February Newsletter 🐴💙
Happy February, Cheyne Ranch families! We've got a lot to share this month — from surviving a historic freeze to welcoming two new horses to announcing camp dates. Let's jump in!
Happy Valentine's Day from Cheyne Ranch! 💚🐴
Lujen just turned 27 years old! We love all our time with you Lujen!
Ms. Katie did a Valentine's presentation with our Nature Club students about how BIG a horse's heart is — and the kids were amazed!
🐴 A horse's heart weighs 8 to 10 pounds — the size of a bowling ball! A human heart? Less than a pound — about the size of your fist.
💓 A horse's heart pumps 7 to 10 gallons of blood per minute. A human heart pumps about one quart.
⚡ Here's the coolest part: research from the HeartMath Institute found that a horse's electromagnetic field is five times larger than a human's. Horses tend to have a calm, steady heart rhythm — and when we stand near them, our own heart rhythms can actually begin to sync with theirs. This may be why so many people feel calmer, more grounded, and more at peace just by being near a horse.
This is the science behind what our families already feel when they're here.
Happy Valentine's Day from all of us (two-legged and four-legged)! 🐴❤️
What a Florida Freeze Looks Like 🥶
Jan 31, Feb 1, Feb 2 - what were you doing at 1:00 AM each of those nights? I know what I was doing.
Central Florida got hit with an unprecedented cold snap — low 20s for 12 to 15 hours across three straight nights. Caring for 60+ animals through that - mostly caring for our outdoor water pipes - (ha! who knew?) was a massive undertaking.
🐎 Philip did hourly overnight checks all three nights. We burned through 30% more hay than normal to keep the horses' internal furnaces running. Our fabulous Katie tracked down the last bag of straw in the area. All of our workers stayed late and came early and just worked and wored. Community members donated blankets for our senior horses. ❤️
👉 Read the full story + watch the midnight animal check video
🏃 Join Our 5K Team — February 22!
We're putting together a Cheyne Ranch team for the Abilities Workshop 2nd Annual 5K and we'd love for you to join us!
We represented last year and it was so much fun. You can walk, jog, push a stroller, or dress up like a super hero. 🦸♀️ All 4 of my kids did the race last year!
📍 Where: UCF 🗓 When: Sunday, February 22, 2026 ⏰ Time: Early morning
💲 Registration through Cheyne Ranch:
$40 per participant
$15 per Special Athlete 💛
We also have a few sponsored spots available for our volunteers and students — reach out to me if you're interested!
THE DEADLINE TO SIGN UP IS THIS SUNDAY!! FEB 15!
🌸 Spring Break Camp — Register NOW!
Spring Break Camp registration is open!!
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday
March 17, 18 & 19
9:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Ages 5–12 | 4:1 ratio | $165
Three days of hands-on horse care, nature walks, animal care, games, and crafts. Every camper gets a hand-led pony ride each day (about 10 minutes of saddle time). We eat lunch together on the playground picnic tables.
☀️ Summer Camp Dates Announced!
Ready to work and play in the HEAT?
We're excited to share our 2026 Summer Camp schedule! Registration will open soon — mark your calendars now so you don't miss it.
Week 1: June 2, 3 & 4 (Tue–Thu)
Week 2: June 16, 17 & 18 (Tue–Thu)
Week 3: June 30, July 1 & 2 (Tue–Thu)
All weeks run 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Ages 5–12 | 4:1 ratio | $165 per week
Camp is like Nature club - but during the summer we also go swimming from 12:30–1:00 PM (weather permitting)! 🏊
Also - we have Friday Nature Club meeting the first 6 Fridays of June / July.
🐴 Welcome, Misty!
We are thrilled to introduce the newest member of our herd — Misty!
