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Monday 8am - 7pm Tuesday 8am - 7pm Wednesday 8am - 7pm Thursday 8am - 7pm Friday 8am - 7pm Saturday 8am - 7pm Sunday 8am - 7pm

Phoenix Farm

A Facility For Eventing & Dressage,

Specializing in Confidence Building in Horses and Riders and Off-The Track Thoroughbreds.

We also breed and sell Nigerian Dwarf Goats!

12/02/2025

Phoenix Secret-Shawn
1998-2025

Our homebred Shawn left us this morning. It feels surreal to say that, even though at his age, I guess it shouldn’t. Still, some part of me thought he’d kind of live forever.

Shawn was our first homebred, by a stallion John had ridden and known on the track, named Class Secret (one of the last Secretariat sons) and his mare Native Monarch (Ariel). His life started in a dramatic fashion when he was born with an infection that caused him to spend the first week of his life in the ICU. This was the only the beginning of a lifetime of medical dramas. Highlights included stepping on a buried mower blade during roads and tracks at a long format three day, getting attacked by fire ants overnight and blowing up like a balloon, fracturing his fibula, getting stuck in a hay ring, and getting a simple skin infection at a horse show that I wasn’t at causing those who were with him to think he’d broken a leg.

He was, literally, worth his weight in gold.

In fact, that’s why I’m surprised he went pretty quietly this morning, I was expecting more drama, but doing what was expected was never his forte.

Shawn was supposed to be a 16.3 hand chestnut with chrome, as were all the other foals in his sire’s crop. He was a 15.3 hand plain bay with a tiny star. He was supposed to be a mid-level amateur horse, he was a pro’s ride at the top of the sport. He bucked off every person who ever rode him, and he won events at every level from Novice to Advanced. He wasn’t what we wanted, but he was more than we ever dreamed.

He was loved by more than just John and I. His other mother was Sharon White, who did the bulk of his competing and training. John Michael Durr also had the opportunity to ride and compete him before he stepped down from the upper levels. He then took multiple students, ours and others, around for many years up through training level. He was officially retired a few years ago, and has enjoyed his time with his significant other Sundae being fat and hairy. (Keep a good thought for her, she was definitely grieving him).

I will miss him. He’s been in my life the entirety of my marriage (he was born right before my wedding, John and I used to joke we needed to get married to make him a legitimate child). He was the last of the horses we brought with us from Virginia.

Rest easy Scrawns. We’ll miss you.

10/06/2025

So some tough news to share tonight. John has had another stroke, and is currently hospitalized. It’s in a different but related part of the brain from his previous stroke. His symptoms are in someways better than his previous stroke and in someways worse. He again had a very atypical presentation, I guess he just likes being different. He’s doing OK, and we’re still very early to know what things will look like going forward, but I’ll keep everybody posted. He’s pretty sedated right now and his speech has been affected, so it’s best not to reach out to him directly, but I’m happy to pass on well wishes. I’m thankful to my family for their unwavering support. We will keep moving forward.

01/31/2024

So big news.

As most of you know, John suffered a stroke in his brain stem 17 months ago. In the realm of things, we got very lucky. Most people with his type of stroke in that location do not survive, and most of the survivors are severely incapacitated. To have him back at the level he is, is pretty miraculous. But he isn’t who he was. And neither am I, though I am enjoying my return to the saddle and the horsey life. In December he suffered a riding accident that left him with a fractured sacrum, separated shoulder, and a concussion. It was the impetus for us to have a serious conversation about what the future looks like and what we’ll want and will be able to do in the future.

And so it is with both joy and sadness that we announce that Phoenix Farm as a business entity is closing effective immediately. This was a difficult decision, as we’ve had a good 17-year run, and we’re proud of all the people and horses who have come through our program in that time. But, its time to take a step back. We’re pleased that our clients have found a good landing spot with our former assistant at another facility and we wish them all the best.

John and I will continue to enjoy our beautiful farm (once we repair the storm damage we’re currently experiencing), and our personal horses and of course, the goats. Our eventing days are likely behind us, except at perhaps the lowest levels, and we are looking forward to exploring other opportunities with Bucky, Sq**rt and Zara, our lovely riding horses. Trails? Dressage? Working Equitation? Who knows. But it’s time for us to take a step back and enjoy our horses and embrace who we are now. The other horses on property are the beloved geriatric ward (age range 22 to 28) which belong to us, and to two students whose oldies will get to live out their days with us.

I’ve got a fabulous job with Windsor Unified school district, and John will be retiring, but also returning to some freelance work (so if anybody needs any written stuff, you know where to find him, LOL). Wesley starts high school in the fall, so that’s a big “gulp.” But we are so lucky to have our amazing kiddo in our lives.

We want to thank all of our friends, customers, and fellow horsey folk for their support and partnership over these 17 years. And to say, we aren’t leaving or disappearing, so don’t ever hesitate to reach out and say hi, ask for advice or anything else.

