Ever wished you could return to a more simple time when life's pace wasn't so hectic? I know I did, and now you can share this experience for at least an hour or so.
Elysian Fields Farm was born of my desire to help horses and return, at least in part, to the 19th century and the early part of the 20th when horses furnished much of the power for travel and farm work. Life mostly moved at the pace of a walk or a fast trot back then, unless you were traveling by train or steamboat.
Yes, life moved at a slower pace 100 years ago, and you can have that 19th century experience if you visit historic Clinton, and take one of Elysian Fields Farm's carriage rides and tours.
You will enjoy a pleasantly slow-paced ride through the town's most historic neighborhoods in our vis-a-vis carriage or "doctor's buggy" pulled by one of the several special horses at the farm.
Today, many horses, particularly the draft breeds, are being sent to auctions where they may end up bought for slaughter to feed European and Japanese diners who consider horsemeat a delicacy. That possible fate that awaited LouLou, who, luckily was rescued almost at the auction house door, and now enjoys a loving permanent home at Elysian Fields Farm.
Other horses may be sent to auction or sold because their owners have lost interest. Sometimes a horse is sold because its owner becomes too ill to care for it, and finds a suitable new owner that can be trusted to give it care. Sometimes, a horse's owner dies, and the heirs have no use for a horse. Several of the other horses at the farm came to us as a result of just such situations. Each horse is a valued member of our farm family, and each has his or her own personality and disposition. Almost all of the horses here are aged- that means they are at least 9 years old. Many are in their teens. Like middle-aged people- they move at a slower pace, but have years of life left in them.
Come take a ride with us, and enjoy the the rythmic fall of horse hooves as you take a trip into the past in one of Louisiana's most historic towns. Clinton is filled with interesting homes, churches and public buildings that showcase a variety of architectural styles - from early settler's homesteads, to proud planters' Greek Revival mansions to fanciful high Victorians festooned with gingerbread - they all await you in Clinton, East Feliciana's Parish Seat.
You really haven't seen Clinton until you've viewed it from a carriage seat. -TM
