Daniel Rosen Jack Iden with Tveria: "It's not just an animal to ride on. It's part of the family." Horse Country Jewish horsemanship in Metamora runs the gamut from enthusiast to serious business operator. ADRIEN CHANDLER Special to The Jewish News 22 FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 1989 t's a pleasant drive to Metamora, nestled in the rolling green hills of southern Lapeer Country. The countryside is dotted with dairy farms, lush pastures and horse stables and farms with names like "The Silver Saddle," "Taleria" and "Bar-Lyn." Though it's only 45 minutes from Detroit, as lifestyles go it's a world away. This is horse country, what used to be the stomping, or riding grounds for the wealthy socialites of Grosse Pointe. Metamora still boasts a hunt club, and when driving the country roads one must take care to yield the right of way to horse and rider. Down a winding dirt road and across a rickety wooden bridge bare- ly large enough for a small car, at the intersection of two of these unpaved pathways, lies a large rambling farm- house. It's obvious this house is a lit- tle different from its neighbors. Tack- ed to the front doorpost is a mezzuzah. This is the country home of Troy developer Stanley Frankel and his wife Judy, a catering director, which they share with Missy, Jet and Prince Knox — their horses. By their own admission, the Frankels are just horse hobbyists. They own and ride for pleasure, though with the help of hired hands they are actively involved in the care i and feeding of the mare and two geldirigs. They just dabble, but the Frankels share a common thread of passionate, self-taught horsemanship with others who consider horses a serious business. Leon Silber is one of those dyed- in-the-wool horsemen. Silber, 55, is a counselor and physical education in- structor at Page Middle School in the Lamphere school district. He bought his first horse in 1965 and has worked a farm in Leonard, in northern Oakland County, for the last 18 years. He says it's in the blood to be a horseman, and he believes he must have had "a horse trader in my past." Frankel agrees. "Even though we're urbanites, I must be the direct descendent of a zayde who had a pushcart and a horse." Jack and Shirlee Iden of West Bloomfield own a farm in Grand Blanc but board their Arabian horses at Silber's farm. Though their daughter, a horse breeder and trainer in Israel, got them involved in horses in a serious way, the Idens liked horses early on. Shirlee Iden rode when she was young, as did Stanley Frankel. Silber was training to be a jockey while still in high school. The Idens, the Frankels and Silber take horsemanship down three different paths. For the Frankels it's a pleasurable escape. For the Idens, horses are an enjoyable side business.