the Handy Horseman

Hello, my name is Scott Oldmixon.  After a little over a year off of work I finally decided that I needed to find something else to occupy my time.  So, a little about me.  I have always been an "entrepreneur" even though I can't stand that word.  Maybe I suffer from hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, (google it... lol).   I started my first business while in high school and while taking college classes while going to high school.  My first brick and mortar business was an awards business where I specialized in awards, trophies, picture framing, sign, screen printing, embroidery and more.  Then, while operating that business, which at one time had three retail locations, I also ran four other businesses.  One was a SCUBA shop, more about that in  a minute.  One was a tack shop.  Also, more about that.  And another of my other companies was a property management company where I managed several rental properties.  Growing up, and over the years handling rental properties, I have learned how to take care of most of the repairs myself.  From building decks, installing fences, laying concrete, painting, framing walls, installing drywall, plumbing, electrical work and more, I've pretty much done it all.

In 2013 I started consolidating and selling off a few of the retail businesses.  I also closed the SCUBA shop due to lack of time.  I did keep going with the rental properties, making most of the repairs myself.  As a hands-on property manager you get to wear the hats of the plumber, carpenter, electrician, landscaper, roofer, painter and sometimes even a grief counselor.  

Now back to the tack shop story.  In 2007 my ex wife and I got into horses.  We lived in Stafford at the time and rode out at LaGrange in King George.  We were hooked!!  I rode almost every day and got to the point where I even ran barrels (for fun).  On February 14th, 2000 I bought an existing tack shop for my ex wife.  We operated that business for several years, along with my other businesses.  Ultimately we closed the shop when we had our kids.

In 2015 I was out of the retail business all together, so I thought.  I was pretty much "retired" at 41 years old.  Come to find out, I don't like that word either.  I became bored very quickly and after 6 months decided to find something to do.  There was an opening at the carpentry shop working for the Virginia Army National Guard at Fort Pickett in Blackstone, VA.  I thought, that would be fun.  I can do most of that stuff and I can learn how to do other stuff that will help when I need to make repairs on my rental properties.  So I went back to work,  After about a year or so, another position opened up with the Directorate of Information Management (DOIM G-6), also at Fort Pickett.  Well, my real background was computers.  I went to ECPI in the early 90's and started a web design and hosting company in 2000.  So I transferred to DOIM.  I will never forget in my interview with the supervisor, she told me that based off of my experience she thought I would be bored in no time.  She was right.   I quickly took on far more responsibility than my position entailed just to keep from going stir crazy.  

After working at Fort Pickett I decided to also start teaching SCUBA classes on the weekends.  Then in early 2018 I had a commercial tenant move out and it gave me the opportunity to reopen my SCUBA business, while working at Fort Pickett.  It did not take long to realize that I could not do both so in the spring of 2018 I went full time back into the SCUBA business.  

After five years growing a retail SCUBA training business I felt that the time was right to pass it on.  I sold the business in late 2013.  I helped the new owners for six months to get them on their feet.  That brings us to the spring on 2024.  Over the next year I spent most of my time pursuing my passions which include fishing, camping, backpacking, hunting and mountain bike riding.  I even started an Adventure Club that has been going strong now for several years.  

That takes us to the summer of 2025.  I just spend the last year without a schedule and full of adventure.  But while adventure is fun, it is not purposeful.  Life has to have a purpose and it needs to be meaningful.  Over the past 30+ years I have learned a lot of great skills.  I am good with my hands and I love to fix stuff.  So, after a lot of thought I decided to take the leap and start The Handy Horseman.  

So, that's my story in a nutshell.