BY JULIANNE BLAIR
For Carolyn Naoroz, owning horses and a farm has been a lifelong dream. But like it is for many young horse lovers, riding was not always readily available to her. It was not until she was an adult established in her career that she could begin to pursue this dream.
Four years ago, she found the perfect partner in Perkins, an experienced OTTB hunter who has helped her through the bulk of her riding education. After waiting so long for her beloved horse, she made him a promise that that she will take care of him for the rest of his life. In order to keep this promise to the fullest extent, she began searching for a farm of her own.
At the time Naoroz purchased Perkins, he was already in his late teens, so she knew she would need a retirement plan from the start of ownership. “Perkins was 17 when I bought him and I knew buying a horse in his late teens would mean we would have more limited years of training and showing together,” Naoroz commented. “Owning a farm was one of those big life dreams, and making it happen was absolutely inspired by Perkins.”
Naoroz purchased Perkins in December of 2019, and by the following July she found the perfect place. An 8-acre farmette consisting of beautiful green pastures, a three-stall barn, and a two-stall shed row—Fine Run Farm. Though purchasing this farm was inspired by Perkins, he was not ready to retire just yet, so Naoroz decided to open her farm up to other horses in need of a safe haven.
“The first horse to take up residency was Macallan, a pasture sound 13-year-old thoroughbred who came to us a bit feral after a year of turnout,” Naoroz shared. “With patience, consistency, and great guidance from our community of experienced equestrians, Macallan began to trust us and now has excellent ground manners.”
Shortly after Macallan’s arrival, he was joined by a senior pony named Duncan. “Sadly, we only had Duncan a few months before he passed away. We were devastated but also had the peace of knowing we gave him a wonderful and loving home for his last few months of his life where he could just enjoy being a pony.”
The newest resident at the farm is Malibu. A kind and gentle warmblood who was ready to retire after a long career. Malibu, Macallan, and a companion donkey named Dodger make up the current residents of Fine Run Farm.
Caring for these retirees means a lot to Naoroz. “I think it is incredibly important for owners to have a retirement plan for their horses. While I will be able to bring Perkins home when he retires, I know that not every owner is able to do the same,” she commented, “Opening my farm to retirees enables them to be in a loving and safe environment.”
“Many horses end up in adverse situations when they have outlived their riding usefulness, and although my farm is small, I like to think we make a big impact on the quality of life for the retired horses we care for.”
Naoroz finds a lot of peace in knowing that when he is ready, Perkins will join the other Fine Run Farm horses to live out a well-earned cushy retirement. In addition to purchasing the farm, Naoroz has even taken extra steps to ensure her horse’s care in the event that something happens to her. “Perkins’s care and funds for his care are detailed in my will should he outlive me. I work hard to ensure he will always have the best quality of life.”
Naoroz encourages anyone who is thinking of owning a farm, to make that dream a reality. Though it seemed daunting at first, this dream has been incredibly rewarding to Carolyn, her family, and all of the horses that will get to call Fine Run Farm home.
