Rescue horse sanctuary finds permanent home
Seven horses cantered together through a pasture cleared just for them, their first jaunt in a permanent home after moving several times in recent years.
The horses belong to Henry’s Home, a newly relocated sanctuary in Grand Central Park, a master- planned community just north of The Woodlands in Montgomery County. Their arrival marks the end of owner Donna Stedman’s search for a long- term refuge for both horses and humans.
“Everyone told me itwould be impossible, and here it is,” Stedman said Saturday afternoon.
Henry’s Home, a nonprofit established in 2014, houses mostly rescue horses, many of which come undernourished
and unhealthy. Volunteers donate time and money for the chance to ride and care for the animals.
The sanctuary’s new location encompasses 10 acres of land donated by Johnson Development, the company that oversees Grand Central Park. Everett Coverdell, a construction manager for the company, said the nonprofit’s mission seemed like a good fit.
“The passion this group has for these horses in incredible,” he said. “The timing was right, and the location was right.”
Stedman had been searching for a place to grow her sanctuary for years. It started in 2012, when she adopted her first two horses, Henry and Lexi, from the Houston SPCA.
The following year, she found a home for them on the property of a couple in Spring Hills, a subdivision just south of The Woodlands. She started a small trail riding business and adopted five more horses.
But neighbors objected to the horses, so in December she moved them to Coverdell’s property.
With the help of local Eagle Scouts and Leadership Montgomery County, another nonprofit organization, Stedman prepared the Grand Central Park land for her herd of now 10 horses. The diverse group includes an ex-racehorse related to the famous Secretariat and a miniature horse named Willie Nelson.
In the new location, Stedman plans to launch an equine therapy pro- gram for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, an idea developed after watching several former military members interact with the rescues.
She and several volunteers recently became certified with the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association, a nonprofit that promotes certain therapy techniques that encourage veterans to engage and communicate with horses.
“The horse does all the therapy,” Stedman said.
Pam Grabsky, a retired school principal and Henry’s Home board member, got certified after witnessing veterans develop bonds with the animals that helped them recover from their experiences.
“I know it makes a difference,” she said. “Horses can be pretty intimidating, but at the end of the day, they want to be in a relationship.”
Stedman said she expects to start a six-month pilot program for six veterans once the sanctuary’s office and arena are complete, likely at the start of next year.
Meanwhile, the sanctuary will continue to serve the group’s 30 regular volunteers.
Linda Ward, who joined Stedman’s team this summer, said the work has helped her overcome depression that she hadn’t been able to shake. She found a new purpose and new friends there.
“My life was just falling apart,” she said. “It has been a lifesaver for me, because I was at the end of my rope.”