COVER STORY SAVING GENTLE GIANTS: How One Ag Family Turned Their Ranch into a Haven for Draft Horses By Michelle Rivera, Senior Communications Manager
The Canyon House. Photography by Amy Marlan.
In the heart of the Salinas Valley, amid the rolling hills of Chualar, The Canyon House stands as a refuge for draft horses in need. Founded by Sarah Rodriguez, the sanctuary is more than a passion project—it’s a lifelong commitment to rescuing and providing a forever home for these gentle giants, many of whom were once bound for slaughter. Even with deep roots in Western Growers and agriculture, Sarah never imagined she would one day be at the helm of an equine sanctuary. She is married to Trey Rodriguez, whose family is well known among Western Growers members and the agriculture industry. Trey’s father, Sonny Rodriguez, was the recipient of the 2024 Western Growers Award of Honor. Sarah also has deep ties to the industry through her father, Mike Azzopardi, who operates American Cooling, another proud Western Growers member. Trey and Sarah both followed in their fathers’ footsteps. They own a three-year-old multi-state cooler management company, Legacy Cooling, and they too are members of Western Growers, with Trey currently in his fifth year serving on the Board of Trustees for Western Growers Assurance Trust. It was an unexpected moment online that changed everything for Sarah. While browsing through an equine adoption ad, she stumbled upon the heartbreaking reality: countless horses, particularly draft breeds, faced uncertain futures with many destined for kill pens.
For some people, learning about the realities of horse slaughter and equine neglect might lead to a donation, a shared social media post or a passing moment of concern. For Sarah, it became a calling. “I just couldn’t let it go,” she said. “I knew I had horse knowledge. I had energy. I was young and fit, and I could help in some way. I just didn’t know what that role would be yet.” It became clear in October 2023 when Sarah saw a plea from an equine rescue in Texas, highlighting the urgent need for a draft horse sanctuary in the Western U.S. Unlike smaller breeds, draft horses require more resources. They need three times as much space, they eat twice as much as a regular-sized horse and they require specialized farriers (providers of hoof care) and stock equipment. Often discarded when they are deemed no longer useful, particularly in Amish communities, many aging workhorses are left to a grim fate; shipped to kill pens and sold for slaughter in Mexico. Sarah had an unwavering love for horses, 87 acres of untouched ranch land and a relentless determination. “I told Trey, ‘I want to start a draft horse sanctuary.’ And he said, ‘I don’t know about that. Where are you going to put them? I think we should think this one through.” Sarah didn’t wait. Within a week, she purchased six draft horses from a kill pen. “I jumped into the deep end,” she said. “If I was going to do it, I was going all in.”
14 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com March | April 2025
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