Visionary, humanitarian, force of nature, mother

By Monique Noble

The horse community is full of everyday heroes. Sometimes those everyday heroes inspire someone to give back in such an incredible capacity that it creates an exponentially stronger community — one that, at the start, is hard to envision. Little did the horse community in 1970s Ontario know that by embracing a recently immigrated, newly widowed mother of four, they would be inspiring a horse community visionary who would change the face and accessibility of horsemanship throughout the world.

The saying It's never over for a visionary suggests that a visionary leader’s impact and influence can extend beyond their active involvement in a project or organization. Visionaries are known for their ability to see possibilities that others may not perceive, and this ability can continue to inspire and shape outcomes even after they have moved on. However, while visionaries can have a lasting impact, their success also depends on their ability to turn vision into reality and build a sustainable framework to carry on their legacy.

Ann Caine has not only overcome seemingly unsurmountable odds; she has given others the chance to do so as well — with grace and self-accomplishment. Caine is not just a visionary; she is also an advocate and fundraiser wrapped up in one very determined and capable person.

Related: Horse Community Heroes: Brian Tropea

It would have been understandable if Caine had moved her young family of five back to Cornwall, England after the loss of her husband less than three years after coming to Canada. However, seeing how their beloved ponies were helping her children cope with their father’s passing, and having the support of the horse community who helped the family navigate their many layers of loss, Caine was determined to make a life for her children and herself in Canada.

“I just saw how these two ponies, how important they were to the children. The children were 14, 12, 9 and 5 when they lost their father. We were grateful for the people in the community who were wonderfully supportive.”

A few years later, Caine — with a vision of giving back to the community and championed by her daughter Nicola — was inspired. Her experiences with therapeutic riding in England and her children’s ponies made Caine realize that many people in their region of Ontario could benefit from a similar program. Around the same time, Nicola had just returned from England where she earned her certification as a regular riding instructor through the British Horse Society. Upon returning to Canada, she pursued further training and became one of the first three individuals in the country to achieve the Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association’s (CanTRA) Senior Therapeutic Riding Instructor certification (Nicola later advanced to become a CanTRA Coach and Examiner.) Caine chatted with her family doctor about the possibility of opening a therapeutic riding program in their area. With his blessing and support, she and Nicola opened Sunrise Therapeutic Riding (Sunrise) in 1982 in Puslinch, Ontario.

With Nicola firmly boots-on-the-ground with the association as Program Director and Head Instructor, Caine was able to reach for the stars — and her natural ability for fundraising and advocacy began to shine. Nicola fondly remembers her mother’s amazing ability to raise funds without even seeming to try. 

An early-days photo of rider Shawn K with then-program director and head instructor, Nicola Harman (née Caine).

“She can basically get money out of a stone. She’ll not like me sharing this…” says Nicola who then told the story of a potential donor who had come from London to see an individual who rode with Sunrise and with whom the donor had a connection. “My mom made red pepper tomato soup and fed him while he was there. And before he left he said: ‘Just wait, I’ve got to write a cheque for you.’ They went out to his car and on the hood of the car, he wrote a cheque for $50,000 and told her, ‘You keep making that soup and I’ll keep writing cheques.’ She just has a way of getting everybody to feel the same passion that she has.”

Caine’s passion is frequently mentioned by people who have known her over the years. While therapeutic riding and the horse community are clearly important to her, in the larger picture inclusivity in all its forms is her true passion.

Sunrise is located on a picturesque 102-acre farm in the Puslinch Township of Ontario. Their indoor arena and multiple therapy buildings allow them to operate throughout the entire year, a bucket list accomplishment for Ann and her campaign teams’ fundraising efforts. 

“Ann is very, very kind and very determined. She’s just so determined to communicate and to share ideas and is fearless in her approach to things,” says JoAnn Franklin Thompson, Caine’s longtime friend and associate who has been part of CanTRA for over 15 years. “She’s just an amazing woman, awe-inspiring, extremely professional, and carries herself that way all the time. And yet she is also warm and fuzzy, so she does not leave anyone feeling left out or unappreciated.

“Ann is the heart and soul of CanTRA. She was there right from the very beginning,” says Thompson. Over the years Caine has been a huge part of CanTRA, playing every role including president, administrator, and just about everything several times even during the more difficult times, explains Thompson. “She is the one who held it all together through COVID. It’s why Canada is honoured around the world as one of the countries that holds therapeutic riding to a very high standard — because of Ann.”

