A Welcome Sanctuary for All

Our Story

Soon after moving to Teulon, our founder, Sherri Anderson, saw horses in the area in desperate need of help. Several situations arose that brought such horses to her and she couldn’t turn them away. Her initial idea was to rehabilitate horses and sell them to recoup expenses, saving 19 from 2012 to 2019. But soon it became clear that was not a viable long term plan.

As a result, The Barefoot Ranch became an incorporated non profit and in 2023 was granted charitable status. Together with the support of donors, both individuals and businesses, we were able to rescue over 70 equines in 2023, including horses, donkeys and mules. With these changes we will continue to make a difference for equines and their owners in the decades to come.

In Canada, horse slaughter is very real and unwanted horses can easily find themselves in the slaughter pipeline. There are many horrors that face them long before they end up at the slaughter plant. Then the slaughter process itself is cruel and inhumane. No horse should be made to suffer these atrocities. We are here to be there for every horse, donkey and mule that we can help.

The Barefoot Ranch is located four miles North of Teulon, MB on a 120-acre parcel of land. It is well treed with both natural and man-made water sources, making it the perfect place for horses. We are 100% volunteer based and everyone of us is dedicated to ensuring the animals here are properly cared for and know how much they are loved and valued. We are like a family and truly love what we do and the animals we do it for. Our approach to animal welfare is informed by our goals and values.

Goals

• HELP equines that come from unfortunate circumstances live their best lives through rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming where possible, and to provide sanctuary at the ranch for life if necessary.
• RESTORE respectful horsemanship and humane treatment of equines
• EDUCATE community members about equines, proper care and treatment of them, rescue work, horsemanship and the inherent value of equines
• GIVE all equines the best quality care and the best chance at a good forever home
• EMPOWER our volunteers by training them and educating them about equine psychology, behaviour and proper handling, enabling them to become advocates for equines
• FOLLOW natural horsemanship practitioners because we believe theirs is the best way to establish trust and respect in a way that equines understand
• MENTOR the next generation of horse rescuers and advocates
• ENRICH our community and its members through our rescue efforts and educational programs
• FUNDRAISE to ensure our long term sustainability
• COMMUNICATE and tell our story and the stories of the equines we rescue
• CONSULT with experts as we can only be better when we know better
• COMMIT to undertake activities, ancillary and incidental, to the attainment of our mission

Values

The Barefoot Ranch Horse is an inclusive organization who values and respects every individual and their unique gifts. We do not discriminate in any aspect of our operations on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, religion or religious creed, disability or ability, sex or gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under applicable local, provincial or federal law.

Our Founder

Sherri Anderson, Founder and President of The Barefoot Ranch, was born and raised in Saskatchewan into a rich history of horsemanship. Her family was very involved in horses her entire life and she can’t remember a time when horses were not a part of her life.

Our Herd Leader

Tina is the boss mare at The Barefoot Ranch, she has been in Sherri’s family from birth and is the great granddaughter of Secretariat. She keeps all the horses in line and is a strong, steady, sensible horse.

2023 Annual Report