Two Ranches.
One Passion for Horses.
Who We Are, Where We Came From, and Where We’re Headed
My husband, Terry, and I purchased our Farmington ranch in November 2011 after selling our home of 31 years in Flora Vista, New Mexico. We were ready for more space and had bought 20 acres along the beautiful Animas River north of Aztec, planning to build our dream home. After selling our house in just two weeks, we moved into our camper while we worked on house plans. It didn't take long to realize camper living wasn't quite for us!
When the construction estimates came in much higher than we expected, we started looking at existing properties. We kept coming back to one ranch I'd been watching for months. The price had gradually come down after the owners moved to California, so we decided to make an offer using our 20 acres as part of the purchase. To our delight, they accepted.
There was a lot of work to make the ranch our own, but every bit of it was worth it. Today, it truly is our little piece of heaven.
For 17 years, I hadn't owned a horse and honestly thought that chapter of my life was over. But after moving to the ranch, I looked at our beautiful barn one day and asked Terry, "What are we going to do with the barn...park four-wheelers in it?" When I was younger, I loved horses but never imagined I'd one day have a barn like this. Before long, I realized the barn deserved horses, and about six months later I bought one. That purchase reignited a lifelong passion and started a whole new horse adventure.
We originally offered full-time horse boarding, but we soon discovered that our hearts were in helping traveling horse owners instead. As I began spending winters in Scottsdale—after making several trips there in search of the perfect horse—we saw another opportunity to serve the equestrian community.
After finding our home in Rio Verde, Arizona, we purchased the neighboring five acres with a vision of creating a welcoming place for horses and their owners traveling through the Southwest. What began as an idea for a few hookups and pens has grown into our newest horse motel, allowing us to offer the same hospitality we've enjoyed sharing in Farmington.
At Carter Ranches, we know that horses are family. Whether you're staying with us in Farmington, New Mexico, or Rio Verde/Scottsdale, Arizona, our goal is to provide a safe, comfortable, and friendly place where both you and your horses can relax and feel at home. We look forward to welcoming you and being a small part of your journey.