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Photos courtesy of: Ryerss Farm For Aged Equines
\nTell us about how Ryerss Farm came to be:
\nDuring the Victorian era, horses were considered to be mere machinery. Our founder, Anne Waln-Ryerss, had compassion for these animals and was one of a growing number of people at the time who insisted that horses should be cared for. Our farm grew out of that movement. Anne was a dedicated animal advocate during her lifetime, as were her and her husband\u2019s families, helping to create both the Pennsylvania SPCA and the American Anti-Vivisectionist Society. We opened in 1888, thanks to money she left for building a place that cared for older and injured animals.
How big is the farm today, and what takes place there?
\nWe own around four hundred acres and around eighty stalls. At any given time, we have from seventy-nine to eighty-five equines living here\u2014not only horses but also mules and donkeys. We\u2019ve housed just about every equine other than zebras.
When we settled into our current location, we preserved the land for agricultural use only to support as many animals as we could. Half of it is dedicated grazing space for the animals, and the other half is farmland. We grow our own hay, straw, and corn and sell the corn on the open market. Overall, it\u2019s a big operation.
\nAre you open year-round?
\nYes, 365 days a year from 10:00 to 4:00, with free admission. We\u2019ll sometimes close for a holiday, although people have been known to just show up to see the horses on Christmas morning.
\n
What\u2019s it like to run a year-round organization and farm that cares for dozens of equines?
\nThere\u2019s a huge amount of work involved. Our farm manager, Cory Mowrer, takes care of all the farm operations, doing so much of the overall work. But it\u2019s also handled by a few other full-time employees, including an on-site, live-in veterinarian, and around one hundred volunteers. It\u2019s basically like running a retirement home for horses. However, none of the people who do it would say it\u2019s work because they all love caring for the animals. That\u2019s why we have almost no turnover.
My house is actually right next to the farm, so I can see everything happening firsthand even when I\u2019m at home. For example, we produced about forty to forty-five acres of corn last year. Watching it grow all season and then get harvested in fall just reminded me about how much goes into running this place. I find it astounding.
\nWhat\u2019s the most challenging aspect of running the business?
\nYou\u2019d probably get a different answer from every person here. For me, it\u2019s financial because I wake up every morning thinking about how we\u2019re going to make ends meet. For others, the biggest challenge is keeping the farm in order. In addition to caring for our animals, we have a lot of buildings with a lot of roofs and plumbing, for example, and it\u2019s always a roll of the dice every year determining what crops to sow and where\u2014all the worries of a farmer. Cory\u2019s an excellent one, and he approaches it very intelligently.
Supply and demand is always a critical part of running a business. How is that balance for Ryerss?
\nDemand is not quite as huge as it was when I first got here, only because we accepted most horses on our waiting list, yet we\u2019d never see many of them. That list has only gotten bigger, so for horses to be on it now, we ask their owners to pay a $250 fee, which goes toward their horse\u2019s entrance fee to live here. If they never show up, it\u2019s considered a donation to Ryerss. This better ensures that people who put their horses on our list are serious about it.
Our waiting list extends out about two and a half to three years. To secure a spot, some people put their horse on the list when it\u2019s quite young and then wait years for it to turn twenty, our minimum age limit. Others put it in their will that their horse is to come here if it outlives them.
\nBeing a locally based nonprofit, how do you raise capital?
\nAbout 40 percent comes from charitable donations, and we have a $10,000 admittance fee for each horse that\u2019s brought in, which pays for its care for a year and a half to two years. We also hold annual events to raise money.
We\u2019re playing the long game here as far as I\u2019m concerned. For instance, if we have a thousand visitors and one hundred of them turn out to be well off, maybe two out of that one hundred wind up not having any children and don\u2019t know where they\u2019re going to leave their money. Ideally, we want them to donate it to Ryerss.
\n![\"\"](\"https://businessinaction.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2026/07/equine-intext1.jpg\")
\n
You mentioned events. How many do you have each year, and what role do they serve in the grand scheme of things at Ryerss?
\nWe started holding them for consistent visibility and awareness, so that people would come and see us and know what we do, and to raise a little money. In autumn, for instance, we hold our birthday gala, a fundraising brunch and auction; and in December, a free holiday event, which is a big draw.
In spring, we have a 5K run/1K walk that goes around the farm; that\u2019s gotten bigger every year. And during summer, we have our Family Fun Day, which includes family-friendly food and activities. Everything is bought through tickets, which we sell for a dollar each, and nothing costs more than about five tickets. We also host summer camps where kids learn about horses and farming, encouraging future interest in both.
