OUR PHILOSOPHY

Highland Rim Horse Center believes that each horse is an individual. Their personalities are as unique as the swirls on their foreheads

We provide custom care for retired and recuperating horses on our family-style horse farm. We live on the farm and are available to your horses 24 hours a day. Our promise is to provide a safe, comfortable, and supportive environment for the horses in our care.

Highland Rim Horse Center is a 37-acre, family operated horse facility offering offer full care retirement and recuperation services. We are located in Tullahoma, TN, just 1.25 hrs, southeast of Nashville.  

Our 35 acres of double fenced pastures are properly managed and mowed. Grass blends include Orchard, Fescue, Rye, and Kentucky Blue Grass. Our equine pasture consultant is The Farm Clinic, Lexington, KY. We have dry lots available.

Fly Predators® and sticky traps are used to assist with fly control. We keep the use of pesticides to a minimum. 

The footing in the covered arena is a mix of GGT (German Geo-Textile fiber) and sand. In addition to being an excellent riding surface, this is the ideal footing for working with aging and horses in recuperation. GGT/sand footing offers high protection to joints and ligaments. 

We have chosen to limit the number of horse stalls to 15. We offer 12 standard stalls (12’ x 12’), 1 double stall (24’ x 12’). In addition, we have 2 recuperation stalls available; 1 standard stall (12’ x 12)  and 1 double stall (24’ x 12’) equipped with ComfortStall® flooring.

Meet The Team:

  • Heather and Thomas Carlton own and operate Highland Rim Horse Center. They live onsite. Together, they have over 50 years of horse experience.

    Thomas trained under demanding, old-school European cavalry officers. While in medical school and after graduating, Thomas owned, managed, and operated riding schools where he taught horsemanship and equitation. As a young adult, he focused on dressage and eventing. 

    Heather’s first horse experience was riding ponies as a child, in Griffith Park, Los Angeles. She is a pleasure rider and has ridden horses in Australia and Europe. After working with a retired show jumper with special health and behavioral issues, Heather realized that there was a need in the horse world for a facility that offered a safe, quiet, and supportive environment for aging and vulnerable horses. Heather has 3 horses: 2 OTTBs, and 1 Warmblood. She has a special interest in equine nutrition and is focused on making sure that the horses in her care are receiving the correct diet for their health and well-being. Heather is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the facility, as well as overseeing the care of the horses. You may see her mowing a pasture, wrapping bandages on a recuperating horse’s legs, or sitting and reading the most recent article published in Equine Wellness or The Horse magazines on equine nutrition or other horse care topics. 

    Thomas and Heather, along with the staff at Highland Rim Horse Center, are dedicated to providing your horse with the best care possible. Whether horses are here for a 4-week recuperation or as permanent, retirement residents, their care and wellbeing are our highest priority. 

  • Suzi Zielinski [Horse Master] speaks horse! Her life with horses began at age 6, starting with lessons in 4-H, advancing to H/J, Show Jumping and Dressage.  She volunteered as a working student and groom whenever possible. This eventually led her to apprentice under International Grand Prix Show Jumpers and Dressage riders. She learned about racing and galloped Thoroughbreds on training tracks. 

    As a young adult, Suzi moved to Wyoming and immersed herself in Dressage and Eventing, taking her Arabian gelding to the upper levels. She spent time on working cattle ranches which gave her the opportunity to put her dressage background into true application. Dressage helped the horse stay in balance and soft for a long day of riding over various terrain. While in Wyoming, Suzi taught riding at a community college and trained horses.

    After several riding injuries, friend and equestrian author, Wendy Murdoch introduced Suzi to the teachings of Moshe Feldenkrais and the Feldenkrais Method; a body-oriented, intervention designed to help people reconnect with their bodies and learn ways to move with greater efficiency. Suzi is now a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner, using her skills to help riders find their independent seat, feel confident after injuries and understanding how the rider’s body influences the horse. In addition, Suzi is a level 3, Hoof Sure Foot Equine Balance Pads practitioner (Feldenkrais for horses).

    Suzi has trained, ridden and cliniced with some of this country’s finest horsemen and women. Those who considered the horse’s point of view taught her greater understanding and compassion, and how to offer support and clarity to horses and their humans.

    In the past decade, Suzi’s focus has been on learning what we can do to give back to the horse. Her focus on equine biomechanics and continual education in Equine and Human anatomy include; Equine Bodywork, Equine Cranial Sacral, Myofascial Skeletal Release, Equine Yoga, Kinesiology, Feldenkrais, Franklin Method, Equine Topline and Core conditioning, offer options to help horses recover from injuries, gain confidence and strength when returning to training, and feel comfort in their much deserved retirement.

    Email Suzi for information on riding lessons, horse training, equine bodywork.