And thus, The Canyon House was born—a sanctuary where these draft horses, once used for intense farm labor and carriage rides and now cast aside and destined for tragedy—could spend their days in peace. After those first horses arrived, it became clear that Sarah couldn’t do this alone. This is where having deep agricultural roots made all the difference. Sarah and Trey turned to the network they knew and trusted—longtime industry partners who didn’t hesitate to step up. It took one call to Coastal Tractors, and within days, a brand- new blue tractor arrived at the ranch. Within 24 hours, Toro Petroleum delivered a red diesel drum straight to the barn, fully equipped for seamless fuel transfers. Now, monthly fill-ups are just a text away. When the local hay didn’t meet the nutritional needs of the senior draft horses, Sarah reached out to an old friend of Trey’s at Hancock Farms, known for growing the highest-quality hay in the Yuma Valley. Delivering that hay? Another trusted ag family, Harrison Farms Trucking, always ready to navigate a tight delivery with reliability and care. Although The Canyon House takes in horses of all ages, what makes it so unique is its focus on senior draft horses—those often overlooked because they require lifelong care but are no longer useful for riding or work. Unlike traditional rescues that rehabilitate and adopt out horses, The Canyon House is a sanctuary. That means every horse that arrives stays for life. “Nobody wants to adopt a senior horse. You want a horse you can ride, that your kids can ride,” Sarah said. “But these seniors still deserve a soft landing.” Today, The Canyon House is home to 32 equines and two donkeys. The equines include draft Belgians, draft Mules, wild Mustangs rescued from Native American reservations and retired rodeo bucking broncos. Almost all arrive sick, injured, underweight and fearful of humans. Caring for them isn’t easy. It’s costly, time-consuming and emotionally demanding. But for Sarah, the work is deeply fulfilling. “Every horse that comes here is going to die at some point,” she said. “But here, they get to live their last years with dignity.” The sanctuary is more than just a place for these horses to land—it’s a place where they learn to trust again, heal and be seen as more than just tools for labor, Sarah explained. Each one of them has a story, a past filled with struggle and a future that, for the first time, is filled with care and security.
A curious horse
Sarah tending to Bruce
Horses roaming the ranch
Trey and Sarah Rodriguez with some of the ranch's draft horses
A horse in mid-gallop
15 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com March | April 2025
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