Horse Sense

JUPITER, FL – April 26,  2017 – Here’s the pitch: Two smart women, several dozen gorgeous horses, and a ranch in peril. It sounds like the plot of a modern-day western directed by Jodie Foster, doesn’t it? But it isn’t.

Believe it or not, this actual scenario is playing out just North of Jupiter at Standing Oak Farms. When I heard the story, I had to see it for myself.

As we pull up to the white fencing that surrounds the sprawling property, the storm clouds that had been threatening all morning, suddenly part, and a ray of sun shines down onto the main clubhouse. Three horses peacefully graze in paddocks off to the side. The moment is so perfectly cinematic that I look for the movie camera.

“No movie cameras, not yet,” says Kay-Lynette Roca, who, along with daughter Taylor Roca, has invited us for a tour of their new facility. “In fact, I’m only just now comfortable letting your camera see it. We had some work to do.”

“Some work” may be a bit of an understatement, especially when comparing the “before” pictures with the beautifully renovated property.

The main barn at Standing Oak Farms has been completely remodeled with the comfort of its equine tenants in mind.

The mother and daughter business partners purchased the property formerly known as Martin Downs Equestrian Center in May of 2016. “We haven’t stopped for one minute since then,” Taylor explains.

“Come on, let’s get situated and then we’ll take you on a tour,” Kay-Lynette says. The two are finishing each other’s thoughts and sentences, perfectly complimenting one another in a high-energy rhythm that is reminiscent of, well, of a high-spirited horse’s gait.

Both chuckle. “Together we are kind of a one-man-band,” Taylor starts. “I do the training and the bookkeeping.”

Kay-Lynette continues, “And I do the community relations, PR, and the property management, things like that. We compliment each other.” There is a feeling of love and respect that transcends the ordinary mother-daughter bond – this business venture is clearly a shared passion.

“Yes.” They answer simultaneously. “I grew up in Pahokee,” says Kay-Lynette. “Pretty much in the saddle. So when I had my girls I wanted the same thing for them.” [Editor’s note: Taylor has a younger sister and brother.]

For Kay-Lynette (left) and Taylor Roca (right), Standing Oak Farms is a labor of love.

“My entire childhood revolved around my horses,” Taylor concurs. “My mother’s only condition was that I maintained good grades, stayed out of trouble, and always treated the horses with love and respect. They are family members.”

Taylor parlayed her childhood in the saddle into a career as an accomplished professional teaching Hunter/Jumper lessons. She is also a trained veterinary trauma technician.

It was a logical step for the Jupiter-resident-Rocas, with their love of horses and their extensive background – over 35 years between them – in veterinary medicine and animal/equine welfare to open an equestrian center. “We chose Palm City because of the unique niche that it embodies in the equestrian community. It has a small town atmosphere, while still being close to all of the major horse hubs,” Kaye-Lynette explains. “This property has 24 acres. It is close to Ocala and Wellington. We are able to offer the best of both worlds to Dressage and to the Hunter/Jumper communities. We have 74 stalls – 56 of which have turn-out paddocks. Our Dressage arena is covered, lighted, and even has mirrors. We have a lighted jump course, a lighted general purpose ring, two round pens, air conditioned tack rooms, and we provide night checks.”

Remodel From The Ground Up
Although the Rocas live in Jupiter, there was nothing quite like this property in Jupiter at the time that they were looking.

“When we bought this place, it was still active as the Martin Downs Equestrian Center, but it was in foreclosure. We weren’t sure what state the buildings were in – we had to buy it as-is. Turns out, we had to re-do the whole front barn,” Kay-Lynette says. “It was like the O.K. Corral out there, just falling apart. To date, I think we’ve put more into renovations than into the actual purchase; it was that bad.”

Taylor continues, “The main barn was power-washed, from top to bottom. And then it was re-painted. The second barn behind it was newer so we really didn’t need to do too much there. It didn’t need what the front barn needed.”

“The front was the original barn,” explains Kay-Lynette.

“So it needed some help,” Taylor finishes the thought.

But like those savvy heroines in a Jodie Foster film, the Rocas knew exactly what to do and started right in.

In addition to repairing the structures so that the facility would be first-class, they reached out to top-rated instructors to join Taylor in offering classes.

“Our personal touch and the special amenities that we added brought internationally acclaimed Grand Prix winners and professional Dressage trainers, Heather Bender and Louis Denizard to Standing Oak,” says Kay-Lynette.

“They are rock stars in the Dressage world,” Taylor adds. “I teach Hunter/Jumper, but I’m now taking low-level Dressage lessons with Heather to improve my own skills.”

“Heather Bender started off as a trick rider at a carnival in California,” Kay-Lynette states. “She says that one day they were someplace where there were horse shows going on and there she was with her rusty, raggedy old horse trailer with her horse tied up in the back and she sees the Dressage people pulling up with their $20,000 trailers and their quarter-million dollar horses and she says, ‘I’m in the wrong profession.’ So she started show jumping and then she wanted to ride internationally. She was invited to start riding for someone in Germany, so she moved.”

Kay-Lynette continues, “Lou is an accomplished trainer who rode for Puerto-Rico in the Pan-Am games.”

LEFT: Dressage trainer Lou Denizard rode for Puerto Rico in the Pan-Am Games and is an International Grand Prix champion; RIGHT: Heather Bender is an International Grand Prix champion rider and Dressage instructor who “has been instrumental in bringing Brazilian Lusitanos to the United States. In the sun, their white flanks will have a beautiful bronze sheen,” Kay-Lynette says.

