Today we’d like to introduce you to MaKayla Peoples.
Hi MaKayla, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2021 I found an empty plot of land for rent on Craigslist, it was at a price I couldn’t refuse so I just jumped on it. It contained nothing but open space, a partial perimeter fence, and a small red shed. Over the next two years we slowly but surely built up the fences, grew our horse herd, expanded to other parts of the property and started accepting clients. We started everything with no start up money, so our first horses were rescue horses because that’s really all we could afford. So I pulled two horses out of the slaughter pipeline at a sale barn for about $500 each. One was in such bad condition I didn’t know if he was going to survive the trip back home. But he did survive and helped build this entire program, I wouldn’t have any of this without him. Over time we continued to take in more rescue horses (and non rescue horses) until we built the herd that exists today. In more recent years we have opened up our campsite with our infamous Mother Tree (a 600-800 year old pecan tree) as well as trail rides that run through the San Gabriel River. It is our goal to continue to provide our community with access to horses and horseback riding as well as educate everyone about the importance of clean land and water.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Farm life always has its bumps in the road. We deal with death, injury and disease and we harbor the responsibility of dozens of lives, that all comes with a different level of stress than most small businesses I think. But 6 months before we got the property we had been in an almost fatal car crash. My partners arm was out the window and was crushed by an F-350. He didn’t lose the arm but it took years of recovery for it to get to where it is now. When we got the property we were all still recovering. So it was a struggle to get the fences up and get everything up and functioning those first few years but I think the fence work was a bit like physical therapy in a way and the farm and horses are therapeutic as well. But those first few years with no money and no resources and building everything from the ground up were rough.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Psquared farm has three main branches. Our camping, trail rides and horseback riding lessons. We are most known for our Mother tree campsite as well as the San Gabriel River trail ride that takes guests into the river. I think what sets us apart from others is our adaptability for our clients and the wonderful river experiences we offer. I am proud of so many things but at the end of the day I am probably most proud of the horses. They work hard with me and I am so privileged to have them as partners. It makes me happy to know they are well known for being well behaved and taking care of our guests. Our goal is to always offer a pleasant but educational experience that is affordable for the general public.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
The land, the water and the horses. We live under such threat of development, data centers and massive business plants are going up all around us. We have to protect the land, the water and the horses. In order for that to happen we have to offer people access to spaces like Psquared Farm where they can have experiences that make them care about the beautiful land we are so privileged to have access to.
Pricing:
- San Gabriel River Trail ride $85 —
- Under the Mother Tree campsite $35
- Semi private horseback riding lessons $50
- Pasture trail ride $50
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Psquaredfarm.com
