Emmanuelle always loved animals but discovered her love for horses rather late in life when she learned to ride at the same time as her daughter Bettina. After taking dressage lessons for a few years, she realized that competition was not what drew her to horses but rather their innate ability to ground her through their mere presence and generosity. Emmanuelle took clinics with Chris Irwin and is registered with his Horse Think program. This has been invaluable in getting her the awareness necessary to establish clear communication with the young rescues from the start, which led to conflict free relationships and trust. She also is a student of the Trust Technique with James French. Seeing his viral video “ I have a dream” was the perfect call to what she knew she wanted to achieve with horses, ultimate trust and ultimate peace. These trainings have benefited the horses tremendously and we are eager to share them. Clear communication is a priority as it is key in harmonious relationships. Lastly, Frederic Pignon is another source of inspiration for Emmanuelle, his interactions with horses show how much joy, love and trust can turn the horse human relationship into the best friendship.

Bettina works all day almost everyday taking care of the horses and is very involved in their training. She did a clinic back in California with Chris Irwin and is now signed up with his Horse Think online program which is an incredible resource into horse language and horse training as well as self awareness. She is thinking of completing their certification program. Bettina is autistic and is very eager to share her journey with horses since she was 9 years old, how it shaped her and helped her as well as challenged her. She loves training volunteers and explaining everything about horses. She is fascinated with horse nutrition and biomechanics. Her acute sense of observation and extra hardworking skills make her an invaluable presence on the ranch as she will spot any injury or unusual behavior.

Mark is an invaluable part of our team and does a multitude of jobs on the ranch, helping it run smoothly. He takes care of our composting system which uses a compressor and water to speed up the process of turning horse manure into a rich compost. He spreads this compost all year long all over the property which benefits everything from the pasture to the trees to the flowers. Mark also helps us clean and does a lot to help us during flooding season or whenever anything needs fixing. As you can see in the picture, he is quite popular with the horses and they usually follow him around.

The ranch would not be complete without our two residents poodles, they will greet you by barking at first to announce your arrival to us but you will soon realize they are extremely friendly and affectionate. Nanuk is one and a half year old and can be a little shy at first but when she knows you she will not give up trying to get petted. She is incredibly sweet. Michka is 3 and a half years old, her dream is to be a therapy dog. She loves people more than she loves dogs, she is very smart and funny and will sit next to you so you can pet her.