AJ-Oaks is located in the beautiful Rogue Valley in Southern Oregon. Originally we had planned on going into the horse breeding/training business. Yes, you read that right! Yet, after a short time here we brought home two horse rescues; they were underweight, had rainrot, living in mud up to their knees, wormy, manes and tails matted so bad I had to cut most of it off. After looking into their eyes, I wasn't leaving them in the conditions they were living in, so I bought them and brought them to our farm.

After this experience, we decided not to go into the horse breeding business because the more we looked around the more we saw horses being thrown away like garbage just like dogs and cats are. It made us take a good hard look at all the people backyard breeding. We decided we wanted to be part of the solution, not the problem.

So, AJ-Oaks is doing its part in helping the horses and donkeys that need help. We can't solve the problems of the world; we can't save every horse or donkey, dog or cat, BUT we can make a difference for horses and donkeys that come into our lives. We can show them what love and respect is, what life can be like when you are well taken care of and humans are committed to mutual regard and partnership.

Our vision for the future is simple: To help as many horses and donkeys as we can (and any other animal that comes into our lives). Along the way we aspire to teach others that animals are intelligent, sentient beings and have the same rights as humans to a healthy, happy life. I invite you to look deep into an animal’s eyes and really see them. The eyes have stories to tell, they have history and experiences that can be shared. They long to be in partnership and to experience love.

We all do what we can do to help, and to those animals that are helped it is one less animal that must suffer abuse or neglect. One at a time does make a difference. We can all make a difference.

Cindy Sinks