Horse Blog

This is a great turnaround story for a family-owned horse business.

After years of struggle in the horse business, Canale Farms is thriving as a different animal altogether.

The 107-acre spread in Fayette County is home to corporate outings, church picnics, family reunions and other group gatherings where visitors can fish, play softball, sing karaoke, eat barbecue and - yes - ride ponies.

"I did everything I could (in the horse business)," said owner and founder Drew Canale, 47, who grew up in Midtown and became a lawyer, though you'd never guess it from his cowboy hat and folksy way.

"We went to the top of the heap in horses. We did horse sales, horse shows. ... We did everything we could to try to make a living. The market's just not there."

But Canale said a friend, Davy Johnson, suggested corporate- event hosting as a way to stay down on the farm. From one event in 1995, it has grown into into a full-time business.

Related Products: Visit our store

Read more from this blogger: The Family Wagon -- Fayette County Horse Farm, at the End of the Trail, Finds New Legs Hosting Corporate Events