The Sanctuary School

The Sanctuary School Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from The Sanctuary School, Nonprofit Organization, Marquette, MI, Marquette, MI.

The Sanctuary School is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting the emotional wellness and dignity of lesson horses through immersive care, relational horsemanship, and public education.

06/14/2026

Learning takes time.

06/11/2026

This is Seppi’s time.

Before I start asking for what I want, I like to spend a little time doing things that matter to him.

In this case, that means letting him lead me around the arena.

And these days, he will lead me right into the corner he used to think was scary.

Because I started carrying treats with me for moments like these.

✨ Mindful rewards can help a horse change how they feel about a place. ✨

Over time, Seppi has learned that good things happen in this corner.

And what used to be a problem is now a joy.

For both of us.

This is Neon.And his most important teaching moment came with a swift kick to the gut.Neon was actually one of the gentl...
06/07/2026

This is Neon.

And his most important teaching moment came with a swift kick to the gut.

Neon was actually one of the gentlest green horses I could have hoped to learn from. So, this made me listen.

We had a quietly chaotic relationship.

I fell off him twice.

Both times at the walk. Both silly accidents that toppled me off.

But the kick was different.

We were practicing long lining. I had very little experience and Neon had been started in a relationship where his opinions mattered.

I was tugging and pulling.

And I was crowding his space.

Eventually, he offered a correction.

A memorable one.

The farrier nicknamed me "sturdy girl" for taking it without missing a beat.

Outwardly, that became the story.

But privately, I spent a long time wondering how I had pushed him to that point.

I stayed away from long lining after that. I still don’t have that skill.

But the lesson wasn’t about long lining.

He was teaching me to pay attention.

✨ Horses communicate long before they reach for stronger words. ✨

Especially when we're learning something new, it's easy to focus on what we're trying to do.

But our first responsibility is noticing how we're affecting the horse.

These days I try to move slowly enough that horses can teach me quietly.

It's a much better system.

Plus, I don't have those abs anymore.

06/04/2026

This is Part 3 with Paddy.

We are settling in for some rest after learning 1N breathing.

At the time I had no idea whether this would take one minute, ten minutes, or thirty.

But I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about a horse’s sense of safety and believe these moments to be important.

✨ Safety isn't the absence of danger. It's the presence of enough trust to relax. ✨

My job was simply to convey that I wasn’t going anywhere and that nothing scary was happening.

And the more I settled in, the more he settled in.

Relaxation isn't a switch. It's a process.

This is why I record.

To capture the whole conversation.

When Paddy woke up, he checked in with me, and we continued on with our day.

The nap lasted ten minutes.

I was prepared to stay longer.

05/28/2026

This is Part 2 with Paddy. He's helping me learn about one-nostril breathing.

The video narrates what I am doing, but in the moment the sessions feel much less decisive and much more like flow.

I’m reading cues I often don’t even consciously recognize until I watch the footage back later.

That’s a big part of why I’ve started recording these interactions.

✨ I am trying to track feeling ✨

Not just through softness and connection in the moment, but also through careful observation afterward.

When I watch these sessions back through the eyes of a researcher, I notice so much more.

Tiny shifts. Patterns. Tension. Timing. Release.

This is what I feel the Sanctuary School is building toward.

Connection with horses that is both genuine and thoughtfully observed.

05/23/2026

This is Paddy and he is helping me learn 1N breathing. Referring to one nostril, this technique helps promotes relaxation and can help gently realign a horses with their natural, tension-free breathing pattern.
✨
This session lasted about 43 minutes in total. This is part one, which covers the first fifteen minutes.
✨
I had only met Paddy a few days prior, and this is the first time I am working with him.
✨
The intention was to introduce the technique and, if he stayed open to it, try to sustain each nostril for between five and seven minutes. Since fidgeting and adjusting comes with the acclimatization process, I wanted to aim to clear five minutes easily.
✨
But I did not attempt covering his nostril until after we were more in synch with each other. I consider this time of connection an opportunity to let go of unnecessary tension, for both of us, before I begin asking anything of him.
✨
Paddy’s first noticeable release, easily seen in the licking and chewing of his mouth, came just over five minutes into the session. About a minute earlier, my own body released tension with an audible crack.
✨
After sitting in that connection for another minute, I began introducing my hand over his nostril. Because I am new to the process, I tried to closely observe how I could make it smoother. The whiskers are sensitive, and unnecessary movement on my end can easily cause a tickle.
✨
I try to show our interactions as a conversation. Some moments in this video are sped up, but many are left close to real time because the dialogue happens quietly, slowly, and with minimum human agenda.

This is Paddy.He’s the Sanctuary School’s new friend.A nine year old Standardbred retired after a successful harness rac...
05/21/2026

This is Paddy.

He’s the Sanctuary School’s new friend.

A nine year old Standardbred retired after a successful harness racing career.

This is us meeting for the first time.

Paddy is social and curious, and I like to meet curious horses lower to the ground where their heads can stay in a relaxed position.

And then he did this.

Rested his chin right on my back.

So I stayed there with him for a moment in that connection.

Then he gave a gentle nibble to my jacket, and I slowly stood up.

Because I’m learning that:

✨ Clear boundaries can be gently maintained. ✨

I don’t want to punish curiosity and discourage connection. These moments are gold. For both of us.

And eventually he’ll build stamina for offering connection for longer periods, learning that he is in control of whether nibbling ends the interaction.

Horses and humans have the capacity for meaningful dialogue.

I try to meet every horse as an individual and help them learn that there is someone listening on the other end.

This is what I mean when I call myself a horse friend.

And Paddy is a pretty great friend back.

______________________________________________
The Sanctuary School is looking for horse friends in the Marquette area and currently offering introductory rates.

To learn more, visit:
https://www.thesanctuaryschool.net/services

This is Sally.And that sweet face can only belong to a mule.A few years ago, when I first moved to the Marquette area, I...
05/14/2026

This is Sally.

And that sweet face can only belong to a mule.

A few years ago, when I first moved to the Marquette area, I met a local trainer with a bustling natural horsemanship lesson program. She generously offered to let me spend time with Sally.

I was told that mules are different. They won’t offer anything they don’t believe in, and they only believe it if you believe it. Mules have lessons to teach.

And while I was excited by the offer, I hesitated.

I didn’t follow up.

Sally was there ready to teach me, but I didn’t know where to start.

In frustration, I took my question to a trusted friend. She said:

✨ To learn from a horse in a new way, start at the beginning, start with grooming ✨

Just like the kids. Just like how I first learned. This phase isn’t just about getting ready to ride. There are a lot of quiet lessons being communicated here.

So now I’m showing up to visit Sally during the perfect time of year for some grooming.

Each time I go slow. I use my hands more than the tools.

And I watch. And I listen.

For every blink of her eyes and every flick of those beautiful ears.

Because she has lessons to teach if I am quiet enough to hear them.

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Sally is part of the herd at Versatile Horsemanship. Check out their YouTube channel and this "Meet Sally" video. She has an amazing story!
https://youtu.be/4Sj6kgr9QYw?si=NIwyssbhRx9T-NK

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Marquette, MI
Marquette, MI

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