Tim Finds a Home

When Tim began volunteering at Fieldstone in 2023, he came prepared. He created cue cards for each and every horse, carefully noting their likes, dislikes and unique personalities and he kept them in his back pocket.

“I wanted to do everything right and didn’t want to be dependent on others,” he explained, perhaps a reflection of his many years of military training. Holly, our volunteer manager, took notice and Tim quickly excelled through every level of our volunteer training.

After retiring from a 20-year career in the Air Force and another 20 years in business, Tim was searching for a way to give back—something that felt both meaningful and familiar, while also offering the chance to continue learning from others. The moment he stepped into our barn, he knew he had found it. “It smelled good, it felt good, and I was around animal people,” he said.

Tim grew up in rural Ohio surrounded by dairy farms. As a youngster, he often helped friends with farm chores and even
assisted his cousin at a 4-H fair, sleeping in a horse trailer to watch over the horses.

Now Tim volunteers twice per week, leading horses in classes and working with our Equine Management Team, helping to train and care for our horses. While he loves all of the horses, his favorite is Logan, a strapping 16-1 hand chestnut draft Quarter Horse cross. “I like to think Logan’s temperament matches mine,” Tim says with a humble smile. “He goes with the flow, he’s mellow, nothing seems to really bother him.”

At Fieldstone, Tim just didn’t find a place to volunteer – he found a sense of purpose, a connection to his past, and a community where he truly belongs. His second home.