Spirit’s Promise Equine Rescue prepares for move upstate after 15 years in Riverhead

Spirit’s Promise Equine Rescue on Sound Avenue in Riverhead, which recently announced it’s closing and leaving Long Island, is now in the process of readying their rescue horses and animals for the journey to their new home upstate. 

For the past 15 years, the ranch has rescued abused, neglected, or unwanted animals, providing them with a loving home. But that’s only part of its mission. “Through groundwork equine therapy, we empower those living in grief, allowing for healing and providing steps toward creating a new life, all through forming a special bond with an equally vulnerable animal,” according to Spirit’s Promise’s website. 

Legal issues with the Town of Riverhead – various construction and permit violations as well as citations for events taking place at the ranch – have proved problematic for Executive Director Marisa Strianos. 

“It was a very difficult decision. My dad passed in 2023 and I feel like he’s up there guiding me toward growing the ranch. I feel like I’m an orchid in a pot that can’t grow,” Strianos said in an interview.  “I’ve done everything the town has asked. I stopped the weddings and line dancing even though we have so many requests for that. I fixed the paperwork so the new buyer could have an easier time.” 

Strianos said she feels Sound Avenue has become bouncy houses, petting zoos, pumpkin picking and drinking. “I don’t offer any of that. I feel like we don’t belong here anymore.” 

Strianos said she put her faith in her contractor, but he didn’t submit the proper paperwork and that it was her mistake.  Now, she said, the required certificates of occupancy are in place. There was also a stop-work order on the house on the property, which includes several barns and a 70-foot diameter round pen on the 4.75-acre site. “I fixed the right side of the house, but my contractor lost touch with the architect and they never submitted the plans to the town. I take full responsibility for that.”

Town Attorney Erik Howard explained the zoning and permitting issues in an emailed statement. “The property is located within a residential zoning use district which does allow agricultural uses, but fitting line dancing instruction/events and horse rescue into agricultural uses is challenging,” Howard wrote.  Hosting dance classes and wedding in a barn that doesn’t meet code requirements for places of public assembly presents safety issues, he said. The barn lacks fire protection, egress and sanitary features required by town and state codes. 

“I think it is unfortunate that Spirit’s Promise is planning to relocate and that was not our intended outcome,” Howard said.

The next chapter for the property will be revealed soon. Strianos said she expects to sign a contract with a buyer who is not a developer. 

“Riverhead has been a beautiful place to be for 15 years, but it’s time to go,” she said. Therapy for her 25 clients ended this week.She is still offering life coaching on Zoom but “without a horse, it won’t be equis coaching.”

In February, the ranch will move upstate to Delanson, about 30 miles west of Albany. The focus now is getting the new ranch ready, but it’s difficult to leave Long Island, Strianos said. 

“I know we have made a huge impact on people coming to the farm and realizing that animals have this incredible way of helping them heal after losing a loved one,” Strianos said.

Wind chimes, playing gently in the wind, offer a peaceful calming vibe at the front gate.  As she cleaned out water buckets on Friday, volunteer and equis life coach Jil Gans of Remsenberg said she’s sad, but “it’s important for the ranch to grow. I’ll go up and visit. I’ll miss the horses; it’s a relationship and you can feel that with them.”  

Gans added that in the two years she’s worked at Spirit’s Promise, she has experienced the powerful bond clients form with their horses. 

“They’re very adept at reaching people’s energy. By the end of the session people say their lives have been changed,” Gans said. 

Liz Libonati of Rocky Point, also a coach, said she is “devastated,” but she hopes to continue to work with rescue horses at another ranch. Libonati added that all the workers are hugging the horses more now and taking pictures of them. 

Asked where people who are trying to cope with grief will go for therapy, Libonati shook her head. “We don’t know. We hope whoever buys it will continue what we’re doing here.” 

Volunteer Robin Maloney of Baiting Hollow, who grew up with horses, remembers when she first learned about Spirit’s Promise. “I was driving down Sound Avenue, saw the sign and signed up the next day.” 

For her, it’s “surreal” that the ranch is closing, Maloney said. She teared up, saying “we treat the animals here like our own.” Libonati comforted her with a hug. 

For Arlette Amador of Hampton Bays, whose work at the ranch has inspired her to pursue her college degree in veterinary technology, there’s no place like the ranch. 

“I’m devastated. People cry when they’re next to a horse,” Amador said.

 “We’ve grown. We’re 36 animals now. We’re like Noah’s Arc on the ground and now we’re taking them on the road upstate,” said Strianos.