to create an on-site facility where people can come out to interact with their horses. They’ve also taken in a lot more horses. Kelly says that the space has become a defacto miniature horse sanctuary, bringing in miniatures that need a home from all around the surrounding area. It’s good that they’ve brought in so many, because the minis have a lot of jobs to do.
Flames to Hope still visits care facilities with their Hope and Honor program, serving more than 80 across Oklahoma, but now they also have room for guests to visit them on site. Their Navigating Life program helps people of all ages who have experienced emotional trauma, have mental disabilities, or struggle with substance abuse. Their Read at Ease program gives kids who struggle with reading a chance to read in a non-judgemental environment to miniature horses. The people and horses at Flames to Hope even offers team-building workshops through their Tactical Teamwork program.
When Trigger first marched in that parade, no one expected any of this to happen, let alone Kelly and Ron. They serve so many people. The miniature horses of Flames to Hope are role models for us to look up to, which is impressive since most of them are barely over three feet tall.
