Our
Heavenly
Herd
HEART Retreat's Team of Helpers
HEART Retreat started giving rescue horses a soft place to land in 2007. As one horse crosses, we are still offering another rescue a soft place to spend the rest of their earthly days. Our promise to them is they will never have to experience anything they have endured in their past. What they will have to endure is top care and freedom to be a horse no matter what their present issues are.
Even though we would love to help every horse in need, HEART Retreat stewards their equine partners and makes sure that we only have as many horses as we can financially care for. All of HEART Retreat’s rescues will not leave until they take their last breath.
To date, HEART Retreat has extended a new lease on life for 15 rescue horses, only 4 have been rehomes as opposed to rescued. We still have some of the original herd living out their life as nature intended them to.
HEART Retreat is home to 12 horses at the present time. Baylee (rescue) 31 years, Jack (non-rescue) 31 years, Pearl (rehome, blind) 30 years, Freddie 21 years,(rescued then rehomed) Breyer 20+ years,(rescue) Belle 20 years, (non-rescue) Tush 21 years, (Non-Rescue) TK 16 years (rehome), Remi 10 years, Merit, Maverick, Hope 2 years (non-rescues)
And we can’t forget Shrek our Donkey!
Let us introduce you to our Heavenly Herd.
*As you read through our Heavenly Herd, we wish to warn you that there may be a trigger factor with Morgan’s (Lady).*
These are horses that have earned their wings and rite of passage. We are forever grateful for the past teachers and equine healers that have blessed us with their gifts.
Thank you for allowing the words to flow, pen on paper so that others can read what great horses you all are/were. May you all run pain free and never have to worry where your next meal is coming from, feel abuse at the hand of a human, or not be appreciated for your wisdom ever again.
Ollie
Date: HEART Retreat - December 2010
Age upon arrival: U/K approx. 20 years
Received his wings: July 24, 2017
When you come to HEART Retreat feel free to ask to read the poem that Sandi wrote for Ollie.
Ollie was rescued when his career as a lesson horse came to an end.
It was obvious that Ollie had many, many miles on him.
We referred to him as the war horse because that’s what he reminded Sandi of. The old war horses, solid, thick legs, stocky build, totally bomb proof, and a heart bigger than his height. Nothing fazed Ollie. His desire to live life to its fullest was very evident.
The very first day Ollie arrived at the farm that Sandi was boarding at, he settled in very quickly. He walked off the trailer but wasn’t sure where he was. Sweaty, quiet and I think relieved to see he was at a farm and not somewhere else. He let out a nicker and to his astonishment it was answered by a familiar call. Nappy, one of our other rescues called out. Ollie’s head went up so fast and his gate quickened. Nappy ran to the gate to greet his old friend. We had no idea they knew each other but it was very evident they had a past.
Ollie and Nappy were inseparable after that day. Ollie had a vice, he was a cribber. That means he would stand by fence and grab the rail with his teeth suck back and gulp air. This was caused by being tied to a rail with a saddle on for hours and hours at a trail riding place. Ollie was the perfect gentleman for any aged person on his back. His life at HEART Retreat was full on retirement. He would enjoy being out in a huge field 24/7 with his buddy Nappy.
October 31, 2011, Ollie moved to HEART Retreat’s new farm. In spring of 2012, Ollie stopped his chronic cribbing and never cribbed again. That was a HUGE transition and transformation.
There was a lovely older lady that he connected with and she loved to ride him. He was the perfect gentleman.
Ollie was content to offer his services as a respected mount to Rosslyn and to a youth. Rosslyn and Ollie did a Diabetes Fundraising trail ride and the youth teamed up with Ollie to do a couple of bush Easter Egg hunts. Seems he was enjoying his new career.
Spring of 2015. Even though Ollie was a ripe of age of 25 years, he decided to take on a young Belgian draft horse at the farm. He didn’t fair well, he came up from the field limping. We were treating his injuries as natural as possible. He was being slathered with essential oils for inflammation and pain, he was receiving reiki treatments for almost two weeks. He and his buddy Nappy were in a separate area where he could move freely. On about the 12th day, Sandi came into his area and he raised his head, gave a big whinny and walked over to her with a pep in his step. No more lameness. Proving he really was a war pony!
Ollie lived out the rest of his life without injury and loved to be groomed and go for the occasional trail ride through the property bush.
