Happy Hooves Member Shares Experience at Mayberry West Farms

Mayberry West Farms recently hosted the Happy Hooves 4-H Livestock Club for an educational experience.

Happy Hooves group photo: taken by Beth Rosenberger. Front row: Jack Rosenberger, Kinsleigh Hall, Kaydence Hall, Lilly Hale, Reiley Powell, Anna Rosenberger, Eli Stenger. Back row: Adelaide Dunn, Damien Dunn, Reagan Whitehead. 

(Milan, Ind.) - On Saturday, April 18, Mayberry West Farms hosted the Happy Hooves 4-H Livestock Club for an educational experience.

Marberry West Farms is owned by Brian and Marie Smith and located in Milan.

The Smith family moved from the west side of Cincinnati to Milan in 2016 with the dream of starting a bison farm. Mayberry West currently has eight bison, five Clydesdale horses and a donkey.

Alizabeth Bear, a Happy Hooves member, gave a demonstration on wrapping a horse’s legs for travel. Then 4-H members watched as Mr. Smith tacked up two Clydesdales for the horse drawn wagon ride out to the bison pasture.

Mr. Smith shared his knowledge of bison. American bison are commonly mis referenced as buffalo. True buffalo are only found in Africa and Asia. Bison were once hunted almost to extinction. The American bison has been named the National Mammal of the United States.

Raising bison has been a learning process for the Smiths and they were proud to share their experiences. Happy Hooves members were treated to bison burgers to wrap up their visit.

Mayberry West Farm will be the host for a Bison Conference in Fall 2026.