Noah Kohler, a senior at Wawasee High School, is currently doing a PCI at his dad’s horse farm, New Paris Equine Center.
The center boards trains and breds horses. They train belgians for carting. The breed is Kohler’s favorite. He said his future plans include working with horses in some way. Photo provided by New Paris Equine Center.
By Lauren Zeugner
InkFreeNews
SYRACUSE — When it comes to Noah Kohler’s future plans after graduation, he isn’t sure what he’ll be doing. He is sure it will have to involve being outside and with horses.
Kohler, a senior at Wawasee High School, is doing a professional career internship through his father’s business, New Paris Equine Center.
The facility offers boarding, training, breeding and collecting stud material.
Kohler’s dad, Rod, started the business at the end of his freshmen year of high school. He worked with his dad through sophomore and junior years while he attended school online.
Rod Kohler is in partnership with a neighbor, Myron Yoder.
After completing classes in the morning, Kohler goes to work at the farm. He usually preps horses for the trainer by putting them in harness or he puts them on a walker, either to warm up before training or to get some exercise. He’s also on-hand to assist during breeding/collecting season.
For horses that are boarded, Kohler helps take care of them by mucking out stalls, feeding and watering.
The New Paris Equine Center also preps horses for show or sale.
New Paris Equine Center has three barns. Two hold 32 stalls, which are always full and a brand new barn holds 52 stalls.
The center specializes in hitches, having a horse pulling a wagon and works with both draft and light breed horses.
On the draft horse side, Kohler helps out with cart, team, unicorn (three horses pulling a wagon), four horse and six horse.
“Occasionally if we feel bold we do eight horses,” he said.
Kohler works with Belgians and loves the breed. “That’s what I started with,” he said. “Personally I think they’re the biggest and strongest (of the draft horse breeds). All the draft horses are calm, but when it comes to show, the Belgians know what to do.”
Kohler said he enjoys showing, although he hasn’t had much experience doing it.
New Paris Equine Center also does carting with light or non-draft horses. Kohler said they usually work with Dutch Harness Horse, Standard Bred or Saddle Bred, Friesians and Gypsy Varners.
His entire family is in the horse business and his current plans are to go on the road this summer to learn from someone else. His uncle travels the country doing horse shows “chasing points,” until the big national show in Shipshewana. Kohler said he’d like to see what that experience is like.
Asked about running his own hitch, Kohler said, “That would be cool. I need a lot of training, but if I had the opportunity, I would certainly try it, it’s in my blood.”
Along with his dad, Kohler mom is Missy and he has an older brother, Jace.