The Whole Horse Place

The Whole Horse Place The Whole Horse Place is an all volunteer, nonprofit organization. We offer something for everyone!

The Whole Horse Place's mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of old horses and humans of all ages by fostering bonds through comprehensive horse care and education. Our objective: We partner senior horses with children and adults of all abilities, foster children, and the broader community. We rescue senior horses and give them new purpose in teaching humans responsibility, confidence, self respect, resiliency, and emotional honesty.

Today's Ranch Hands was a lot of fun.Last weekend, some of us from the barn attended a Lifemanship horse clinic and came...
06/04/2026

Today's Ranch Hands was a lot of fun.

Last weekend, some of us from the barn attended a Lifemanship horse clinic and came home with a few ideas we wanted to try with our own kids. One of them was a simple groundwork exercise designed to help participants become more aware of their communication, intention, and connection before moving on to a more challenging obstacle course.

Simple did not mean easy.

Neither Leah nor I had actually done the exercise ourselves before. We had only watched it, so today we were figuring it out right alongside the kids. There was plenty of laughter, problem solving, and more than a few moments where we realized it was harder than it looked.

I also had one of those moments where something you've seen before suddenly clicks in a new way. Dana has been one of our biggest mentors, helping us become better and teaching us the importance of groundwork. This exercise gave Leah and me another way to experience those same principles. We spent most of the morning fumbling through it, laughing, making mistakes, and figuring it out right alongside the kids. At several points I thought, "Dana would probably be slapping her forehead right now," but by the end, it all started coming together.

What made it so interesting was watching how much easier the obstacle course (Ok, we had ONE obstacle, but hey, it works) became once the groundwork piece was in place. The horses were more connected, the kids were more thoughtful, and everyone started paying closer attention to the little things that make communication work.

One thing we are always exploring at The Whole Horse Place is how horsemanship lessons connect to life lessons. The exercise wasn't really about completing the obstacle course. It was about awareness, teamwork, communication, and learning that connection often works better than force.

The kids had a blast.

And honestly, so did we.

05/17/2026

A kiddo here yesterday made this video of she and Brice. I am so glad these horse are so loved.

Yesterday in Stable Paths started the way many of our Saturdays do: stalls, feeding, grooming, and taking care of the ho...
05/10/2026

Yesterday in Stable Paths started the way many of our Saturdays do: stalls, feeding, grooming, and taking care of the horses. But by lunch, the conversation had shifted into something deeper.

We talked about trauma. About how most people, in one way or another, carry things others cannot see. We talked about reactions, overreactions, and how sometimes what feels personal… may have very little to do with us at all.

One of our horses helped bring that lesson to life.

This horse came here guarded, unsure, and slow to trust. Over the past year, through patience, consistency, and steady leadership, we’ve watched that horse begin to believe that people can feel safe again. It became a powerful reminder that healing; whether in horses or people; takes time, and trust is earned.

Some of the youth reflections from the day:

“Realizing the signs you are getting upset before you get angry.”

“Other people’s feelings are none of my business unless they bring it to me. Otherwise, what they think of me is none of my business.”

“Not everyone will like me because we are different. Don’t take it personally.”

“Energy matters. Horses feel it, and people do too.”

“Connecting with others and the horses makes me learn to have more friends and know I have people I can turn to for help.”

After lunch, we took those lessons into the arena through groundwork, pole games, and riding for those who were ready.

Sometimes horses help us understand people. Sometimes they help us understand ourselves.

Yesterday was just a really good barn day with Ranch Hands.I recently picked up the book Stay in the Saddle by Callie Ki...
05/08/2026

Yesterday was just a really good barn day with Ranch Hands.

I recently picked up the book Stay in the Saddle by Callie King, and we’ve started working some of the skill-building exercises into Ranch Hands.

This week’s focus was simple: shorten the reins.

I’ve been saying it forever... shorten your reins, give yourself more control. And yesterday, it finally clicked. Not just for one rider... for everybody.

We started with chores, got the horses ready, practiced the skill on the ground, then took it into the saddle and finished with games that made the kids actually use what they learned.

What I loved most was how easy the whole day felt. More than one kid commented on how peaceful and chill it was. The horses were relaxed, the kids were smiling, my volunteers were amazing, and everyone seemed to just enjoy being here.

No huge breakthrough. No big story.

Just horses, kids, learning... and one of those days that reminds me how lucky I am to do this. 🐴

A family stopped by today to pick up a chair we were giving away, and of course the kids wanted to meet the horses.So we...
05/01/2026

A family stopped by today to pick up a chair we were giving away, and of course the kids wanted to meet the horses.

