About Our Family Farm
Fox Field Farm is Taylor Chambers-Scussel's passion. As the proud founder and owner - she teaches young equestrians to ride, care for the horses and compete in regional competitions. Her friends and family return to Fox Field Farm year after year to support the small family business that is centered on the community.
Taylor has traveled the world and her family remains her anchor. She always makes time for animals. Growing up she confesses, “When everyone else was playing with Barbies, I was playing with My Little Ponies.”
About Fox Field Farm: A Legacy of Healing and Heritage
Rooted in Branford
I have said it my entire life: there is no place on Earth I would rather live than Branford, Connecticut. In an era where people are often encouraged to move for convenience or cost, my answer remains a steadfast, “Absolutely not.” This is my community. This is where we are known, safe, and loved.
Our family has always embraced a non-traditional lifestyle, but our roots here go back generations. Through family businesses and ancestral ties, we have always seen strength in partnership. We believe in the "village"—the community that steps up when life is hard and celebrates when life is good.
A Lifetime of Animal Connection
My connection to the natural world began at birth, raised amidst the greenhouses of our family garden center with German Shepherds and Siamese cats as my first teachers. I have always shared an unspoken communication with animals. While some might call it sensitivity, I see it as an empathic compass that has guided my entire life.
My journey into agriculture was fueled by a "figure it out" spirit. At age seven, I raised kittens to save the funds for my first horse—a retired police horse. That drive led me through Lyman Hall’s agricultural program and eventually to the University of Connecticut, where I competed on the equestrian and vaulting teams. Whether I was taking polo lessons at Yale or riding "donation" horses that others found difficult, I learned that a true equestrian isn't defined by custom boots or expensive saddles—it’s defined by the connection, the muck, the sweat, and the soul.
The Science and the "Why"
Beyond the heart, there is science. My pursuit of animal science and genetics was born from a personal mission. As a carrier for Cystic Fibrosis, I have watched my family fight this genetic battle for generations. Understanding the "Punnett Square" of life wasn't just an academic exercise; it was a way to navigate the "roll of the dice" for my own children and grandchildren.
I’ve used our animals as "soft lessons" to teach my daughters about genetics, health, and resilience. I believe that by understanding science and breeding, we can advocate for better outcomes and face our fates with knowledge instead of fear.
The Philosophy of the Pony
For decades, Fox Field Farm has sat nestled in the center of Branford—a remnant of the old-fashioned town stable. We are the kids who rode horses to Dunkin' Donuts and the neighbors who meticulously cleaned up "free fertilizer" from the sidewalks to ensure our community remained beautiful.
I have always told people: When in doubt, ask God... and then go with the pony. Ponies are sturdy, loyal, and honest. My late pony, Norman—named after my grandfather—was my "lie detector test." He knew who a person really was the moment they stepped into the ring. Our farm evolved from a place of competition to a place of therapy and solace. I shifted our focus away from ribbons and toward happiness, creating a sanctuary where the "farm fit" lifestyle mends the mind, body, and soul.
Tragedy and the Path Forward
On January 30, 2026, our lives changed forever. A devastating barn fire claimed our beloved animals and the structure that held our dreams. It felt like a "Series of Unfortunate Events" that turned from a sad country song into a tragic trilogy.
But even in the wake of such horrific loss, the "village" appeared. The outpouring of meals, labor, and funds from our community and first responders has been a grace I can never fully repay.
We will rebuild.
What was once our riding ring is being transformed into a Community Supported Memorial Garden. We are creating a space filled with food and flowers to share with our police, firefighters, schools, and neighbors—baskets of gratitude grown from the very soil where we mourned.
Our Mission
Today, Fox Field Farm continues its mission of Agricultural Education. Whether I am subbing in a classroom or mentoring a 4-H or FFA student, my goal is to ensure the next generation understands the beauty of the land and the healing power of animals.
We are designing a future that meets 2026 standards while honoring our historic past. We are still here. We are still farming. And we will always believe in the healing power of a petite homestead in Coastal New England.
A Note on Perspective
"The only thing that's normal is a setting on the dryer."
At Fox Field Farm, we embrace the non-traditional, the homeopathic, and the heartfelt. We invite you to be part of our journey as we grow, heal, and continue the legacy of the village.
About Us
BranfordSeven.com - Person of the Week
Posted: Wednesday, September 25, 2013 11:48 am |Updated: 9:18 am, Sun Mar 16, 2014.
by: Sarah Bradley
When Taylor Chambers-Scussel logged onto Facebook one morning in May 2012, she had no idea she would end up rescuing a 9 year-old horse named Norman from a slaughterhouse auction later that day.
“His picture kept coming up on my phone every time I logged on,” she says. “It wasn’t even a good picture. You could only see him through the bars of a fence. But I couldn’t get him out of my head.”
