Meg Enslin’s parents picked a route, gathered up supplies and made a trip through the woods each summer. The journey lasted 50-60 miles and they camped out overnight.
Enslin wasn’t too fond of her family’s wagon train back then. Even in an age before iPods, let alone iPhones, a week isolated in nature was no teenager’s best friend.
They still went. Every year.
“That was our vacation in the summer,” Enslin said. “I used to think, ‘It’s so stupid. Who wants to give up all their electronics and all the stuff kids did?’ I absolutely didn’t think it would change my life, but I’m a better person for it.”
What Enslin developed during that time was an appreciation for draft horses. They did the work. They made the trip possible.
The family bought a pair of Percherons when Enslin was in middle school and she became fond of them. That pushed her toward the passion she pursues today.
Enslin and her husband, Scott, breed spotted draft horses at Benchfield Farms, a 67-acre property in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.
There are 30-40 horses on the farm at any given time. Most are spotted. Some are Percherons or Belgians. There’s one riding horse from days gone by, a miniature and a donkey.
“It’s a menagerie,” Enslin said with a laugh.
The spotted horses with their black and white coats are unusual. Enslin said there are approximately 5,000 registered with the North American Spotted Draft Horse Association and only four or five breeders on the East Coast.
That was part of the appeal for Enslin. It was something different.
“I like the appearance,” she said. “I like the personalities, the willingness and desire to work with you. But I really like the uniqueness. They stand out. You look at a class of Percherons and they’re black and gray. To me, each spotted draft is very unique. They have a unique pattern. I just really like the colors.”
Benchfield Farms offers a variety of services, including wagon and carriage rides to birthday parties, weddings and other events. They also sell horses and show them on weekends.
Enslin moved to Delaware once she reached adulthood and was briefly away from the draft horse world. A fateful twist brought her back.
The man who lived next door to Enslin had a spotted draft stallion. She convinced her mother to breed the stallion with the family’s Percheron mares. Once that happened, Enslin was hooked.
“That’s it,” she thought to herself. “That’s the cat’s meow.”
The Enslins returned to Cumberland County and bought their farm in Newville, a few miles from where Meg was raised. They had two spotted drafts at the time. Their stable has grown considerably.
Spotted drafts are a hobby, not a living for the husband and wife team. At least for now. Scott works as a truck driver and Meg is a director of food safety and quality. Their lives are especially busy in December, with all the holiday carriage rides.
“I’m very proud of the horses that we have bred and produced,” Enslin said. “I’m happy with the abilities of the horses. We are continuing to progress and work toward a goal. We’re making a name for ourselves.”
Those wagon trains from yesteryear, once a dreaded summer chore, have become a source of nostalgia. Even for Meg’s older brother, Doug. who had to briefly surrender his coveted Game Boy.
If not for those trips, who knows? Enslin’s life may have turned out differently.
“I’ve always had horses,” she said. “I’ve always been involved in horses. Horses have always been in my heart.”
It was the spotted drafts that eventually captured her fancy. Those are one of a kind.
