Old Mill Farm

What Old Mill Farm does

Old Mill Farm is a family-owned equestrian breeding and service operation located on 100+ acres in the Laurel Highlands of Western Pennsylvania, founded in 2001 by Fred and Rhonda Zeigler. The farm specializes in breeding and selling registered Gypsy Vanners, Drum Horses, and Friesians, with a historical claim to importing Chew Mill Guinness — the first Drum Horse in the United States — and developing a foundation breeding program in what was then a non-existent US market segment for the breed. Operations are anchored by championship bloodlines, most notably stallion Slainte (11-time champion with 3 Supreme Grand Championships, the most domestic won of any Gypsy Vanner) and Cobalt (8-time champion, co-owned with Wildcreek Farm).

The business operates as a vertically integrated equine platform, generating revenue across five streams: one-time horse sales ($14,000–$35,000 per animal), stud fees ($1,500–$3,000 with $250 collection/shipment fees), training board ($725/month, natural-method training by Daniel Lepley), riding lessons through the OMF Riding Academy ($35–$65 per session), and full-service boarding with 24/7 staff. Ancillary revenue includes equine insurance referrals (Penn Summit Insurance partnership) and branded merchandise. Infrastructure includes four large horse barns, a 80x240 indoor arena with sprinkler system, 6-horse hot walker, breeding collection lab, phantom, palpation stocks, critical foal unit, and foaling stalls with alarms. The farm maintains 20–40 horses at any time with 12 staff and serves a national buyer base for horse sales while drawing regional boarding, training, and lesson clients from a three-state radius.

The go-to-market is direct and sales-led: horses are sold from the farm by appointment, with no walk-in traffic, supported by participation in national breed shows (Equine Affaire, Kentucky Gypsy and Drum Horse Classic, Ohio State Fair GVHS shows) and a comprehensive content-driven website. Customer retention is reinforced by a right of first refusal on resale and a repurchase/resale guarantee, with 85% of mare owners breeding to OMF stallions reportedly keeping offspring for their own programs — a stickiness signal that converts one-time buyers into long-term bloodline customers. The farm holds no external funding, no parent company, and operates as an independent incorporated entity (Old Mill Farm, Inc., Pennsylvania).

Name

Old Mill Farm

Legal name

Old Mill Farm, Inc.

Website

https://gypsydrumhorses.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Old Mill Farm is a family-owned Pennsylvania equestrian operation that breeds and sells registered Gypsy Vanners, Drum Horses, and Friesians, supplemented by stud services, training, riding lessons, and full-service boarding, serving individual equestrian buyers and heavy-horse enthusiasts nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Equestrian Breeding & Horse Services

NAICS

Horses and Other Equine Production (11292), Horses and Other Equine Production (112920)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Horse Breeding & Stud Farms (AFAEAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Stallion Services & Semen Collection/Distribution (AFAEAGAB), Horse Boarding, Livery & Stable Operations (AFAEAGAG)

Keywords

• Gypsy Vanner breeding
• Drum Horse sales
• Equine breeding services
• Horse boarding facility
• Riding lessons academy

Headquarters

HQ city

Laurel Highlands of Western Pennsylvania

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Horse Sales: Sale of registered Gypsy Vanners, Drum Horses, and Friesians. Prices range from $14,000 to $35,000 depending on age, training, lineage, and championship credits.
2. Breeding Services: Live foal guarantee breeding services using shipped semen or on-farm collection. Stud fees range from $1,500 to $3,000 depending on the stallion.
3. Training Services: Horse training using natural methods with $725/month including board, feed, hay, water, basic care and daily turn-out.
4. Riding Lessons: OMF Riding Academy offering semi-private lessons at $35, private lessons at $45, and driving lessons at $65. Package deals available for 10 lessons.
5. Boarding Services: Full service private boarding facility with knowledgeable staff, trainer, instructor and farrier available 24/7.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Old Mill Farm is a full-service equestrian breeding and training facility that breeds, sells, and boards registered Gypsy Vanner horses, Drum Horses, and Friesians. The farm offers horse sales, breeding services (live cover, shipped semen, embryo transfer), stallion collection, professional horse training, riding lessons, and full-service boarding from a 100+ acre property in Western Pennsylvania.

