My name is Autumn Gaucin and I am the manager at Orion Farms LLC.

My life- long love for horses began while in Middle School when I began western lessons at Tanglewood Stables in North Huntington. After a little under a year of riding, I gained employment at Round Top Stables in Trafford and my focus in life solidified.

I began learning basic horse care and handling and how to lead trail rides while continuing my lessons in western pleasure and hunt. During my employment my family purchased our first horse, Diablo and with him I joined 4-H.

Through Middle School and High School I worked mucking stalls, leading trail rides and learning to lead the team and work with the 40+ boarders that entrusted their horses to our care. As I continued my riding lessons and increased my knowledge in horsemanship, the instructor/barn manager began using me as her working student and I began teaching.

After High School graduation I attended Salem-Teikyo University in West Virginia where I majored in Equine Science and Facilities Management. My time at Salem was very hands on from day 1. All students were scheduled as working students. I worked with and learned to train the school’s horses as well as those student boarded horses. I also began taking lessons in Saddle seat and in turn was introduced to Saddlebreds and Morgans.

I transferred to Penn State University to continue my education in Large Animal Sciences with my focus on Equine Facility Management. During my time at Penn State, I moved my work experience outside of the horse world, becoming a manager in multiple different industries. My jobs took me as far as Texas, but in 2011 my husband and I decided to move our family back to Pittsburgh. I continued riding throughout my career but wouldn’t return full time to the horse world until November of 2015 when I found a horse to lease. This brought me back, full circle into the world of the equestrian!!

When I began leasing Grace, a warmblood, from Rebecca Francis I also began helping around her barn, first subbing for her a few times, and then instructing beginners to ride again. Working with Rebecca and my students reminded me of the life I loved so many years ago, so when the opportunity to move to what was then Cedar Run Farms opened up in 2018, I applied and was hired as the farm manager/ riding instructor.

I have remained with the farm throughout its ownership transition and reside, with my family, on site.