The Heart Behind Pritchard’s Pride Stables

 

My name is Janice Pritchard, and I’m the owner and hands-on caregiver here at Pritchard’s Pride Stables. If you’ve ever dreamed of a place where animals get a real chance to live peacefully, and where people feel like family, that’s exactly what this land was built for.

 

Something I grew up wanting was to be able to step out onto my back porch and watch horses grazing on my own land. But it goes back further than that, really. I was raised by a logger who had a big heart for animals. My daddy would come home with baby critters he found while working in the woods—raccoons, fawns, possums, and all kinds of wild orphans who needed care. While other kids were playing with dolls, I was bottle-feeding squirrels. Those animals became part of our lives, even if just for a little while. They sparked something deep in me.

 

That passion led me into wildlife rehabilitation. I spent many years helping injured and orphaned animals get another shot at life and even started a nonprofit to support the work. For eight of those years, I ran Survivors of the Wild. It was the kind of job that could break your heart and fill it back up in the same day. I once released a young doe back into the wild, and a year later, she showed up in my yard with her twin babies. I stood there in silence, watching them, thinking to myself, “Look at what I’ve helped make possible.” It was one of those moments that settles into your soul.

 

Eventually, I had friends who didn’t have land of their own but loved the peace and openness of mine. They asked if they could board a few horses here, and we started with just four. I wasn’t planning on becoming a boarding barn, but the moment those horses stepped onto the property, I was hooked. I fell in love with walking out on my porch and seeing them in my yard. Horses are one of those critters—once you get the bug, it never leaves you. And in that moment, I knew I had it.

 

The heart of Pritchard’s Pride isn’t just the animals—it’s the people who come here. That’s why I’ve worked hard to make this place feel like a second home for everyone who sets foot on the property. I remember applying for a job at a different barn once. I’d only been there a day when I struck up a conversation with one of the boarders, just trying to make them feel welcome. The barn owner pulled me aside and coldly said, “We don’t talk to the boarders.” In that moment, I knew I would never allow anyone to feel that unwelcome on a farm I was part of. From then on, I promised myself that if I ever had my own place, people wouldn’t just feel welcome—they’d feel like family.

 

That spirit lives in every part of Pritchard’s Pride. I trust my gut when it comes to who I let board here, and I’ve never regretted it. We’ve had kids who spent their summers here, got off the school bus right at the front gate, and spent their afternoons riding, learning, and laughing. They started calling me “Aunt Janice,” and it stuck.

 

Of all the animals that’ve come through this place, one that really left a mark—literally and emotionally—was a rescue horse named Cornbread. He had been abused and didn’t trust people at all. If you raised your hand anywhere near him, he’d bolt to the other side of the pasture. For the first few days, I’d just sit and talk while he grazed across the fence line. Little by little, he started coming closer. I’d be out putting up hot wire, and he’d inch in—curious but cautious. One hot afternoon, I was sitting down for lunch with a piece of cornbread and a cold drink. He walked right up to me, sniffed my hand, and started licking my fingers. Then he went straight for the cornbread. That’s when I knew we’d turned a corner—and that’s how he got his name. He still didn’t trust most people for a while, but he came to love a good butt scratch. In fact, he once scratched his rear on our brand-new truck and left a big ol’ dent—like it was his stamp of approval.

 

Every horse, every critter, every person who’s come through here has helped shape what this place has become. And we’re not done yet. The barn is almost finished, and we’ve got plans for more pastures, a new riding arena, and even a little wooden bridge to add some charm. Every improvement is made with love and purpose—to keep this land true to its roots.

 

Pritchard’s Pride is more than a stable. It’s a place built from scratch with heart, grit, and grace.

So come on by, and stay awhile. You’ll see why we call it home.