Anna’s horse riding trainer, Natalie Jackowski of KnK Equestrian found Misty just up the road in Port Orange, FL. She is an 18-year-old Thoroughbred who has been with the same lovely family for the past 12 years. As a 4-year-old (back in 2011!), Misty raced 13 times in Tampa and Boston. She placed once out of 13 — third place. You are definitely more my speed, Misty. 😅
We have a care lease for Misty, which means no money was exchanged. We presented a friendly contract that assures her owners we'll uphold Misty's great standard of care for the length of the lease. In two years when the care lease concludes, we can discuss a permanent donation of Misty to Cheyne Ranch. When Misty's family originally posted her care lease on Facebook, over 300 people commented asking for her — so we feel incredibly honored that through Natalie's connections and Cheyne Ranch's reputation, we were the ones chosen to give Misty her next home. 💛
Right now Misty is settling into the herd — which takes about a month — so Anna is spending the most time with her as she adjusts to her new home.
🐴 Welcome, Edward!
One more big announcement. Hopefully. Almost. (Is it too soon to tell you all he's coming? 😅) And that our 12th horse will definitely complete our herd.
Edward is an 11-year-old gelding coming as a donation to Cheyne Ranch from the same incredible family who donated Honey Bun to us. These freezing winter storms meant the professional transport company bringing him from Mississippi — an 11-hour drive! — was delayed. Edward is supposed to leave this weekend (Happy Valentine's Day 💝) and arrive early this coming week (Feb 18 maybe?)
Edward is a Missouri Foxtrotter — a breed developed in the Ozark Mountains over 200 years ago by settlers who needed a sure-footed, smooth-riding horse that could handle rough, rocky terrain all day long. Foxtrotters are known for their gentle, calm temperaments and their signature gait — the "fox trot" — where the horse walks with the front legs and trots with the hind legs, creating an incredibly smooth ride. They're naturally great with beginners and kids because they're patient, willing, and not easily spooked (ha! famous last words 😂). We already know Edward is super sweet and kind — and we are so excited for you to meet him. 🐴
💚 Support Cheyne Ranch
Cheyne Ranch runs on program fees, monetary donations, and a whole lot of love. We don't pay rent. We don't pay for facilities or executive leadership. We keep costs low so our programs stay accessible — and we never pass the true cost of this work on to families.
Monetary donations fund what the rest can't: hay, fair instructor pay, safety equipment, and supplies for 100+ students and 12 horses.
If you'd like to help, every gift — big or small — goes directly to the horses and to the kids whose lives they change. 🐴
💚 Thank you for being part of this incredible community.
Sally Ann Cheyne Cheyne Ranch, Inc. | Oviedo, FL 32765 cheyneranch.com | info@cheyneranch.com
What a Florida Freeze Looks Like at Cheyne Ranch 🥶🐴
I used 2 of those ear warmer head band things to go outside at night - I’m so lucky I have a real winter coat!
Video of a midnight animal check
tl;dr A 3-night Florida freeze looks like no sleep. and expensive. It is expensive.
Its COLD 🥶❄️ ☃️
If you've been watching the news this week, you know that an unprecedented cold snap hit Florida — hard. Temperatures plunged into the low 20s across Central Florida and stayed there for 12 to 15 hours at a stretch over multiple nights. It was the kind of cold Florida hasn't seen since 2010! 🌡️
We wanted to share what those three nights actually looked like here at Cheyne Ranch — because caring for 60+ animals in a freeze like this is a massive undertaking, and we're proud of how our family, our team, and our community came together to get through it.
All Hands on Deck 👨👩👧👦
In the days leading up to the freeze, volunteers, workers, students, all 4 Cheyne kids — all of us were working to prepare the barn. We were also expecting high winds that first night, so we had to completely clear out everything from the barn aisle. It kind of felt like hurricane prep in that sense (but in February?)
