Lisa Allen/staff photo
Michelle Chapman calls “Winston” the farm’s working mascot.

And a dream for girls who love them

It’s been almost five years since the historic twin barns off Cherry Valley Road burned to the ground in an overnight fire.

For owner LynnD Stiles and her husband Ken Balser, the loss was devastating. The huge bow-truss dairy barns were a hallmark of the Valley and part of a heritage farm dating back to the early 20th century. A mare and her foal also died in the fire.

Stiles, in an attempt to recover emotionally, went to New York for a time where she focused her attentions on rescuing horses, particularly the foals from so-called PMU (pregnant mare urine) mares used in Canada for the production of premarin, otherwise known as HRT or hormone replacement therapy.

Since mares have to be pregnant to produce the drug, the foals are a byproduct, and often sold to the slaughter business. (More information on the drug and the horses used to produce it can be found at www.premarin.org.)

Stiles eventually came home with over 70 of the horses, now ranging from yearlings to 3 years old. Most are draft horse crosses that are quiet, friendly and easy to be around.

According to Stiles, many of the PMU mares are bred to Nakota stallions, the original wild horses of the Plains, also known as Indian ponies. Their heritage can be seen in their looks, many of them spotted with brown or black and white coats.

Stiles enthusiastically points them out. “They do look like the classic Indian pony,” she said. “And they are all for sale (along with many other solid color horses). Although they are not saddle broke, they are all gentle, and waiting for someone to lavish love and attention on them.”

Stiles also figured that her new venture deserved to have a new name. She chose Phoenix Rising Sanctuary for the farm, and created a logo to match. “It’s appropriate,” she noted with a grin. “It’s the classic ‘phoenix rising from the flames.’”

She hopes to eventually rebuild the barns, but that’s for later. In the meantime, a horse rescue program is expensive, so in order to help fund that project and also give girls and women the opportunity to be around horses, Stiles and her business partner Michelle Chapman decided to make full use of the 60-acre farm and offer horse camps and apprenticeship programs.

“Horse Crazy Farm Girls – Summer All Day Program” is a weekly program for 8-12-year-olds that will teach riding, feeding and care, horse communication skills and environmental awareness and offer swimming, crafts and nature walks. A one-week session from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily is $235.

The sanctuary is a non-profit Washington Corporation currently awaiting its 501 (C) (3) status. The camp program is for girls who normally would not be able to have access to a horse.

According to the farm brochure, the Apprentice Program is designed for girls 12 and up and women who have a deep desire and commitment to learning about and caring for horses.

Apprentices are chosen through an application and interview process. Those who are selected will commit to 12 –plus hours a week at the farm, giving them an opportunity to build relationships with the horses and each other.

The facility will host an open house July 12 and 13. For more information, call (206) 321-0142, e-mail contact@phoenixrisingsanctuary.com or visit www.phoenixrisingsanctuary.com.