I had a horse in Melisa's care for almost a year. She gives exceptional care. The farm is beautiful with large manicured pastures and shelter. There is a very nice barn with large stalls. I highly recommend this farm and all Melisa does.

-- Sandy Savage

Baridown Farm provides excellent retirement care. It's such a relief to know my "old man" is in such capable hands.

Maryanne Ann Hamilton

I met Melisa by chance or perhaps it was fate. I was lost in the Duke Gardens on a college road trip with my daughter and mom. She gave me directions and we struck up a conversation. I took her number and 3 years later as my daughter entered her third year of college I decided to retire vs sell her two horse who were at a full service barn on the east coast being ridden by the trainers all year long. This was emotional but Melisa was wonderful and although I wanted to keep them near I also felt they deserved warm weather and life as a horse with hours of turn out and grass to eat. A large retirement barn was not for us. I did not want them sent to pasture. I wanted to know they had a stall to go to at night and a caregiver who knew their name. Melisa is so amazing I sleep at night knowing my daughter's horses have the retirement I dream of for myself. She knows their personality, she treats them like family. If my horse is stiff one day she keeps an eye on him, if they get a small cut she treats it, her one on one care with a small herd allows her to personalize her care and notice any change in behavior that might warrant a vet visit. In addition her door is always open. We are welcome to visit anytime and over the years she has become not only a freind but part of our extended family and regardless of what the future holds I know that Melisa will continue to be a part of our family.

Rebekkah Greenberg

Our horse Lady Luck was my daughters first horse that she owned. "Lucky" was the horse that went to horse shows, on trail and was my daughters constant companion growing up right thru college. Since I was also an equestrian, Lucky was also my horse. Needless to say she was very special to us. When the time came to retire her I contacted a fellow rider who had retired her horse at Baridow Farm- she had only wonderful things to say. Lucky went to live with Melisa at Baridown Farm and enjoyed ten amazing years of healthy retirement. Melisa took care of all of her needs and kept us updated with pictures. Lucky truly enjoyed retirement! I told friends who also sent their horses there, we all agreed, the care was wonderful and we knew that we made the best decision for our horses.

Colleen Degatano

Who would ever have thought that I would love my granddaughter's two horses Frankie and Flirt as much as I loved our dogs, so when the time was right to retire them fate intervened and on a college road trip we met Melisa. Three New Yorkers stopped to chat with a transplanted New Yorker who was as much in love with these big goofy heartwarming animals as we were. The decision about retiring them was bittersweet but the decision to reward them for all they taught my granddaughter and for all they did for our enjoyment as a family was much easier, they had earned a place in the sun with plenty of grass,tender loving care and a few special friends. We visit as often as possible and love hanging out with them and Melisa but above all knowing the care and love they get I sleep at night! Thanks Melisa for everything you do for Frankie and Flirt.

Mimi Greenberg

Melisa has been a great friend to our family-four legged and two!-and we are grateful every day that we found her. While it can be scary to send your babies far away from home, Melisa keeps us updated with texts and pictures, and we know we are always welcome to visit. The farm is beautiful, with paddocks larger than entire farms in the northeast, more grass to eat than my horses have ever seen, and large stalls for the horses to sleep in in the barn. While many barns have great facilities, it's the little touches that make Baridown Farm special. The barn always has a radio playing so the horses don't feel lonely, and in the fall when grass starts to thin Melisa closes off a small paddock to preserve the grass, opening it back up for a special Christmas present for the horses. It is clear that our horses love Baridown Farm and so do we! Visiting is the highlight of the year and we only hope they will open a retirement home for humans too!

Tessa Weil

Deciding to retire my horse was one of the hardest things I had to do. I looked at many places but after meeting Melisa and visiting Baridown Farm, I just knew that was where my horse belonged. Everything I saw, from the barn, to the stalls, to the beautiful fields the horses could graze in, was exactly what I was looking for. Melisa spent a lot of time answering all my questions and was very knowledgeable as to what each horse needed when they are retired. Melisa also keeps the number of horses she boards low, which was important to me because I didn't want my horse to get lost in the pack, and she never did. Melisa worked with me year after year, always taking the very best care of my horse. She treated my horse like her own and I never had to worry about anything. I truly cannot say enough great things about Melisa and Baridown Farm!

Laura Dedonato-Garavuso

Such a perfect fit!!! After hours upon days of grilling Melisa regarding her farm, her care of as well as her love of horses, her dedication, her knowledge, her experience, I then went in to my diatribe of my Mare, who was very unique (I know, they are all unique!) but Dora was a bully! I wanted to make sure she understood that special attention needed to be given as not to compromise any of the other horses! Thinking that my mare would probably spend her retirement in solitary confinement I was surprised and delighted that Melisa brought her around and in time assimilated her with the herd. My beautiful Mare lived her Golden years being cared for, loved and she FINALLY became one of the pack! Recently we lost our girl and the care and patience given by Melisa in the end was so comforting to us. When all was said and done, my daughter, myself and Melisa, laughed together at Dora's antics from the start and cried together at Dora's special soul that was lost when she passed. I highly recommend Melisa and her Farm to anyone looking for somewhere to retire, lay up or just rest their horse! Love this woman and her dedication.

Tammi Alvarez, Long Island, New York