Community
Sea Star Horse Sanctuary is a healing place for equines and humans alike. Though our primary mission is to locate and help neglected and abused horses, what we have found is that as the horses thrived, the people helping them thrived too. The profound impact that the horses were having on volunteers inspired us to make the sanctuary available for the community to experience. We offer the opportunity to connect with the horses in their natural environment, either through scheduling a private visit or through one of our workshops, events, or programs.
People from Monterey County and beyond, adults dealing with loss and grief, participants from Healing Touch workshops, firefighters, ER doctors, nurses, children, and teens: all come with the intention to help the horses, only to realize that the horses are helping them. The horses each have had a unique journey of healing just as the visitors who now come to spend time with them are often on their own healing journey. By being in the presence of these horses, the members of our community have the opportunity to reconnect to themselves and to the natural world. And it’s a lot of fun!
“My daughter and I visited Starberry and witnessed first-hand the extraordinary journey that she made as she healed both physically and emotionally. This is a new beginning for Starberry as it is for all the other horses who have found refuge at the sanctuary! As a community, we find hope and peace knowing that she will always be safe and cared for in her forever home! “ – Melissa M. Big Sur, CA
“It’s hard to imagine a more serene and uplifting place than Sea Star. The setting is so beautiful and the energy of the horses and their caregivers is touching and inspiring. The courage and resilience of the animals can’t help but give you a boost. Their ability to heal and trust again touches any heart. Spending time with these wise and intelligent horses will help you feel the oneness of creation, if that doesn’t sound too grandiose! To be more basic, it’s really fun. I encourage anyone with a love of nature and it’s inhabitants to visit and support Sea Star.” – Charlie D. Del Rey Oaks, CA
“As an emergency first responder, it felt so good to spend a day with the horses. They immediately washed away the stress I was feeling. “ – Matt H, Big Sur, CA
“We can’t thank you enough for sharing your beautiful herd with us this afternoon. Gary and I are in awe at how well taken care of and loved these magnificent creatures are! Thank you again for all you do for them!” – Ann & Gary, Mill Valley, CA
“You are a blessing and a light to the world. The environment you have created is a sanctuary for all beings.” – Kathleen Karachale, Carmel, CA
“Sea Star Horse Sanctuary provides an absolutely gorgeous forever home for abused, abandoned, or neglected horses. I can’t say enough to explain how beautiful the loving care these horses receive at Sea Star Horse Sanctuary. Every person I have met there has been a tremendous inspiration and beacons in the dark. I have zero reservations in saying that their hearts are in the most beautiful place.” – Steve Rymers, Lake Tahoe, CA
“Bentley”
A poem by volunteer Charlie Deweese
On a hill by the sea, grazing green grass,
a little round brown pony stands.
He no longer hears the call of cruel words
or endures the touch of harsh hands.
His home is a haven where healing is done,
a chapel of kindness and love,
Where pine and oak sigh in the wind and give shade
with gray mist and blue sky above.
Does he remember the dark in his past
a time with his life almost taken,
Does he still feel the fear of his fate
but by grace he was not forsaken.
He is not alone in this place of goodwill,
there are others with sad stories too.
But here that has ended, here they find peace
and a chance to begin life anew.
His friendship cannot be easily won,
he must know you well to forgive.
But his heart is now open, he’s learning to trust
and find joy in a new life to live.
