Yolande Stewart Havenga Private Horse Sanctuary & Perdeskool

I`ve been with horses since I can remember and I can`t imagine a life without them, they are my life. I grew up on a farm near Uniondale and helped my father train Saddlebreds. We took part in shows, and every now and then I spent a school holiday with professional trainers, where I completed a course, after which I came home with more knowledge and experience. My greatest source of experience though was the time I spent with my herd of horses, just by sitting and watching them, walking with them, etc. I rode and is still riding all breeds. In 2004 my husband bought this smallholding near Hartenbos and I didn`t actually start the rescuing and the sanctuary deliberately, it started itself! I found that sometimes in one week up to 3 people would come and ask me to please buy or take their horse, because the horse does something wrong or they don`t understand it. So there is a great need for what I do. I moved here with only 2 horses (I had them since my childhood days) and at the moment we have more than 20! We pay all the expenses out of our own pocket and I am trying to generate a bit more money by giving lessons, etc in order to help more horses. Sometimes I rehome, those that were given to me, sometimes I sell horses to good homes, especially those that I have bought. Rehabilitated horses often bond with me so strong that I am the only person they trust and therefore only I can ride them, others get to like people and I can use them for lessons etc. Every horse on our smallholding has a story, some very sad and to me it brings great joy to watch a horse change once here, to see a skin and bone horse get fat and healthy or one that couldn`t be ridden, ending up schooled and disciplined, to see a depressed horse running and jumping with joy! Yes, they even learn that it is okay to communicate with me, to bring out their personalities and be who they are, because a horse sees you as an equal, but you must act as the leader and caretaker. My plans for the future are breeding, especially saddlers, and well, the future will tell ;)
Please note that most of my horses ARE NOT RESCUES, I own American Saddlebreds, Cape Boerperd, Cape Riding Horse, etc. So please, no entering my yard to "Pick and Choose".
You are welcome to join my group YOLANDE STEWART HAVENGA EL PASO HORSES, I think my description there of what I do will help to better explain what I do.