So we introduced them to Paris.

A few weeks ago, Paris probably wouldn’t have had much interest in this. She was sore, cranky, and honestly just didn’t feel good. We were still figuring out what was going on with her.

Today was different.

She stood there soaking up every bit of love and attention these little ones had to give, and gave it right back.

Sometimes healing shows up in big ways. Sometimes it looks like a horse who finally feels good enough to lower her head, soften her eyes, and let kids wrap their arms around her.

Today was one of those days. ❤️

I sent Lefty to the trainer because something just wasn’t making sense.Lefty is honestly one of the kindest horses I’ve ...
04/30/2026

I sent Lefty to the trainer because something just wasn’t making sense.

Lefty is honestly one of the kindest horses I’ve ever met. A big half draft with the softest eye, and the kind of horse that makes people feel safe. So when he started getting pushy, planting his feet, and doing these little baby bunny bucks in place instead of moving forward, I knew something wasn’t adding up.

Even when he got overwhelmed enough to strike out, it felt more like a horse saying, “I don’t know what you want from me,” than a horse trying to hurt someone. Looking back, even then, he was careful.

I wanted this to work for Lefty. This is the best last home he could ever have.

Yesterday I went to work with him at Dana’s, and I ended up learning a lot more about myself than I expected.

Dana has a simple system. Ask, tell, then get it done. In other words, give them a chance to understand, make it clear if they don’t, and only bring more pressure once you know they understand what you’re asking.

It sounds simple, but I realized I wasn’t doing that.

The first time I led him out of his stall, he drifted into my space. I immediately went straight to moving him back with a lot more energy than I needed. Dana stopped me and said, “Just ask first.”

And then I started seeing it everywhere.

I wasn’t asking. I wasn’t telling.

I was going straight to “get it done.”

Not just with Lefty either. If I’m being honest… that’s how I do a lot of, if not most, things.

Then we found something else that made a lot of things click.

Dana used his hackamore for the first time, and while the chin strap itself was fine, it was too tight over the halter, which is how we ride here. So when a kid was asking him to move forward, he was also getting extreme face pressure telling him to STOP!

No wonder he got confused. No wonder he got frustrated. I myself have quit jobs over this very thing in the past. Bosses telling me conflicting things and never making anyone happy and never doing anything right.

Once we took away the mixed signals and made things clearer, he was wonderful.

And honestly… that hit me harder than I expected.

Because I don’t think this is just a horse lesson.

I think people do this too.

Kids do it. Adults do it. Relationships do it.

Sometimes what looks like attitude, shutdown, resistance, or pushback isn’t defiance at all. Sometimes someone is getting mixed signals, too much pressure, or being expected to understand something that was never clearly explained.

And sometimes before we “get it done,” we need to ask first.

Maybe even with ourselves.

We started the day the usual way.Cleaning stalls, hauling hay, getting everything set up for the horses. We talked a lit...
04/25/2026

We started the day the usual way.
Cleaning stalls, hauling hay, getting everything set up for the horses. We talked a little about the new hay we’re feeding right now (Teff hay and why it matters), just normal barn stuff.

At lunch, the conversation turned to control.

It ended up sticking with us the rest of the day.

Out in the round pen, we worked on balance. Same thing we had been doing all week with Ranch Hands. Nothing complicated. Just paying attention to how your body moves with the horse.

One thing that stood out… every single one of them was more balanced with their eyes closed.

Not because they were trying harder, but because they stopped trying to control everything.

That led right back to the conversation from lunch.

A few things they said:

“Give up control to get control.”
“You have to control yourself before you can control a situation.”
“You can only control your response.”

And then this came up:

We were talking about how hard we can be on ourselves, and someone asked,
“Would you let someone talk to your friend the way you talk to yourself?”

That stuck.

One of the kids said,
“The reason we’re so mean to ourselves is because we have to spend all day with ourselves, listening to every thought. If we had to hear someone else’s thoughts all day, we’d probably be mean to them too.”

Out on horseback, with their eyes closed, a few of them said it felt like it quieted everything down. Less judgment, more focus. One of them said it was almost like that feeling right before you fall asleep.

They started to figure out that it’s not really about controlling the horse. And it’s not about controlling everything around you either.

It’s knowing what’s actually yours to control.

Trusting the horse a little more.
Trusting yourself a little more.
And not fighting everything so hard.

One of them said,
“It’s a team effort. You’re not in control.”

And another said,
“Trusting is better than trying to control everything.”

That’s a pretty big takeaway for one day.

