Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of having my very own horse farm. I knew how I would want to set it up from the layout of the pastures to the stalls to the feed and tack rooms. I have held this vision of the life I would create for my horses for nearly 25 years. And just before my 30th birthday this year, my dream came true!
On June 27th, 2024 my husband, Josh, and I sold our starter home and bought a 100-year-old farmhouse complete with five acres of land close to our friends and family, a historic barn including three stalls and a massive hay loft, riding arena, and round pen. The next day, I brought Annie home and she settled in as if she had been there her whole life.
The previous owner was a fellow horse friend of mine, in fact, she grew up watching me back in my barrel racing days under the guidance of my riding instructor who is around her age. I had watched her slowly turn the property into a paradise for her horses over the 25 years that she owned it. She only chose to sell it after an injury left her unable to care for the land on her own as she had for so many years. I was shocked when it first went up for sale but understood, and told Josh we needed to make a move on it.
I did not think this would actually happen and had even accepted the reality that it may not. Buying a horse property in this location at this price point is practically unheard of here. But our many connections to the previous owner, including the fact that the selling realtor is another horse friend of mine who is actually the one who posted Annie's sale ad that led me to her, and her knowing that we would care for the land and house as she did were ultimately what sealed the deal. I almost could not believe it when she accepted our offer, but am eternally grateful that she did.
When I knew we were definitely buying this property but before we moved, I told Josh that I wanted to name our farm - another big part of my lifelong dream! I had brainstormed farm names in the past, but I knew I needed to wait until I knew the property to decide exactly what it would be, and dang if that weren't the case. The name came to me in no time at all...
Black Phoenix Farm.
I knew I wanted to honor Annie in the name, after all, my magical black mare who has been the catalyst for so much deserves to live on forever here. I also wanted to honor the previous owner somehow, which is where Phoenix comes in. Her moving into the next chapter of her life felt like a rebirth, and she truly was rising from the ashes. I also greatly appreciate the beauty of the phoenix's story, the mythical aspect of it felt very much in alignment with what this place is and will be.
Now while that is the story behind the name of our small slice of heaven, I was not prepared for how that name would lead to something even bigger.
The previous owner's two geldings stayed with us until they could catch their ride to be reunited with their person out West, so they were here for about three weeks to help show Annie that this would be a place of peace. I chose not to integrate them and opted to set up a temporary area for Annie where they could share a fence line but not get too attached before the boys left.
All three handled this living arrangement beautifully and now that the boys have gone, I am thrilled to report that Annie also handled living alone with so much grace and resilience. I truly believe that her losing Phoebe earlier in the year was meant to prepare her for this (more on that in my previous blog post). I am also insanely proud of the horse she has become in our time together. I am not sure that the version of her that existed in 2020 could have handled so much change in such a short amount of time so well. I also think she knew exactly what was to come...
I knew that she would need another horse in her life to fulfill her basic needs (forage, freedom, and friends). I had toyed with the idea of opening up the farm to one perfect boarder but ultimately decided that the small amount of profit was not worth all of the uncertainty that comes with boarding. I did not want to bring in another horse who may potentially leave after who knows how long, putting us back in this same situation. That did not feel fair to Annie. So with that option out, I quietly began putting out feelers for a companion for her.
I was presented with a few options and further investigated the ones that felt like real possibilities. I looked carefully at one mare who was a bit older, but was very sweet and has a very grounded energy that I could see being beneficial for Annie. After seeing her and deciding my other options were not the right fit, I was still not quite sold. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that my previous gelding, Jager, was meant for me, and I knew with the same certainty about Annie, too, so when I found myself grappling with saying yes or no to this mare, I asked for a clear sign that this was either a yes or a no.
I told my best friend that I was on the fence about this horse, and within minutes, she messaged me back and said she might know of the perfect horse for me, sent me pictures, and something in my gut told me that this felt really good. Enter Bird.
Bird, a handsome 15-year-old red road Quarter Horse gelding with the most beautiful white blaze, was owned by another friend of hers who had recently decided to stop teaching R+ lessons in order to re-center herself. He had suffered from a core lesion in his right stifle that she exhausted every option to treat and return him to a riding career. However, he never progressed to the level of soundness that would be required for her to feel right riding him so he happily accepted his fate as a gorgeous pasture ornament who taught R+ lessons to beginners thanks to his goofy, yet unflappable nature.
She and I chatted and it truly sounded like this would be the perfect situation for everyone. Bird is sound and playful enough to keep up with Annie, but grounded enough to support her natural vigilance. His kind and quiet nature are not only perfect for Josh as he learns more about working with and caring for horses, but also for beginners to learn about positive reinforcement - the perfect addition to The Positive Pony. Taking him on would give him a renewed purpose as his owner transitioned the core of her business and would take him off of her plate, into a beautiful new beginning, so that she could focus her attention on her other horses with less guilt for splitting her time.
But the craziest part of all of this, the part that I simply cannot make up is this...
In discussing him, his owner mentioned that she had given him the name Fire Bird for his coloring and for the phoenix. At this point, only a small handful of people knew my farm name and she was not one of them. I have chills writing this and reliving the moment when I realized that I quite literally had found the Phoenix to complete Black Phoenix Farm.
A couple of weeks later, I visited Bird in person and confirmed that he was truly meant for us. He arrived at Black Phoenix Farm on July 27, 2024, exactly one month after we became the new stewards of this land, and has settled in just as perfectly as Annie did a month ago. He even marched right into the stall that I deemed his (we leave the barn and stalls open for the horses to come in and out as they please) and I truly believe he knew he was home. I have never seen two horses bond so quickly as these two have, and it has been the most beautiful thing to witness them bring out the best in each other already.
I cannot begin to express how surreal this all feels, it truly feels like the universe orchestrated every moment leading up to this. I am also beyond excited to continue to share our collective journey as it unfolds. So with all of that said...
Please join me in welcoming Bird and in celebrating the birth of Black Phoenix Farm. 💖
Comments