​Cactus: The Donkey who Helps a Blind Horse See.
 
Loyal. Gentle. Faithful.

Sponsor Cactus

Some heroes don't wear capes.

Some have long ears.

Cactus is one of those heroes.

Cactus is a 14-year-old standard donkey who came to Red Heart Horse through an extraordinary rescue effort led by Jack of Trades Donkey Rescue. He was one of approximately 60 donkeys rescued from the slaughter pipeline and given a second chance at life.

While little is known about Cactus' early years, one thing is certain:

He was always meant to be loved.

And he was always meant to make a difference.

Today, Cactus lives safely at Red Heart Horse, where he serves in one of the most important roles in our herd.

He is the devoted companion and "seeing-eye" donkey to our beloved blind horse, River.

The bond between Cactus and River is remarkable.

Where River cannot see, Cactus guides.

Where River may be uncertain, Cactus reassures.

Where River goes, Cactus is often close behind.

Their friendship reminds us that compassion comes in many forms and that sometimes the greatest acts of service happen quietly and without recognition.

Cactus is one of the most affectionate animals you will ever meet.

He genuinely loves people.

He seeks out attention.

He welcomes scratches, hugs, and conversation.

Visitors are often surprised by how deeply social and emotionally connected he is.

Whether greeting guests at the fence line or faithfully standing beside his best friend, Cactus brings joy wherever he goes.

At Red Heart Horse, we often say that every animal has a purpose.

Cactus lives that purpose every day.

His story is a reminder that rescue is not simply about saving lives.

It is about creating opportunities for those lives to continue making a difference.

Because of rescue, Cactus found safety.

Because of rescue, River found a friend.

Because of rescue, countless visitors have experienced the gentle spirit of a donkey who loves unconditionally.

SPONSOR CACTUS

Your sponsorship helps provide:

• Daily feed and nutritional support
• Veterinary care
• Farrier services
• Shelter and pasture maintenance
• Routine health care
• A safe and loving forever home
• Continued companionship and support for River

Your support helps ensure that Cactus can continue serving as an ambassador for rescue, friendship, and second chances.

Because every rescued animal deserves safety.

Every friendship matters.

And every life has value.

Cactus
Guardian Donkey

Red Heart Horse Retirement, Rehab & Rescue

"The greatest gifts are often found in the most unexpected places."

​River: The Horse Who Teaches Us to Trust
Blind. Gentle. Resilient. Loved.

Sponsor River

Some horses change lives simply by being who they are. River is one of those horses.

While we cannot know exactly where River's journey began, we know that his story could have ended very differently. A compassionate horse lover rescued River from a livestock auction after learning he was going blind and facing an uncertain future.

Today, River's story is one of hope.

We estimate that River is approximately 17 years old. He is fully blind due to a progressive medical condition and requires daily medication and ongoing veterinary care. Despite years of neglect and previous injuries, River continues to thrive through consistent care, treatment, and the love of a community that believes every horse deserves a meaningful next chapter.

River is one of the gentlest horses you will ever meet. He patiently stands for grooming, welcomes affection from visitors, and carries himself with a quiet dignity that inspires everyone who meets him.

Although he cannot see, River navigates the world through trust. His best friend is a rescued donkey, and together they remind us daily of the power of friendship, resilience, and second chances.

When River first came into our lives, veterinary professionals recommended euthanasia due to concerns about his blindness and the challenges often associated with special-needs horses.

Instead, we chose a different path.

We chose hope.
We chose stewardship.
We chose River.

Today, River lives safely and peacefully at Red Heart Horse, where he serves as a powerful reminder that a horse's value is not determined by age, ability, or circumstance.

River is more than a rescue horse.

He is an ambassador for compassion.
He is a teacher of trust.
He is proof that every life is precious.

Most of all, River reminds us that sometimes the horses who cannot see become the ones who help us see most clearly.

SPONSOR RIVER

Your sponsorship helps provide:

• Daily feed and nutritional support
• Veterinary care and medications
• Farrier services
• Dental care
• Specialized care for his blindness and medical needs
• A safe and loving forever home

Because every horse deserves dignity.
Every horse deserves care.
And every horse deserves a meaningful next chapter.

Red Heart Horse Retirement, Rehab & Rescue

​Sunny Brook Stables is a different kind of lesson barn. From our dedication to one-on-one lessons for beginning riders to our focus on safety and our insistence that the horses who serve us deserve our deepest respect and ongoing care even as they age.

Sunny Brook Stables is a family owned and oriented farm located in the heart of East Cobb County in Marietta, GA. We provide an open and loving atmosphere to learn all there is to know about the five main tenants of equine, including farm life, stewardship and caring for the horses, horsemanship, riding, and the equestrian sport. 


All of the profits from Sunny Brook Stables go to Red Heart Horse, Retirement, Rescue, and Rehab 501c3


At Sunny Brook we do not give away, sell, send to auction, "retire to greener pastures", or euthanize horses as soon as they can no longer serve riders for jumping lessons or when they are unable to work enough to cover all their expenses. We believe in a dignified retirement for our lessons horses and are dedicated to caring for them until their natural or humane end.  But we believe horses should all live out their full lives with the interventions and medical care they need to be happy and productive and stay with the ones they love and trust in the comfort of their own stables and home until the end. We do not discard our old or special needs horses.

