JESSAMINE COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Full Circle Farm is one of the newer places in the Bluegrass dedicated to giving horses a safe place to call home.
The lifetime horse sanctuary gained non-profit status two years ago, now housing 19 horses.
That includes 25-year-old Lola who spent her later years helping train young riders.
“She’s friendly and she’s not fussed about a whole lot. She’s respectful. She’s great to work around," Lola's old trainer Amy Ekelman said.
“When I first started my lesson program I was given an opportunity to take a couple of horses for the winter time and I could use them in my program.”
Amy has since closed her farm, bringing Lola to Full Circle to ride out her final years.
Even though the steed isn't saddling up anymore, she's still leaving a mark on former students.
Enter Zora Sprinkle and Elanor Burris.
These best friends have strong connection to both Lola and Amy for helping them build a passion for horses.
“Horses are just special. I just love everything about them," Sprinkle said.
“I just love getting to sit in the saddle and feel one with them," Burris said.
All the equine love encouraged the girls to start their own club, really a business, to build support for places like Full Circle Farm protecting horses for life.
“I’ve always wanted to sell things I’ve made. We kind of made our own club called Hearts and Hooves club," Sprinkle said.
Hearts and Hooves is dedicated to giving back, with half of their profits going back to horse farms and sanctuaries across the Bluegrass.
“You want to do something that you really love and I really want to keep doing that, like helping the horse farms," Burris said.
"It's been a really cool experience and I'm really glad i get to do it with Zora because she's my best friend and also a horse lover live me."
Ekelman has been blown away by what a pair of her former students has achieved and hopes it will set a good example to show other kids what they are capable of.
“They were very clear in what they wanted to do and they did it. They achieved it. To me that’s something a lot of kids should look up to," Ekelman said.
Clickhere if you'd like to learn more about Full Circle Farm.
