Pura Vida Ranch

Pura Vida Ranch Live Your Best Life with Horse Facilitated Development

Horses are continually reading our behavior, energy and intentions through our body language and psyches. The can read l...
03/25/2025

Horses are continually reading our behavior, energy and intentions through our body language and psyches. The can read layers of feeling that we are not even aware of. Horses are congruent, meaning that the inside feelings and intentions match the outside expressions and behaviors. The response is authentic because there are no hidden motives. We are often incongruent, feeling one way and acting a different way, our bodies and behaviors mirroring our habits and unconscious thought patterns, which are felt by our horses. The often reflect those unexpressed, contradictory emotions back to us.
And that is why Horse Facilitated Development works. Horses know when you are hiding something, when you are not being entirely honest and that's what cracks things open! Thank you to Warwick Schiller's Attuned Horsemanship, for such an amazing explanation.

Building trust with the little one. Snickers is really trying to give Juan a chance to connect. The front end is okay le...
03/18/2025

Building trust with the little one. Snickers is really trying to give Juan a chance to connect. The front end is okay let's try this. The back end is still in getaway mode. 🐴❤️

One of the best things about being a 4H leader is meeting so many incredible young women. Julie and Abigail are hard-wor...
03/04/2025

One of the best things about being a 4H leader is meeting so many incredible young women. Julie and Abigail are hard-working, sweet, and amazing horse people. They have started helping out with our little ones who are beginning to learn that people are okay.
#4-HOntario


This is Snickers, one of the smallest members of the Pura Vida Ranch family. Snicks is a big fan of treats but not peopl...
02/25/2025

This is Snickers, one of the smallest members of the Pura Vida Ranch family. Snicks is a big fan of treats but not people, so we are working on gaining his trust. Every horse we bring onto the Ranch has their own story, just like people. When we meet someone for the first time we don't know what they have walked through, survived, or even what they have gone through that day! With Snickers we try to be present, watching his body language and the cues he will give about his comfort level with us. With people, we listen, we watch and we learn. Everyone has a past, judgment only alienates them, listening to their story brings understanding and trust. Just like with Snickers.

I think we have enough snow now. Skittles has turned into a snow drift and Sadie has butt balls! 😂
02/18/2025

I think we have enough snow now. Skittles has turned into a snow drift and Sadie has butt balls! 😂




This amazing young woman gave us the most beautiful gift! Claire, (one of our incredible 4H kiddos Tracy Gibbons) made t...
02/11/2025

This amazing young woman gave us the most beautiful gift! Claire, (one of our incredible 4H kiddos Tracy Gibbons) made this absolutely gorgeous wood cutout of our sweet boy Rio. She designed it, cut it out, stained it and assembled it into this amazing piece of art! We have proudly hung it above our fireplace in a place of honor. Thank you so much Claire! Love you bunches sweet one! Keep on being the most incredible you!



This Saturday my sweet hubby and I spent the entire afternoon digging out our paddock gates. For anyone who has ever wor...
02/04/2025

This Saturday my sweet hubby and I spent the entire afternoon digging out our paddock gates. For anyone who has ever worked on a farm in winter, you know that gates buried in snow are horrid to try and get open and closed. And we have had over 10 feet of accumulated snow just in January! One of my great pleasures in life has now become free swinging gates in the winter! Oh ya, baby!

I think that yellow ball in the sky is the sun? It's been so long I'm not sure if I remember that correctly? Can someone please confirm?

That blue circle shows Rio the supervisor of all things paddock related. Or maybe he is just trying to figure out if it's worth the effort to make a run for the open fields.



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STARTING THIS SATURDAY! Come on out! Leave your cell phones at home and learn about horses, ponies, mini-horses and mini...
01/13/2025

STARTING THIS SATURDAY! Come on out! Leave your cell phones at home and learn about horses, ponies, mini-horses and mini-Highland cattle! Different activities every week! Register online at Vida Ranch.

Merry Christmas to all! Wishing you much joy this advent season! 🎄✨️❄️❤️
12/25/2024

Merry Christmas to all! Wishing you much joy this advent season! 🎄✨️❄️❤️

Merry Christmas from all of us at Pura Vida Ranch! Wishing you all the joys of this advent season!! 🎄✨️❄️❤️
12/25/2024

Merry Christmas from all of us at Pura Vida Ranch! Wishing you all the joys of this advent season!! 🎄✨️❄️❤️

The Nose Knows! Your challenge is to match the nose to the horse! The noses included are (in alphabetical order :) Belle...
12/10/2024

The Nose Knows! Your challenge is to match the nose to the horse! The noses included are (in alphabetical order :) Belle, Brooke, Dan, Meadow, Molly, Paddy, and Rio! Good luck and may the nose be with you! 👃🐴🤠

Grateful:This ranch. I never, ever thought I would live in a place this beautiful. When my job at the pregnancy centre i...
12/08/2024

Grateful:
This ranch. I never, ever thought I would live in a place this beautiful. When my job at the pregnancy centre in Guelph came to a close. I knew in my soul that there was something more that God wanted me to do. Then my brother passed away and life took some unexpected turns. And now, here we are living on this land that has been in my family for years. This land that surprises me every day with its beauty. I am overwhelmed by the gift this property is to me, my family and the people that come to visit. They feel the difference here. They feel the presence of God here and the peace that He brings to this place. We are so very, very blessed. Thank you Dad, for leaving this land to me. I think you knew that one day it would bring honor to God, to you and to our family.

