Mindy Sullivan considers herself a lucky person, in that she has
been able to combine her two great passions in life: Horses and
helping people.
San Juan Bautista – Mindy Sullivan considers herself a lucky person, in that she has been able to combine her two great passions in life: Horses and helping people.
“Seeing a kid win a ribbon with one of your horses is great,” she said. “But seeing a kid who is shy, who’s building a relationship with a horse and becoming a more confidant person, that really gives you the chills.”
Sullivan owns Dreamor Ranch, where she offers lessons in horsemanship for both children and adults, breeds horses and operates a rescue and adoption service for abused and neglected horses. In fact, the vast majority of horses she uses to teach horsemanship have been rescued and given a new home at her ranch.
“We choose all our horses based on temperament and personality,” she said. “You won’t find a single mean horse here.”
Sullivan began working with horses as a teenager in Los Angeles, volunteering to clean stalls just to be around them. At 16, she had her first training job, working for her cousin who wanted to buy a horse as a gift for her daughter. Sullivan received her education in animal science at Pierce college and apprenticed under several top trainers before opening her first training facility in Los Angeles in 1982. After moving to upstate New York, Sullivan returned to California, opening a facility in San Martin, but moving to her current location in San Juan when she outgrew the space in 2001.
“I never thought I would come out this far,” she said. “But really, this is the perfect place to work with horses.”
Sullivan currently keeps 30 horses on her ranch, nearly half of them have achieved champion status at the state level in events ranging from barrel racing to jumping and everything in between. Most of the horses have been rescued from severe circumstances – one horse was given massive amounts of LSD as a foal and suffered severe brain damage. Another was starved almost to death in a race horse mill in Gilroy. Many, however, come from owners who simply don’t know how to take care of a horse.
“Most of my rescues come from families who care very much about the horse,” she said. “But they have no idea how much a horse eats, or what they should eat, or even that a horse needs shots.”
Sullivan finds that these horses, however, are ideal teachers for her human students, particularly children with emotional issues.
“A kid can work out emotional problems with a horse,” she said. “They’re patient, and a lot of times the horse can sense when a kid has special needs. You can’t teach that to a horse, some are just special.”
Sullivan teaches between 20 and 40 students at any given time, not only giving private lessons but working with the 4-H, school programs and home schooled students as well. In order to make sure all her students have a chance to participate in competitions, she keeps a closet full of show clothes which could otherwise cost families hundreds of dollars. She also works with adult students, teaching classes for between two and 10 people.
“Horses have different effects on kids and adults,” she said. “The kids here learn leadership, respect and we really focus on the friendships they build with other students. But for the adults, this is where they come to de-stress, and that’s so important, as well.”
In order to support her horse habit, Sullivan owns Dreamor Realty, a real estate business she runs out of her home. She’s also publishing a book this spring entitled “It’s Okay to Hug Your Horse” – Sullivan says the book is partly anecdotes about her work with rescued horses, and partly a how-to guide for families looking to buy their first horse.
“My mother was a writer,” she said. “So being able to complete this book and get it published is really amazing to me.”
Currently, Sullivan is working on switching Dreamor Ranch from a private business to a non-profit, so as to reward those who donate supplies and animals with a tax write-off. She is also looking to adopt out six rehabilitated horses in need of a new home.
“This is what I’ve always wanted to do,” she said. “I get to see a person’s life grow and be enriched by the relationship they have with their horse. It’s amazing.”
