Barn: Paint Creek Farm
Located in: Lipan, TX
Barn Owner: Claudia Knudsen
Horses on SmartPaks: 33
Paint Creek Farm was founded by Claudia Knudsen 15 years ago as a rehabilitation farm for hunter/jumper show horses.
“Over the years, many horses returned to the show ring, but just as many suffered career-ending injuries. Most of the Paint Creek Farm horses today are retirees in their twenties and thirties. The caregivers are young adults in their teens and twenties who keep all the horses fed, doctored, and pampered. Without their hard work, our oldsters would not enjoy such longevity.
Accompanying a show horse when it arrives at Paint Creek is the ‘show horse’ SmartPak. Retired horses’ needs are different than horses in training, so the supplements in the SmartPak will change as the horse ages. We have 32 horses and 2 miniature donkeys at our farm. All (including the retired donkeys) are on some form of supplement in a SmartPak. Our most widely used supplements are related to the horse’s digestive system and to joint health. SmartDigest Ultra and SmartFlex Senior are found in many of our SmartPak storage bins. If we feel a horse is not looking its best, we will order some SmartOmega 3. If we are unsure about which supplement will help them, we call our Barn Consultant, Jenn, who is extremely knowledgeable about all of the supplements SmartPak carries. Whenever presented with a challenging question, she goes above and beyond to ensure she has given us the most accurate and complete answer. We love this professional approach to business, and our owners appreciate the extra effort, too.
The very best thing about SmartPak is how it helps us with accounting. Our owners purchase their SmartPaks with their own arrangements so our monthly billing is that much easier and less time-consuming. We are never in the office anyway—we are always in the barn making sure our geriatrics are feeling their very best. They deserve it! Check us out at Gerihorse.com.”
Photos courtesy of Nancy Stewart and Nikki Kirkpatrick
(67 reviews)
Wow – Paint Creek Farm is gorgeous. What a comforting place for old-timers, retirees and rescues; and what a wonderful life lesson for those young caregivers. Thanks for showcasing this inspiring story.
I agree. What a lovely farm and great people who care!
Nice place.
No place better to be a horse!!!
Claudia, what a terrific thing you’re doing! And the farm looks wonderful.
best wishes!
Good for you Claudia! :))
And I thought Shangri-La was in Tibet…Fantastic work Claudia!
Claudia:
You will definitely go to Heaven! You are truly a gift from God for these horses. If I lived there I would volunteer to take care of the oldies. I just love them all!
Best
Wonderful work Claudia!
Such an inspiring story! God bless you all for your huge endeavor!
What a wonderful place, and a great lesson for the teens you have taking care of those horses. That will last them a lifetime. One has to recognize that you aren’t just doing those horses a huge favor, but also our future generation . Thank you.
Claudia and her crew are truly a blessing to so many horses and owners! They do a wonderful job of making every resident horse’s days peaceful and lovely, as they deserve!
Just found out how to work Facebook…Terrific article and comments…
So proud of you…Sue