Related: Horse Community Heroes: Dan Wilson

Not one to rest on past accomplishments, Caine’s vision continues to grow. Sunrise is not only a therapeutic riding centre, but also a learning centre for students and student instructors, and one of the few CanTRA therapeutic riding centres that offers residential training courses. Sunrise has trained therapeutic instructors from the UK, Europe, as well as across Canada and the US. The ability to host international students is a benefit Sunrise can offer as one of the few therapeutic riding centres that owns its facility.

Caine’s endless advocacy and fundraising efforts over the years allowed the charity to purchase a permanent location in 1996. Since then, they have improved and remodeled many features to make Sunrise one of the most cutting-edge therapeutic riding centres and therapeutic instructor training facilities in the world.

A happily determined young student is shown practicing her hand-eye coordination — the smiles Ann sees on the students at Sunrise are a constant inspiration. 

Caine finds her inspiration in the tenacity and courage of the people her organization has helped for over four decades. It is very hard to get her to talk about herself and her accomplishments, but you can hear the admiration in her voice as she talks about the people who volunteer, learn, and teach at Sunrise, and their achievements.

“It’s so hard for a young person growing up to have to do extracurricular activities,” says Caine. “There’s not as many choices for them as there are for those young people who don’t have a diagnosis and who can go swimming and play soccer. If you wanted to run around and kick a soccer ball, but you use a walker to get around, then obviously you can’t do that sport. The horses give them a physicality that they can’t experience firsthand. It’s an incredible moment to watch a child or adult who uses a wheelchair suddenly be moving around and in what to them must feel like their own propulsion.”

Caine describes two girls in their life skills program. “One of our girls came to us when she was 10, [and] since she learned to walk as a very young child, she’s had a walker. She’s 30 now and she’s amazing.” The other was four years old when she started riding, and she’s 25 now, says Caine. Both are in the life skills program, which has both a horticultural and an equestrian component. “They go over to the barn, sit on their walkers and muck out stalls, sit on their walkers and groom their horse, and measure out all the horse feed, which is a transferable skill.” This all helps them in the kitchen to learn about cooking and other things, explains Caine. “They’re amazing. They just whizz around — it’s so incredible.”

Equally incredible is Caine’s dedication to fundraising — not only to keep Sunrise a highly regarded institution, but also to keep it thriving and evolving to meet the needs of the people who learn there — and hopefully will soon reside there.

Supportive housing for people with different abilities is very limited in both quality and quantity. Caine’s next vision for Sunrise is to build a residence for people with disabilities to live at the facility. “We are fundraising to make a village at Sunrise Farm, where they could be working [and] living on the farm, away from home. Some of their parents are in their eighties now. And they’re worried sick about what’s going to happen to their children when they pass.” Caine’s empathy for her clients and their families is palpable.

Plans for the residence and respite building are well underway. It will include 14 studio suites, six respite rooms for shorter-term stays, therapy facilities including multi-sensory and musical therapy spaces, more inclusive areas for life skills programs, and onsite office space for the program and residence teams.

Ann’s grandson Nicholaus, born in 2001 and pictured with therapy horse Shadow, has been riding at Sunrise since 2004. Nicholaus is endlessly proud of his aunt Nicola and his nana Ann for building Sunrise, “…a place where everybody feels accepted and gets to be themselves.”

The capital campaign to help raise funds is Caine’s current focus, and few doubt that she will make it happen. Her drive and passion for Sunrise are as infectious as her laugh and as charming as the lady herself. She is known by her peers as a “force of nature” and rather like the sun — a radiant force of warmth and energy that doesn’t push or demand but simply shines, lifting up everyone around her.

Although she has been honoured with many awards, Caine asked that they not be listed. “I’m very uncomfortable with receiving awards. It’s more about the vulnerable community we serve — their incredible resilience, and the empowerment that riding and working with horses gives them.”

Ann Caine’s humility, selflessness, and unwavering dedication to improving lives have earned her the honour and appreciation that come with being named our Horse Community Hero. Thank you for everything you have done — and continue to do — to improve therapeutic riding, not only in Canada but around the world.

To contribute to Caine’s groundbreaking vision for Sunrise Village, please reach out to: lynne@sunrise-therapeutic.ca.

"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less." — C.S. Lewis

Photos are courtesy of Sunrise Therapeutic Riding and Learning Centre.

Related: Horse Community Heroes: Gillian Allan

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More by Monique Noble

Main Photo: Ann Caine worked as a nursing administrator for many years at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, Ontario. She has always been driven to work with children and horses, and that drive has changed the lives of thousands for the better. Caine is shown with therapy horse, Trooper.