Chambers-Scussel, primary operator of Fox Field Farm in Branford, wasn’t looking to fill the empty stable in her barn with another horse. But when she saw Norman’s photograph, she felt compelled to contact the New Jersey-based auction house to inquire about the purchasing process: “When they told me over the phone that all I would need to do is give them a credit card number, I almost felt sick to my stomach. I knew if it was that easy, I was in trouble,” she says.
There are currently no federal laws banning horse slaughter in the United States, though a five-year ban on funding for inspections of horse processing plants established in 2007 forced the closure of the only three slaughterhouses in the United States. Since then, American horses marked for slaughter have been transported--often under inhumane conditions--to Canada and Mexico. The majority of horse meat produced during slaughter is exported overseas for human consumption and the rest is sold to zoos.
But the tragic truth about the vast majority of horses sold for slaughter is that they are healthy. Commonly, they are pets outgrown by their owners, who may be unaware that the buyer making them an offer for their horse is planning to sell it at a slaughterhouse auction. Horses like Norman, young and in good health, are shipped off to slaughter rather than being given a second chance in a new home.
Chambers-Scussel, who calls horses her “zen,” decided to give Norman his much-needed second chance.
“I bought a horse off the internet with nothing but a two-sentence description,” she says. “I paid for him with my credit card. All I could think was that he was the perfect age for my three daughters, that by the time he was well-trained they would be old enough to start riding him. But it was a huge risk--I knew next to nothing about him.”
A few days later, Norman arrived at his new home at Fox Field Farm, where he was immediately quarantined to protect the health of the farm’s other horses and given a good bath and veterinary care. Chambers-Scussel had virtually no information about his overall health and care, riding experience or temperament. Though it was clear that he had not been abused or neglected by his previous owners, he had also not been properly cared for.
“We could tell he had been loved, that he was probably someone’s pet pony,” says Chambers-Scussel, who has a Bachelor’s degree in animal science from UCONN and spent many childhood years riding and working with horses. “I was seven months pregnant at the time, so I couldn’t ride him. We had him professionally evaluated and we did some intensive work with him to get a feel for his temperament and foster trust.”
Once Norman was declared healthy and Chambers-Scussel felt confident he was safe for her riders to be around, he began residing in the newly-renovated barn at Fox Field Farm, in a bright and well-maintained 12-foot by 12-foot stall. Fox Field Farm is owned and operated by Chambers-Scussel and her family, who also own Shelley’s Garden Center in Branford. The Chambers family constructed the new barn themselves in November 2011 and have been building up a community of riders ever since, instilling not only a love of horses but strong values in the many young girls who come to the farm to ride.
“I want this place to be a sanctuary and a home away from home for the girls who come here,” says Chambers-Scussel. “But I’m strict about teaching these girls how to work hard, learn their manners and just be nice human beings.”
Fox Field Farm is open to anyone, whether they want riding lessons or simply want to be around horses. “The barn is something different for everyone,” she says. “We have mothers and daughters who come here together, women who come to muck stalls instead of going to the gym, older women who just want to be around the horses. It’s therapeutic for a lot of people.”
In addition to riding lessons, Chambers-Scussel also hosts summer camp sessions and pony parties, both of which are her only source of income for the farm and help to offset expenses such as hay and supplies, veterinary costs and maintenance of the barn and property. Though the farm needs a certain amount of income to function, it's important to Chambers-Scussel that it maintains its family atmosphere.
“We don’t want to just be a business. This is a family farm. We’re interested in people, not numbers,” she says. “We want people here who have the love and the heart for horses.”
It’s that love and heart for horses that led Chambers-Scussel to take a chance on Norman back in 2012, despite not knowing what the outcome would be. He could have been sick, seriously injured or dangerous to ride. Luckily, Norman’s story couldn’t have turned out better: though Chambers-Scussel says she is still getting to know him, he has shown himself to be trustworthy and kind. In fact, one of the farm’s young riders, 12 year-old Kate Schmidt, recently accompanied Norman to a local horse show, where they took first place in two classes. Chambers-Scussel can’t say for certain that Norman had never been in a show before coming to Fox Field Farm, but given his history, it was unlikely.
“He could have just exploded with the newness of the situation, or he could have trusted us. He chose to trust us,” she says. “Kate has such a good relationship with him--her confidence gives him confidence. When they said he came in first place, it was very emotional for all of us.”
While Norman’s transformation is remarkable, so is Chambers-Scussel’s commitment to horses and the people who devote their time to caring for them. She loves seeing the look on a young girl’s face when she rides for the first time, or watching mothers and daughters working alongside one another in the barn, unplugged from technology.
“People need to be in nature,” she says. “They need to break a sweat once in awhile. it’s good for your soul to care for something other than yourself.”
To inquire about summer experiences, pony parties, and events at Fox Field
Farm, contact Taylor Chambers-Scussel at 203-687-3870.