SPRAGUE — A unique effort —to help both kids and horses —is under way at the L5 Youth Ranch.

The ranch was designed as a tranquil place where at-risk youth and abused and neglected horses can help heal one another.

The nonprofit program is just hitting its stride, after founders Matt and Daisy Langston finished their arena last year and spent the first months gaining experience and working with a few children.

This spring, about 20 at-risk youth have signed up to spend time with the horses, Matt said, though they’ve been hampered by muddy pastures.

The free sessions are laid-back and informal, an open time when youth can relax and learn about how horses behave.

Just being around horses helps troubled youth calm down, Matt said. “Kids see their behavioral problems and actions mirrored by the horses, and they understand how they could behave differently,” he said.

“We just see how it goes and guide them as they need it,” he said. “Lots of kids have plenty of people talking at them already.”

The ranch is located along a peaceful, tree-dotted draw near Sprague. Youth, ages 5-18, accompanied by an adult, can make appointments to visit on evenings and Saturdays.

The Langstons aim to serve youth from disadvantaged backgrounds but are open to any child who wants some equine time.

The effort began four years ago when the Langstons moved to Sprague from Lincoln. They had been youth sponsors for Christ’s Place Church and saw how many youth needed some direction.

Matt is a civil design engineer; Daisy is a medical recruiter. He grew up near Blair and always had horses; she grew up as a town girl in Iowa but always loved horses.

They’d had a vague idea about helping disadvantaged youth and horses, and then heard of a ranch similar to what they’d envisioned on a James Dobson radio show.

Soon, they were headed to the Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Bend, Ore., where  they spent five days learning how to operate a program like theirs and navigate the legal and insurance hurdles.

They learned it’s an effort requiring gentleness on two fronts.

On a windy spring day, Matt and Daisy inspected a newly arrived horse, Suzy, in an isolation pen.

Her hooves hadn’t been clipped for years. She had an ugly scar where a halter had been. A downed wire fence had torn up her ankles. She had infected wounds on her sides.

Such is the case for at least some of the horses the Langstons rescue, taking animals seized by law enforcement or approaching negligent owners directly. They work with each horse for a few months, helping them heal and observing behavior. Some may work with children some day; others are placed with good homes.

They tailor equine activities to each child’s needs and spirit.

“It’s weird how different kids’ personalities make them bond with different horses,” Daisy said.

Serena Akeson, 14, of Crete, met the Langstons through Radiant Springs Church in Crete. She gets lonely at times and likes to be at the ranch, coaxing the horses.

“She’s great at picking up poop,” Matt teased her.

“I wish I could be out here every day,” Serena said.

By Serena’s side, Daisy led a dark horse to water, showing the girl how “Mouse is learning his manners,” she said.

Mouse was a trail horse, Serena explained, and was trampled by other horses. “His mouth was so messed up I called him Loose Lips at first,” Serena said.

“He has trust issues, doesn’t he,” Daisy said, adding, “Some kids are able to trust horses when they haven’t been able to open up to anyone else.”

Shelly and Jeff Clark brought their two adopted daughters, ages 6 and 7, to the ranch after seeing it mentioned in a Cedars newsletter. They now plan to visit again. One daughter has Asperger’s Syndrome, the other has Reactive Attachment Disorder, and both have attention span issues.

“The Langstons were great with the girls and horses; very gentle,” Shelly said. “We explained how the horses had been treated badly but are in a good home now, and why it’s important to be kind.”

The Langstons have two children of their own, ages 3 and 4.

They took the name L5 from the biblical book of Luke, Chapter 5, about Christ’s followers being “Fishers of Men.”

L5 Youth Ranch is a faith-based organization, but the religious aspect is not emphasized. “The kids that come here may not even realize we’re faith-based,” Matt said.

Getting the program off the ground has been frustrating and time-consuming, but the couple  hopes it will grow successful soon.

“People seem to think it’s a great idea in general, but it’s hard to get them to be receptive to us,” Matt Langston said.

“It’s about listening to what we need to do,” Daisy Langston said. “Being faithful to what we’re called to do and not worrying.”

Reach Kendra Waltke at (402) 473-7303 or kwaltke@journalstar.com.