Once the cold hit, there was not a lot of sleep happening. My husband Philip did checks on the animals and pipes every single hour overnight that first night. When he saw how fast the temperatures were dropping, he placed (many) hand warmers next to our main above-ground pipe / valve thing (backflow device that ALL our water comes through) and wrapped them in multiple layers of towels and blankets to slow the heat loss. At 1 AM, I told him the goats seemed cold — so he went out and built them a wind block out of hay bales and tarp - I think they were happy. 🐐💨
Keeping Animals Warm and Fed 🐎🥕
Here's something you might not know: horses generate heat through their hindgut fermentation — the process of digesting forage actually produces warmth from the inside out! So when temperatures drop dangerously low, one of the most important things we can do is keep them eating. Over the course of three freezing nights, we went through roughly 30% more hay than normal, making sure every horse had constant access to forage to keep their internal furnaces running. 🔥
We also purchased large quantities of extra bedding — mostly shavings — to insulate stalls and give animals warm, dry places to rest. By the time the cold hit, supplies were running thin everywhere. One of our team members, Katie, drove to multiple stores searching for what turned out to be the last available bag of straw. 🙌
For our senior horses, we were incredibly fortunate. Our community rallied and donated blankets, towels, and even horse blankets, which allowed us to double up on layers for the animals who needed it most. ❤️
Our barn cats had warming mats to get them through the coldest hours 🐱, and every animal on the property got extra attention and monitoring throughout each night.
The Water Problem 💧
Water was the other big challenge and most likely the most expensive challenge.
Pipes start to be at risk once temperatures drop below 32 degrees, and we noticed our hoses were freezing solid within an hour of hitting that mark — which tells us our property may have actually been a few degrees colder than what our weather app was showing. 🥶
Our automatic waterers broke due to the freeze and will need to be replaced entirely. To protect our outdoor pipes, we kept water running through them all three nights — the right call to prevent catastrophic pipe bursts, but our water bill is going to tell quite a story! 😅 We did still experience a couple of broken pipes despite our best efforts, which added to both the water loss and the repair costs.
Between the hay, the bedding, the waterer replacements, the broken pipe repairs, the water bill from three nights of running lines, and the increased electric bill from running heaters and warming mats — it adds up fast. And that's before you count the extra labor during the prep and aftermath.
It's Bigger Than Us 🤝
We know we're not alone in this. Small farms and agricultural operations across Central Florida are dealing with the same kind of unplanned expenses and losses right now.
Our friend Dennis Langlois at Black Hammock Bee Farms — right here in Oviedo — lost approximately 50% of his bees in the freeze. 🐝 That is a devastating loss.
Across the state, citrus and berry growers are still assessing damage after running irrigation systems around the clock and working through the night to protect their crops. The Florida Agriculture Commissioner has requested a federal disaster declaration. If you're interested in the bigger picture of how this freeze impacted Florida agriculture, this AccuWeather article is a good read. 🍊
Why We Do It 🌿
A freeze like this is exhausting. It's expensive. It's a lot of sleepless nights and cold hands and worrying about animals in the dark. But every one of us — our family, our staff, our volunteers — showed up without hesitation. Because that's what you do when animals depend on you. ☀️
We're so grateful for the community members who dropped off blankets and supplies, for the volunteers who came out in the cold, and for the team members who went above and beyond. This is what Cheyne Ranch is all about. 💚
Video of a midnight animal check
5K Race for a GREAT CAUSE!
🐴👟 Join us for our 2nd 5K race with the Abilities Workshop! 👟🐴
We’re putting together a Cheyne Ranch team for the Abilities Workshop 2nd Annual 5K, and we’d LOVE for you to join us! 💙
This benefits a GREAT CAUSE and we are proud to support them.
Cheyne Ranch represented last year — and it was so much fun! 🎉 You can walk, jog, push a stroller, or be like me last year… walk but not finish (I was sick 😅). 💛
All 4 of my kids did the race 👟👟👟👟
🦸♀️ You can dress up like a SUPER HERO… or you don’t have to 😉
📍 Where: UCF
🗓 When: Sunday, February 22, 2026
⏰ Time: Early morning 🌅
💲 Registration through Cheyne Ranch:
• $40 per participant
• $15 per Special Athlete 💛
🌟 We also have a few sponsored spots available for our volunteers and students! Reach out to me.
