I’ve been volunteering with Canham Farms for just about a year. I am a zoologist and certified professional animal trainer who was looking to gain experience with horses. I was interested in learning horse husbandry skills at Canham Farms because of their dedication to working with horses with trauma. Working with animals that have experienced trauma takes special care and skills. It also requires a specific mindset to put the animals first and to suspend our human ego. I have been involved with other animal rescues in my professional career and can confirm that Canham Farms authenticity is dedicated to their mission. The horses are not put on a time schedule and each horse is worked with as an individual. The horses learn how to trust humans with kind and fair training. The horses also learn skills that help with their own care such as grooming, walking on a lead line, accepting fly spray/medications, etc. Everything moves at the horses pace with patience and compassion.I had virtually no horse experience when I started with Canham Farms and the founder and other volunteers have been very helpful in teaching me how to work with horses. I still have much to learn and I’m looking forward to my continued participation in helping rescue horses.
My grandson and I have been involved with Canham Farm for many years now. We virtually adopted a pony named Lulu who was placed in a fabulous Forever Home and then we virtually adopted a sweet mare, ZiZi - we love the option of virtual adoption and have been fortunate enough to see transformations of traumatized horses to trusting and contented, healthy horses here at the Farm. Patience and love is key, each horse has their own story and the Farm sets the recovery plan accordingly. My grandson has also taken advantage of the Equine Therapy the Farm offers from which he has learned much about empathy as well as horsemanship.
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My grandson and I have been supporting this rescue now for several years. We have found them to be totally dedicated to their equines - rescuing them from bad situations and/or possible slaughter, rehabbing them to health and/or getting over horrible treatment then finding the perfect Forever Homes to be adopted into! They also keep up with educating everyone about our Wild Mustangs and how we can take part in saving this part of our great American Heritage! We are also very excited about their "Virtual Adoption" program in which one can love and support an equine like it's your very own until actually adopted since we don't have a place for one at this time! We've virtually adopted the darling pony, Lulu!
I've followed the good work of Canham Farm Horse Rescue for several years. Their transparency & responsible rescue is clear with their step by step documented stories about their horses. Every horse is deeply rescued and safe for life, also they do excellent work educating about at-risk equines.
Canham horse rescue continues to impress me with the individualized attention each horse and volunteer receives. The horses receive excellent care meeting their varied physical, medical, emotional, and mental needs. The volunteers are also provided with training and many learning experiences reflective of their interests. The community that is built through the shared care of the horses is supportive and encouraging. The horses learn through consistency that they are safe and well cared for, which allows them to heal and prepares them for their next chapter.
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I have volunteered at Canham Farm Horse Rescue for almost 4 years. When I first went to the rescue I knew I had found the right place to volunteer as it was a very calm environment and the horses were friendly, playful, and relaxed even though they came from troubled pasts. I am continually impressed by the exceptional care the horses receive. The transformation the formerly abused and/or neglected horses go through at the rescue can be seen in them physically, emotionally, and mentally. The rescue stays very focused on the well being of each horse, what they need as individuals to have a successful recovery and a healthy, happy life going forward. This includes proper veterinary care, farrier, chiropractic, appropriate feed, supplements, medications if needed, safe and adequate shelter, grooming, exercise, and training. There is a lot of care that goes into placing them in thoroughly vetted permanent homes once they are ready. The well being of the horse is always central, and nothing is ever rushed. I also appreciate the work Canham Horse Rescue does to educate the public about humane and responsible horsemanship.
Canham is an amazing horse rescue and rehab center. I have volunteered here for almost three years and to witness the transformation of when horses arrive at the rescue often scared, lack of trust, and malnourished, to the time they are ready to be adopted to their forever home, is beautiful. Canham relies on volunteers and donations to keep this rescue running at a high level and providing these horses a second chance at having a great life.
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I have volunteered at Canham Farm Horse Rescue for a little over a year and the rescue is amazing. These horses come from a variety of abused, neglected backgrounds and have a second chance at learning to trust again, heal, be trained and hopefully find a forever home. The founder, Julia, has a huge heart and a wealth of knowledge in horse care and training. It takes a committed group of volunteers to help provide regular care to these horses until they rehab and get adopted. Canham Farm is an outstanding horse rescue and dedicated to its mission.
I’ve been a volunteer at Canham for a year and a half. I learn something every time I’m there. These horses come in, carrying their own story. Most not good so as volunteers, we take it very seriously to stay calm to be patient and loving in hopes to make a difference in their lives. The rescue relies on volunteers and donations. Without both it wouldn’t survive.
I've been able to volunteer at Canham now for just nearly a year. Taking on this role has allowed me to continue my connection and experience with horses after moving across the country. It is clear every day how much the horses benefit from the consistent work and care provided by all the volunteers, as well as Julia, the program director. The experience of horse round ups in our country is highly traumatizing and unfair to these animals, but being able to take the ones we can and provide them a better life is what it's all about. Please consider donating to this grass roots effort of changing horse's lives!
