Meet Klare
On the way home from picking her up in South Florida, we stopped at Wawa—one of the joys of my life.
A woman noticed Klare in the trailer. It was her 50th birthday, and she asked if she could come say hello. She stood there for a few minutes just taking Klare in, smiling, asking questions, clearly happy to have stumbled into that moment. Before she left, she pressed a small donation into my hand and insisted I take it.
It was kind, but what stayed with me was how much joy Klare brought her in just a few minutes, standing there in a parking lot.
Klare arrived home that night, Sunday, March 8th, and I have not stopped smiling since.
Her name is Klare, short for Klarenchidé DN, a nod to her Dutch breeding. She is a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare with a small star on her face, a big heart, and a story that we feel incredibly lucky to now be part of.
Klare was born in the Netherlands in April 2015, bred from world-class jumping bloodlines—her background is a little bit rock star, a little bit royalty. She spent the last few years in Southwest Ranches, Florida with an adult amateur dressage rider, Tai Lewis, under the care of our friend Lorena Kaelber. On Sunday, Anna and I made the drive down to bring her home that night.
In December 2024, Klare pulled a shoe and injured her front right foot. After six months of careful recovery, it became clear that returning to her previous work was not going to be possible. Tai was faced with the kind of decision that only the most devoted horse owners ever have to make—letting go of a horse you love because you want what is best for her.
She chose Klare’s future over her own attachment, and we feel incredibly lucky to be the ones she trusted with that decision.
That path is what brought Klare here.
She is loving, curious, and gentle in the way she approaches things. But what stands out most to me is how calm and present she is, and how quickly she has settled in with our herd and our students.
She is still figuring out the rest of the farm.
The goats got a cautious side-eye at first, and then she seemed to decide they were acceptable.
Kiwi, our pig, has been more of an ongoing situation. After spending her first week unsure about her, Klare has now decided she would really prefer Kiwi keep her distance—despite Kiwi continuing to show up like, “let’s be friends… but also I’m in charge.”
The chickens, on the other hand, have been easy. She seems to have decided they are not worth the effort.
But more than anything, she loves people. That is my favorite part.
Here she is as a baby filly, full of promise:
Watch Klare as a filly
We are so grateful to Tai for trusting us with her.
Klare is not retired. She is just beginning something new, and I cannot wait to see who she becomes here.
Welcome home, Klare. We are so glad you’re here.
CHEYNE RANCH, INC.
Teaching Animal Care & Connection
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Our mission: We teach animal care and connection in a safe, inclusive, and accessible community where people of all abilities grow in confidence, develop life skills, and form meaningful relationships.