I’ll post the registration link soon — you’ll pay Cheyne Ranch, and we’ll submit one larger payment to Abilities Workshop 🧾✔️
👉 Come walk, jog, run, cheer, dress up, or just be part of the team as Cheyne Ranch proudly supports Abilities Workshop 🐴💙
Cold Weather This Week ❄️
Central Florida is experiencing record-breaking cold, with overnight freezes and early morning temperatures in the 40s. These are the coldest conditions we’ve seen in over 16 years, and colder than anything Cheyne Ranch has experienced during our 7 years of operation.
We do plan to hold class as scheduled, but last-minute cancellations are possible if safety becomes a concern.
🧥 Please Dress in Layers
No special gear needed — just layering what you already have at home:
A t-shirt with a sweatshirt or hoodie, plus a jacket or coat
Long pants (leggings under sweatpants are a great option)
Warm socks — even two pairs of socks can help a lot
Hats & gloves are very helpful, and if needed, Ms. Katie made several warm winter hats available for students to use.
❤️ Health Comes First
If cold weather triggers immunity concerns, asthma, or other health issues, there is no pressure to attend this week.
🐎 About Riding
Cold weather can make horses a little more spunky, so riding classes may focus on groundwork and animal care rather than mounted work. As always, safety comes first.
🐴🧤 Learning Through Responsibility
This is also a meaningful opportunity for students to learn that animals need care in all kinds of weather. Our Cheyne Ranch staff and volunteers will be here, dressed in layers and ready, modeling preparation, responsibility, and thoughtful care. 🐴🧤
^^ Cheyne Ranch workers and volunteers take note :)
In the meantime… help me figure out how bottle up this cold weather for our June and July days together! ❄️😉
In Memory of Teddi
Remembering Teddi
I am so sad to share that Teddi, our sweet 19-year-old pony, passed away unexpectedly over the weekend.
His health had been slowly declining over the past few weeks, and over the weekend it took a turn for the worse. Our veterinarian believes it was most likely heart failure. Sadly, when horses suffer significant cardiovascular decline, there is very little that can be done. Teddi passed away quickly and was surrounded by love until the very end.
Gratitude
I want to extend such a big hug and deep appreciation to everyone who showed up — in person or on the phone — and gave us so much support. Our veterinarian, Dr. Seiler; Todd Gelm; our neighbor Brian; and our calm, incredibly compassionate team members Katie and Erin. To the 2 moms (nurses) there just trying to be with their kids at a lesson - but talking me through medical stuff, thank you Cassie and Katje. I also want to send special love to our volunteers Abby, Katelynn, Kaitlyn, Christopher, and Cole, who went on to work a birthday party immediately afterward, carrying on with care and professionalism despite everything they had just been through. To the volunteers who stepped in with such kindness — Eva and London — and of course the four Cheyne kids: thank you all for the love, patience, and endless help you gave on a very hard day.
How Teddi Found His Way to Cheyne Ranch
Teddi came to us four years ago from a dear friend's horse rescue, Horses That Help in Ocala. She listed him on her website on a Sunday in November 2021, and as soon as I saw the listing, I knew he had to come live here. He arrived at Cheyne Ranch just 48 hours later, and we spent the next six months showing him all the things we do here.
The Relationships That Made Him Special
Originally, Alyssa, our first (and amazing) trainer, rode him. Oh my, how Teddi loved Alyssa. Then our very first student, Skyler, rode him weekly. I watched Teddi love Skyler, and it was just so beautiful to watch. As Teddi began to understand his job here, he was loved on by more and more students. He quickly became a favorite of so many. There were a small handful of students who chose Teddi every single week. Watching that trust build over time was incredibly special.
