Meet Our Amazing Horses
The therapeutic riding horse must be patient, kind, willing to work and have smooth gaits. Various shapes and sizes of horses are needed to suit different riders. The horses are trained to stand through any situation. Mounting a rider from a wheelchair can be time consuming and awkward, and the horse must wait quietly for a command to walk forward when the rider is ready.
Some of the Riding Centre’s horses, including those used for regular lessons, have been rescued from slaughter. Each horse receives excellent care and enjoys many hours of pasture time with its herd. Many remain with us for years, moving from one program to another, and when the time comes to retire from lessons, every effort is made to find safe and loving homes. The horses are the heart of our program, and we strive to combine their highest quality of care with the same care and concern for the environment they inhabit.
Dottie is a flea-bitten gray quarter horse mare who is the newest addition to our school horses, having just arrived in August 2010. She is fitting in well and learning quickly.
Chipper is a cute little chestnut quarter horse gelding who came to the Riding Centre in 2002. He is so steady that he is frequently used for "back riding" (when Carolyn rides with the student to help support him/her) with no saddle. He and Whisper are best buds.
Special is a pretty bay mustang/thoroughbred cross who’s been with us since 2001. Because she is so willing, she is used extensively in both therapeutic and regular lessons for all disciplines.
Apollo is our Haflinger pony who has lived at the Riding Centre since 2006 and is lots of horse packed into a small body. His favorite thing to do is to pull the cart we use in the therapeutic program.
Whisper is a striking chestnut quarter horse with a flaxen mane and tail who has been with us since 1998. He was one of the youngest horses we’ve ever started (only six when we got him) and has become a mainstay of the therapeutic riding program.
Chance is our bay Appaloosa who’s been with us since 2007. He is sweet and well-liked by people and horses, especially when he pulls off their grazing muzzles!
Who-Dey is a light bay “unknown,” who is the other lucky gelding who lives with the girls and loves it!
Pablo is a paint quarter horse with one blue eye who was donated by a Riding Centre student in 2008. He has become a steady addition to our lesson program.
Honey Pepper is a beautiful paint quarter horse mare who has been with us since 2004. She is another stalwart of the therapeutic program who has great patience and calmness.
In Loving Memory
Salty was a beloved school horse who left us in July, 2010. He had been a faithful and favorite mount to children since 2001.