Town’s Equestrian Tradition Rekindled
Rick Langenberg
Nearly a year after the ribbon was cut for an ambitious project aimed at saving a revered tradition in Green Mountain Falls, and rescuing and rehabbing injured race and ranch horses, the new GMF Horse Wellness Meadow facility is now open for business.
“We are finally open,” said Gina Hluska, the founder and president of the company that will run the nearly 2,000 square-foot facility, Elite Equine Rescue, based in the Colorado Springs area. “This has been a dream of ours for years. We always wanted a facility like this.”
As noted by the horse rescue group founder during the earlier 2024 ribbon cutting ceremony, “Never doubt that a small group of citizens can change the world.”
Hluska knows first-hand the horrors that many former race horses experience, once they incur injuries. She was involved in the horse racing industry for years and now plays a vital role in the animals’ recovery. The group founder hasn’t hesitated in outlining the problems many race horses encounter, as they get older, and either get injured, or are no longer competitive. She has cited horrific tales of abuse, an ugly fact in the race industry. The depiction of this situation has received nationwide attention and was part of a major “60 Minutes” TV investigation. Unfortunately, the plight of animals who can’t race any longer or compete often serves as a death sentence for many performance horses.
In fact, few projects locally have progressed as rapidly and smoothly as the Horse Wellness venture, a factor that may be attributed to GMF’s strong equestrian heritage, an aspect of the town that has somewhat disappeared.
But not any longer, if some civic leaders have their way. A big fund-raiser last winter, highlighted by top country rock performers, demonstrated the support for the project. The project suffered some weather delays but encountered no regulatory or political setbacks, with strong project support exhibited by the local planning commission and the board of trustees. And the Horse Wellness center is now ready for a seven-day operation.
The opening of the GMF Horse Wellness hub, equipped to handle six horses at a time, and featuring the most state-of-the art rehab equipment in the business, became one of the main community events to kick off the 17th annual Green Box Arts Festival that runs for two weeks and sports some 150-plus events.
“This is the Taj Mahal of horse barns,” said John Brandon, the barn manager for the center, when showing off the facility to a large crowd of open house attendees, capped amazing stall areas and places for horses to roam, not to mention the best rehab equipment in the business. A new Solarium device has captivated the interest of many equestrian buffs. In fact, Elite Equine has the ability to use a variety of horse rehab techniques, including laser therapy, shockwave, cold compression, body work, KT taping, special bone healing devices and more.
The facility is also adorned with an additional 25 acres and stretches out across a scenic area that runs parallel to U.S Hwy. 24 and is located just below the Green Mountain Falls Skyspace
Brnadon noted that they are currently working on helping several injured horses from San Antonio, Texas.
“We have had a lot of success stories This is a place for these horses to decompress,” said Brandon.
Ultimately, the horses are rehabbed so then can have a normal, “second act,” outside of racing or doing strenuous ranch work. “We believe every horse that served us deserves to be served in return,” as the group notes in its brochure. “These aren’t just animals—they’re experienced horses with stories, personalities and so much love left to give. We rehabilitate, retrain and carefully match each horse with their perfect forever family.”
A key player in the project is Jesse Stroope, operations manager for the Green Box Arts Festival and the new Cantina Verde restaurant. Stroope actually provides the Horse Wellness center with several of his own horses to assist with their recovery, so these injured horses can further adjust to the new chapter of their lives and gain a sense of normality.
The project has involved a partnership between the Historic Green Mountain Falls Foundation and Elite Equine and is backed by the Kirkpatrick Family Fund, which is a key sponsor of the annual Arts Festival.
An open house on June 29 attracted a hefty crowd and served as one of the main opening festival events for this year’s Green Box Arts Festival.
Hluska wants to get the community involved, as their group is looking for volunteers. She plans to host more local gatherings and community conversations this simmer to better acquaint folks to their facility.
No Green Box Arts Festival event-goers went away disappointed at the recent open house, as many raved about the barn appearance and how it meshed well with the community. In fact, the project has experienced wide-spread community support, as GMF for years was dubbed as a horse town and even sported a commercial stables operation.
For more information about the project, and for inquiries about volunteering, call them at 719-428-0104. The group also has a website at eliteequineCO.com.
