Our Team
Meet the team at ClearWind Farm
Matt and Suzanne Case
We started ClearWind Farm shortly after we married in 2000, drawing upon Suzanne’s long career with horses and Matt’s then-new career in counseling. We have moved locations and evolved our approach, and in 2018 built our own facility. We have learned a lot in the 20+ years of providing equine assisted therapy, caring for horses and working with each other. We are proud of the facility, the people who work here, and the quirky herd we have gathered. We will continue to learn and evolve our programs and projects, and look forward to partnering with like-minded individuals and agencies in the area.
Jill Taylor
Jill Taylor, co-founder of Vinyasa Dressage and longtime friend of Suzanne, is an Eagala certified Equine Specialist and 200 Hour Certified Yoga Teacher with over 25 years of experience of both working with horses and building successful sales teams in the Natural Products Industry. She joyfully engages with clients in riding, yoga and equine facilitated therapy as well as other equine assisted learning. Jill organizes and leads special events such as yoga and leadership workshops and retreats. She and her husband Todd help take care of the farm and Todd’s wonderful wood working can also be found around the facility.
James Jefferies
James Jefferies is an experienced horseman and barn manager whose warmth, professionalism and expertise add an additional dimension of comfort to the farm. The farm could not run as well as it does without his dependability, work ethic and calm manner. He has been a cherished friend and has worked with Matt and Suzanne for nearly 16 years.
Sadie Hoffman
Sadie Hoffman is a superb animal handler and barn hand whose attention to detail and steady work ethic bring a polish to the facility making it all the more welcoming to horse and humans alike.
Barb Ford
Barb Ford is the farm’s bookkeeper, office manager, and resident “jill of all trades”. She brings to Clearwind over 35 years experience in a variety of settings, including advertising, marketing, software, and newspaper publishing. She has a love of plants and gardening and is enjoying sharing that at Clearwind.
Alexis Dumain
Alexis Dumain is a student at UNC-Chapel Hill studying Creative Writing and Psychology. She began working with ClearWind as part of an independent study on the horse-human relationship and has since continued her work there. She is passionate about continuing the learning process on how we can create more positive, harmonious interactions with both horses and humans.
Leigh Ann Apanites
Leigh Ann Apanites was born a horse girl and has been a horse care professional for more than 10 years. She is also the Co-Facilitator and a Director of Peace Reins, an organization that provides equine facilitated learning (EFL) programming to military veterans. She is delighted to be able to use her skills and expertise to support the horses and programming at ClearWind Farm.
