One of the great things about Freedom Woods is our outstanding location. However, the downside is we have limited space. While our horses are happy and well cared for, you don't really get that country feel. A few years ago we purchased land just over the boarder into Wisconsin about an hour away from the city limits. The fifty-five acres in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin came with a 5,000 square foot loft home. Originally, we bought the property with hopes of growing our own hay. In the last two years, we have changed our plans. First we equipped the loft home with geothermal heating. Last year, we built two large barns on the property that in time will be heated and contain stalls, wash racks, and tack rooms.
Our long term goal is to offer a second facility for retired or rehabbing horses that offers fun weekends in the country for our clients. We have aspirations to build a full derby course. This will include a bridge, a wooded area, and hills to simulate competing in a real hunter derby. We will have hired staff to live on the property to care for horses that are rehabilitating or retired around the clock. For weekends in the country we plan to offer them for both children and adults (separately of course).
The Children's Weekends (Under 18)
These weekends will consist of 15 students or less. The horses will arrive Friday evening. We will spend time caring for the horses and settling them in. The students and staff will then enjoy a nice evening of BBQing and sharing stories around the fire pit. The students will all sleep in bunk beds on the second floor of the loft home. Two hired counselors and trainers will also be staying on site on the lower level of the home. We will begin Saturday morning at 6am with feeding the horses. All of the students will then come back inside for a hot breakfast. After breakfast, everyone will tack up their horses and participate in an hour and half long training session in the derby field. After we care for the horses after the ride, all of the students will be served lunch. In the afternoon on Saturday we will go for a trail ride around the property and stretch our horses out. For dinner, we will grill outside and hangout together. Weather permitting, we can also hangout in the jacuzzi and rest our muscles after a long day of working and riding. Sunday, we will start our day with feeding our horses and a delicious hot breakfast as well. We will then have a training session in the derby field. After our horses are cared for and settled, we will make our way back to Freedom Woods.
The Adult Weekend (Over 21)
The Adult Weekends will consist of much of the same as our Children's weekend. The only difference is on these weekend beer and wine will be served in the evenings.
There is still much work to be done until we can offer these fun weekends but we are very hopeful and working diligently to offer them soon. Right now this is still a bit of a dream but in the near future we are hoping to make it a reality. This year, we will finish the inside of the barns. In 2017 we hope to finish the paddocks, pasture, and derby field. The future of this secondary facility is looking very bright and hope to have everything up and running by the summer of 2018. Stay tuned for updates on our progress and the opening of our new facility!