THE TEAM AT R&R RANCH IS EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ON CARING FOR THESE SMALL – BUT MIGHTY – MINIS

Among the conservation areas and tree-lined streets of Wildwood, Missouri sits R&R Ranch Miniature Horse Sanctuary. The nonprofit organization has become a beloved facet of the community – not only because of the small, galloping horses passersby often glimpse from the road, but also for their inspiring mission to educate the public on what it takes to care for these popular, yet often mistreated, animals.

“ We like to think of ourselves as an ‘accidental rescue, ’” owner Stacy Rolfe explains. She and her husband David originally purchased the 32-acre property in 2013 as raw land. They share the space with turkey and deer in order to preserve its natural beauty.

Knowing they ’d have a barn on the property, the family thought that eventually owning a mini horse could be fun. “Little did we know,” Rolfe adds. “ We fell into the same trap that so many others do.”

In 2016, Rolfe’s daughter Belle – a competitive equestrian who now works alongside her mom at the sanctuary – found two mini horses on Craigslist and purchased them with Rolfe. “These minis, a bonded pair, were both 2 years old,” Rolfe says. “By the time we got them, they were on their fourth owner In two short years, they’d been bought and sold four times.”

After becoming aware of this common issue, the family promised to give any mini horse they could a forever home and to inform the public about the animals’ needs in the process, as too many owners tend to see mini horses as novelties.

Just six weeks after the two original minis came to the sanctuary, their previous owner called Rolfe and asked if she wanted to purchase a mini mare and her baby Initially, Rolfe declined, but she began to change her mind when considering the repercussions.

“Overnight, as I thought about these two being sold the next day with the high probability that the baby would be separated from its mother, I called offering to purchase them both,” she says.

Although his mother has since passed away, the baby, Stanley, is now 9 years old and thriving thanks to the hardworking team at R&R Ranch who keep the sanctuary going.

“ We have an outstanding team managing the barn who [cleans stalls and feeds the horses],” Rolfe explains. “My daughter and I fill in everywhere else. Together, we handle social media, working with the horses, medical and farrier work, therapy visits, school and community outreach and tour programs. ”

The five-person team could talk about their herd of minis for days. For instance, Banks, a small white mini horse, was found by Rolfe in Arkansas at 18 years old. “He spent his life giving pony rides at carnivals and birthday parties,” she says. “He was completely bitten up when we got him – a result of the bigger ponies biting him over food.”

Once he arrived, the team started Banks on a nutrition plan, fixed his teeth and trimmed his feet. Although he only weighs 215 pounds, he’d given rides to children of all sizes, Rolfe says – all while wearing a 19-pound saddle.

“Part [of ] what we do at R&R is educating the public on the proper care and treatment of minis,” Rolfe says. “[This includes] teaching parents and grandparents that horses can approximately carry 20 percent of their body weight. Given Banks’ weight of 215 pounds, he could carry 40 pounds, [which is] the size of a toddler We can assume he’d been carrying much bigger children on his back ”

Even with good intentions, the dangers of purchasing an animal without doing proper research – or just because it looks adorable – are numerous. Many people do not have the resources or knowledge to care for their mini horses properly, Rolfe explains, which means they get passed from hand to hand – just like the sanctuary ’ s first pair of horses.

With free monthly public tours for up to 40 guests – and private tours for groups of five to 20-plus, as well as corporate tours – the sanctuary ’ s goal of protecting miniature horses is going off without a hitch.

R&R Ranch Miniature Horse Sanctuary, 18222 Wild Horse Creek Road, Wildwood, randrranchminis.com

By Maggie Peters

Community School Summer Camps Micds Summer Camps

Play, learn, and create this summer at Community School’s beautiful 18-acre campus. Camps are available for children ages 3 through eighth grade and include half-day and full-day options. Choose from dozens of activities led by experienced faculty and partners, including Community School’s signature FUNdamentals camp. Camps have limited enrollment, so register today!

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Your summer adventure awaits at MICDS! Three camps – along with the Global Online Academy – offer a variety of activities for children in grades K-12. Campers will explore unique learning opportunities, academic and enrichment courses, sports, and hobbies. Except for the virtual GOA program, all camps are located on the MICDS campus and supervised by counselors and staff.

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Summer at Whitfield offers a variety of engaging and enriching camp options, including Camp Whitfield, Sports Camps and a summer session for middle school-aged campers. Whether you’re on the court, in the art studio, or in the science lab, campers are guided through new challenges, team-building, and fun! Registration opens on March 1 - go online to learn more today!

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