Our Mission

Summit Valley Horse Center provides rehabilitation to rescued horses so that they are more likely to be adopted into their forever homes. We also aspire to enrich the lives of our community of volunteers and visitors to Summit County by providing them the opportunity to learn about the nature of horses, how to communicate with them, and to experience the well-known benefits of horse-person connections.

People helping horses helping people

We realize this mission by

Partnering with rescue organizations

Partnering with horse rescues in Colorado to bring abandoned or neglected horses out to our ranch each summer, so that our trained volunteers help them become safe and adoptable.

Providing Learning Opportunities

Offering learning opportunities to individuals of all ages on how to communicate with horses, help them be responsive to human direction, and receptive to riding.

Partnering with local youth and adult agencies

Partnering with local youth and adult agencies to help the meet their objectives by providing them interactive experiences with horses at our ranch.

Our Unique Contribution to Summit County

Summit Valley Horse Center, a Colorado 501c3 non-profit, impacts our community in two unique ways:

1. We offer rescue horses a second chance at life.

Every year in Colorado, there are hundreds of horses that are abandoned, abused or surrendered by owners who can no longer care for them. Horse rescue organizations across Colorado work hard to gather these horses into a safe refuge so that their health can be restored, and that they can be adopted into new homes. However, some rescued horses are seen as challenging because of behavior problems or lack of basic training, which puts them at high risk of eventually being euthanized or sold at auction into unfavorable circumstances. This is where Summit Valley Horse Center comes in: Each summer we partner with several Colorado Horse Rescues to help rehabilitate their horses at our ranch in Silverthorne, where our trained volunteers work tirelessly to help rebuild these horses into trusted companions that loving families want to adopt.

2. We make it possible for people of all ages & backgrounds to experience the joy of human-horse connection.

There are very few places in Summit County where children of all means can come to learn about the nature of horses and get hands on experience in grooming, relating to, training and riding these animals. It’s equally rare for adults to have a place to learn about horses and build their horsemanship skills, eventually learning how to train rescued horses to be rideable and adoptable. Through programs offered with our trained horses - our mini’s, ponies, and full-size horses – we give residents and visitors to Summit County the rare opportunity to spend quality time with horses, learn how to connect and communicate with them, and experience the joy that simply being with horses can bring.

Letter from our President, Ross Sheely

Dear Friends,

2025 was an incredible year for SVHC! 15 Horses found forever homes, we built new partnerships with Colorado rescues, added fresh activities at the ranch, and welcomed more amazing volunteers.

2026 is all about growth. Together, we can expand classes, host more public events, and strengthen connections with businesses and organizations.

SVHC is where people and horses come together—and where everyone leaves feeling good. Join us in any way you can: lend a hand at the ranch, share a smile, make a contribution. Every effort counts, and the possibilities are endless. Our dedicated team of staff and volunteers may be small, but their passion is huge. They love what they do—working with horses and people to make SVHC extraordinary. Let’s keep the momentum going. Come visit us at the ranch and be part of something special.

With gratitude, Yahoo

Ross A Sheely
President, Summit Valley Horse Center
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A letter from our Executive Director, Jen Anderson

Before moving to Silverthorne from the Front Range in 2022, I volunteered with a horse rescue where I enjoyed caring for and spending time around the horses. The only thing I truly worried about when moving was losing that connection with them.

I discovered Summit Valley Horse Center while searching online and began volunteering as soon as I could. My experience here has far exceeded my hopes and expectations. SVHC gave me the opportunity to learn how to work with horses—not just feed and care for them. Being part of an organization that assists other rescues with training and rehoming, while also providing so many people the opportunity to get involved at whatever level they feel comfortable, has been a unique and deeply rewarding experience.

Joining the board as treasurer last summer brought me even further into the organization, as I began learning more about how we do what we do.

Our growth over the past few years has been remarkable. Lizzie Kanetsky and the ranch team continue to work closely with our partners—Next Step Horse Rescue, Mountain Valley Horse Rescue, Wild Hearts Haven, and Troublesome Horse Rescue—to give their rescued horses a better chance at adoption. Since 2023, we have fostered 37 horses, 30 of which have found new homes.

Our programs have also evolved and expanded. We now offer new public programs, expanded services for organizations whose clients benefit from connecting with horses, and new opportunities focused on wellness and leadership experiences. At the same time, our members continue to enjoy a wide range of beginner and advanced horse training classes, as well as riding lessons. We have grown from offering 200 classes in 2023 to 350 classes in 2025. By expanding our boarding program and staying open year-round, we are able to maintain a reliable herd of horses for our programs while also supporting horse owners in the community.

This growth is exciting, but it is also stretching our capacity. There are so many opportunities ahead as we continue helping horses while finding new ways to connect people with them. By ensuring we have the right people in the right places—and by providing stronger oversight and leadership across the entire organization, including both the ranch and the thrift store—we believe we will be well positioned for the future.

I am honored to serve as Interim Executive Director as we define and build this role, ensuring that the future of Summit Valley Horse Center remains bright. Our mission will always remain the same: people helping horses helping people.

Our Team