Kerry Bosman senses “a shift in the equine world, where people are looking at horses less as a service animal. They’re now focusing on the relationship aspect between horse and rider. I’m excited to be a part of this movement.”
Bosman will have her opportunity at the historic Eleazar Davis Farm on Davis Road, which she and her husband Charlie Dirac purchased about a month ago. (“Kerry has been orchestrating this whole thing,” he said.)
Former owner Lisa Samoylenko is helping with the transition, Bosman said, and “we look to be full-swing in late spring or early summer.” The family plans to move to the property from their home on Dudley Road later in the summer.
Any changes to the landscape will be cosmetic, Bosman said. “I’m super excited to have this opportunity.”
Meanwhile, “I’ve already started Coffee with Horses, a wellness activity. People can experience meditative and reflective time in close proximity to horses. It’s a great way for people to interact and enjoy being with the animals.”
Bosman graduated from Bedford High School in 2003, and she said she has been riding since age five at Little Acres Farm on Dudley Road.
She has been on the staff of Churchill Stables at Huckins Farm for more than 15 years. “I have a lot of experience in eventing, which has been the focus of my business,” called Mango Bay Equestrian, named after one of her horses.
“I was a very competitive rider, and I always thought of myself as compassionate and loving for the horse,” Bosman related.
“After I had my first child, I noticed some really big changes right away,” she said. “The energy we bring to spending time with our horse is perceived by the horse. Their instinct is to go into self-preservation mode pretty quickly. A lot of horses are more stressed than we realize they are when we are working with them.”
She explained, “Traditionally, going back to when horses were used in war, they were more like a service animal. The outlook on horses was they are there to perform for people. They are capable of being ridden and doing amazing athletic feats. But we often push them without creating an enjoyable aspect for the horse.”
“A lot of times horses break down physically after competitions. We’re asking them to do things that they don’t do naturally,” Bosman said. “There is a way to look at them, to work with them in a preventative way,” fostering proper muscle development. She said she is working to bring that approach “to the forefront of the equestrian community.”
She said she is taking time to learn more about “the anatomy, the mental and emotional aspect that horses bring, understanding that they really have feelings. We can really do the work that the horse industry does that is fun, enjoyable, and respectful to the horse.”
“There’s a little bit of a paradigm shift on the way things are done in the equestrian industry,” she said. Rather than the usual physical connection, “it’s really taking the time to listen to the horses and be able to understand what they are able to communicate to you.”
At Davis Farm, “I want to create activities that are beneficial to the horse,” she said. “They like interacting with humans and are really good at reading your energy, and often will reciprocate.”
“My company creates a sound and balanced horse through prioritizing trust and respect between the horse and rider,” Bosman continued. “We want to be creating the happiest, healthiest horses that we can.”
She anticipates lesson and wellness programs and boarding, as well as therapeutic and rehabilitative services.
Longer range, Bosman said, “one of our visions at Davis Farm is to create a place for community with kids’ days, hayrides, summer concerts, and meeting and greeting horses.”
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