Our Story

We get asked all the time why we opened our ranch.  For many years we have told people it is to help us support our animals, which is true, but just a small part of why we do this.

 

Let me now share a little bit more about our story, now that I have my daughter Ari’s permission.

 

Phil and I have three kids  ( Ari, Meydad and Talia) and we moved here from the east coast.  In fact, I am from Brooklyn, NY. Phil was born in Idaho, and grew up in East Brunswick NJ.  We moved to San Diego fourteen years ago for Phil’s work - he is an electrical engineer and was working for Nokia at the time.  

 

We started the kids in horseback riding as soon as we moved here, and the girls loved it.  We were living in the suburbs and the girls rode twice a week and in summer went to camp.  We also had all the girls birthday parties at their riding ranch.

 

When our oldest daughter, Ari, turned 12 she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.  It was a very scary time for her.  Spending time on the ranch really helped.  Very quickly, Phil and I decided to lease her a horse and I think within two weeks we bought her one.

 

This got Phil and I talking.  It was our goal to help Ari realize that she could do anything she wanted with her diagnosis.  We also did not want to spend our days talking about blood sugar and insulin.  We thought it would be better to talk about horses and animals, and talk about the blood sugar information as a by the way you need ….. . This way things did not become a power struggle, nor did it become her identity.  Also, we have two other children, and they ALL have to be the focus of the home.  

 

So, Phil and I decided to buy a ranch!   The kids helped us do everything.  They painted the railings of the arena, they picked up rocks off the ground  and in the horse stalls.  You name it, they did it.

 

Here we are today.  Our doors are now open to all of you.  

 

On a fun note, Ari is in her senior year of college and she is applying to vet school all over the country.  Ari barrel races when she has time.  

 

Meydad is in college and goes fishing multiple times a week.

 

Talia is a junior in high school and barrel races competitively!