If you are not familiar with the horse world, you may not realize that these are very common practices with lesson barns. Why? It’s the bottom line of profit. Horses are very expensive to keep. And if you keep a horse that cannot work through several hours of lessons multiple days a week, it cuts into your profits. So those horses that are not making as much profit for the lesson barn are regularly sent to auction, sold for bottom dollar as pasture companions, or are often euthanized. What happens to auction horses? If they are lucky they end up at a rescue. They may also be sold for meat slaughter, or fall into the hands of neglectful or abusive owners. Unfortunately, just like in the dog and cat world, in the horse world many owners want to pass their old horse onto someone else to deal with their old age and medical bills that may come with a senior or special needs horse. But this is never best for the animal who has developed deep bonds with the people that have cared for them and may be scared and lonely when passed on to some mysterious place to die. Whether a particular animal finds a good home in a sanctuary like Red Heart Horse, or who has a lonely, neglectful end, giving away our responsibility to the animals we have brought into our family is not in the best interest of the animal.

The Heart of Horsemanship

The center of lessons at Sunny Brook Stables is based on best practices of the teaching and learning processes and on good foundations of stewardship and the care and knowledge of the horse. Our students learn, as they are ready, to ride horses with different temperaments and personalities. Their horsemanship skills grow and develop alongside their riding skills. They are better riders who will be able to ride many different breeds and personalities of horses because of the intricate ways they learn to communicate with horses while riding. 

Horse riding is a complicated sport, and at Sunny Brook Stables, we focus mainly on teaching English riding, with showing as an option for older and more advanced students.  Horse riding is all about rhythm, and our students learn to match their rhythm to the horse they are riding. Riding is tempo and gaits and music, much like a choreographed dance, and as students learn on new horses, they learn the skills of flexibility, balance, leadership, and adaptation, which will serve them well, not only in their future with horses, but in all areas of life.

In addition to riding, we teach students about horses and horsemanship. It is essential to understand what a horse is and how they react and communicate while spending hours on the back on one. This understanding increases safety for both riders and the horses. Safety is always of primary importance at Sunny Brook Stables, as we are working with animals whose strength can easily crush us, and whose spook can throw us to the ground. It is essential that safety around horses, both while riding and on the ground doing groundwork, is the first skill that students learn. Students learn the foundation of strong leadership skills that will translate to their other environments in life. 

Safety in Numbers

Addressing inherent safety concerns related to equestrian sport is another crucial difference between Sunny Brook Stables and the majority of other horse lesson barns. Many barns do not provide, or do not require, one-on-one training for beginning horse riders. Many students will be in a riding ring at a time with one trainer overseeing and teaching them all, which may comprise full supervision and safety. 
​
At Sunny Brook, all beginner students, and all students under the age of 12 and 6th grade, are given one-on-one lessons. This means they have one trainer focused on teaching them. There may be 2-4 riders in the ring, but each rider will have their own trainer to ensure they are receiving constant instruction and make the sport of learning to ride a horse as safe as possible. 
As students mature and progress, if they choose to enter the show world, they may be invited to our team group lessons, where the trainer/student ratio changes to between 1:2 or 1:4. We do not believe in large group lessons with only one trainer on the ground with the kids. There will always be two trainers available and three if needed to keep our ratios safe. Our students progress through leveled riding, earning their particular colored shirts for the level at which they ride for added safety so trainers may identify their ability levels visually. 

Why don’t more lesson barns start all kids with one-on-one lessons? Simply because it is better for the bottom-line to pay one trainer to oversee several kids at a time. You may find cheaper lessons at other barns, but we do not believe that lowering the price and tuition is worth lowering both the quality and safety of our riding lessons. 

You Don’t Need to Own or Lease a Horse to Show with Sunny Brook Stables

We understand that the sport of riding horses in an expensive endeavor. This is quite simple because horses are expensive animals to care for, and their food, vet, and farrier bills add up quickly. This is why we do not require leasing or owning a horse in order to participate in our show team. Of course the show fees are still a considerable cost, but this model makes showing as affordable as possible. 

We also believe this is better for students, because when riders spend all of their riding time on only one horse, they are missing the crucial development of many skills that come only from learning how to ride different horses. Riders may become a pro on that one horse, but when getting on another horse, they may find an entirely different experience. Continuing on with different horses is indeed more difficult than only riding one horse and honing every skill to suit that horse, but it is not the path to well-rounded riders with excellent horsemanship skill.

The Bottom Line

While other barns look to see how much profit they made at the end of every month, how productive their horses were, if they need to sell, trade, auction, or euthanize underachievers, Sunny Brook Stables is looking only to see if we made enough money to support the needs of our retired and aging horses. Did the horses that could work cover the costs for the horse was lame or had a mysterious medical issue that kept them from being able to work as a lesson horse? Will we be able to afford the feed bill next month? What extra services can we offer to make ends meet? 
​
It is daring and bold business model. But it is also an ethical business model that puts our stewardship responsibility to the animals in our care at the forefront of every business decision. We hope that many other small barns are quietly trying to succeed with these same goals. Because horse riding needs to change for the better, both for the happiness of humans and horses.
So whether or not you choose Sunny Brook as your riding home, please make sure you do your homework and support barns that are supporting their elderly and special needs horses instead of discarding them like they are old appliances.