Equine Advocates Rescue & Sanctuary is a Field of Dreams for Horses

We feel that our sanctuary is a wonderful example of how horses should live. Every horse here has a stall, either in the Main Barn or in one of the many 2 or 3-Stall Barn structures located in our paddocks and pastures. The horses in the Main Barn mostly have physical issues or other special needs. Each horse can enter and leave their stall at will, except at feeding time when we need to be sure they get their own particular meal and supplements and don’t get any help from their pasture mates, who would be more than happy to dine on their cuisine! Our Feed Room is organized for the specialized meals the horses receive every day. There is water available at all times for the horses with heaters in all the troughs for use during the winter months. Veterinarians, farriers (blacksmiths), and the equine dentist come to the sanctuary regularly to make sure our horses stay healthy.

When weather conditions are ideal, we have a Big Turnout Day for many of our residents. We are very proud of the way we have designed the paddocks so that many can be connected by opening interlocking gates, allowing our horses to do what horses love to do – run and socialize with their friends! The herd can be as many as thirty horses on more than 40 acres of open pasture! Not only is this a vision to see and a lovely sound to hear, but you can feel the earth move under your feet as they take off all at once!

We have an Outdoor Arena where our staff and volunteers work with the horses. Most of the horses cannot be ridden due to physical and emotional scars from their prior lives, but being in the arena gets them used to being around people and being handled. The outdoor arena is also used for our Education Program.

In 2006, we opened our Education Center on the sanctuary grounds. Each year, we welcome thousands of visitors of all ages for Public Open Days, classes, and seminars that focus on equine protection and equine issues. We also organize and host our American Equine Summit which brings together experts from across the country to talk about vital issues facing America’s wild and domestic equines. We hold specialized classes for law enforcement on how to recognize equine abuse and neglect and how to enforce cruelty laws, as well as educators on humane education for the classroom. In our outdoor arena, we hold demonstrations on natural horsemanship. All visitors get to meet our remarkable equine residents and learn about where they came from and why they needed to be rescued. The animals here are as much a part of our Education Program as the seminars themselves!

Behind the Education Center and adjacent to some of the paddocks we have a lovely pond and picnic area where visitors can have a picnic lunch and relax. Afterward, they can walk the entire sanctuary and along the way can read our paddock graphics which have photos of the equines and their stories. This makes for a much more personalized experience.