\nHow crucial are your volunteers to your success?
\nThey\u2019re the key to the whole thing. And I don\u2019t mean just the volunteers cleaning the stables but also our board of managers, which is comprised of nine volunteers with horse backgrounds, and our board of advisors. All these people are normally quite busy, yet they make sure to give their time to the farm. There are only about five or six paid staff in the whole shooting match here, such as the office manager, animal welfare manager, and farm manager.
What does Ryerss mean to its community?
\nThat\u2019s a good question. This part of Chester County is becoming suburbanized, but Ryerss will always be evergreen. People here know we\u2019re never going to move, which provides a sense of stability in changing times. And, of course, because of the influx of visitors we get, it\u2019s great for the community as a whole. I think we\u2019re an important piece of it.
What\u2019s the best part of this venture for you?
\nI grew up with horses; my grandparents and parents both had them. I was a rider from a young age, which I enjoyed immensely, and I was always very attached to our horses. In fact, I was retired when some friends of mine on the board of managers here asked if I\u2019d like to join them, which was a no-brainer. I\u2019ve been here fifteen years now after my first \u201cretirement,\u201d which is a testament to how much I love Ryerss, its staff, and its residents. Every person is here for a greater purpose, which makes all the effort the farm requires well worth it.
For more info, visit ryerssfarm.org
\nThe post The Business of Elder Equine Care appeared first on Business In Action.
\n", "content_text": "Photos courtesy of: Ryerss Farm For Aged Equines\nSamuel Griffin, president of Ryerss Farm for Aged Equines in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, discusses what it takes to run his organization, the country\u2019s first horse rescue and retirement farm and the oldest nonprofit horse sanctuary in America.\nTell us about how Ryerss Farm came to be:\nDuring the Victorian era, horses were considered to be mere machinery. Our founder, Anne Waln-Ryerss, had compassion for these animals and was one of a growing number of people at the time who insisted that horses should be cared for. Our farm grew out of that movement. Anne was a dedicated animal advocate during her lifetime, as were her and her husband\u2019s families, helping to create both the Pennsylvania SPCA and the American Anti-Vivisectionist Society. We opened in 1888, thanks to money she left for building a place that cared for older and injured animals.\nHow big is the farm today, and what takes place there?\nWe own around four hundred acres and around eighty stalls. At any given time, we have from seventy-nine to eighty-five equines living here\u2014not only horses but also mules and donkeys. We\u2019ve housed just about every equine other than zebras.\nWhen we settled into our current location, we preserved the land for agricultural use only to support as many animals as we could. Half of it is dedicated grazing space for the animals, and the other half is farmland. We grow our own hay, straw, and corn and sell the corn on the open market. Overall, it\u2019s a big operation.\nAre you open year-round?\nYes, 365 days a year from 10:00 to 4:00, with free admission. We\u2019ll sometimes close for a holiday, although people have been known to just show up to see the horses on Christmas morning.\n\n \nWhat\u2019s it like to run a year-round organization and farm that cares for dozens of equines?\nThere\u2019s a huge amount of work involved. Our farm manager, Cory Mowrer, takes care of all the farm operations, doing so much of the overall work. But it\u2019s also handled by a few other full-time employees, including an on-site, live-in veterinarian, and around one hundred volunteers. It\u2019s basically like running a retirement home for horses. However, none of the people who do it would say it\u2019s work because they all love caring for the animals. That\u2019s why we have almost no turnover.\nMy house is actually right next to the farm, so I can see everything happening firsthand even when I\u2019m at home. For example, we produced about forty to forty-five acres of corn last year. Watching it grow all season and then get harvested in fall just reminded me about how much goes into running this place. I find it astounding.\nWhat\u2019s the most challenging aspect of running the business?\nYou\u2019d probably get a different answer from every person here. For me, it\u2019s financial because I wake up every morning thinking about how we\u2019re going to make ends meet. For others, the biggest challenge is keeping the farm in order. In addition to caring for our animals, we have a lot of buildings with a lot of roofs and plumbing, for example, and it\u2019s always a roll of the dice every year determining what crops to sow and where\u2014all the worries of a farmer. Cory\u2019s an excellent one, and he approaches it very intelligently.\nSupply and demand is always a critical part of running a business. How is that balance for Ryerss?