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Allen Ellis pulls a fresh load of wood shavings into a stall at Broadview Farm in Caroline County. He must do this each day.
Barb Ellis walks Scooter (left), a quarter horse gelding,
Annie, a Norwegian fjord pony mare, lives at Broadview Farm.
Barb Ellis returns to the barn after turning out the horses for the day.
OPPOSITE PAGE: Barb Ellis sweeps the aisle after feeding |
LLEN AND BARB Ellis are responsible for two dogs, six cats, nine horses and 50 acres.
The couple owns Broadview Farm off U.S. 1 in Woodford, and, at ages 70 and 68, they manage everything themselves.
Barb Ellis handles the horses--two of their own and seven boarders. Allen Ellis does everything else.
"He does the heavy labor work and I do the horse work," Barb Ellis said.
But caring for horses is by no means an easy task.
"That's 1,200 pounds of energy you have to deal with," Allen Ellis said. "Babs has broken ribs, back problems and everything else from being thrown."
"That doesn't say much for my riding," Barb Ellis joked in response.
Allen Ellis never rides, but still manages to get some toes stomped on every now and again.
"You get jerked around, that's all," Allen Ellis said. "After you get to be 70 years old, everything's sore."
Barb Ellis feeds the horses every morning around 6:30.
In the winter she lets them out into the paddocks during the day, and takes them back to their stalls in the barn at night.
During the summer the horses keep the opposite schedule: barn by day, when it's hottest, and paddocks during the cooler nights.
She periodically checks on water and throws hay for the horses to eat throughout the day.
She makes one last trip to the barn around midnight, and is back for the same routine some six hours later.
Oh, and she tries to clean the paddocks three days a week.
"It's a lifestyle. I sometimes wish I could slow down a little bit, but I don't want to be a couch potato," she said. "I stay challenged with all the work here."
She also is involved with the Virginia Dressage Association's Fredericksburg chapter and does administrative work at Fredericksburg Animal Hospital every Friday.
Allen Ellis has his hands full as well.
He retired from electrical contracting almost one year ago, but manages to keep busy with a new full-time job: maintaining the farm.
"There's always fences to paint and gates to fix," Barb Ellis said of her husband's work.
Until recently, Allen Ellis got up at 3:15 a.m. to check hay and water and start working on odds and ends around the barn. One of the couple's horses, Zak, had eye surgery last fall and required extra attention.
But Allen Ellis doesn't mind the long hours.
"I just enjoy the work--there's a lot of satisfaction in doing it," he said. "Look what we take care of. It's not often that people get to take care of things like this."
He added, pointing at Zak, "That man right there, he's the reason we bought this farm--so they'd have a place of their own."
Zak belonged to the Ellises' younger daughter, and Barb Ellis had her own horse, Teddy, at the time.
The couple bought the place in 1987. At the time it was only the farmhouse and open space, Barb Ellis said.
They had to establish paddocks, arranging wiring for electricity and pipes for water for each one. They also had to build an arena with appropriate footing where riders can practice, she said.
Word of the farm soon spread, and it's been at capacity ever since, with a list of potential boarders waiting to fill any vacancy.
"We both have enjoyed developing the farm and giving good care to the boarders and people," Barb Ellis said. "The owners of the horses make our job very pleasant and rewarding."
And being outside every day certainly beats any old desk job.
"I think we both enjoy the relationship with nature--it's a beautiful way to start the day," Barb Ellis said. "If someone asked if we wanted to do anything else, I'd say no--I'm perfectly happy."
To reach NATASHA ALTAMIRANO:
Email: naltamirano@freelancestar.com
