Welcome to...
Sampson's Sanctuary
Hi! The gelding to your left is Sampson. And he's the namesake - the muse - for the entire conception of our equine sanctuary.
What began as an emotional connection with a gelding's auction advert grew into a journey of discovery: personal growth, making deeper connections with horses, and the unlayering of trauma, the resilience of equids, and a partnership between humans who strive to provide the best care possible for horses in need.
Sampson's Story
Sampson was an eleven(ish) year old grade gelding advertised on social media. Something about his advertisement photo stood out to Sydney. Sydney went to the auction, purchased Sampson without going to see him prior, and brought him home. He wore a purple halter that was far too big for his head, had a worn teal lead rope, and was almost unrecognizable compared to the thriving guy he is today. Sampson had clearly suffered: he was ribby, had a poor hair coat, and was covered in skin fungus and saddle sores. Despite all this, he had a spark in his eye that burned - however dimly! - and Sydney went to work rehabilitating him. It took well over six months to nurse him back to health through diligent vetting, a careful feeding program, and beginning a training/rehab program to help him build back his topline. Through her journey with Sampson, Sydney discovered that while she built back muscle on the skeleton of a horse, she was actually building back his confidence, his curiosity, and his trust in people. Thus, Sampson's Sanctuary was born.
Our Story
Sydney and Kylee have known each other since childhood - Sydney's sister is actually Kylee's best friend from childhood! Through Sampson, Sydney and Kylee found that their views on horses, horsemanship, and equine welfare aligned. The Venn Diagram between Sydney's view on horses and Kylee's view on horses would look like a circle.
Kylee trains horses professionally, and through Sydney and Sampson's story, she found a passion for rescue and rehab in addition to her lifelong love of horse husbandry. Her love for husbandry translates to a soft heart for equids in their Golden Years. Through Syd and Sampson's journey, Kylee and Sydney hatched the plan to create Sampson's Sanctuary, with Sydney taking the lead on the rescue and rehab side of things while Kylee heads the training and senior care side of the sanctuary. Through their partnership, this women-owned and operated nonprofit sanctuary came to fruition.