Who We Are

Mercy Reins Ranch is a faith-based, non-profit organization that exists to partner with horses to educate, mentor and empower behavioral changes and enhance life skills in individuals of all age groups with mental, physical and emotional disabilities. This is accomplished by inviting children and adults to come just as they are. The leaders of Mercy Reins work hard to pair kids with an activity or horse that will encourage them forward toward hope and personal growth.

Each one-on-one session is tailored to meet the needs of each child. Some of the session activities offered are: working with or riding a horse, arts and crafts, games, gardening and chores. All activities with the children are structured to accomplish our primary goal of creating a safe and loving environment to mentor the child. The purpose of each session is to support and encourage every individual toward the redeeming love of Jesus Christ.

 

We believe that Jesus Christ is the one and only Son of God; He is our Merciful Savior, King of Majesty, Redeemer, and the only way to God the Father. We believe the Bible to be the inspired word of God, perfect in every word and without error, revealing the love of God to the world. We believe that repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ leads to everlasting and eternal life in heaven. We believe in the Holy Spirit, whose indwelling enables believers to live a godly life. It is our desire to live our lives to bring glory to God, by loving and serving one another and all who the Lord leads to Mercy Reins Ranch.

Our Founders

Mercy Reins Ranch was founded in 2018 by Scott and Mary Mogren. Nestled in the St. Croix River Valley near historic Stillwater, MN, the ranch is minutes from the Twin Cities.

Since his early childhood, Scott had a love for horses, from riding his toy spring horse, watching western movies, reading the classifieds, and dreaming of owning his own horse. He also rode at various stables with friends and family. In 2009, while listening to a Focus on the Family interview in his car, he was inspired by the story of Troy and Kim Meeder, the founders of Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Oregon. They talked about sharing the love and hope of Jesus Christ with broken children by pairing them with broken rescue horses. As he listened to this interview, Scott knew deep in heart that this is what he wanted to do.  

Fast forward to 2016, Scott met Mary, who also grew up with a love for horses and riding with friends and family throughout her teen years. Upon meeting, they realized they both shared a deep love for the Lord and a desire to serve Him and others. Together, they dreamed of starting a ministry with horses and the broken. As their friendship grew, along with their plans and dreams, they were married in 2018 and the day after their wedding, they closed on their God-sent dream property in Stillwater, MN. Their home is now called Mercy Reins Ranch. Here, they share the hope of Jesus Christ and continue to use their hearts of mercy to minister to the broken, lost, and hurting individuals that God brings to Mercy Reins Ranch.

Our Herd

  • Indy:

    Indy is part Percheron and part Quarter Horse. He was born on Independence day and named “Indy”. He is a gentle giant, a kind boss of the herd, and a true favorite of even the smallest of children. He is always eager to show his knowledge of tricks, but be sure you have a treat for his reward! He was wanted for a police horse because of his size and gentle nature but the owner did not want to part with him. She had a short list of people she would sell him to and we were honorably chosen. He is a favorite of all our riders and used for our equine assisted therapy.

  • Baby Blue:

    Baby Blue is part Pony and part Quarter Horse. He enjoys pulling a cart for entertainment. He is strong and fast. He likes to play with the other horses, especially Indy. He is strong in spirit and might.

  • Pablo:

    This beautiful sorrel Quarter Horse is a rescue horse and was a wedding gift to Mary Mogren. When the previous owner acquired him, it took them three months to get him to a normal weight. Pablo stole our hearts in 2017 when we met him and he followed Mary every which way she moved, even stopping and turning. When asked if he wanted to join us at our ranch, he gave her a nod and lowered his head. Pablo is smart and follows commands easily; he is used for equine assisted therapy.

  • Pachem:

    Pachem is a five year old Buckskin Quarter Horse. Because of his gentle nature, we named him Pachem, which means “peace” in latin. He has a true miracle story. The first night we brought him home, he ended up getting outside the fence and made his way to nearby Highway 36. Thankfully there was no catastrophic incident with drivers or himself; he was found by a good Samaritan, who opened her car door and he came to her. She secured him with a tow strap until Scott arrived on the scene to walk him back to our ranch. The next day, when we drove past the site where we found him, we noticed a PEACE sign hanging there. Pachem is a favorite of all riders and used frequently for equine assisted therapy.

  • Cinnamon:

    This Appaloosa is our ranch icon, proudly represented on our business card and logo, along with a girl who was drawn to him during a difficult time and received peace from her time spent with him. He was rescued from an incident where he ran into a barbed wire fence and had an open wound from being attacked by dogs. He came to our ranch with lots of trauma and was restored to health. His painful past helped him relate to others with pain. His work was complete December 9, 2020 when the Lord took him to heaven. He runs in greener pastures now.

Our Board Members

  • John Derosier

    • Born (March 8, 1963) and raised on the family farm in Red Lake Falls, MN.

    • Served in the U.S. Army for three years as a helicopter Crew Chief.

    • Attended A&P school at Colorado Aero Tech.

    • Began working as an Aviation Mechanic at Northwest Airlines in 1986.

    • Married to Janet in September 1994

    • Blessed with three daughters, and we have added a son-in-law and two grandsons.

    • After more than 20 years turning the wrench, I am currently working as the Maintenance Control Trainer for Endeavor Airlines.

    • Community of Christ the Redeemer, Covenant Member

    • I am a lifelong lover of animals, hockey, music, and aviation.

  • Ken Krepel

    • Born (October 24, 1958) and raised in Alton, IL.

    • College: two years at University of MO-Rolla; graduated from University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana in 1981 - including a class in English riding.

    • Married to my greatest blessing, Charlene, in May 1981; she continues to be a blessing to me.

    • Moved to Minnesota and started working at 3M in June, 1981.

    • Retired having worked 40 years for the 3M Company as a Mechanical Engineer and Project Manager. 

    • Long time member of Knights of Columbus 

    • Cursillista

    • I love Bible studies, learning about my faith, prayer, and chess.

  • Henry Schultz

    • Born (January 12, 1957) and raised in Oakdale, MN.

    • Worked on my uncle’s family farm until age 13.

    • High School - Tartan High School

    • College –  Graduated from University of Minnesota in 1979, teaching degree in Social Studies.

    • Married to Debbie FitzPatrick on March 17, 1984.

    • Blessed with three sons: Peter, Matthew, and Thomas. We currently have four grandchildren.

    • Started career in Printing (1980) working for Deluxe Corporation -16 years, Northstar Computer Forms – four years, Ennis Corporation – 22 years

    • Member of Council 4967 – Knights of Columbus

    • Member of Cursillo

    • Member of the St. Peter’s Parish Council

    • Graduate of The Archbishop Harry Flynn Catechetical Institute (2018)  

    • My hobbies include fishing, hiking, and hunting.