“There are just so many benefits to being around animals, including horses, in terms of people’s mental health,” says Katherine Berg, manager of the Carriage Hill MetroPark riding center. “If you go back in history, horses and humans have just been so intertwined. We’ve relied on horses for so many years. It’s part of our history as humans.”
Five Rivers MetroParks is one of only a few metro park programs with live animals and a riding center. At Carriage Hill, a working farm that recreates life in the 1880s, the animals bring that mission to life, helping children and adults learn to appreciate the value of farm animals.
“In the 1880s, draft horses were how most people did a lot of their work,” says Sue Nevins, historic farm specialist at Carriage Hill. “So, we use them to show the public: This is how we would have planted oats, this is how we harvest ice. We have pigs because, traditionally, that’s what people would have eaten, and cows because, obviously, people made butter and milk and everything they needed to survive. Having these animals gives people a look back at what life would have been like in the day.”
But keeping live animals is expensive. There are the obvious costs of food, shelter and health care. And veterinary care has become much more expensive in the past several years. Horses also need other treatments, such as hoof care, and some require special medications or diets.
“Animals are expensive,” Berg said. “They’re living beings. It’s not just your general maintenance like a kayak or something.”
The adopt-an-animal program has helped raise awareness of the animals’ ongoing needs. “I think it shows that there are people out there who love what we do and want to see it continue and want to support the animals,” Berg says.
Brenda Cox, Five Rivers MetroParks philanthropy manager, says the program started in late 2023, initially for only the horses at the Carriage Hill Riding Center. In January of this year, MetroParks expanded the program to include the working animals at Carriage Hill’s historical farm.
Up for adoption are the 17 horses at the riding center and the three cats who live there, plus the animals at the farm — four horses, three pigs, two donkeys, two cows and 23 sheep and rams. This summer, the farm’s chickens will also be available for adoption.
What does it mean to adopt one of these animals? Donors can select the individual animal they wish to support and then choose from one of four adoption levels:
- Level 1: For $125 annually, donors will have their name put on the animal’s stall and will receive a “trading card” with the animal’s name and personal information.
- Level 2: For $250 annually, donors receive Level 1 benefits plus a free trail ride.
- Level 3: For $500 annually, donors receive Level 2 benefits plus one riding lesson.
- Level 4: For $1,000 annually, donors receive Level 3 benefits plus an additional riding lesson.
Money generated from the adopt-an-animal program goes directly to support the animals’ care.
To adopt an animal, go to metroparks.org/about/foundations/adopt-an-animal-program.
More than 20 people have signed up for the adopt-an-animal program, many supporting more than one animal. For some, participation is very personal. In one case, the family of a longtime volunteer who died wanted to honor her by supporting the ponies she loved.
“It’s a way to give back, a way to be involved with the animals, even if you can’t come out and ride,” Berg says.
Carriage Hill MetroPark offers riding lessons for adults and children; trail rides; pony rides for young children; and summer camps. For information on riding center hours and programs, go to metroparks.org/riding-center.
You can also watch the animals work on the farm. Until the end of March, farm grounds are open Tuesday-Sunday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Beginning in April, farm buildings are also open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m.
Carriage Hill offers special programs throughout the year, including a basic blacksmithing class on March 15 and a textile class on May 3. To learn about other programs, go to metroparks.org/programs-events-finder.
Volunteers are also needed at the farm and the riding center.
For Berg, working at the riding center is her “dream job.” “It’s just wonderful to be able to share that love and passion for horses with other people,” she says.
Nevins can’t imagine working anywhere else. “I came from an office job,” she said on a frigid February morning. “I’d rather be outside, even in this weather, than at a desk. And I really like the farm, how it touches the people in the community. It’s been here so long, and people have been coming from generations. It’s nice to hear their stories.”
Jana Collier is on the Five Rivers MetroParks Foundation Board. To learn about the foundation and how you can help, go to metroparks.org/about/foundations.
Facts about Carriage Hill and its animals
- Carriage Hill was the first park established by the new park district in 1965.
- In 1968, a farm next to Carriage Hill was added to showcase the area’s agricultural heritage.
- In 1995, the park added an adjacent horse farm, which became the riding center.
- In addition to regular riding lessons, the center offers vaulting, a sport of “gymnastics/dance” on horseback.
- The oldest horse at the riding center is Sassy, a bay color quarter horse. She’s 25 this year.
- The heaviest horse at the center is Buckeye, who weighs between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds.
- The riding center includes two pairs of brothers – Eclipse and Legacy, and Biscuit and Monday.
- Three horses came to the riding center from rescue centers - Oreo, Darcy and Drifter.
- Hank is a Dartmoor Quarter Pony Cross, which is recognized by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust as a vulnerable breed.
- Hank and TeeJay both have the rarest body coat color: grullo. TeeJay is a paint horse.
- Belle was born at Carriage Hill and has lived at the farm her entire life.
- Free horse manure is available to the public year-round. It’s self-serve, so bring your own equipment. Gates are open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week.
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