Services & Businesses
Jen Warner:
After years of planning and looking for property, in October 1997, Jen Warner and her husband, Dana Kisor, moved to Western Boone County to open a bed and breakfast on a 21-acre historic farm just 20 minutes southwest of Cincinnati. Jen wanted their then 2-year-old daughter to grow up with horses. Very quickly, demand to ride their adopted horses grew, although that had never been part of the business plan.
First Farm Inn now offers two-hour horsemanship sessions for B&B guests and others on a diverse herd of friendly and colorful equines. Sessions include grooming and tacking up, discussing the differences in horse's understanding of their world and physical perceptions of prey animal vs. predator as well as balance, coordination and connection with horse and human bodies.
Unlike most "trail rides," individuals must control their own horse, not follow nose to tail. Riders practice steering and communication in the riding arena before walking and trotting around the rest of the farm. Rides end with removing tack, grooming, bathing, feeding treats and doing carrot stretches. "I think it is important that a person gets the whole experience of having a horse and shows respect for the animal," shares Jen.
Growing up on a dairy farm in northern Indiana, Jen has worked with horses off and on for 43 years when not clicking away on keyboards in high rise office buildings in various cities around the Midwest. She is now learning dressage while training a 7-year-old Spotted Draft named Bodacious.
At 7, she began riding a pony bareback, usually with bailer twine looped thru a halter and a willow switch in hand. At 12, her parents bought a yearling stud colt. At 13, with no training alternatives for him, she started riding the newly gelded Appaloosa with a store-bought bridle -- but still not owning a saddle. "That is probably why I can still sit a trot and stick with fractious horses."
A founding member of the Northern Kentucky Horse Network, Jen is actively involved in Kentucky horse industry. She is a member of KEEP, U.S. Equestrian Federation, U.S. Dressage Assn, Mid-South Dressage & Eventing Assn., Certified Horsemanship Assn and Ky. Horse Council.
"My goal has been to make a small farm into a viable business that will preserve its history, conserve the natural resources and educate people about horses." Jen says. With a black and a black and white Walking Horse, a bay Thoroughbred, a grey Arabian/Hackney cross, a grey Oldenburg, a chestnut Spotted Draft and a brown roan Appaloosa, there is a breed or color for everyone. They just lost a 33-year-old Arab last winter.
At 12, daughter Tatiana can ride just about any horse, but doesn't care about showing and prefers to use horses as jungle gyms. A city boy from Southern Ohio, her husband Dana loves horses, but is terribly allergic to them. "We didn't know that until we started to teach him to ride," she says. "He's adapted though." A self-taught musician, Dana often plays the grand piano for guests. Tatiana, who has had 8 years of lessons, plays classics.
First Farm Inn attracts visitors from all over the country as well as international guests. Some are experienced horse people who can't stay away and some love animals but have never been around horses. "We have had visitors from Ireland, Japan, North Korea, Switzerland, Germany, Argentina, the Netherlands and this summer we have reservations from Australia," Jen says.
"One Saturday as we were tacking up, two guests who didn't know each other discussed their home provinces in China! Another morning at breakfast, two Chicagoans were describing the names they'd given the horses as they stood in the middle of the herd in the pasture, petting and playing with them. We could tell exactly who they were describing. They hadn't thought horses had personalities!"
"There is a tremendous need to educate people about horses. That's why we founded Northern Kentucky Horse Network," Jen says. "The great response we've gotten to rolling out the new organization is testimony to that. Horses are unique creatures and it takes knowledge and experience to interact safely with them. We anticipate the Horse Network being a huge benefit to horse people of all ages and experience levels, regardless of the discipline they ride or the breeds they prefer."