My family has had a love of horses for as long as I remember ~~ so wanting horses around wasn't the surprise.  Operating a rescue was!  We had no initial plan for owning and operating a rescue ~ it just picked us.  First let me explain to you that we live on 1 1/2 acre of land.  With that said here we go....we were on a family vacation in New York, salmon fishing ~~ visited a petting zoo and brought home our first rescue, Elvis!  Elvis was a smooth mouthed pony mare, blind in one eye.  She was replaced at the farm because of her blindness and was going to auction!  We traveled back to PA, I stayed with our oldest daughter who was around three while my husband, Rick borrowed a horse trailer from our neighbors and went back to New York for Elvis a round trip of more than eleven hours!  (we also brought home a pot bellied pig and a pigmy goat!)  Where did we keep her?  My parents of course - thanks mom and dad!  Later on we were allowed to use 15 acres across from my parents and now have a 100 acre foster farm that is an integral part of our program as we are privately funded and simply cannot afford to purchase and keep up with all the expenses!  ~~ maybe in the future with grants and fundraisers :>) and lots of help.

Pictured above, Carol Cipolla- Christy's Mom.

Well, with Elvis at home both my daughters, Lara and Selina learned to lead line western style and the next generation of horse lovers began.  Lara became old enough to want to ride on her own and I began looking for a horse to take on trails with her.  We borrowed a horse from a summer camp program and when we returned him we saw a foundered mare.  We learned she had been purchased at an auction in the fall given to a family on a free lease until time to use her in the program and she was turned loose on a large amount of grass all by herself- so she foundered.  She was purchased in August, foundered shortly thereafter, and we first saw her in January- so from August to January she had no treatment and was in great pain!  We asked the business owner permission to bring her home and get her treatment and took her home.  After her vet visit, pulling her shoes and a couple months of rehab she was much better and was able to be ridden and we trail rode all over the place and we were in love!  We were also broke and needed to raise the money to buy her ~ so our first fundraiser started and with the assistance of Omni and many prayers and most of our mortgage money we were able to purchase her. We then had a call from my father, Bill Cipolla, who knew someone with a baby horse that needed a home ~~ so of course we gave him a home!  This is how the rescue started.  Lara and Selina both have a huge part in our program and are the biggest helpers!

Now almost a decade later and many happy stories and some sad we are here growing and finding more ways to help both horses and people in our rescue process and have put in place several programs for the community.  We have some very dedicated and helpful volunteers, who we appreciate greatly!  And have met a lot of wonderful people and horses along the way.   We hope to continue for many, many more.