We Believe Every Horse Deserves Sanctuary
The Sanctuary School was founded on a simple belief: every horse deserves sanctuary.
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Because we cannot bring every horse into our care, we choose where to direct our attention.
Our work focuses on lesson and therapy horses, those who give so much, every day, to the people around them. It feels right to begin here, to offer care in return to the horses who carry, teach, and support so many.
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We bring sanctuary to them through a slower, more attentive approach, one that centers the horse’s experience and supports their well-being. We listen, we observe, and we respond to each horse as an individual. Above all, we prioritize their sense of safety.
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And through this work, we help others learn to recognize and honor the horses who teach them.
Board of Directors
About the Founder
The Sanctuary School was founded by Julie Lesnik, PhD, a horse trainer, anthropologist, and educator who believes that stewardship is the way forward.
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Julie’s academic research focuses on human–animal relationships in modern ecosystems. Through this work, she observed that many conventional approaches can unintentionally replicate the systems that shaped the problems in the first place. Her response was to step outside those patterns, spend time in quieter environments, and begin listening more closely to the animals themselves.
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Julie brings the rigor of a research scientist together with years of hands-on experience in horsemanship, including work in natural dressage. She integrates careful observation, thoughtful handling, and attention to each horse’s physical and nervous system responses.
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Her work is grounded in both science and sensitivity, combining established best practices in equine care with an openness to the more subtle ways horses communicate and respond. She approaches each horse with the understanding that not everything meaningful can be measured, but much can be observed.
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This perspective invites a shift in how we understand horses within educational and working environments, encouraging a more attentive and responsive approach to their care.