active because that is the key to longevity,”
Pucci explains. “The average farming horse
wears out around 12 to 15 years because of
the strain on their knee joints; the average
carriage horse can work for almost twice as
long before being retired.”
In the summertime, horses at the downtown
barn are rotated throughout the
day. Today, Mikey works the whole day;
he pulls some sightseers, but not enough
to tire him out. He has a fresh bucket of
water at the carriage-loading station that he
drinks from during breaks. When the day
ends, he returns to the downtown stable
and is unharnessed, at the end of his shift.
Back at the main farm, the other horses
eat and play all day long. Bobby and Radar,
two retired horses with completely white
coats, stand next to each other. Ned sneaks
a mouthful of food from Radar’s trough.
Two riding horses stand next to Ned. Rex,
a newer horse, grazes alone in the middle of
the pasture. Prince slobbers a drink of water
and shakes his head. Don and Pete stand
taller than the rest — their manes covering
their eyes — looking a little more carefree
than the others. The remaining horses hang
out inside of the barn, free to roam in and
24
WBM april 2012
Clockwise from above: Rex
munches hay at Springbrook
Farms. Prince, Don and Pete
line up for feed time. Pete,
right, the latest addition to
the farm, just completed his
training. He will begin giving
tours after grooming. Far
left, Buggs, a paint horse not
used for carriage tours, and
Ned graze at the entrance to
Springbrook Farms.
out as they please.
“We don’t need this many horses,” Pucci
says. “But if the business can help us feed
them, take care of them and have good vet
care, then why not save them?”
The rest of the farm includes a large
pond with ducks and geese, two rescued
dogs and a wooden farmhouse that was
designed by the Puccis.
“This farm life and everything is going
away,” Pucci says. “It’s disappearing and
we’re happy to keep the tradition going
— not only to save the horses, but to save
this whole lifestyle.”
For the 1,800-
pound horses,
pulling a full carriage
is equal to
a person casually
riding a bicycle.