Healthy, Happy Horses Home at Varian Equestrian Center

“I have a passion for helping horses find their second chances in life to be healthy, happy horses,” remarks Cassie Mailheau a boarder at Varian Equestrian Center. “A few years ago, I adopted a beautiful Varian Arabian gelding, El Tejon. He needed a loving home after his owner had passed away. I was living in Santa Barbara at the time, and able to ride on the foothill trails that often were sometimes compromised by day hikers or bikers. One particular day an off-leash dog attacked my horse. It didn’t end well for either me or my horse.”


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Visiting Varian Equestrian Center

Healthy, Happy Horses Home at Varian Equestrian Center
Cassie enjoys riding El Tejon on the trails from Varian Equestrian Center with her pal Sophie.

Cassie continues her story, “Thankfully, while I was looking at a couple of months of chiropractic recovery for myself, I thought to contact Varian’s training options for my traumatized horse. I didn’t realize that there had been a new ownership transfer and that it would actually turn out in my favor! Not only did the Arkell family desire to maintain the legendary standard of excellence of healthy, happy horses while maintaining all things associated with Sheila Varian and her beloved Arabian horses, but they still offered training programs with Tejon’s original trainers, Jaime Hernandez and Mike Perez. I immediately contacted Kristy, the longtime ranch manager, and she invited me to come visit the property, even surprising me that she was present in helping with the birth of El Tejon!”

Boarding Options Maintain Healthy, Happy Horses at Varian Equestrian Center

“Our vision and pride has always been caring for horses so they are healthy and happy,” explains Kristy Gillot-Hogue the longtime ranch manager at Varian Equestrian Center. “We have staff trained to do horse checks twice daily for every horse on the property seven-days-a-week including holidays. We get to know the normal for each horse and all our staff is capable of noticing when a horse is slightly not itself.”

VEC Horse Housing Can Home Any Horse

Healthy, Happy Horses Home at Varian Equestrian Center
Healthy, Happy Horse at Home at Varian Equestrian Center

A variety of boarding options are offered to suit any horse at Varian Equestrian Center.

Boarding options offered at VEC include:

  • Public pasture where horses are in a herd type setting with seasonal grass or dirt lot available. VEC has an effective system to slowly integrate new horses into the existing herd. 
  • Private pasture options are good for 2-3 horses from the same owner or friends who want to board horses together.  VEC is finishing up adding proper drainage and shelters for additional private pastures.
  • Pipe corrals (24×24) with ⅓ cover with one 24×48 available. These corrals can be customized to your liking by adding mats, shavings or preferred bedding.
  • Box stalls
Healthy, Happy Horses Home at Varian Equestrian Center
Pasture Pals at Varian Equestrian Center

Cassie Moves Her Horses to VEC Sanctuary

“The personal reassurance I have been given is amazing,” continues Cassie. “Sophie Arkell, Chloe Hardesty and Maddie Bisson are all very active in assisting Kristy with the horse care while Sophie is also learning of the details associated in operating the Arkell family’s new sanctuary for horses. Together they all bring loving and personal attention to each horse that is in their care. Not only has El Tejon recovered completely with the experienced time he spends with Jaime, he also has flourished in his confidence and stamina. Now his humorous personality is restored in all of his glory!”

Full Service, Partial Service or No Service is Available At VEC

“We offer full-service care, partial service or no service tailored to clients’ and horses’ needs,” explains Kristy. She lists the various services VEC provides:

  • stall and pipe stall cleaning seven days a week is standard
  • twice a day feeding is also standard but lunch feedings are available for horse’s specific needs
  • turn out daily or tailored to the needs of the horse
  • blanketing/fly masks
  • lunch feedings
  • medication administration
  • grain and supplement admin
  • wound care/bandage changes

“Also, if going on vacation we can step in and do grains/meds/supplements,” adds Kristy.

Cassie Brings Two Rescued Horses Home to Great Care at VEC

“In addition,” begins Cassie, “I had rescued a mare, Bella Luna, from a kill-pen in Texas a couple of years ago. She was literally on death row, starved to a skeleton and had pneumonia, amongst many other issues. She just wasn’t well. I had managed to get her through the worst of it, during which time, she became extremely attached to my other horse, Tejon, and visa-versa.” Knowing that he needed some personal rehabilitation along with some retraining, Cassie asked if she could bring Bella as his calming companion. “Of course,” was VEC’s response!

VEC Provides Specialized Rehab Care and Training Services

Cassie needed a facility that could provide both the specialized medical care for Bella, and the rehab and retraining needs for Tejon. Kristy outlines the specialized care provided at VEC:

“For horses recovering from surgery or illness, VEC staff handles the hand-walking, medications and bandage changes. They can also schedule vet re-checks and blood work draws. In addition, several staff are trained and capable to administer medications at proper times. Every rehab horse is monitored closely for expected improvement. We work closely with and have great relationships with the vets at Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center. We can also track needed farrier work, vaccines and deworming. On top of all of that VEC can do mare foaling and foal care for a limited number of mares. The training staff can also provide halter breaking of foals. Our experienced, on-site trainers for under saddle and ground work have over 20 years of experience in all breeds.”

Bella’s Exercise and Medication is Expertly Handled

“What a blessing it was for me to know that both were going to be cared for in a professional and serene environment,” expresses Cassie. “Bella has a condition that requires exercise and medication twice daily. The VEC staff have been extremely responsible and committed to making sure she gets her regular turnouts and medicine. In fact, it’s quite humorous as to when or where she is when it’s her medicine time, they will find her whether she’s under saddle or out playing in one of their lovely pastures. Bella actually looks forward to the tasty concoction and willingly complies.”

Healthy, Happy Horses and Humans Enjoy Being Home at Varian Equestrian Center

“While I’ve been spending so much time with my horses here at VEC, and mesmerized by the healing beauty of the facility and area, I have actually found a way to relocate from Santa Barbara,” explains Cassie. “I am now able to visit daily with my horses and their team of new family and friends. During these months, I have seen horses come and go as they are often brought here for breeding, training, or transition from different climates and locations. During one of these instances, I met and fell in love with a big horse (17.2 H) with an amazing gentle and kind personality that we now lovingly named Bruno.”

Adding a Third Horse to Cassie’s Rescue Collection

Cassie falls for Bruno: “Bruno was in transit and needed a layover because he had been in a severe trailer accident and suffered some serious hip, back and leg injuries. The entire staff at VEC also felt the same way as I did and we agreed that this guy was truly a noble beast and needed a second chance for recovery. I was able to adopt him. Consequently, with the full support of the VEC staff and their veterinary recommendations, Bruno is now well on his way to feeling better, stronger and back to his playful self. Soon he’ll be a healthy, happy horse.”

Healthy, Happy Horses Home at Varian Equestrian Center
Bruno Learns to Load Again After a Trailer Accident

Thank You Varian Equestrian Center . . . and Sanctuary

“All of my horses in some way need special care and I have found that Varian Equestrian Center provides not only that, but so much more,” explains Cassie. “Not only have my horses lives improved, but I also have felt a profound change in my own awareness and peace of mind. A HUGE Thank You to all of the loving, caring, experienced, and professional staff-family of Varian Equestrian Center…and Sanctuary.”


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