Linda and Vic moved to northeast Tennessee after living
most of their lives in Jacksonville, Florida. Vic had a
long and very distinguished career in law enforcement and
Linda was working in the criminal justice system when they
met. Though technically retired,the truth is that their
lives simply took on a new direction when they ventured
into farm living. There are always multiple projects going
on around Mendin' Fences and the city-slicker learning
curve is a constant source of stories to tell on
themselves.
How We Got Here
People often ask us how we ended up here, in this corner of
northeast Tennessee. Well, we were looking for a vacation
place ... something different from Florida. We looked in
Georgia, South and North Carolina. And then one day, we saw
an ad for property up this way: "33 acres for $30,000". Ha.
Of course we had to check that
out! Okay, it wasn't quite as the ad described. In fact, it
was nothing like it was described. Alright ... it may have
actually been 30 acres. Straight up and down and only about
an acre where you could actually walk. Mmmm. Still, it got
us up this way and we eventually found 12 much more
suitable acres and another 6 next door once we realized how
much we liked the area.
We built a cabin about 30 minutes from where we now live.
We found we liked the area so much, we decided to try
increasing our time away from Florida and try rural living
in a little more intensive way. We added a barn and then we
added a mare and foal to our one-horse herd so, of course,
we needed more pasture and ... well, one thing led to
another. Ultimately, we decided we wanted to live here
full-time.
The next search led us to this property. 70 acres! What
were we thinking??! It's a LOT of work, especially with
someone like Vic who has a "should-look-like-a-national
park" mentality. We do love it here, though. It was a
wonderful move and we are grateful every day for being a
part of this beautiful farm.
Our search for the perfect place was always with
the condition that it would also be suitable as a horse
educational facility. Both Vic and I had been involved in
training during our careers. (Vic more than me but, hey,
he's got a few years on me! ) Once we started attending
some clinics, we felt there was a real need in the
horseworld for quality education and organization. We began
to think that maybe we could combine our career backgrounds
with our new equine life. This led us to creating this
facility -- rustic and comfortable -- and to seeking out
those clinicians who were skilled at working with horses
but who could also share their expertise with students in a
respectful as well as knowledgeable way.
We've been here since 1998. You cannot believe the changes
in the house, the barns, and the land. Nothing that has
altered the integrity of the original layout -- just lots
of ... enhancements.
We hope you'll join us here for your own learning retreat.
If you'd like to know more about our business backgrounds
or the more "traditional" work we continue to do, please go
to our Consulting page.