July 23, 2017, Ollie was showing strong signs of end of life. His breathing was labored, his movements were very slow and he stayed close to the barn a visit from the vet confirmed what was happening.
The morning of July 24, 2017 Ollie received a beautiful grooming and was fussed over a little more than usual. Later in the afternoon with his best friends by his side, Rosslyn, Sandi and of course Nappy, Ollie was guided peacefully to cross over the Rainbow Bridge.
Merlin aka Bucky
Date: HEART Retreat -October 2, 2011
Age upon arrival: Approx. 11 years
Received his wings: December 26, 2016
When you come to HEART Retreat feel free to ask to read the poem that Sandi wrote for Merlin.
I met Merlin, Saturday July 9, 2011. We had just put in an acceptable offer on the HEART Retreat farm.
I was just viewing horses for sale on Kijiji ads and a picture of this little pony and a beautiful dark bay mare almost jump off the page at me. They had been seized together and the foster home hoped they could stay together. My fondest first memory of Merlin was meeting him in person for the first time. He was a cute as a button, typical fire of a Shetland pony. He loaded on our trailer within three minutes and stood there protesting loudly at how long it was taking the mare, Lady, to get on and get the hell out of dodge.
It took us 45 minutes to load Lady and I thought he was going to put a dent in the floor of the trailer, he would not stop stomping and pawing. He was quiet as soon as Lady decided to trust us enough to load. He was quiet all the way home for the three hour drive on the QEW and 400 series highways.
Once at the farm, Merlin, was very quiet, not overly friendly and kept to himself for the most part. He only interacted with a few people of his choice.
One day in December 2016, he had a mild colic episode. The vet was called to assess him. The vet turned to me and asked “how old did you say he was?” I responded “approximately 15 years old” I had been told he was about 11 years old when I picked him up in 2011.
The vet stated that according to his teeth he was closer to 35 or older. Then he laughed and said “or had really bad teeth for his age”. That would have meant he was 30 years when he loaded on our trailer and headed to his forever home. I was shocked.
Unfortunately he had another colic episode on December 26, 2016 and it was his time to cross onto the Rainbow Bridge. He was our first HEART Retreat horse to earn their wings!
Merlin must have had something to do with getting both himself and that beautiful mare, Lady to HEART Retreat when he did.
Tommy
Date: HEART Retreat - 2012
Age upon arrival: 8 years
Received his wings: April 15, 2020
When you come to HEART Retreat feel free to ask to read the poem that Sandi wrote for Tommy.
Tommy, a stocky little halflinger. Such a handsome sweet boy!
Tommy, one of the few horses that came to HEART Retreat without any issues. Due to his stature and breed, he was prone to colic. That was kept at bay by his ability to move from field to field. Lots of movement and no grains. Tommy was an easy keeper.
There wasn’t much Tommy couldn’t and wouldn’t do. Tommy’s previous owner was downsizing their herd and knew that he had a special gift when interacting with people. Not just the kind of interaction during grooming and riding but people made comments like, “He makes me feel different, and I can’t explain it.” “When I am with Tommy, I feel like a different person. “Who better to put on HEART Retreat’s healing team than Tommy!
When Tommy arrived at HEART Retreat, there was an immediate bond. Our donkey named Shrek (yes Shrek the donkey, there is a story behind that) and Tommy hit it off right from the start. We believe it must have been Tommy’s Fabio hair that Shrek liked to tug at.
Wednesday April 15, 2020 Sandi went out to start morning chores. She went out to the field to do a herd check as she always does and found Tommy laying on the ground in distress. The vet was summoned right away. The vet said Tommy had an injury that could not be repaired. So Tommy crossed the rainbow bridge leaving HEART Retreat without answers just a HEART full of beautiful memories.
Tommy’s name still comes up in conversations and sharing funny memories and the amazing things he did during his time at HEART Retreat.
HEART Retreat feels that to try and explain all the things that Tommy was and did, would take up too much space so a picture is worth 1000 words, so pictures it will be!
Kimber was a beautiful Clydesdale mare that was supposed to have thoroughbred in her. We think that when they drew some blood for a test, all the thoroughbred left her body!
Kimber was dealing with some serious neurological issues when she first came to us in 2013. She could not control her big beautiful head and almost knocked us over when we came near her. When your head is the size someone’s torso, it can be a bit concerning.
