The Rainbow Barn is a joining of two amazing businesses, Finding Feathers and New Leaf Farms. Crystal and Melissa met in 2023 and instantly connected over ethical treatment of horses and humans in their practices. Finding many similarities in their modalities, it was only natural to start working together. Like any great pairing, Melissa and Crystal balance each other with different strengths, which benefits all their clients and animal partners.
The Rainbow Barn born of dream that everyone should feel safe, welcome and respected while pursuing learning and healing with horses. The team welcomes all ages, genders, abilities and backgrounds to come and experience the healing environment here.
Do you identify as a bit of a mess sometimes? This is the place for you! The Rainbow Barn is full of perfect imperfection. Horses who can't carry a rider, a goat with only one horn, a hen with rooster tendencies... there is value and worth in all the things that make make you different. The Rainbow barn welcomes you as you are, not as your should be.
You will find that the teaching shared at The Rainbow Barn encompass many modalities. Music and somatic movement are mixed with social skill enhancement and self-regulation skills. Energy work is a part of our curriculum as well. Focus is placed on mind, spirit and body.
Melissa Hillier (she/her) founded New Leaf Farms in 2017 after leaving a much-loved career in social work. Faced with a special-needs child and a demanding career, Melissa made the choice to leave her steady pay cheque to create something new: a safe space for those who don't fit elsewhere. Melissa sold her house, bought some horses and chased the dream.
New Leaf Farms was a wonderful endeavor that positively impacted many clients. For 7 years Melissa ran, administered and taught for New Leaf Farms. As her experience grew, the clientele changed, so New Leaf Farms became The Rainbow Barn- a non-competitive, welcoming, safe space to really be yourself.
Melissa proudly identifies as neurodiverse. Her passions lie in social justice issues and helping others embrace their own neurospicy traits. Our culture can be hard on those that are labelled as "different". Special interests, stims, non-verbal times and generally busy brains are very welcome at The Rainbow Barn. There are incredible strengths in the extraordinary.
Crystal Dunbar (she/her) created Finding Feathers to help and heal her clients with love and understanding.
Crystal has over 19 years of personal and professional experiences with equines, energy therapy, the foster care system, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety, Depression, mental health support, trauma recovery and healing.
Her experiences (personal and professional) have taught her that no two healing journeys are the same. Crystal enjoys learning about each of her clients and exploring what makes them unique.
Crystal co-facilitates many of our group events and works with her own clients at the facility when Melissa is having her down time.
Spirit is a 19 year old quarter horse. She's had a challenging past. When she became part of our family, she was distant, antisocial and anxious. We learned that she had been through 6 homes in 18 months. She also had untreated hoof pain which must have been excruciating. With treatment, daily handling and lots of love, Spirit has become
Spirit is a 19 year old quarter horse. She's had a challenging past. When she became part of our family, she was distant, antisocial and anxious. We learned that she had been through 6 homes in 18 months. She also had untreated hoof pain which must have been excruciating. With treatment, daily handling and lots of love, Spirit has become one of the most empathetic and social horses we have. She is sweet and loving, but has a spirit that cannot be tamed.
Andis is a 15 year old Spotted Saddle Horse. Andis came to us after working hard as an extreme trail horse in Kentucky. Upon his arrival, Andis wouldn't allow anyone to touch his head or face. We discovered that he has vision loss on his left side and had been treated very roughly. He had trouble trusting humans, and didn't know how to g
Andis is a 15 year old Spotted Saddle Horse. Andis came to us after working hard as an extreme trail horse in Kentucky. Upon his arrival, Andis wouldn't allow anyone to touch his head or face. We discovered that he has vision loss on his left side and had been treated very roughly. He had trouble trusting humans, and didn't know how to give or receive affection. That has changed- though he is still reserved, he can be a real sweetie. He is brave, driven and very professional.
Our largest horse, Zach is a Percheron/ Fresian cross. He is trained to ride and is a wonderful groundwork partner. Zach has a quiet way about him but his puppy dog eyes will have your heart melting within moments of meeting him.
Zach came to our farm as a donation from his very generous previous owner. As her life evolved, she wanted to
Our largest horse, Zach is a Percheron/ Fresian cross. He is trained to ride and is a wonderful groundwork partner. Zach has a quiet way about him but his puppy dog eyes will have your heart melting within moments of meeting him.
