Serenity Ranch founder Dawn Chippewa understands the healing qualities of horses and has experienced them firsthand. It’s part of the reason why she wants the nonprofit organization to reach more people, and hopes to do more outreach and programming in the spring and summer.
“Horses bring so much to the table, people don’t understand how much healing they can bring, the goodness just goes to your soul,” Chippewa said. “Horses got me through a very traumatic childhood… They changed my life and got me through all the different hardships and things that were going on, so I know how well they heal — they connect you right back to life.”
The Suttons Bay nonprofit launched in the summer of 2023, just a few years after Chippewa and her husband, Phillip, purchased the property off North Mork Road. The move gave Chippewa the space to pursue her dreams of opening a horse therapy ranch, and they have been busy ever since building up infrastructure to shelter the many animals they care for. Currently, the ranch houses 17 horses, two of which are miniature ponies, a mule and a donkey. Children and adults benefit in a number of ways from their time with the horses, whether it be with motivation, emotional support, or to just learn about animals and how to care for them.
