Angel’s journey into the horse world began when her daughter, Kayley, was 8 years old and battling depression. Her quest for a place where one could simply “be” with horses serendipitously led her to the esteemed horse whisperer and author, Carolyn Resnick. This fortuitous encounter with Carolyn culminated in Angel and Kayley residing in Carolyn’s home, where they completed a transformative one-month internship during the summer of 2017.
During that summer, the three of them occasionally visited local horse ranches. On one of their first trips, Carolyn spoke of her dream to have a mountainous range, open to the public, where visitors could observe and learn from wild horses.
Something deep stirred within her; Angel knew this vision was to become a reality.
This very same trip brought them to a remote ranch in northeastern San Diego County. It was very hot – too hot for people; it was vacant and desolate. Yet, there were dozens of horses on this ranch – some in box stalls, some in small paddocks. A stallion was in a cage that was covered on all sides, including the top. It wasn’t until many years later that Angel realized that it was the sighting of one solitary black horse, head hung out of a corner box stall, that mysteriously ignited an indistinguishable fire within her to advocate for and advance horse welfare issues.
Shortly after their summer internship, Angel and Kayley expanded their connection with horses by adopting a wild mustang named Melody and her foal, Ruby. Melody was rescued, 11 months pregnant, off a truck bound for slaughter and was divinely guided to sacred land in Santa Cruz County where she delivered her baby that very same night. Melody’s poignant journey, from a once-aggressive wild mustang to a gentle teacher and companion, only fortified Angel’s resolve to champion horse welfare.
These experiences, combined with other experiences along the path, were the inspiration to create a retirement sanctuary and sacred space where nature serves as the classroom, and horses are the teachers. The collective purpose extends along a dual path: first, to open the gates to the world of horses to ignite widespread interest in and advocacy for horse welfare; and second, to elevate human consciousness through the sacred convergence of nature, horses, and humanity. This is Beyond Liberty!