Photos
Tonight, I went through the last four years of photos. There are thousands. It feels like every student who has ever been to Cheyne Ranch has a photo with Teddi. I selected about 400 images and gathered them into this album: 2026 In Memory of Teddi
While going through those photos, I came across several of a deeply loved student who passed away two years ago. I had forgotten just how much he loved Teddi too. Seeing them together again felt like a beautiful reminder of two incredible lives that crossed paths here. If horses go to heaven, I hope Teddi and this young boy are together again.
Honoring Teddi’s Memory
Several people have asked if they can donate to a memorial fund for Teddi. I will share the link here: Stripe Donation
Sadness, Gratitude and What Comes Next
We don’t expect to ever replace Teddi — he was absolutely one of a kind. However, as faith or fate would have it, Cheyne Ranch has been offered a kind and gentle 10-year-old gelding pony named Edward, whose size and temperament may allow him to support some of the same students who trusted Teddi. While plans are still taking shape, we hope to bring him down to Florida sometime in February. We didn’t plan on this timing, and I find myself both grateful and grieving at the same time.
Thank you for everything Teddi
We will miss Teddi more than words can say.
Photo album: 2026 In Memory of Teddi
Donation link: Stripe Donation
ISO Hunter/Equitation Type Horse
Photo credit: Molly Murtha
Putting feelers out for a hunter/eq type for a young adult amateur rider. Rider has been riding for 10+ years and had success on local circuits up to 2'6".
What we're looking for:
5 years and older
15hh or taller
Hunter/equitation type (warmblood preferred, but realistic about budget)
Honest to the fences
Amateur-friendly and forgiving
Lead change is a plus, but open to finishing one
Minor maintenance is okay
Will be in a professional program
Very important: This horse will live on site at Cheyne Ranch, an adaptive riding program. While it won't be part of the adaptive lesson program, it will share the barn and property with our therapy horses, so:
Absolutely NO kickers or biters
Must be safe and pleasant to handle
Should tolerate being brushed, groomed, and loved on by kids
(Children will not be riding this horse)
The rider is the daughter of the program director. References available.
Budget/terms (being upfront):
Mid 4️⃣s for a straight purchase
Low 5️⃣s ONLY if lease-to-purchase or payment plan can be worked out
Also open to care leases or creative arrangements for the right horse
Why Cheyne Ranch: We're a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that's been caring for horses and kids since 2017. Our horses live on property with us and are part of our family. Sellers are always welcome to visit, and many stay in touch for years. We've been fortunate to have horses placed with us by owners who wanted to ensure their horse would be loved long-term. We don't take that trust lightly.
Not looking to flip — looking for a long-term partner. 🐴
Video of rider with trainer’s horse: click here
Contact:
Sally Ann Cheyne
Sally@cheyneranch.com
text: (407) 680-3348
🐴 CHEYNE RANCH, INC. 🌟
Teaching Animal Care & Connection
📬 1963 Genova Drive, Oviedo, FL 32765
📞 Call/Text: (407) 205-7744 | 📧 Email | 🌐 Website | 📘Facebook | 📸 Instagram
💙 Cheyne Ranch is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Consider donating: chra.us/give
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.
4 final things - 2025
FIRST: 🦄🐇🐐🐖🐈🐕 🎶
Check out our 3 minute video of ALL of our animals on Christmas morning: chra.us/vid
SECOND: 🌲☃️
Winter Break camp still has 2 more openings, register online: chra.us/winter
THIRD: 📅 🌱
With the exception of winter break camp, we are closed until Thursday, Jan 15th: chra.us/c
LAST: 💝 🤝
We don’t talk about money much. I’d rather do almost anything than ask, and most of the time, that’s what we do.
Cheyne Ranch operates on about $200K in program fees and roughly $20K in donations each year. Every dollar goes right back into the work: hay, feed, animal care, fair instructor pay, safety equipment, and supplies.
Cheyne Ranch doesn’t pay rent.
There are no facility fees, no utilities, and no paid executives.