Zach came to our farm as a donation from his very generous previous owner. As her life evolved, she wanted to place Zach in a home where he would be loved and have a chance to help humans.
Willow is an 12 year old thoroughbred mare. Formerly, Willow was a race horse and had a decent career. After an injury, she became a broodmare. She raised 3 beautiful foals before coming to join our family.
Willow is a sweet and sensitive horse. She is very kind and gentle, but she will never be accused of having a strong work ethic. Wil
Willow is an 12 year old thoroughbred mare. Formerly, Willow was a race horse and had a decent career. After an injury, she became a broodmare. She raised 3 beautiful foals before coming to join our family.
Willow is a sweet and sensitive horse. She is very kind and gentle, but she will never be accused of having a strong work ethic. Willow loves to hang out and be fed treats as a reward for being generally awesome.
(She's sleeping in this pic!)
Jamie started as a project to be trained for sale in early 2021. He is a 9 year old, beautiful Bashkir Curly horse. Even his eyelashes have curls! We sent Jamie (formerly Sunny) off for training and soon learned he had a more complicated past than we expected. He was treated roughly as a youngster, resulting in high reactivity and anxiet
Jamie started as a project to be trained for sale in early 2021. He is a 9 year old, beautiful Bashkir Curly horse. Even his eyelashes have curls! We sent Jamie (formerly Sunny) off for training and soon learned he had a more complicated past than we expected. He was treated roughly as a youngster, resulting in high reactivity and anxiety.
Jamie may never be a riding horse, but his talents are not defined by his ability to carry a rider. He is an awesome teacher of boundaries and has a loving, playful spirit. There is much more value in what he can teach, rather than what he can physically do.
Arty is the latest addition to the family, arriving in the spring of 2024. Artemis has seen a lot in her 10 years of life. A survivor of a rescue operation in 2014, this little thoroughbred has been through several homes, never quite meeting up with their expectations of her. She simply wasn't enough as a broodmare, as a trail horse, even
Arty is the latest addition to the family, arriving in the spring of 2024. Artemis has seen a lot in her 10 years of life. A survivor of a rescue operation in 2014, this little thoroughbred has been through several homes, never quite meeting up with their expectations of her. She simply wasn't enough as a broodmare, as a trail horse, even as a pet. As a result, Arty was very shut down when she arrived.
We are working on helping Arty understand SHE IS ENOUGH at The Rainbow Barn. She is incredibly sweet, highly intelligent and has some hidden big boss energy. Our goal is to enhance her confidence and help her understand she's finally home.
Named after Spiderman, Peter Parker is a sweet, willing and silly horse. He came to us after being rescued by a wonderful and generous benefactor. She found him as a neglected stallion; dangerous to handle, untrained and with undiagnosed physical deformities. She worked on his behaviour, had him vetted and gelded (neutered) and sent him
Named after Spiderman, Peter Parker is a sweet, willing and silly horse. He came to us after being rescued by a wonderful and generous benefactor. She found him as a neglected stallion; dangerous to handle, untrained and with undiagnosed physical deformities. She worked on his behaviour, had him vetted and gelded (neutered) and sent him to training to be a riding horse. Peter Parker joined our farm family in October 2021. He is named after the superhero due to his quirky, fun attitude and his distinctive gait. He has been diagnosed as sickle-hocked, a condition that over-flexes his back legs. This limits the weight of the rider he can carry. His swinging walk doesn't bother him at all, and it's a fun change to traditionally built horses. Peter always tries his best, and is a true cuddlebug, though at age 7, he does have some teenager attitude at times. He will skitter right into your heart!
Veya is one of the biggest personalities at The Rainbow Barn. At age 9, she should be settling down, but there are only 2 speeds for Veya: sleeping or crazypants! Veya came to our family for a year in 2020 after completing a short racing career. She was trained at our farm and went off to start showing. 3 years later, Veya suffered a back
Veya is one of the biggest personalities at The Rainbow Barn. At age 9, she should be settling down, but there are only 2 speeds for Veya: sleeping or crazypants! Veya came to our family for a year in 2020 after completing a short racing career. She was trained at our farm and went off to start showing. 3 years later, Veya suffered a back injury while competing and had to be retired.
