When Lois and Ken Kirschenbaum first came to Old Westbury nearly four decades ago, they were drawn to what so many people still notice when they arrive: the open land, mature trees, winding roads and the feeling that you are somewhere far removed from the city, even though Manhattan is just a short drive away.

For generations, that landscape has also made Old Westbury a natural home for horses. The Village’s equestrian tradition is woven into its history and, though smaller today, remains part of its character. For those who love horses, the opportunity to keep them at home, ride the trails and raise a family alongside them has always been part of the appeal of Old Westbury and for the Kirschenbaums, it was a particularly meaningful one. 

Ken had loved horses since childhood and had always dreamed of having them on his own property. After the family settled in, he built a barn and paddocks and eventually brought horses to their home. The barn that once stood where the garage is today housed two horses, with a corral behind the tennis court.

Having horses to care for was a daily chore. Ken cared for them himself, feeding them hay and grain and cleaning their stalls each morning. He remembers wheeling the manure across the property to a neighbor's property, where it became fertilizer for their garden.

The entrance to the Village's horse-trail system was just a couple of houses away. From there, Ken could ride into a network of trails that connected much of the surrounding landscape. He remembers riding to local spots like Muttontown Preserve and once made the long journey on horseback to Pine Hollow Country Club with a friend.

At the time, only a handful of residents kept horses on their own properties. But those who did shared something more than a hobby.

By the time the Kirschenbaums arrived in the village in 1986, the Old Westbury Horsemen’s Association was already an established part of village life. While its members shared a love of horses and riding, the organization was about much more owning a horse. It brought neighbors together with events and gatherings that became part of the social fabric of the community.

There were horse-farm tours where residents were welcomed onto private properties, lunches shared with neighbors, and an annual summer gathering at Old Westbury Gardens, where dressage and jumping brought the equestrian community together and drew residents from throughout the village.

The Kirschenbaums became part of that world as their own family was growing. Their children, Jennifer and Adam, were learning to ride. Weekends often revolved around the barn and trails and the horses created a natural connection to other families who shared the same lifestyle.

At one point, the organization had approximately 100 members, even though only a small number actually kept horses on their properties. That distinction says something about what the Association represented. You didn't have to own a horse to feel connected to it.

Ken remembers that as one of the things that made the organization special. Residents have their families, their homes and their professional lives, and many are involved in organizations of their own. But a community also needs shared experiences that gives neighbors a reason to know one another beyond simply living nearby.

For years, the Horsemen's Association provided exactly that. The horses were the common thread, but the real connection happened around them: on the trails, at dinners, on visits to horse farms and at gatherings where neighbors simply spent time together.

The Horsemen's Association gave Old Westbury residents a reason to gather and that was an important part of village life.

Over the years, the landscape of the village began to change. Fewer families kept horses on their own properties. The number of active riders declined, and the Horsemen's Association itself eventually became inactive.

But the equestrian spirit has certainly not disappeared. There are still riders in the area and numerous equestrian facilities. The trails remain part of the village’s landscape and history and continue to be maintained by the Old Westbury Horsemen's Foundation.

The landscape may have changed, but the connection to horses remains.

And perhaps that is what Lois recognizes when she helps people find their own place in Old Westbury. As an Associate Broker at Wheatley Plaza with Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, she has spent much of her career helping people find homes in Old Westbury. She has represented some of the village’s most distinctive properties, including two estates of roughly 100 acres dating to the early 1900s. Both had barns and paddocks and a history tied to the area’s equestrian past. 

When Lois shows a property, she sees the same qualities that captured her and Ken nearly forty years ago: the search for permanence, open land, and genuine community. 

“We didn't simply choose a place to live,” Lois reflects. “We chose a way of life.” 

Old Westbury may no longer be the same village the Kirschenbaums first knew on horseback. But the landscape that first drew them here remains and so does the possibility of connection that has always been part of life in Old Westbury. The places and traditions may change, but the things that bring people together will always matter.

**SIDEBAR 2**

Lois and Ken have been members of the Old Westbury community for 37 years, where Lois has spent the past 32 years building a highly successful career in real estate. As a leading associate broker with Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty specializing in Old Westbury and the North Shore, she has sold more than $250 million in real estate in the Village. Among her many accomplishments, Lois has marketed and sold the highest residential sales in both Old Westbury and Nassau County in 2022 and 2024, as well as the second-highest residential sale in 2021.

Ken has built an equally distinguished career in law. He is the senior partner at Kirschenbaum & Kirschenbaum, P.C., a Garden City law firm that has been in practice for 50 years and now has 14 attorneys. Ken serves as a U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee and is nationally recognized as a leading attorney in the burglar and fire alarm industry. Their daughter, Jennifer,  joined the firm and has developed a successful healthcare law practice, continuing the family's professional legacy.