Glen Ellen Vocational Academy

GEVA was founded for two equally important purposes: 1) to provide care and shelter for horses who were retired due to injury or age, were the victims of abuse or negligence, or were merely in need of a home, and 

GEVA was founded for two equally important purposes: 1) to provide care and shelter for horses who were retired due to injury or age, were the victims of abuse or negligence, or were merely in need of a home, and 2) to teach people the skills necessary to work with horses in a safe, humane and confident manner, for if the handler is knowledgeable, the problem of unintentional abuse to the horse is often avoided.

Because GEVA is a non-profit, public benefit corporation, granted 501(c)(3) status by the Internal Revenue Service, all donations are tax deductible. GEVA is supported by these tax-deductible charitable donations, and by fundraising activities such as raffles, silent auctions, seminars, and clinics, as well as by sponsorship of one or more of GEVA’s horses.

Most horses come to GEVA because of injuries that require surgery or an extended period of rest, and their owner is either unwilling or unable to assume the cost of that care. Frequently, an owner in such circumstances is faced with the choice of needlessly euthanizing the horse or, worse, selling it for slaughter. Although legislation in California makes it illegal to sell horses for slaughter, there are still ways to circumvent the law and dispose of horses via Mexican and Canadian slaughterhouses, inevitably under inhumane conditions. GEVA exists to provide an alternative to this grim choice.

When horses come to GEVA, they have a home for life. GEVA is now accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sancturaries, so horses that come here can stay in our sanctuary. Sometimes a veterinarian will make a donation of any required surgery before the horse comes to the farm. In other cases, if extended rest is all that is needed for the horse to recover, and if the horse eventually returns to riding soundness, GEVA may offer that horse for adoption to a good home. A horse adopted from GEVA is not sold; he or she may return to GEVA at any time should the adoption not work out for whatever reason. And if the adopting party should wish to transfer the horse to another person, this may be done only after GEVA has verified that the new home will also provide loving care for the horse.

Besides offering a refuge for horses, GEVA also offers seminars and clinics for people, both individuals and groups. These classes are open to anyone who wishes to learn the skills needed to work with horses, from entry-level groom to farm or stable manager, and can be presented in both English and Spanish. Special-request classes and seminars are also available.

GEVA strives to address what is best for the horse, the owner, and the handler by making it possible for the horse to retire with dignity, the owner to reap the benefit of a tax deduction for the donation of the horse and any other contributions, and the handler to learn new skills to confidently work with horses in a safe and humane manner. It is a win-win situation for all!