Two additions that came to us in February of this year are Sadie and Luna. After losing Crosby in September of 2023 at 1...
12/05/2024

Two additions that came to us in February of this year are Sadie and Luna. After losing Crosby in September of 2023 at 14 years old and Gracie in November of 2023 at 15 years old, our house seemed really empty. We were fortunate enough to get these two crazy sisters from Timeless Companions in Elora. They are Bernese/Poodle mixes and they fill our house with joy, fur snowballs and lots of cuddles. The girls have been into the hospital to visit momma and now they visit her in longterm care and they are absolute angels while in there. Greeting all the residents with gentleness and kisses. They are truly special these two girls and a huge blessing to our family!

Momma and daughter. Brooke (the bay mare) and Meadow (chestnut mare). These beautiful girls came to us from Count Your B...
12/04/2024

Momma and daughter. Brooke (the bay mare) and Meadow (chestnut mare). These beautiful girls came to us from Count Your Blessings Farm (yes there is a theme here, lol). Brooke is a 15-year-old Canadian/Arab mare and Meadow is a 13-year-old Canadian/Arab/Paint. Brooke and Meadow are a bonded pair that had never been apart before being sent to auction and picked up by CYB. When they arrived they were terrified when separated. They are now learning to be a part of the herd and that being apart is okay. I'm so proud of these girls. They are kind and willing and figuring out that life here on the ranch is a good thing.

Grateful for my momma. She's a woman of faith and a believer in family and community. She overcame a massive heart attac...
12/01/2024

Grateful for my momma. She's a woman of faith and a believer in family and community. She overcame a massive heart attack in 2018, that left one side of her heart paralyzed. She walked out of hospice because she was in a state of recovery, not death. She has outlived her husband, her son, her brother, one sister-in-law and two brothers-in-law. Not to mention recovering from a broken hip and moving from a retirement home into long-term care. She is 91 years old and continues to be a miracle. One of the toughest ladies I know she is an inspiration to many and still has a very snappy sense of humor when least expected! She supported us in building a Horse Facilitated Development program and is always telling people about the horses and her two "grand-puppies". I am grateful for the lessons learned at her feet. Lessons in strength, loyalty, faith, perseverance, love of country living and the importance of family. Momma Jewel you are amazing!

The last two members of our Candy Crew have arrived! Jellybean is the little black mini-gelding (about 9 years old) with...
11/29/2024

The last two members of our Candy Crew have arrived! Jellybean is the little black mini-gelding (about 9 years old) with the blue eye and Cinnamon Hearts is the little pinto gelding (about 3 years old). They came from the same herd as Snickers and Taffy and will join in on visiting retirement homes and working with people who may be intimidated by the biggies. We are thrilled to have them as part of our healing herd!

Meet Snickers! Snickers is a 9-ish-year-old mini-gelding, that came to us from Count Your Blessings Farm. He LOVES food,...
11/27/2024

Meet Snickers! Snickers is a 9-ish-year-old mini-gelding, that came to us from Count Your Blessings Farm. He LOVES food, especially treats, but he's not so fond of human contact. We are slowly working with him to learn that humans are okay and he doesn't need to be afraid. Once he has become more comfortable here, Snickers will join the other ponies and minis visiting retirement homes. He really has the sweetest eyes!!

Grateful: I'm so grateful for this man. Juan's dream was to live in a condo and have no outdoor responsibilities. When ...
11/25/2024

Grateful: I'm so grateful for this man. Juan's dream was to live in a condo and have no outdoor responsibilities. When I suggested moving back to where I grew up and running a Horse Facilitated Development Ranch, he didn't even blink. Just said, "Yes, of course". He had never even been around horses before we brought Honey and Paddy to the boarding stable. And then Paddy broke out in abscesses from having Strangles and he was such a sick little pony. We took over caring for three equines in quarantine and disinfecting everything, every time we went. Juan never complained. He saved my life when he realized I was going into shock from a bleeding ulcer and called 911 with about 10 minutes to spare or I would have been gone. He has stood by his children and my girl too. Through some pretty rough stuff and never stopped supporting us. I couldn't do what we are doing here without him. He stands beside me through it all and believes in what we are doing here. A nicer guy you will never meet, I promise you that. He is the best second chance I have ever had and the only one I will ever want. Te amo mucho bebe! Gracias for always supporting me, no matter how crazy the plan gets!😍

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719493 Highway 6
Owen Sound, ON
N0H2K0

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Videos

The morning help is a bit of a distraction 😂

What a glorious morning! Love this part of my day when the herd is enjoying breakfast and I'm enjoying the peace! 🙏❤️

Our girl Meadow LOVES butt scratches! Be like Meadow know what makes you happy! 🤠

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