I have been volunteering at Canham for almost 3 years and it is truly a wonderful and caring place for the horses to end up after what ever trauma or neglect they have been through. Cleaning, caring for and working with the horses has taught me so much and most importantly patience. I have learned so much from Julia and the way she works with horses, from the wild mustangs to our new goofy colt. We are volunteer based and rely on donations to keep things running, the horses fed and cared for!
I have been a volunteer for just short of eight years at Canham Farm. I have seen multiple horses brought back to health, rehabilitated and sent to their new forever home. Please consider donating or volunteering, thank you!
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As a volunteer at Canham Farm Horse Rescue, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, I have witnessed the founder, Julia, save, rehabilitate, and find homes for rescued horses. She is committed to this work despite the challenges, and allows each horse the time it needs to recover from whatever situation it was in. Volunteering at Canham Farm is rewarding on so many levels - please consider volunteering or donating to help Canham Farm keep up the good work not only saving horses but actively informing the public about domestic horses at risk but also the plight of wild horses today. Thank you!
I’ve been volunteering for Canham Farm for just about 5 years! I’ve volunteered for 5 other horse rescues in 2 other states over the years and I have to say Canham Farm is by far my favorite rescue to have volunteered for! The rescue is well run in that every horse gets individualized attention every day, there is great learning opportunities for volunteers (new and experienced), and the horses are very well taken care of including proper feed, farrier care, vet care, dentist care, chiropractic care and daily care! I feel lucky to be part of a great team of volunteers for a great nonprofit!
I have been a volunteer at Canham Farm for over 4 years. It is a wonderful environment for both humans and horses. The rescued horses are cared for lovingly as their needs demand. Some have been rescued from the BLM wild mustang round ups, some have been have been turned over by individuals who could no longer care for them and some have come from the Sheriff’s office. The goal at Canham Farm is to rescue, care for and gently prepare them to go to a new home. This process can take a long time and all of the care is done gently and calmly so that trust is built back.
It is a wonderful place to be in the Santa Cruz mountains!
Canham Farm takes such fabulous care of the rescue horses. It’s a pleasure to see them gradually heal and blossom into their full horse selves.
This is a truly unique rescue where each horse gets the very best care, training, and attention possible. The volunteers range from experienced equestrians, to people with little to no horse knowledge. In this way, more people get the opportunity to experience the beauty and acceptance of a human-equine relationship. Canham Farm is quaint, organized, and employs consistent methods so volunteers are on the same page, and safety is of the utmost importance. The horses are in beautiful condition, and their physical and mental well-being is never compromised. I appreciate the flexibility in Canham’s program to take a step back if a horse is not progressing as planned, and to evaluate alternate methods or return to basics based on the horse’s needs, rather than a rigid curriculum.
Canham Farm Horse Rescue is one of my favorite nonprofit where Horses that have been neglected need a place to rehabilitate.
Their programs not only include donations, but also adoption of the animals.
Through their events they raise money to continue with their horse rehabilitation program.
Recently, I was honored with an invitation to have an outdoors painting event at their property where artists came to paint and support their cause.
Canham Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation is a great organization that save horses from unfortunate situations like abuse, wild horse roundups, neglect and times when a horse owner can no longer care for the animal. I have attended several events at the center and observed Julia and her volunteers on how they care for the horses as well as listen to the horse. They do not force the horse to do something if it is not ready. I have learned so much about these beautiful animals during the past few months by getting to know Julia and her volunteers. The horses all look healthy and seem in good places mentally as they get quality care to recover from whatever trauma they have experienced. I highly recommend checking them out and if in the area, attend one of their horse painting events!
Canham fulfills everything you could imagine a horse rescue to be. Dependable volunteers, grooming and love for the horses, and good medical and dental care for them. There is a joint effort to keep everything up, and put the horses first.
It’s also quite a beautiful location.
I have been a volunteer with Canham Farm Horse Rescue & Rehabilitation in Scotts Valley, California for the past 2.5 years. My time at the rescue has been a very unique, eye opening, and educational experience.
Unique in the horses ability to communicate with humans through movement, presence and energy is unbelievable.
Eye-opening in that the horses have taught me how to communicate better, be calm and more aware of my actions.
Education as far as for a person that has many years experience riding horses, only after working with the rescued horses and the founder of our rescue (Julia), am I more present and mindful in my approach with horses and as a rider which in turn results in a confident, peaceful, and positive experience for the horse.
Doing volunteer work with animals (especially horses ) is something that I encourage others to learn more about and consider taking advantage of the opportunities available to you. It is truly rewarding to both humans and animals.
I was a volunteer at Canham and I left after only four days. All of the volunteers I met and worked with were good people and I enjoyed the work.
But if you are wanting to volunteer for (or donate to) a horse rescue, I would not recommend Canham.