Bryce has been… dramatic lately. 😅A few months ago, he switched to an all-mash diet because his teeth just can’t safely ...
04/23/2026

Bryce has been… dramatic lately. 😅

A few months ago, he switched to an all-mash diet because his teeth just can’t safely handle hay anymore. It works—but it creates a new problem. Horses are built to have forage in front of them almost constantly. Their stomachs produce acid 24/7, so when they go long stretches without anything to chew on, that acid has nothing to buffer it… and ulcers can start to develop.

Bryce *inhales* his mash three times a day… and then stands around with nothing in front of him for hours.

This month, he started reacting when we brushed his belly—big, dramatic “OW! OUCH!” reactions that were definitely not subtle. That was our clue.

So we checked.

Low-grade ulcers. Not severe, but enough to make him uncomfortable—and enough to explain the theatrics.

Honestly, this is the best-case version of this problem. We caught it early.

Now we adjust.

He’s being treated for ulcers, and we’re going to try introducing chaffhaye (a chopped, fermented hay) again to see if he’ll eat it. He refused it before… but maybe we can talk him into it now. Sometimes it takes a few conversations.

It also turned into a solid science lesson for Ranch Hands today. To scope his stomach, Bryce couldn’t eat the night before so the camera could get a clear view. He was not a fan of that plan… and even less of missing breakfast. He did not understand and made that very clear.

He got a big lunch after.

This is the kind of thing you only catch if you’re paying attention to the small stuff.

Bryce doesn’t do subtle—but in this case, that worked in his favor.

We changed things up in Ranch Hands this week and focused on one skill: balance.Not just on the horse… but it turned int...
04/20/2026

We changed things up in Ranch Hands this week and focused on one skill: balance.

Not just on the horse… but it turned into a conversation about balance in life too. The kids took it there on their own.

We worked on riding balance while being led, and something really interesting happened.

When the kids had their eyes open, they were stiff. You could see them trying to “do it right,” trying to control things. There was a clear separation between horse and rider.

But when they closed their eyes… everything changed.

They softened. They moved with the horse instead of against it. It was like they became one animal.

Every single rider.

So we talked about it, and one of the kids said,
“Maybe it’s because when our eyes are closed, we trust the horse more. But when our eyes are open, we feel like we have to wrestle control.”

From the mouths of babes.

I’m not a therapist, but that made a whole lot of sense.

Balance isn’t always about holding everything together. Sometimes it’s about letting go just enough to trust what’s underneath you.

And the horses show you the difference every time.

Paris has been telling us something for a while… and we finally heard her.She came in a little “princessy” (which, to be...
04/20/2026

Paris has been telling us something for a while… and we finally heard her.

She came in a little “princessy” (which, to be fair, she still is), but her crankiness started going beyond personality. She was getting sassy with the kids, resistant under saddle, and especially unhappy when asked to trot.

I’ll be honest, I assumed a lot of it was just who she was.

Then Dana Pederson caught something I didn’t. She realized Paris’s saddle didn’t fit, and that was a turning point.

So we started peeling it back.

We treated her for ulcers, and that helped.
Switching saddles made a difference.
But something still wasn’t right.

Dana suggested massage and chiropractic, and that’s when things really started to make sense.

Her first massage was eye-opening. The first 30 minutes were uncomfortable for her, but the last 30 minutes were pure bliss. Her whole topline actually changed shape during that session. The chiropractor found her pelvis rotated and twisted, and her neck significantly out of alignment.

After just one session of each last week, with another set scheduled this week, she is a completely different horse. Calm, willing, pleasant, engaged, and just… happy.

And then we added MagnaWave.

I had avoided it because Paris is very opinionated about being touched if she doesn’t want to be, and I honestly thought it might be too much to ask of her.

She didn’t even flinch.

She was a little unsure at first, but within minutes she realized it felt good. She relaxed, leaned into it, and fully accepted it.

MagnaWave Corporate - Wellness and Pain Relief MagnaWave has been one more piece of the puzzle in helping her feel better in her body, and it’s made a noticeable difference in how she moves and carries herself.

Huge thank you to Dana for catching what I missed and helping us get Paris comfortable. And we’re really grateful to have MagnaWave as part of her care and part of what we can offer these horses. Thank you again to MagnaWave for gifting us a PEMF machine through your 25 Days of Giving in December. It has truly made a difference in the quality of life here.

This is such a good reminder that behavior is communication. When they get difficult, they’re usually just uncomfortable.

Address

4764 SW Old Forest Way
Port Orchard, WA
98367

Opening Hours

Monday 2pm - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 5:30pm
Friday 12:30pm - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

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+13608950940

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