Sanctuary Life

The Accessibility of Belonging Notes from Axl one of the eight Equine Herd Members at Art, Heart & Hoofbeats Sanctuary Hi. I’m Axl Rose. I’m a 3-year-old horse living at Art, Heart & Hoofbeats Sanctuary. Before I came to Art, Heart & Hoofbeats Sanctuary, my life was confusing and painful. When I was only two months old, I became tangled in twine. I fought hard to free myself and ended up tearing muscles in my body trying to escape. Humans helped heal the infection and patch t

Notes from the Herd (translated by Anne Krocak) Zeus Wonders About the Herds We Build Hello humans, It’s Zeus. Yes, that Zeus. The small white mini horse with the magnificent hair and excellent emotional observation skills. I watch everything from the pasture fence while pretending I’m mostly interested in snacks. This weekend I watched something beautiful happen at Art, Heart & Hoofbeats Sanctuary. Sara, one of AHHS’s very first volunteers, brought her human herd to meet her

🌿🐴 Lessons from the Pasture: Making Space Written by Sunny & Miss Betty Boop (translated by Anne) Hi all, it’s Sunny. The honey colored Paso Fino at AHHS. We’ve had a busy start to spring at Art, Heart & Hoofbeats. We’ve welcomed so many new friends—the Walser team, Holy Family 10th graders, 4th graders from Cologne Academy, IAA high school students, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Minneapolis and our first group from Magnifying Abilities. I watch how you arrive. So excited… or a

🌿 Fable’s Notes from the Pasture 🐴 Making Space for Change, So Something New Can Take Root How do we show up for ourselves and each other… and how do we make space? As the busy season begins at Art, Heart & Hoofbeats—with new beginnings like our partnership with NAMI MN, new volunteers, and Horse Ambassadors—Fable wanted to reach out… to all of the people who need support or want to help. "I’m Fable. A Swedish Sport Horse. I came to AHHS hurt and scarred—untouchable—and whe

We All Belong: Jake’s Complicated, Beautiful Story Jake came to AHHS with a complicated history—like all of our horses. He was surrendered in the South to a college for asthma medication research. When that didn’t work, he was sent to Minnesota to see if a colder climate would help. From there, he was placed with a family who was afraid of him—asking him to do things his body couldn’t handle. By the time he arrived at AHHS, he was showing fear—baring teeth, unsure, overwhelme

The Privilege of Growing Older — and Vincent’s Story of Belonging I turned 56 this year . When I was young, I feared getting older. Like many people, I imagined aging as a loss — of youth, opportunity, and relevance. But standing here in this season of my life, I feel something very different. I feel gratitude . Growing older is a privilege not everyone receives. With time comes a quiet clarity. I don’t take as much for granted anymore. I don’t spend much energy pretending to

🐴 Fable’s Spring Notebook Billy Goat Bridges & Barn Wisdom at Art, Heart & Hoofbeats Sanctuary Spring arrived at the sanctuary this week. The snow is slowly stepping back, the sun stays a little longer each evening, and the earth feels like it is remembering how to breathe again. I was standing on the hill with my herd members, Ritz and Jakers, when we heard a bus arrive. Visitors. The high school students from Integrated Arts Academy stepped off carefully, looking around w

Fable’s Weekly Words of Wisdom- on Safety, Trust & Personal Wellness. (From Fabulous Fable & all of us at Art, Heart & Hoofbeats Sanctuary) For horses like me, safety always comes first. As prey animals, we are always scanning for danger. Only when we feel safe can trust begin to grow. Trust may be one of the hardest things to believe in after it has been broken. Safety was not part of my first 12 years. I knew rough handling, neglect, yearly pregnancies, little medical care

Fable’s Weekly Words of Wisdom- on Safety, Trust & Personal Wellness. (From Fabulous Fable & all of us at Art, Heart & Hoofbeats Sanctuary) For horses like me, safety always comes first. As prey animals, we are always scanning for danger. Only when we feel safe can trust begin to grow. Trust may be one of the hardest things to believe in after it has been broken. Safety was not part of my first 12 years. I knew rough handling, neglect, yearly pregnancies, little medical care

Yesterday evening the light turned everything gold. Moon stood slightly apart from the herd — not isolated, just aware. Her white mane caught the sunlight. The air smelled of thawing earth and hay. A new volunteer stood at the fence, shoulders tight. Moon did not rush. She lowered her head. Shifted her weight. Waited. One step forward. Then another. No instruction. No fixing. Just breath. If you’ve watched horses closely, you know this moment — the almost invisible softening.

Just checking in—Art, Heart & Hoofbeats Sanctuary is thinking of you as many in Minnesota are carrying fear and uncertainty. Here are a few notes from the herd about staying human, together. AHHS is holding you in mind as Minnesota faces deep cold and as many of us carry fear, deep sadness, and shock connected to recent ICE actions and the harm and chaos they have brought to our communities, including the fatal shootings of a beloved neighbors and the broader unrest that has

From left to right Jakers, Ritz, Sunny, Fable, Moon, Axl-Rose, Mazzie & Ozzie At Art, Heart & Hoofbeats, we learn something from the herd almost every day: The way we judge others is often the way we’re already judging ourselves. And the places where we struggle to forgive others are usually the places where we haven’t yet forgiven ourselves. When we carry anger inward—anger for not being enough, not healing fast enough, not responding “the right way,” not having known better

Dancing with Vulnerability December Reflections at AHHS How comfortable are you with being vulnerable? I ask because I’m realizing something about myself:For someone who works every day with horses, art, and healing — I am still pretty scared to let down my barriers. Vulnerability is uncomfortable. It feels risky. And yet, every time I step into the pasture, the herd asks me for exactly that. Horses don’t accept the masks we learn to wear. They don’t respond to the performanc

November updates from AHHS & Reflections from our First Sunday Morning with Horses Class At Art, Heart & Hoofbeats Sanctuary (AHHS), we have a saying: We don’t just learn about horses—we learn from them. As we move into a new chapter of sustainability at AHHS, we’re offering more joyful, experiential, horse-centered opportunities at a low cost. And because community care matters to us, we will always adjust fees if they ever feel out of reach. Our goal is to support our herd

Horses First · People Second · Connection Always 🌻 The Joy in Belonging At Art, Heart & Hoofbeats Sanctuary, every day reminds us that...

Co-regulating and breathing with Jakers The AHHS Difference: Data, Growth & A New Way Forward Horses First. Humans Second. Connection...

🐴 AHHS " Weekly Wonders" or sometimes known as " Horse Parties " This week at AHHS- new logo for AHHS (let us know your thoughts) Tues....

By Anne Krocak, Executive Director of Art, Heart & Hoofbeats Sanctuary At Art, Heart & Hoofbeats Sanctuary (AHHS) , we believe that...

🌻 July Update from Art, Heart & Hoofbeats Sanctuary 🌻So many new collaborations — and so much love to share! We're partway through the...

From Rescue to Revelation: Why Saving Animals Saves Us Too By Art, Heart & Hoofbeats Sanctuary Brittney and Sunny snuggle At Art, Heart &...