About

Sadie’s Place, a registered charity that began in 1996 as the P.E.I. Equine Retirement Society, is on a mission to help unwanted and neglected horses in Atlantic Canada find new, loving homes. With more than 100,000 horses slaughtered in Canada each year, this is no small task.

In 2008, horse enthusiast, Jana Hemphill, took over the director reins from founder Dale Cameron and with a new board of directors in place, the rescue was renamed Sadie’s Place (see more about Sadie below). Sadie’s is an all-breed rescue that operates out of Storybook Adventures, a 24-acre farm in Brookfield, PEI, owned by Jana Hemphill.

Storybook’s mission is promote kindness and compassion for all living things by providing programs and services where people can connect with animals and nature in a fun, heartfelt way. In addition to horses, Storybook is home to lamas, donkeys, cows, goats, sheep, chickens, rabbits and more.  Together Sadie’s and Storybook work to rescue animals and advocate on their behalf.

Thank you for taking the time to visit our site. Please take a moment to check out some of our horses, past and present and also how you can join us in helping horses! Together we can make a brighter world for these noble, majestic creatures.

FARM VISITS

With all that goes into caring for the 60+ animals that live at the farm, there aren’t enough hours in the day for animal caretakers to provide tours on a daily/drop in basis. Instead, Storybook Adventures offers a number of opportunities for the public to visit the animals, through tours, as well as many other programs (riding lessons, day camps, PD Days, open houses, pony rides, birthday parties, field trips, company picnics, family reunions, workshops and retreats in leadership, wellness, mindfulness, compassionate living and more). Please check out their website for information.

WHO IS SADIE?

Sadie arrived at Storybook Stables one winter day with a group of  ponies. To some people, maybe, she wouldn’t have looked like much–just some dirty, skinny, obviously pregnant pony with lousy hooves. But we all knew she was special. Sadie had class. Maybe it was because Sadie was a Medicine Hat paint. Whatever it was, she very soon won everyone’s hearts.

Over the weeks, we watched as Sadie gained weight. She started to fill out, had her feet done and began demanding to go out and play like the rest of the horses. As time passed and the dirt started coming out of her coat, we realized that not only were her ears brown, but she had a patch at the base of her tail and another on her side (for the longest time, we thought she was completely white, except for her ears!). She would watch over the yard from her paddock, calmly and graciously accepting any and all attention and treats. She loved scratches on the front of her shoulder.

Unfortunately, horses who suffer severe nutritional deficiencies often develop problems with different organ systems. Our Sadie was one of those. On March 19, 2009, Sadie passed away from what we believe was heart failure.

It was once believed that Medicine Hat paints were magical, that they had powers to protect their riders from those that would harm them. Sadie can no longer do this for her rider, but, through Sadie’s Place, we hope she can provide her magical protection for other equines in need of help, love and a home.