The owner has a very bad temper and she was so verbally abusive with me I decided not to return. One of the other volunteers was present when the owner was raging at me and that volunteer later told me "she [the owner] didn't mean it" and that "she's yelled at me" like that before too!
Why would anyone want to volunteer in that type of an environment? My advice is find some place else to volunteer, because there is zero tolerance for making a mistake while learning.
Additionally, the organization has both privately owned horses and rescue horses in the same facility and the volunteers service all of the animals, not just the rescue horses. It made me wonder how Canham could truly be a "non-profit" facility.
I'm giving them 2 stars because the volunteers seem dedicated and the animals looked to be in good condition.
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Thank you for the apology provided below, I appreciate that. However, I must point out that there have been several versions posted about where and what I was doing at the farm on my final day and who was present.
The truth is I was standing outside of a closed stall, when the verbal tirade began, neither I nor the owner were in any danger; nor was the horse inside the stall. There was one other volunteer tending to some other chores at the opposite end of the enclosure, no one else was present.
With respect to the Volunteer Application, the file was too large to upload both pages, so I only uploaded the first page. The purpose of providing a copy of that document was to allow readers so see what I stated about my background and level of experience. I now see that the prior commentary untruthfully alleging that I presented myself as "very experienced" has been removed.
Now, I've attached the second page of the Volunteer Application for everyone to read. All of 'my' comments have been truthful and respectful. I have also been supportive in my comments about the volunteers and the condition of the animals.
The review I posted is my opinion of Canham Farms and is protected by my First Amendment right to speak freely.
canhamfarm 02/26/2019
Dear BabsMaxwell. We are sorry you were not happy with your experience as a new volunteer at Canham Farm Horse Rescue. While we try to accommodate people with different levels of expertise to work with our rescued horses we also have to be mindful of safety of our volunteers and our horses. Your compassion for animals was evident in your short time with us and we were certainly grateful for your help, however, as you yourself stated in an email, sometimes the fit is not right. Please accept our apologies if you were upset in anyway. We can assure you our primary concern was your safety.
I started volunteering at Canham about 8 months ago and have truly found a home away from home! The rescue is on a beautiful property surrounded by redwoods that is a wonderful sanctuary for the horses who come there from very rough situations. I love cleaning, feeding and loving on these amazing creatures that have been given a second chance. The rescue's founder Julia Hyde does a wonderful job of rehabilitating and training the rescues from patiently introducing a wild mustang filly bound for slaughter to domestic life to providing a happy home for a painfully skinny Arab who was deemed "impossible to manage." Not so anymore! Even though I've grown up with horses, I've learned so much from her about training and horses in general. It's truly been a life changing experience. I now own property zoned for horses and can't wait to rescue my own one day! Here is a photo of me with Harry, a palomino Quarter Horse yearling who was relinquished from his owners after he was found with lice and fleas in a pasture full of trash and junk. He is now learning how to lunge and his coat is shiny and healthy! (When it's not dirty from rolling!)
Canham Farm Horse Rescue is a wonderful non-profit horse rescue located in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The horses receive loving care in an environment guaranteed to provide peace and tranquility. Great place to volunteer! Jill
When my husband and I visited Canham Horse Rescue, we were touched by the big hearts – both human and equine. We’ve been part of their efforts to rescue & rehabilitate horses ever since. Imagination has led to accommodations for more horses than might seem possible – every horse has a story, every horse has a need, and there always are more in need. To make possible helping as many horses as possible, placing these horses in good homes is the goal. Every success brings the taste of victory for a horse that had been in tough times, and at the same time brings the emotions of losing a friend – these horses, when they arrive are often fearful, often emaciated, yet gradually gain health, trust, even gratitude and yes, do become friends. Placing horses opens spots for others, and thus begins again the challenge of the process – with empathy and skilled horsemanship, using training techniques suited to the emotionally vulnerable. The dual needs for making all this happen – volunteers to do the work and funds for grain, hay, bedding, shelter, vet care and facility maintenance – come from generous, compassionate donors. As volunteers who see first-hand how much good every gift of money or time does, we urge all who can to donate, become involved, and spread the work about horse rescue!
I was lucky enough to find Canham Farm and Julia after relocating to the area from the Bay. Here, as a volunteer, I'm able to witness firsthand the level of dedication, compassion and love that is poured into this barn every single day. Whether it's pouring sheets of rain or is 115 degrees in the shade the horses are always the number one priority. This speaks to the level of dedication of the volunteers and Julia the woman who practices the most gentle horsemanship I've ever witnessed. As a non-profit none of this would be possible (grain, bedding, hay, vet bills, farrier visits) without the generosity of those donors near or far who would be in the barn with us volunteers if they could. From Harry, the blonde Palomino boy saved from Salinas, who when we took in was living up to his knees in waste, infested with fleas, to Sunset our resident Arabian/saddlebred magician who will let himself out of the paddock at first opportunity, to Maya the Mustang a sweet filly bound for slaughter so wild and mangy, she was untouchable for months and is now the charmer of the herd-- we thank you