Product overview

Old Mill Farm is a family-operated equestrian facility specializing in Gypsy Horses (also known as Gypsy Vanners), Drum Horses, and Friesians. The farm operates on 100+ acres in Western Pennsylvania and offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services centered around these rare breeds. Core products include the sale of registered breeding stock across all three breeds, with particular emphasis on champion bloodlines in Gypsy Vanners and the pioneering Drum Horse program (the farm imported the first Drum Horse to America). Services span the entire equine lifecycle: breeding services (live cover, shipped semen, embryo transfer), professional training, riding lessons through the OMF Riding Academy, and full-service boarding facilities. The farm also provides ancillary products such as branded merchandise and equine insurance referrals. The portfolio is unified by the selective breeding of performance horses with focus on temperament, conformation, and presence rather than mass production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gypsy Vanner Horse Sales
• Drum Horse Sales
• Friesian Horse Sales
• Horse Breeding Services
• Stallion Collection Services
• Horse Training
• Riding Lessons (OMF Riding Academy)
• Horse Boarding

Quantifiable outcome

• Slainte has won 3 Supreme Grand Championships, 7 Championships, and 1 Reserve Championship - the most domestic won Gypsy Vanner championships
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Wildcreek FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWildcreek Farm co-owns the Gypsy Vanner stallion Cobalt with Old Mill Farm. Cobalt was originally in training at Old Mill Farm and was co-owned after Old Mill Farm decided to acquire him.
• Big Pine FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBig Pine Farm helped Old Mill Farm with their Friesian breeding endeavor. They provided the Friesian mare Aahnya for training and breeding at Old Mill Farm, and Aahnya produced champion offspring including Rukus.
• Penn Summit InsuranceminorOthersVonnie at Penn Summit Insurance offers equine insurance products through A rated companies including Equine Liability, Mortality, Major Medical, Loss of Use, Transportation Insurance, and Farm Insurance. Old Mill Farm refers customers to this insurance provider.
• Iron Springs FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIron Springs Farm provides the Friesian stallion Teade (392) for breeding with Old Mill Farm's leased mare Aahnya, producing offspring including Zima.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wildcreek Farm: Co-owner with Old Mill Farm of the Gypsy Vanner stallion Cobalt. A direct peer in the Gypsy Vanner breeding market, with comparable genetics programs and customer base.
• Big Pine Farm: Strategic partner of Old Mill Farm on Friesian breeding and a competitor in the heavy-horse/Dressage segment. Operates in the same niche (premium imported bloodlines) and collaborates on breeding stock, making it both a peer and a partner.
• Black Forest Gypsy Horses: Colorado-based breeder of registered Gypsy Vanner horses with imported European bloodlines. Comparable as a specialty Gypsy Vanner breeder competing for the same enthusiast buyer pool with similar premium-pricing model.
• LexLin Gypsy Vanners: One of the largest and best-known Gypsy Vanner breeding operations in the United States, selling registered Gypsy Vanners with championship bloodlines. Directly comparable to Old Mill Farm on breed, product (horse sales plus breeding services), and target buyer (equestrian enthusiasts and show participants).

Regional players

• Iron Springs Farm: Pennsylvania-based sport horse breeder providing Friesian stallion Teade for breeding with Old Mill Farm mares. Comparable as a premium imported-bloodline horse operation in the same Mid-Atlantic region, though specializing in dressage/Friesians rather than Gypsy breeds.

Others

• Gypsy Vanner Horse Society (GVHS): The primary US breed registry and show sanctioning body for Gypsy Vanner horses. Comparable as the ecosystem anchor — Old Mill Farm competes and earns championships within GVHS-sanctioned shows, making the registry a key channel and reference point for buyers.
• Gypsy Cob and Drum Horse Association (GCDHA): Breed association that awarded Old Mill Farm its 2003 Most Valuable Member recognition. Comparable as an enabling peer — the registry defines the Drum Horse breed standard in the US and channels buyer demand toward member breeders.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/old-mill-farm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Old Mill Farm