Sunrise  Horse Farm

July 23rd 2026 12:30pm

A question I get asked quite often is about how we came up with the name Sunrise Horse Farm. The answer is, we didn’t, not directly at least. The name Sunrise Horse was given to me at an International Women’s Writing Guild conference by a Native American Elder and Medicine Woman named Mechi Garza. Beautiful in body and spirit, for anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting Mechi, you never forget her. Her soft voice, her smile, her resilience and her strength in spite of being in a wheelchair in her later years, stays with you forever.  

It was a tradition of hers at the end of the conference week to bestow Guild members in her class on oral history a Native American name. Mechi knew I had horses, but what she didn’t know is that I am a morning person and most always wake before dawn. Mechi took one look at me in that moment and said, “Sunrise Horse. You are Sunrise Horse.”

Yes, I am!

When it came time to name the farm, barn built, pastures fenced in, horses literally on the way as stall gates were being hung and water buckets filled, John made the suggestion, “What about your Native American name, Sunrise Horse?”

Mechi Garza has since passed, her beautiful soul now gracing other realms. She would be so pleased with our endeavors here at Sunrise Horse Farm where horses are revered and whose retirement years matter. “The Cherokee believe a deep connection to a horse has a positive spiritual impact on the people around them.” Mechi would be pleased indeed.

Sunrise Horse Farm is registered with the State of Ohio.

Our business logo was designed by Tamara L. Dever, Founder & Creative Director, TLC Book Design. She is the creator for the book cover of Favored to Win. Farm signs skillfully crafted by Justin P. Chase.

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July 16th 2026 12pm

By any measure, Sunrise Horse Farm is a small farm which is ideal for us, as the horses here are Thoroughbreds and accustomed to lots of hands-on care. They crave attention and thrive when loved. And let me tell you they are loved and they know it. Horses in general are affectionate, curious animals and at times can be playful to a fault. As any horse person will tell you, for as big and strong as they are, they are fragile in so many ways. They require cautious care.

If you followed John or I around when feeding the horses, you’d notice we always hay first thing. Once they are all fed their hay, we grain. Call it an old wives’ tale (we’ve been married for 57 years) but it works. You might also notice there is no corn in our sweet feed. Nightly is allergic to corn and the other horses don’t miss it at all. Believe it or not corn is not entirely good for horses. Don’t tell our hay farmer I said that. He grows field corn. And water…. Water is so important. We water the horses four times a day, and in the winter, they get warm water. That works well too. They love it and actually drink more in the winter that way, which is crucial to their digestive health.

Speaking of the weather, we’ve been having a sweltering heatwave here in Northeast Ohio (upper 80’s to mid 90’s) and today, there is a smokey haze settling over us reportedly from a wild fire in Canada. During the summer the horses all have fans above their stalls. Plus, in the mornings, the front barn doors are partially closed to keep out the bearing sun. In the afternoon, they get opened completely, and the barn doors at the back of the barn where the sun sets are then partially closed until sundown. It keeps the barn much cooler that way and the horses happy. They have open windows in their stalls on the sides of the barn for plenty of fresh air.  

Thus said, you asked, and now it’s time to go feed the horses their lunch.

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June 25, 2026

     It's just before dawn here at Sunrise Horse Farm. John has just turned the kitchen light on and plugged in the coffee maker, and Goddess knows it’s breakfast time!  Seriously, even if the barn doors are closed or her window is frosty with snow, she knows. The horses are fed grain and hay three times a day and you can set your clock by them. Nothing is expected of them, but to be horses. Since we live on a main county road, for safety, they are all snug in their stalls at night. Caring for horses is a twenty-four-hour seven day a week, three-hundred sixty-five day a year commitment. Yes, even at night when you’re sleeping, trust me, you’re on the job. 

There’s an old farmer’s saying about the ups and downs of having a barn close to your farmhouse. “The good news, the barn is so close I can hear everything. The bad news is, the barn is so close I can hear everything.” It’s true!

So many of you all have asked about what actually goes on at a sanctuary farm.  With weekly Insights I will answer that for you and address all your questions along the way as I introduce you to the retirement horses here at Sunrise Horse Farm. Every single one of them has a story. They’re here for a reason. I invite you to learn all about them.

 

 

 

 

With cameras rolling in this behind-the-scenes continuing story of everyday life in the Thoroughbred racing industry, MaryAnn Myers steps out on a bold limb. "I love Thoroughbreds, I love the racetrack, but..." says Myers. "We need to examine the practices of old and re-evaluate the new standards. We need to always, and I mean always, put the horses' and jockeys' safety first. Racing is all about winning, yes, as with most competitive sports. But it is also about the integrity of the sport. Owners and trainers need to be held accountable for the Thoroughbreds they breed and own. These horses run their hearts out, because that's what they were bred to do and that is what they love. But they have no choice of where to go after they are no longer competitive. That is where the integrity of ownership comes in. Everyone involved needs to make a commitment up front to the long respectful life of that Thoroughbred. It's as simple as that." 

 

"Maple Dale took approximately two and a half years to write, and was inspired by actual events. As an equestrian and horse trainer, my husband and I traveled the country and would return home to Ohio only for vacations. When our daughter turned five and was ready to start school, we decided to return home for good. I had sold my favorite horse about three years earlier, because he'd gotten too old to travel cross-country without risk to his health, so one of the first things I did was go look for him. I checked all the stables I knew, was told they thought he was here and then there, and in my travels happened onto a farm where I used to teach riding. It was closed, sold, and ready for development. It was a ghost town. I walked into one of the barns that had the doors open, and looked around. It was eerie, I could almost see and hear the horses. I saw them tacked and ready to go. I saw them eating and bed down for the night. I had so many memories of this place. I turned to leave then, and saw the names of some of the horses I knew still listed on the blackboard for the blacksmith. No one had erased them. And that's when Maple Dale was born."