At 9 A.M. on a chilly Saturday morning, the farm at first seems quiet. The parking lot is largely empty, devoid of visitors who will begin to arrive soon after the noon opening, and on first glance, it might seem impossible that the 15-acre facility a short drive from Saratoga Springs houses 17 retired Thoroughbreds.

The tranquility on a resplendent autumn morning belies the efforts of the small staff of Old Friends at Cabin Creek, and of the dedicated legion of volunteers, a handful of which have shown up to muck stalls, carry water, and do whatever else needs to be done to care for the horses that now make their home at the Greenfield Center farm.

At the helm of the eight-year-old operation is JoAnn Pepper, though she’d likely demur at the notion that she’s in charge. A native of Saratoga Springs, Pepper grew up going to the track with her Uncle Frankie, who’d take her to the backstretch with him.

“I loved it,” she said. “When I was young, horses took my breath away.”

Driving past local farms as a child, she’d look out the car window and say, “Someday, I’m going to have a horse farm.”

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