About Us
"Rescue A Horse Save A Spirit"
Painted Pony Pastures is a small horse rescue and sanctuary founded in 2007, originally in Palm City, Florida, but now located in Ocala, by Jeffrey and Cynthia Frye.
Our History
We began our journey into rescue horses, when in 2007 Jeffrey and Cynthia Frye were looking for a riding horse for a neighbor. They answered an ad in a local paper for a pregnant mare and her companion mini-mare in Mims, Florida. When they viewed the horses they found the mare had a 7 month nursing colt and was 7 months pregnant. Both mares were terribly malnourished and the pregnant mare was lame. The people had them in a small dirt lot, and bought horses at auction for resale. The Fryes went home realizing these weren't appropriate horses for their neighbor, but in good conscience they just couldn't leave those horses remain in the circumstances they were in. They didn't have the money to purchase the horses but they were able to trade a pickup truck for them.
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Once they got the two mares home they found Lady Deana was a registered all-one-color paint and quarter horse. She had laminitis in all four hooves. The mini mare had no registration or name so she was named Kokomo Star from a verse in a Beach Boys' song and the white star marking on her forehead. Their exact ages were never known because those were changed on their bills of sale, but an equine dentist said that Lady wasn't thirteen but closer to thirty and Koko was over fifteen. Koko also had Cushing's disease. They were true brood mares, bred back immediately after each birthing. They had been to auction together at least six times.
Lady was a wonderful lead mare and taught the Fryes, who knew little about horses, so much about horses and horse behavior. Koko was a loyal friend to Lady and nanny to Lady's filly, Shima Twa April's Diamond, born April 08,2008. Shima still resides at the farm but
they lost Lady in 2016 and Koko in 2018.
May they rest easy with
forever-green pastures and fresh flowing waters in
Horse Heaven.

Our Leadership
**Jeffrey Frye is the Executive Director of Painted Pony Pastures. He's a disabled Vietnam Veteran with two Purple Hearts. Having been a Navy Hospital Corpsman (medic) he was in Johns Hopkins' first class of Physician's Associate program in 1971. He holds degrees in Behavioral Psychology and Business Administration & Marketing and had two successful businesses in Maryland in the 1980's and 1990's. He's a hands-on manager and worker on the farm.
**Cynthia Frye is Assistant Director & Treasurer and has a degree in Accounting and also Database Programming from Villa Julie University (an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University); worked for ADP in Maryland supervising a new accounts department and preparing taxes here in Ocala. She also works on the farm with the horses as well as taking care of the office work.
**Both volunteered with the Wild Bird Center in the Florida Keys as bird rescuers, rescued close to one hundred feral cats there for the spay and neuter program and maintained a sanctuary for most of them. They also volunteered at the Equine rescue in Palm City for several years and for Horse Protection Association in Micanopy after moving to Ocala in 2011. They both have studied and used the Parelli method of horsemanship.
**They're passionate animal lovers having four long-haired dachshunds, two smooth haired dachshunds, three cats, two female cockatiels, koi and goldfish, and a white painted mini donkey named Georgie (short for George Burns - they're still looking for a Gracie for him).
**Our Board member, N. Iris Willis Boody, has resigned her position on the Board for personal matters. We want to thank her for volunteering for the Board and wish her well with all her future endeavors.

Who We Are
At Painted Pony Pastures, we take pride in our Rescue and Rehabilitation program. We understand that good nutrition and care are essential to bringing horses back to health, and we work tirelessly to provide just that. We have seen horses in dire conditions make a full recovery thanks to our program. If you know of a horse in need, please don't hesitate to contact us. We are here to help and give these beautiful animals the second chances they deserve.
Join the Cause
Volunteering at Painted Pony Pastures is a great way to make a positive impact on the lives of our horses. We need volunteers to help with tasks such as grooming, exercising, and feeding our animals. Our team is dedicated to providing a safe and enjoyable environment for both our animals and volunteers. If you're interested in volunteering, please contact us for more information.
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The Heart of a Volunteer
is Not Measured in Size, but by the Depth of Commitment to Make a Difference in the Lives of Others.
Anonymous