Being a little busy-minded, Veya needed a special home with lots of outside time, friends and patience. We were happy to bring her back home and rehab her injury. If any horse has ever exhibited ADHD symptoms, it's Veya. We love her neurodiversity! She's always fun and a great leaning partner.
9 year old miniature pony Amy is as sweet as she is sassy. She came to us as a shy, quiet companion for Chance when he was first born. Things have changed since then!
Amy is a little boss. She holds her own against the much larger horses, ensuring she always gets her fair share. Amy loves scratches and attention, but she will do absolutely
9 year old miniature pony Amy is as sweet as she is sassy. She came to us as a shy, quiet companion for Chance when he was first born. Things have changed since then!
Amy is a little boss. She holds her own against the much larger horses, ensuring she always gets her fair share. Amy loves scratches and attention, but she will do absolutely anything for treats. She is a master of tricks and obstacles (if the rewards are worth the effort!)
Chance was the foal of our miniature mare Faith. She sadly passed away when Chance was only 3 days old. He is now 6 and shows all the perils of hand-raising a foal. Unsure if he is human, horse or dog, Chance loves to explore the world with his mouth. From zippers to door latches, Chance is an expert undoer. He will try to chew on anyth
Chance was the foal of our miniature mare Faith. She sadly passed away when Chance was only 3 days old. He is now 6 and shows all the perils of hand-raising a foal. Unsure if he is human, horse or dog, Chance loves to explore the world with his mouth. From zippers to door latches, Chance is an expert undoer. He will try to chew on anything within his reach, so we've learned to be pretty focused and self-aware around him.
Chance is a very smart little guy. He can be exceptionally sweet and cuddly, but he struggles with his self-regulation and getting over stimulated. He is a great teacher of self awareness, regulation and calming techniques.
Miss Barbara is the sweetest girl. When we found ourselves with an orphan foal, Barbara provided milk to sustain him. Little did we know at the time that Barb would end up being a huge part of our farm experience. She loves scratches and the occasional raid on the treat bins. You can often find Barbara wandering the indoor arena or relax
Miss Barbara is the sweetest girl. When we found ourselves with an orphan foal, Barbara provided milk to sustain him. Little did we know at the time that Barb would end up being a huge part of our farm experience. She loves scratches and the occasional raid on the treat bins. You can often find Barbara wandering the indoor arena or relaxing in the hay loft. She dislikes cold, wind, insects, rain, heat and really any outdoor experience, but that makes her easier to find for cuddles!
Your read that right, he's a goat and he heads up our Human Resources department. There are no interactions on the farm that Brian does not feel the need to supervise. He is involved in all aspects, whether you want him there or not!
Brian From H.R. is a very curious and sweet alpine goat. He enjoys assisting you through challenging times, only requiring scratches for payment.
Meet Damien (light orange), Alfred (grey) and Ryan (brown and black), our very different barn cats. Damien may be the friendliest cat ever known to man. He could live in your arms, being snuggled. He has endless patience and long claws to keep you close.
Alfred is the intense one. With a gaze like lasers, Alfred single-handedly manages the
Meet Damien (light orange), Alfred (grey) and Ryan (brown and black), our very different barn cats. Damien may be the friendliest cat ever known to man. He could live in your arms, being snuggled. He has endless patience and long claws to keep you close.
Alfred is the intense one. With a gaze like lasers, Alfred single-handedly manages the pest control of the barn. He is very friendly, but can become overexcited easily.
Finally, we have Ryan. You may never see this shadow-cat, as he is always on the run. He's pretty sweet if he slows down enough to say hi to you.
Brandis, Smokey, Stashy and Potato are happy to welcome you to visit them in Guinea Pig Manor, their large cage with seating area.
These furry little brothers are excellent for teaching clients how to calm their bodies and sit quietly. None of the GP's like to be handled, so it takes patience and stillness to get them to eat from your hand.
Headed by the very handsome silkie rooster Maurice, our flock of friendly chickens are happy to entertain you with their antics. Skye (white), Pheonix (brown) and Lacey (lacey) will show you the meaning of female empowerment as they completely ignore Maurice and his leadership attempts 🤣
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