Melissa giffen, was born in calgary, Ab.  From the time she was young, she had a very strong passion for horses and dogs, particularly German Shepherds.

She watched the Black stallion, littlest hobo and Neon Rider daily. After watching Neon Rider endlessly, she really wanted to help people with horses, because they had helped her.

Wanting to be a Veterinarian or a Police officer in the   k-9 unit, she realized she couldn't handle the heartbreak she would have to endure.

Another passion she had was rescuing & training horses & dogs!

At around 10 years old she was going door to door asking to train peoples dogs. Melissa was successful with dog training, but still needed to be near horses.

As a teen she lived on the edge of N.E. calgary, there was a farms near by. She rode her bike to places she wasn't supposed too, and spent hours sitting at a fence contemplating life & dreaming about one day owning one of these majestic animals!

While sitting and watching them graze & interact with one another, she was reminded how naturally therapeutical horses are.

Doing her very best, Melissa's mom put her into horse camps & lessons. Her doctor recommended it for her mental well-being and her passion for horses only grew stronger.

After getting her own horses in her early 20's, she witnessed how therapeutical her horses & German Shepherds were to her 3 kids, friends and her family members. One of Melissa's sisters who had been struggling with some mental health issues, came to the farm and was instantly drawn to her horses. That is a big part of what got her through her hardest times.

In 2014 she bought 40 acres, and by Jan 2015 the indoor arena was built. Boarding horses and doing lessons was an experience, but definitely not what Melissa's dreams were. 

For years, Melissa talked about helping kids, anyone struggling with mental health, Veterans and First Responders. This was important to her as she knew lots of family & Friends who had left work because of trauma.

Melissa is a certified Equine-Assissted Learning Facilitator. She owns and manages her stable east of Calgary, and has over 20 years of owning and caring for horses.

Rochelle Pittman was born in Calgary, AB and now resides in Chestermere AB. From a youngster she had a deep connection with animals. Horses and dogs became her obsession that carried over to her adult hood. While spending time with them she became aware of their healing powers. Their steadfast loyalty, trusted companionship and their ability to calm us. 

Rochelle worked in the mental health field for 14 plus years. Working with neurodivergent children and their families. She saw a opportunitity to incorporate her clients with horses teaching them life skills. To promote mental well being. That's where Spirit Horse Haven came about. Four individuals with various backgrounds, life experiences and certifications came together to form Spirit Horse Haven.  

Rochelle is passionate about helping others in their journey of well being. Promotimg and learning life skills while working with the magical beings we call horses.

She is a certified Equine Assited Learning Facilitator. Has a certificate in Animal Assissted Therapy and is in the process of being ceritified as an Adaptive Riding Instructor. She has 35 plus years riding, competing, working and owning horses.

Wayne Chapdelaine

Wayne was born and raised in Nova Scotia where he developed a love for animals, especially dogs and horses. Wayne worked for over 25 years in emergency services as a Paramedic, Firefighter, Police Officer and eventually becoming a Forensic Scientist.

He has co-authoured many text books and taught at 2 universities. Today, Wayne works as a consultant investigating Fire and explosion scenes, and regularly consults on large complex files, including homicides.  

In 2019, Wayne moved to Alberta and was reintroduced to his love for horses. After being treated for PTSD, Wayne is excited to be a part of Spirit Horse Haven, to help others who have experienced trauma and share his experiences.