That’s because our family provides the land and facilities. I don’t take a salary. Volunteers show up. Many professionals donate their expertise. It’s a real example of community effort, and it’s how this work continues.
But hay isn’t free.
Neither is caring properly for horses, paying instructors fairly, or serving over 100 students each semester safely and intentionally.
Monetary donations help fill those gaps, and they go straight to the horses and the kids whose lives they change.
If you’ve been meaning to give, now is an important time. Every gift truly matters.
🔗 chra.us/give
P.S. There’s also an Amazon wishlist if that is an option.
CHEYNE RANCH, INC.
Teaching Animal Care & Connection
1963 Genova Drive, Oviedo, FL 32765
Call/Text: (407) 205-7744 | Email | Website | Facebook | Instagram
Cheyne Ranch is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Consider donating: chra.us/give
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.
2025 Year End Update
Who we serve and how we sustain this work
At the end of each year, we take a careful look at who we serve and what it truly takes to do this work.
At Cheyne Ranch, everything we do is grounded in a few shared commitments:
We work outdoors with animals.
We create a place where people are welcomed, understood, and seen.
Learning begins with presence and grows through providing care, taking responsibility, and experiencing connection.
Who We Serve
Within that shared foundation, we serve three communities.
1. Organizations and their families
Through partnerships with Ivory Speech Therapy, MaPLE22, Mephibo's House, Central Florida Down Syndrome Foundation, Seminole County Public Schools, BoysTown, countless homeschool groups and others, groups visit Cheyne Ranch for time in nature and with animals. These visits offer connection, calm, and the chance to be fully present with animals in ways that meet people where they are. Many of these visits are provided at no cost to the visitors.
2. Weekly students and their families
Weekly students build on that foundation through consistent participation. They receive structured instruction, learn animal care through hands-on practice, and participate in adaptive riding instruction. Community and social connection grow over time. About 10 percent of students receive 50 percent scholarships, and another 10 percent receive full scholarships. Every family pays less than the true cost of providing these services.
3. Volunteers seeking purpose and growth
Volunteers step into responsibility through training, teamwork, and meaningful work. They learn animal care and safety practices, build confidence, and form lasting relationships. This program is offered at no cost and is one of the most impactful parts of what we do. We regularly hear how volunteering at Cheyne Ranch provides belonging, purpose, and personal growth.
How We Sustain This Work
We don’t pay rent. We don’t pay for facilities or executive leadership. And we don’t pass the true cost of this work on to families.
Cheyne Ranch operates on a modest cash budget, while benefiting from significant non-cash support — including family-provided land, facilities and equipment, volunteer leadership, and in-kind professional services.
This is how we keep our programs accessible and maintain our high standards of care and safety.
On an annual basis, our cash support comes from:
Approximately $200,000 in earned program revenue (lessons, nature club, birthday parties, family visits)
About $20,000 in direct cash donations (thank you!)
In addition, we receive essential in-kind support — donated supplies, wishlist items, and professional services — that would otherwise be major operating expenses.
Cash donations fund what non-cash support can’t:
hay, fair instructor pay, safety equipment, and supplies for more than 100 students.
Your gift goes directly to the horses — and to the kids whose lives they change.
🔗 Link to Donate: chra.us/give
How You Can Help
Cheyne Ranch is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Everything we do here is sustained by generosity in all its forms.
If you are able to give financially, donations can be made at cheyneranch.org/give. For those whose employers offer matching gift programs, Cheyne Ranch is listed on:
The more support we receive, the more people we can serve and the more lives we can help transform through meaningful connection and growth.
Thank you for being part of the Cheyne Ranch community and for helping this work continue.
CHEYNE RANCH, INC.
Teaching Animal Care & Connection
1963 Genova Drive, Oviedo, FL 32765
Call/Text: (407) 205-7744 | Email | Website | Facebook | Instagram
Cheyne Ranch is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Consider donating: chra.us/give
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.