This condition was depressing her more and more. Her previous owner decided that due to this condition, she was no longer rideable and offered her to us because she was already residing here.
Through homeopathy and other natural remedies, we were able to turn her around and she was able to be lightly ridden again. Kimber’s condition disappeared completely after a full cleanse which took some time.
Kimber was such a huge presence. She weighed over 2,000 pounds and when she approached you to receive a belly rub, you could hear those gentle feathery feet land safely beside you and she leaned towards you but was careful not to lean on you. Just a polite, “could you please scratch my belly?” Everyday just like clockwork. You would open a gate to another field and she would wait until the other horses passed through then perch herself right beside you, just standing there expecting you to know what she wanted. She was right, we did!
Kimber was a perfect, reliable mount and was ridden in a Santa Claus parade November 20, 2016. She had never been in a parade before but took good care of her equine partner walking beside her and the tiny person sitting on her back. That was Kimber, strong, quiet, a gentle giant with a big heart that loved belly scratches, maybe that was because you couldn’t reach anywhere else.
Kimber was the favourite of many people. Some were nervous of her because of her size but most gravitated towards her for her elegance, beauty and quiet demeanor. Watching Kimber run was breath taking, you could hear and feel the ground move under her thundering hooves.
One of HEART Retreat’s favourite memories of Kimber was during and EAL exercise with some youth. The facilitator had to laugh as the kids were positive they could push this 2000 pound girl to the side by leaning on her. She taught them appropriate assertiveness when one of the youth walked to her head and asked her politely if she could move and you know what, she did. That’s how Kimber rolls. It’s about the “ask”.
So many beautiful memories of Kimber. There was a very small young person that didn’t even think twice about walking right up to this gentle giant with their hands extended in a greeting. Kimber enjoyed the company of humans.
Wednesday August 26, 2020, Kimber suddenly left to cross the rainbow bridge. Just like Tommy, Kimber crossed unexpectedly leaving us with no explanation just memories. Sometimes beautiful sentient beings are only on loan to us for a very short period of time and we have to accept that we are fortunate to have the time we did and sometimes there are no answers for your questions. That is the hard part about life.
Kimber
Date: HEART Retreat - December 26, 2013
Age upon arrival: 6 years
Received her wings: August 26, 2020
When you come to HEART Retreat feel free to ask to read the poem that Sandi wrote for Kimber.
Morgan le Fay aka Lady
Date: HEART Retreat - October 2, 2011
Age upon arrival: 13 years
Received her wings: October 27, 2025
Morgan is HEART Retreat's teacher of resilience, survival and growth.
Before you read Morgan’s story, HEART Retreat would like to warn that even though there are no explicit details, her story may have a triggering affect.
Morgan le Fay was a beautiful Morgan horse that had completely shut down. Her eyes had lost their spark and she was in complete survival mode. Survival mode for a horse with a fire in their HEART means they will do anything to survive. Morgan’s survival method was biting, kicking, and charging.
When Sandi saw her, she knew there was something about her that told her to give this mare a chance and to take her to HEART Retreat.
Morgan’s life started out beautifully. She had an owner that loved her and treated her with kindness. Then the owner passed away and things changed drastically for Morgan and Merlin. I can only imagine how in defending herself or maybe Merlin too, the person retaliated more.
She came with visible battle scars, a white almost furless mark etched into her face was from a halter. The halter was way too tight, it sat for too long on her beautiful nose. The worst was her left knee, damaged beyond repair. There was a lot of swelling and it didn’t bend. Sandi was able to get a bit of a back story from the people that knew the situation. They went in and seized her and Merlin.
As in Merlin’s story, Morgan took 45 minutes to load on the trailer. Loading Morgan took gentle guidance, a ton of patience, a couple of dekes from teeth, and the sound of Merlin pounding the crap out of the floor. The only person allowed in her vicinity was the female loading her (Sandi). The sound of Merlin’s persistent hoof pounding convinced Morgan that this might be a move that was in her best interest. As we found out, Morgan decides what is good for Morgan. The respect for her started right then and there and so did the bond, well, at least for Sandi.
After six months of segregating herself from the herd, Morgan started to slowly come around. She was a work in progress but worth the celebration when one day Morgan didn’t make Sandi do the drop and retreat when feeding her hay and water. Sandi put her hay as close as she could get safely and then back away slowly and keeping an eye on her.