Bringing Bender and Denizard on board was a masterful touch. Not only did it raise the awareness level of their new equestrian center, but also it automatically brought clients.

“People follow trainers and they trust them with their horses. So if Heather and Lou trust us, then it stands to reason that the owners should at least give us a try. It is an endorsement,” Kay-Lynette explains.

And that endorsement has worked.

“We had one couple actually move here from Boston just to train with Heather,” Kay-Lynette says. “They have four Dressage horses and lease a small barn in back. We have one horse from Canada. Nancy brings her three from Indiana. Terry is from Minnesota.”

“Mirage’s owner is from Indiana,” Taylor interjects. “We had someone here from New Hampshire. We also had someone here, who went back last week, but they were down for six weeks and they were from Ohio. They come for Heather, and Lou, and Wellington.”

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Bringing “Horse Sense” To The Treasure Coast
Wellington. The Equestrian Mecca to the West. If they come for Wellington, isn’t it a bit of a drive out to Palm City?

Again, they both laugh, simultaneously, though not unkindly. “Horse people spend their lives driving to equestrian centers or events,” Kay-Lynette says. “It is a grueling schedule. I remember being out in Wellington at 3 am braiding on mornings before competitions, and we were living in Tequesta at the time.”

“This property is close to the Turnpike. To I-95. We’re actually only 45 minutes away from Wellington,” Taylor explains. “And Wellington is beautiful, but it is super expensive. A bare stall will run $5,000 in Season – and that is without shavings, hay, food, it is just a box. Plus, when it isn’t Season, Wellington is a ghost town. I remember during the summers, sometimes I would be the only one in the stable out there. It empties out because everyone goes on the show circuit.”

The summers – when everything is “dead” on the Wellington horse scene – are when the Rocas and Standing Oak Farms plan to shine.

“We are going to be holding a summer horse camp,” Kay-Lynette says, “with weekly registration from June 5th to August 21st. The classes will be held from 8:00 am until 2:00 pm and will be geared for children age seven to 12. We’re hoping to have an intro to riding with a focus on really caring for the horses. We’ll also provide out-of-the-saddle arts and crafts.”

“Then, on Friday nights,” Taylor continues, “When Season is over, we want to hold a six-month-long show program called, ‘Under the Lights’. Because, again everybody leaves during the summer in Wellington so you really don’t have anything to do. Even though we won’t be an A-rated show, it will still give people the chance to come out, to get off their property with their horse. And some people are intimidated by Wellington, so this will be good rider and horse experience for them that they might not otherwise get.”

These plans are in addition to expansion plans already underway.

A partial aerial view of Standing Oak Farms shows the Dressage arena in the background and the two lighted rings in the middle and foreground – one is a general purpose ring and one is jump course.

Saving The Ranch – And The Horses Too
“We have nine acres next door, on which we are in the process of building a cross-country European course. We have the statement from the county, we are just in the process of working with them on zoning,” Kay-Lynette says with noticeable excitement. “There is nothing like that anywhere.”

“And we want to include Dr. Vander Werf’s Veterinary Emergency Hospital,” says Taylor.

“Yes. We have an equine vet by the name of Dr. Karie Vander Werf who came to us,” says Kay-Lynette. “She’s been working out of her home and looking for property. So now she’s going to lease 1 ½ acres from us up on the corner and she’s going to build an Equine Emergency Hospital.”

Taylor continues, “There are only two in the state. She’s board-certified in internal medicine and critical care. The hospital will have a surgery facility, as well. We want to eventually do equine sports medicine rehab – that is a plan for the future. Equine rehab is a huge concern in the sport horse industry – these horses are athletes. Right now, the closest equine sport horse rehab is in Ocala so we really want to do a sports medicine rehab program here with treadmills, salt spas, underwater treadmills, a swimming pool, different kinds of therapy for horses who are recovering out of surgery whether it is orthopedic or colic, or even just a general daily rehab program.”

“We’re not Wellington, nor are we trying to be. We are trying to bring a professional equestrian Mecca to this community that gives you a flavor of Wellington without the high prices.”

“This, of course, is all in addition to the rehab work that we are already doing in conjunction with Equestrian Rescue and Adoption Foundation (ERAF) and Florida Track,” Kay-Lynette says.

“That’s right. We’re taking in horses from the track that would otherwise be slaughtered and rehabbing them and then using them in our classes,” Taylor says. “There is no reason why these loving creatures can’t be saved and even made into working horses again.”

As she talks, it is apparent that her focus is on the horses – the animals that she has been raised to think of as “family.”

“Absolutely.” Taylor agrees. “We can talk all we want about how this place is under new management, and how we have great plans, because it is and we do. But at the end of the day, our first priority is the love and care of the horses that are entrusted to us.”

“I like to think of Standing Oak as the Four Seasons for horses,” Kay-Lynette says with a chuckle. “Our horses receive concierge service – including night checks, peppermints, carrots – they even get lipstick kisses on their noses when we kiss them goodnight.”

So, just like the heroines in a modern-day western, the Rocas have not only managed to save the ranch, but also the horses, through sheer hard work and determination. If you want to see this real life tale of smart women, gorgeous horses, and a remade ranch for yourself, you don’t have to wait until it hits the Silver Screen. You can actually be a part of the story. Standing Oak Farms is located at 6780 SW Martin Highway in Palm City. You can also visit online at www.standingoakfarms.com.  •