Upon walking into Brush Springs Stables it is obvious that a lot of love and heart went into it.
As owner Melody Martin launched into a tour, pointing out every detail, from the heirloom stain-glass window to the chandeliers built by her husband, Cory, from a wagon wheel, it became apparent that everything has a story and meaning.
The two built the two-story stable themselves with the help of family and friends. It is a space built with love to house horses that Melody has a deep connection with.
“These girls are the sun to the barn. And if it wasn’t for these girls, it would be a dark place,” Melody said, referring to her two Friesians.
The Martins have owned Friesian Sporthorses since 2002 and a purebred Friesian since 2022. Currently, they have Lady Lorelei, foaled in 2011, and her daughter, Aurora Avail, born on May 10 under the Aurora Borealis. Melody’s passion for the breed bled through as she dived into the history of Friesians and how they nearly went extinct twice.
The movie “The Black Stallion” first got Melody interested in the breed. She said watching Alec Ramsey find and befriend The Black empowered her as a child who had lost her mother. From then on, horses became a life source for Melody.
In 2001, she was shopping for horses when she came across the Friesian breed. The couple bought their first—Romy—as a six-month-old out of Kansas. She had two foals, and the Martins went on to sell her and one of the foals, though they kept her second—Brody. But then, two years ago, Brody died from colic.
It was then that they found Lorelei, and Melody said she had discovered her own The Black.
“She wasn’t broken to ride. She wasn’t trained at all. I was her first rider, and she was pretty much wild,” Melody said. “We couldn’t even load her into the trailer. We couldn’t even lead her. She was that wild.”
Today, Lorelei is extremely gentle, standing calmly in her stall next to baby Aurora and allowing pets and scratches. Melody said one of her many goals is for her program and horses to be incorporated into equine therapy.
Lorelei, Aurora and their cozy barn aren’t the only passions in Melody and Cory’s lives.
“The heart of what we do here is our causes,” Melody said.
“Our causes and helping others and building dreams. Being compassionate, empathetic, and bringing people together.”
Melody, who is part Cherokee, said she and her husband support forestry and woodlands, working with Guardians of the Forest. They pass out flags to people so they can mark new saplings. She and Cory have identified 27 different types of trees on their property and have flagged about 100 to 150 saplings. Cory jokingly admitted it has made mowing the property a bit more complicated.
Melody also has worked with non-profits for the last seven and a half years after working at Dobson for 17 years. She lost her mother to mental illness and substance abuse and grew up with a strong sense of empathy. This, along with the support of her husband, led her to pursue her calling. Melody now works with child and family therapy, saying every day is a miracle to see people getting help and getting what they need.
“The resiliency. We celebrate resiliency here,” she said.
The couple also hosts events at the stable to bring the community together. Most recently, they held the Open Hearts and Open Barn Event, which had about 50 guests. This included special guests McLoud Junior Blackberry Princess Angelica Pepiakitah and McLoud Mayor McLure. It was a chance to introduce guests to Friesian horses, the tree-flagging project through Guardians of the Forest, and Cargo Ranch, a local nonprofit organization that operates a mentorship program for children. They’re located just four miles away from Brush Springs Stables.
Melody hopes to hold more events. She wants to use them to shed more light on organizations that she works with and causes that she’s passionate about.
“Those are the heart of what we do. We just so happen to have a nice barn and Friesians.”