All our best,
Heather & John

PS: We’ll be keeping our PF Facebook open for goats and just fun farm posts.

04/02/2023

All goats are ADGA and AGS registered/registerable. Taking offers on the adults as I need to reduce my numbers. DM for more info.

02/10/2023

I’m very pleased to announce that, effective immediately, my assistant, Jazmin Holguin, is beginning her as trainer here at Phoenix Farm, as I slowly back away.

Jazmin has been my assistant for the last two years, after being a working student for several years before that. She has been been training with me, and with Heather first, for the last 10 years. While she is short on competitive experience, she has extensive experience in working with the different kinds of horses that we’ve had here over the last decade, as well as dealing with horses in difficult situations, like the fires from which we evacuated in 2017 and 2019. Consequently, she’s a knowledgeable and confident handler and trainer of horses, on the ground and an their backs. And she is a lot of fun to be with and to talk to!

Certainly a primary reason for this change is facing the realities of my stroke, which happened now five months ago. While I’ve made a fantastic recovery from a potentially fatal condition—I’ve been riding my beloved mare Alba for two months now and I’ve been teaching again for more than two months too—but I will no longer be able to ride young or green horses for other people again.

But I’m not disappearing! I still have two wonderful horses to ride, and Phoenix Farm is our home. So I’ll be continuing to coach, advise and probably annoy Jazmin as she helps people accomplish their goals with their horses, which may be just to just enjoy riding.

If you’d like more information, please feel free to contact me.

12/06/2022

Another big day today—for the first time in five years, I rode Alba, whose been retired for that time. If the name doesn’t jog your memory, I competed he for eight years, from beginner novice to intermediate, under the show name of Firebolt.

Alba, now 20, was one of my two best event horses, and she was always wonderful to ride. So I decided it would be fun for the two of us to dotter around together, starting today.

And it was great to look between those little red ears of hers and to do a few leg-yields at the walk. I think she liked being back in work too.

Thanks to Bentley for riding Alba for a few minutes before I did, because she was a bit too on her toes at first!

11/26/2022

Today was a big day. We’re observing the golden three-month mark since my stroke, and so today I rode for the first time since the end of August. And it was tremendous success, and I feel on top of the world, as you can imagine.

My mount today was Fable, 19, whom my sister, Karin, bred and was the first horse we started when we started under saddle when we opened our business in 2006. My assistant, Jazmin Holguin, has owned him since 2014 and helped me today.

I was able to walk and trot, and I’m very pleased to say that I was neither out of breath nor exhausted by the effort! I was actually ecstatic and feeling good!

10/31/2022

I thought many of you might be interested in a stroke update:

It’s now been 10 weeks, and I’m very much improved and able to do things, thanks to physical, occupational and speech therapy and to the support of my wife and son, Heather’s family, and friends.

Yesterday was a very big day: I fed all of animals on the farm by myself for the first time. And I was exhausted. But I did it. And I managed to help Heather feed at night and then did about a half hour of tractor work spreading the new footing in the indoor arena. And I didn’t hit anything with the tractor or the Mule that we use to feed!

The biggest problems are lack of endurance and my memory. I have about a 45-minute window to do anything, and then I’m out of breath and exhausted. No one can tell me when, and if, that will get better. And I find holes in my memory, especially in things people say to me. I guess that’s not completely new?

The next step is to try riding again. Coming soon. . .

09/05/2022

Look. Who’s. HOME!

John got sprung today from Santa Clara. We’re still at the beginning of his journey rather than the end, and next week starts home health, more kinds of therapy than you can shake a stick at, and figuring out next steps, but for now we’re grateful he’s home with Wes and I. And of course he wanted to go see his girls right away (and they surpringly cool about the wheelchair). John Strassburger

08/30/2022

So I didn’t update yesterday because everything was just uncertain. And I’ve learned in the last 48 hours to not get attached to any plan, because they are very much in flux. But. As of right now the plan is for John to go to acute rehab in Santa Clara tomorrow. They are expecting him to be there about a week, and then he’ll come home to do more therapy in home and out patient.

He’s continuing to have improvements, though they aren’t coming fast enough for Mr. Achiever 😜 so we’re fighting some low spirits. I keep telling him, this too shall pass.

A few shout outs. First, my fantastic employer, Windsor Unified School District for their compassion and assistance as I’ve had to navigate these waters. Love my work family.

Second my amazing family. I love you all and am so lucky to have you.

Finally, our barn family has stepped up helped to such an amazing degree. We couldn’t do this without you.

Please keep a good thought for us, there’s still aways to go.

Address

Healdsburg, CA

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 7pm
Tuesday	8am - 7pm
Wednesday	8am - 7pm
Thursday	8am - 7pm
Friday	8am - 7pm
Saturday	8am - 7pm
Sunday	8am - 7pm

Telephone

+17072175072

Website

http://www.phoenixfarmca.com/

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