Nana's Closet Provides Trail Ride For Grandkids Being Raised By Grandparents

It’s the typical morning watering and saddling up the horses at Honey Lee Ranch off Northeast 63rd Street and Douglas in Jones.

“We have guided trail rides four days a week and they are specifically for adults and children who have either never ridden or maybe they have just ridden a couple of times,” said Jeanie Remer, owner of Honey Lee Ranch.

Today’s ride was with kids with Nanna’s Closet, a nonprofit support group for grandparents raising grandkids program.

“What we provide is clothes for the children, shoes, book bags, books toys, basically anything that they would need as a normal child, we provide for them,” said Leela Baker, who founded Nana’s Closet with her husband Lamont.

Along with everything they provide for the kids and the families, they wanted to give them something extra special, something most of these kids have never experienced before, A horseback trail ride.

“You know how you get that butterfly feeling when you’re really happy? I have that and my stomach is getting really warm,” said Serenity, one of the grandkids.

Eight-year-old Aleena scoped out the horses and came to one conclusion. “Some of them are like kind of tall,” said Aleena.

As she convinced herself to go through with the ride, she was very specific about her potential horse. “Yeah, I do want to ride, I just want a horse that’s small,” said Aleena.

Every trail ride takes about an hour and about fourteen kids we able to experience the ride today. Some had ridden before and some were first-timers, but in the end, they were all ready to go again. “Kids need joy, and there is so much joy to be found on a horse,” said Remer.

It is time away from cellphones, video games, and social media, on over one hundred and fifty acres. “He said I love this; I love being here, look at the deer, I love my horse, I think my horse loves me,” said Remer.

It is that unconditional love these kids really needed to feel. “And I will ask a kid, how was your ride? And they will look at me in all honesty, this was the best day of my whole life,” said Remer.

For information about Nana’s Closet visit their Facebook page @Nana’s Closet OKC. For information about Honey Lee’s Ranch visit their website www.honeyleeranchtrailrides.com.