Nealia brings an incredible amount of experience and passion to Saddlebred Rescue, Inc. She began as an amateur owner of American Saddlebreds before opening North Wind Stables in 1985 in Illinois, and then later, moving the operation to New Jersey. Nealia has trained many successful riders at all levels, from local and state champions to National and World Champions in Equitation, Pleasure Performance and Driving. She is also known as one of the most successful trainers of American Saddlebreds for the Western Pleasure division.
Nealia has tirelessly dedicated her spare time to the promotion of the American Saddlebred and horses in general, often speaking at conventions and organizing events such as barn tours to provide an opportunity to experience Saddlebreds up close. In late 2005, she decided to give back by purchasing American Saddlebred horses that had reached the slaughter pipeline from the country’s largest horse auction, located in eastern Pennsylvania. Within months, and with co-founders Christy Parker and Pat Johnson, Saddlebred Rescue Inc, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, was established to help horses in need. The organization has since been awarded the USEF’s “Heroes for Horses Award” and has saved and placed for adoption over 2,500 horses.
In 2009, after many years in International and Corporate Banking, Mark assumed the position of President at Saddlebred Rescue, taking over for Christy Parker. If Nealia is the face of Saddlebred Rescue, Mark is the backbone. All the back office, and behind the scenes work gets accomplished because Mark does it. He oversees fundraising, administration and compliance along with being the liaison to the rescue’s attorney and accountants.
Jason has spent all of his life around horses as he is a second generation horse trainer. Throughout the years Jason has, and continues to be a vital part of Saddlebred Rescue. Around the farm he has done it all. Whether he is hauling horses that need to be brought to the rescue, training, or managing to keep the barn in running order Jason fills many roles. When Jason isn’t on the farm, you can find him at many horse shows throughout the country working as an “Over-The-Rail” photographer for some of the top Horse Show Photographers.
Dee is a first generation horse woman who has brought a wealth of experience to Saddlebred Rescue. For 20 years, Dee worked at a Morgan Horse Show Barn where she worked in their breeding program, as a trainer for their show horses as well as an instructor in their lesson program. During her time there she worked closely with their vet to ensure that all of their horses’s medical needs were being tended to and handled. After taking a few years off from her barn work to take a job as a service manager in the automotive industry, Dee realized that her heart was with horses! After volunteering for a few years at Saddlebred Rescue, Dee has stepped into the trainer role as well as taking on the duties of “Wellness Manager” for all the rescues.
Before having kids, Kathy worked in Sales and Marketing at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers covering the Japanese market. Since then she and her husband formed and manage a Brain Cancer Foundation to raise money for research. She met Nealia and Mark through the Saddlebred show world and now has volunteered to head up SBR’s online presence and marketing campaigns as well as helping Mark with the rescue’s fundraising activities.
We are located in Hardwick, NJ. We are located 50 minutes from Newark International Airport, 50 minutes from Lehigh Valley Airport and 2 hours plus from the Philadelphia Airport. On farm visits are always welcome!
Monday – Closed
Tuesday: 10:00am – 2:00pm
Wednesday : 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Thursday: 10:00am – 2:00 pm
Friday : 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Saturday – Sunday: 10:00am – 2:00pm
Additional times to visit need to be made in advance.
