Our Team
At Horses for Hearts, we care for more than 30 horses at any given time. As you can imagine, each horse has its own unique and special story. Some we know in great details and others we know far less about. And while knowing their past can help us with how to handle and care for them, our number one priority is that their future is a happy one.
Jan Andersen – Cofounder
From his earliest days, Jan felt at home in the presence of horses—their quiet strength, their intuitive grace, their unspoken understanding. As a boy, he found comfort in the stables, forging bonds with animals that asked only for gentleness and trust.
Life led him away for a time. The pace quickened and responsibilities mounted, but at age 48, a heart attack changed everything. In the difficult times that followed, and with the support of his wife and family, he rekindled his relationship with the horses that brought him quiet peace and strength.
Today, Jan helps lead Horse for Hearts with a deep belief: that horses and humans can rescue each other.
His vision would not be possible without the steadfast love and support of his family. Together, they’ve made the refuge a shared calling—offering their time, their hands, and their hearts to care for each horse and welcome the visitors and volunteers who walks through the gates.
Through Horses for Hearts, the whole family works to create a space where children, survivors, and seekers of all kinds come to find hope—guided by horses who once needed rescuing themselves.
Elizabeth Andersen – Cofounder
Though she came to horses later in life, Elizabeth quickly discovered a quiet, powerful connection with horses that felt like it had always been there. With an open heart and a deep well of empathy, she often sees what others might miss—earning the trust of even the most guarded horses with a calm presence and gentle hand.
From the very beginning, she’s been a staunch supporter behind Horses for Hearts, not only supporting the vision but helping to shape it into what it is today. Whether she’s soothing a nervous horse, or making sure the behind-the-scenes details run smoothly, her intuition and compassion touch every part of the refuge.
Her love for the horses is matched only by her belief in the people they help heal. In both, she sees not brokenness, but potential—and works each day to help that potential shine.
Michelle Vie – Ranch Owner & Director of Horses
Horses have always been part of Michelle’s story. From the time she could walk, she was drawn to them—not just as riders are to the saddle, but soul to soul. Over the years, she’s trained countless horses and mustangs with a quiet patience born of deep respect. Some arrived wild, some wounded, but all found in her a steady hand and a kind heart.
She’s been taking in stray horses for as long as she can remember, guided by the belief that no animal is ever beyond hope. As a skilled farrier and lifelong practitioner of natural horsemanship, Michelle brings a profound understanding of equine communication to her work.
At Horses for Hearts, she serves as Director of Horses, where she oversees the care, training, and rehabilitation of every equine in the herd. She also owns the ranch Horses for Hearts calls home. With strength, gentleness, and grit, she helps each horse reclaim its dignity—and helps every person who visits the ranch witness the quiet wisdom of a life lived close to the land and the herd.
Penelope Andersen – Junior Wrangler
Penelope may be the youngest member of the team at Horses for Hearts, but her heart for horses is as big as the pasture. Spending as much time as she can surrounded by the refuge’s herd, she’s formed a deep and natural bond with every horse who calls it home.
She’s known for sneaking them extra treats, brushing their manes until they shine, and picking out just the right accessories when it’s time to dress them up for parades. But her favorite part is helping other kids meet the horses for the first time and watching their eyes light up with wonder.
Kind, curious, and always doing cartwheels off horses, Penelope reminds everyone at the refuge what it means to laugh and love with your whole heart.
Jennifer Hunt – Creative Director
Born and raised on a ranch in Oklahoma, Jennifer was in the saddle not long after she could walk. The dust, the open sky, and the quiet wisdom of horses shaped her early years—and though life eventually led her to the big city, that cowgirl heart never left.
As an accomplished creative director and mother of two great teenagers, Jennifer has built a thriving creative career while raising her family. But when the chance came to reconnect with the horse world she grew up in, she leapt in wholeheartedly.
Today, she is the visionary behind Horses for Heart’s brand and storytelling. With every photo she captures and every design she brings to life, she weaves together the spirit of the ranch—its warmth, its mission, and its magic—so others can experience it, too.
