Hannah’s Haven
Where does one go with an aging family member? No, not your parents to a retirement home or assisted living center. Where does one go with an active senior horse who needs to be bumped down from a show barn or boarding facility – but is still rideable and serviceably sound? And you don’t want to put him out in pasture away from his daily life?
You go to the only Active Retirement & Rehab Facility in the metro Phoenix area – Hannah’s Haven.
Hannah is my 32 year old sound, rideable, healthy & happy Arab mare. She was dumped at Winter Rose by her owner 10 years ago. She was used as a schoolmaster by many trainers over the years. She is the kind of soul that if you hit her over the head with a shovel, she would still nicker at you. She believes fully in humans and isn’t jaded by life. She loves with her whole heart and nothing you could do to her will ever deter her away from her belief in human kindness.
In other words? Hannah is an earth angel.
Hannah was being put to sleep a year ago. Long story short – and then she became mine.
So that is Hannah. A “haven” is a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary.
And this is my new facility. Hannah’s Haven. A sanctuary where your active equine senior partner can safely bump down from a show barn or boarding facility to a place of pastures – grass and dry lots – dry stalls – areas to ride in – and still with you. Here he can safely bump down as he ages – much as your parents would do in an active senior retirement facility. First you have independent living, then semiindependent living, then dependent living, and maybe a memory care unit. At Hannah’s Haven I am the caretaker in assisting YOU as the owner and parent of your equine in making the best active retirement years assessable and possible.
I evented my horse in high school, Twink, until he was 30. Yes, you read that correctly. My background in college is fitness and nutrition. I believe that everyone can be an athlete at any age. And being active keeps the soul and body young. My job is overseeing your equine partner as he ages. And providing you a place to ride, hang, walk, hike, talk or hang out with your buddy. Until it is time for the angels to take him. The property I am housed on has grass turnouts, dirt turnouts, stalls, a covered arena, 120 acres, a track to walk and ride on, and ring space. There is a 10 acre grass turnout in front as you drive in.
I have access to pastures, stalls, and mare motels.
This is membership only club. You must be under my umbrella of care a minimum of 3x a week to board at Hannah’s Haven.
Board is set by the owner of the facility. What is extra provided by myself is turnout and turn-in, blanketing, supplements, medication, grooming, riding, hand hiking or hand running, bathing, lunging, etc. I have a list of services i provide. A minimum of two exercise sessions per week (or rehab sessions) are required. This is not a boarding facility. This is a facility where you are “in training” with a trainer to board here. Though in place of the traditional think personal trainer and rehab specialist. Please see my fee sheet.
As far as the rehab (rehabilitation) goes…..
You may also live here if your horse is lame and needs a rehab program. A vet prescription is needed. I would be doing the stall rest and rehab program under the guidance of your vet. A typical rehab schedule is stall rest and 5-6 days of controlled exercise bumping up 10 percent every other week. Vet checks every 1-3 months. Once your athlete was cleared and sound – he would be released once sound 3 months to go back home – to the boarding facility of your choice or your horse property. I will pick up and deliver using my truck and extra tall, extra wide trailer with fans and mats and tumber flooring. I worked 12 years with Dr. Elaine Carpenter – lameness specialist and world class surgeon. May she rest in peace. Her passing has been very hard on me. She was my vet for 12 years and my dear friend for 11. I did a rehab program for a fractured pedal bone under her for my horse RT. 13 months of rehab and RT has been sound since that accident for 11 years now. And i gallop him around the track.
I did a rehab program with her with my horse Boot for a suspensory injury. We did a full one year program. Boot has been sound since for 9 years. Boot has progressing navicular and i have extended his riding years by proper shoeing (tight around the heels and setting the shoe back for a quicker turnover). He is on 30 pills Ixosprine a day and 1 previcoxx. I manage Boot. He will be managed for life.
I rehabbed our pony Snickers with a stifle injury. That was a six month rehab program. He has been sound 5 years since. I love rehab.
So i am an Active Retirement (meaning, you can ride your horse at my facility) and rehab specialist facility. With active retirement horses they can live out their years on the property and bump down when needed as they age in lifestyle. With Rehab, my goal is to work with your vet to get your horse sound and rideable. Once back in work and remaining sound, your horse will go back to his original home he came from. That way i can help as many horses as possible get back from injury, back in the show ring, or back to working and riding. There are specific goals to meet with rehab. I aim to meet those goals and return your athlete back to work with you.
If that can’t be achieved? And i need that in writing by your vet. Then your horse can retire here under the umbrella that this isn’t a boarding facility but a members only club – and that your horse is still “in training” as far as at a minimum – two walks a week are required with grooming. There will be a list to get in here and i need to stick to care guidelines in order to keep this facility – and idea – afloat. There is no other concept here like this facility.
Thank you for stopping by. Thank you for trusting me with your beloved family member. I am a 4th generation equestrian. I have been into
horses since i was 4 and i’m 48 (written November 10, 2018). I have 4 horses of my own who are all sound and rideable – AND aging. I needed my own creation for my own horses. And i guarantee you that i will treat your horse as my own. Because once i care for a horse? It is forever in my heart. And it is one of my own horses.
Now some things i DON’T believe in…….
I don’t believe horses are livestock.
I don’t believe horses are replaceable.
I don’t believe it is “just a horse.”
I DO believe…….
I do believe that this is a family member.
I do believe that we don’t have a place for aging horses that we can still actively ride and be apart of their lives in this area – and need one.
I do believe that my role in life – besides being the best mother i can be – is to provide a place for your horse to live and to be loved and to be cared for with my entire heart, being and soul.
I will leave you with this quote.