\nDemand is not quite as huge as it was when I first got here, only because we accepted most horses on our waiting list, yet we\u2019d never see many of them. That list has only gotten bigger, so for horses to be on it now, we ask their owners to pay a $250 fee, which goes toward their horse\u2019s entrance fee to live here. If they never show up, it\u2019s considered a donation to Ryerss. This better ensures that people who put their horses on our list are serious about it.\nOur waiting list extends out about two and a half to three years. To secure a spot, some people put their horse on the list when it\u2019s quite young and then wait years for it to turn twenty, our minimum age limit. Others put it in their will that their horse is to come here if it outlives them.\nBeing a locally based nonprofit, how do you raise capital?\nAbout 40 percent comes from charitable donations, and we have a $10,000 admittance fee for each horse that\u2019s brought in, which pays for its care for a year and a half to two years. We also hold annual events to raise money.\nWe\u2019re playing the long game here as far as I\u2019m concerned. For instance, if we have a thousand visitors and one hundred of them turn out to be well off, maybe two out of that one hundred wind up not having any children and don\u2019t know where they\u2019re going to leave their money. Ideally, we want them to donate it to Ryerss.\n\n \nYou mentioned events. How many do you have each year, and what role do they serve in the grand scheme of things at Ryerss?\nWe started holding them for consistent visibility and awareness, so that people would come and see us and know what we do, and to raise a little money. In autumn, for instance, we hold our birthday gala, a fundraising brunch and auction; and in December, a free holiday event, which is a big draw.\nIn spring, we have a 5K run/1K walk that goes around the farm; that\u2019s gotten bigger every year. And during summer, we have our Family Fun Day, which includes family-friendly food and activities. Everything is bought through tickets, which we sell for a dollar each, and nothing costs more than about five tickets. We also host summer camps where kids learn about horses and farming, encouraging future interest in both.\nHow crucial are your volunteers to your success?\nThey\u2019re the key to the whole thing. And I don\u2019t mean just the volunteers cleaning the stables but also our board of managers, which is comprised of nine volunteers with horse backgrounds, and our board of advisors. All these people are normally quite busy, yet they make sure to give their time to the farm. There are only about five or six paid staff in the whole shooting match here, such as the office manager, animal welfare manager, and farm manager.\nWhat does Ryerss mean to its community?\nThat\u2019s a good question. This part of Chester County is becoming suburbanized, but Ryerss will always be evergreen. People here know we\u2019re never going to move, which provides a sense of stability in changing times. And, of course, because of the influx of visitors we get, it\u2019s great for the community as a whole. I think we\u2019re an important piece of it.\nWhat\u2019s the best part of this venture for you?\nI grew up with horses; my grandparents and parents both had them. I was a rider from a young age, which I enjoyed immensely, and I was always very attached to our horses. In fact, I was retired when some friends of mine on the board of managers here asked if I\u2019d like to join them, which was a no-brainer. I\u2019ve been here fifteen years now after my first \u201cretirement,\u201d which is a testament to how much I love Ryerss, its staff, and its residents. Every person is here for a greater purpose, which makes all the effort the farm requires well worth it.\nFor more info, visit ryerssfarm.org\nThe post The Business of Elder Equine Care appeared first on Business In Action.", "date_published": "2026-08-10T08:00:02+00:00", "date_modified": "2026-07-21T22:10:23+00:00", "author": { "name": "jshaw", "url": "https://businessinaction.com/author/jshaw/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/82c9132115b5cb74c8d4fb20cf990f4e3fb8822fa552fdc3e362ead755a6b041?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://businessinaction.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2026/07/equine-featured.jpg", "tags": [ "Farm", "Horses", "Leadership", "Nonprofit", "Pennsylvania", "Small Business" ], "summary": "An inside look at Ryerss Farm for Aged Equines, a Pennsylvania nonprofit dedicated to senior animals." }, { "id": "https://businessinaction.com/small-business/building-hope/", "url": "https://businessinaction.com/small-business/building-hope/", "title": "Building Hope", "content_html": "![](\"https://businessinaction.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/11/givebackhomes-main-300x158.jpg\")
The post Building Hope appeared first on Business In Action.
\n", "content_text": "The post Building Hope appeared first on Business In Action.", "date_published": "2024-11-06T08:00:33+00:00", "date_modified": "2024-08-30T16:42:28+00:00", "author": { "name": "ajimenez", "url": "https://businessinaction.com/author/ajimenez/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/370fd3ef5b2313c7465c0026a4c2af9d14c7c1f31fb160ddbba3f572f8b74842?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "tags": [ "Giving Back", "Homes", "Nonprofit", "Philanthropy", "Real Estate", "Small Business" ], "summary": "Learn about the global impact of Giveback Homes. " } ] }