Behind the Vision
Meet Riley & Kyla Olson
My name is Riley Olson. I grew up in the beautiful wide-open plains of southern Wyoming. My early years were spent working in my father's construction company and learning about horses and cattle on my grandfather's ranch. My two brothers, my sister and I were fortunate to have a loving mother that stayed at home to nurture and teach her children and a father that led and provided for his family. We grew up in church and learned the value of hard work and good ethics. As I got older, I started to develop a passion for horses and ranching. I found that I was truly content when I was out in the middle of God's creation. I reveled in early mornings and delighted in working with my hands. After graduating high school, I pursued an associate degree in Horse Management. I had set my sights on becoming a horseman and a trainer. I loved anything that had to do with horses. Soon after I graduated from that first college, I lived out my dream breaking colts and riding for different ranches in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. One day I realized that I was so busy chasing my dreams that I was doing nothing to help others reach theirs. The Lord and I were pretty close, and I truly felt that He was leading me to some opportunity in the midst of the greatest of His creation, people. After six years of riding, training, and ranching on horses, I put up my saddle and went off to Bible college. During those years in Bible college, I started giving horse riding lessons to young people in the city and found that I really enioved teaching, especially on a subiect matter that I was deeply passionate about, horses. What an incredible animal that God created when He created the horse.
No other animal can mirror a human like a horse can. No other animal is able to reach the soul and touch the heart like a horse is able. I was blessed with the opportunity to teach horse riding throughout my stay in Bible college. Not only was I blessed with being able to teach something that I loved while there, but I was blessed with being able to meet and marry my one true love, Kyla. We were married in our senior year. I finished my studies at that college with a bachelor's degree. One of the greatest things I learned in those years was that the only thing that I liked more than working with horses was using horses to work with people. Ride Prosperously Ministries is designed to do just that. We started Ride Prosperously Ministries as a means of using horses to help people prosper. It is our desire utilize the God-given influence of the horse to teach true prosperity and contentment in life. Though I find much joy in helping all people and all ages, my heart is especially drawn to help young men. I see such a need to help young men find positive and humble ways to develop their masculinity, strength, and energy into productive resources of leadership. I believe that learning different trades are important to the success of any young man. Aside from working on a number of different ranches, I have had the opportunity to work in many aspects of construction. I have been certified in arc welding and MIG welding. I am a saddle maker and a farrier. I also have had the privilege to work in the youth industry for more than a decade. My wife and I now reside in Missouri where we hope by God's grace to grow old helping people through the influence of the horse.