Morgan was encouraged to just “be” a horse. There was never an agenda or “ask” of her that did not suit her needs. Morgan made this beautiful courageous transition. She transformed her lifeless, dagger eyes into more softness and showing signs of trust.
Morgan was an incredible healer but everything was on her terms and only when she decided to offer her gifts. Morgan was given a voice. She was always respected and had this look that you took seriously when she said stay away and give her more space.
As the years passed by, Morgan found who she wanted to be and where she was content. Anytime anyone came to HEART Retreat the same conversation took place. You don’t approach her, let her choose to approach you.
14 incredible years went by. HEART Retreat witnessed a rebirth of a beautiful soul.
The winter of the 24/25 season took its toll on her severely damaged knee and her mobility. The snow was so hard for her to navigate and when we didn’t have snow, the frozen ground proved to be more difficult. Sandi promised Morgan she would never have to endure a life that was not one of quality.
Morgan was quite content to continue on until the colder weather approached again. October 27, 2025 there was an extremely difficult but necessary decision to be made, one of the hardest and Morgan crossed over to Rainbow Bridge.
I (Sandi) have never met a more determined, stoic, courageous horse. A big piece of my heart left that day.
Napoleon's Royal Mirage aka Nappy
Date: HEART Retreat - September 2007
Age upon arrival: 14 years
Received his wings: September 25, 2023
When you come to HEART Retreat feel free to ask to read the poem that Sandi wrote for Nappy.
Nappy, WOW, truly an angel on earth. Nappy had a few pet names, one was Pony Boy, the other was Eeyore because he was sooo laid back.
Nappy has had many close calls to leave this earth plane. The first one was when he was only five years old. He was scheduled to be put down at the age of five due to severity of his hoof condition that made him so lame he couldn’t even stand. His hooves looked like elf’s shoes. A very special Barefoot Specialist was contacted and after several years of rehabilitation and constant hoof shaping, Nappy’s life was saved.
Nappy had a new lease on life as far as the shape of his hooves. He was still on a road to recovery and would have to live with his metabolic issues for the rest of his life but the condition could somewhat be controlled under the right circumstances if could find the right home.
Nappy is/was an Angel on this earth! Nappy was quiet, reliable and very laid back and so good natured. This little guy needed a forever home that would be able to provide him the care he needed. Nappy’s needs were few but important that they were done to the letter.
He needed exercise from light riding by a smaller weight. He needed friends, freedom to move, food and his hooves trimmed every three weeks. (Average trim for horses is 6-8 weeks) Sandi and the Barefoot Specialist had the perfect solution. He was the perfect pony for a certain little girl. A sweet 5 year old that would cherish him and give him everything he needed. In spring of 2005, Nappy was loaned to us for a pre-approval. In September 2007, we must have passed and ticked all the boxes because Nappy was gifted to us.
Nappy took his battle with his metabolic issues in stride. He understood he needed to have certain things done when he had flare ups. One of them was wearing tube socks filled with ice chips for a couple of days during the hotter months to control the inflammation. Tube socks, leg wraps and sometimes just sitting quietly beside him were all part of Nappy’s every day living.
In November 2017 Nappy had a major setback, he was 22 years old. We feel this set back was contributed to losing his best friend on July 25. Nappy’s best friend was Ollie and again Nappy had relied on his humans to help him move forward in his grief of the loss.
We thought that was all the time we had with our little Angel. We were not prepared to let him go but would if it was in his best interest. There is a place out west that offers support through supplements and homeopathy remedies. HEART Retreat reached out and thank goodness these supplements worked. They gave Nappy another new lease on life.
Throughout the years, Nappy was our “go to” for people that were afraid of horses and to a special group of adults that needed a solid, quiet, tolerant pony to groom and sometimes lead. In his company he guided them to a place of confidence and a feeling of safety being around horses. He never took a wrong step. Nappy took all the humans under his wing as they worked through their fears. His followers were many and everyone that met Nappy holds a special place in their HEART for him.
Every time Nappy came up from the field to eat his hay cubes with his supplements, he would trot up and give the sweetest little nicker as he trotted.
After 18 years with us, on September 25, 2023, Nappy showed us it was finally his time to join little Ollie and the rest of HEART Retreat’s Heavenly Herd. We could go on and on about Nappy!
Here’s to Nappy, an incredible teacher and nurturer of both humans and animals. In leaving he left a Kimber size hoof hold in our HEARTS.
