Wilby
Wilby (registered name Wilbert) was born in Holland in 1999. Wilby is a purebred Friesian, descended from the warhorses ridden into battle by medieval knights. He is a perfect example of the kind temperament, intelligence and patience that the breed is known for. Pure black with a long mane and tail and “feathers” (long hair) around his fetlocks (ankles) he has become a favourite subject for our local horse-photographer, Leslie Town. His wonderful nature and rocking-horse movement make him popular with our volunteers, too, when it’s time to warm the horses up before a lesson. He is simply the kindest horse I have had the honour to work with, and he has won over more than one new rider who had some doubts about getting on a horse at all (in the end, the problem tends to be to get the riders off!).

Henk
I bought Henk as a four-month-old weanling, and he immediately took over the farm. A Friesian like Wilby, Henk is much more of a character. Those of us who know him best joke that he would rather live in the house with the humans, watching TV and munching on popcorn, than in the barn with the other horses. He likes to pull zippers and untie shoelaces, tease dogs and cuddle with humans, sticking his big head into your arms and just “hanging out.” Doing work with Henk around is impossible. He likes to steal hammers and brooms, and always stands with his nose or feet in the exact spot where you need to hammer a nail or sweep the floor. Born in 2002, he is young for a therapy horse, but Henk is unflappable. Calm and steady, Henk does his job happily, flirting with his leader and trying to eat the stuffed toys riders toss into buckets. A little narrower through the ribcage than Wilby, Henk is a perfect match for smaller riders. Rock-steady in the riding ring, only the glint in his large dark eyes hints at the character that lies beneath.

Diesel
After many months of searching for a suitable small horse, we found Diesel living in a pasture not far from our farm. Although nearly eight years old at the time, Diesel was definitely “green,” with little experience under saddle. What experience he did have was apparently not pleasant, as he showed a decided mistrust of humans. However, Diesel has a sweet nature and he has blossomed under the quiet, consistent training that has included regular schooling under saddle by a wonderful volunteer named Jess. Now that Diesel has learned that riding can be pleasant and understands what is expected of him, he has settled beautifully into the routine of therapeutic riding lessons where he is a perfect match for some of our smaller riders, or those who need some extra physical support. Although pony-sized in height at 14 hands 2 inches, he has the classic muscular build of his Quarter Horse breed with a broad chest, full, round barrel, and the powerful hindquarters that bring to mind a Mack truck (hence, his name, “Diesel). Diesel is a chestnut gelding born in 2000.

Dooley
Dooley is a 1988 Appaloosa gelding who was donated to our program by his owner, who had bought a younger horse for competition and worried that Dooley was not getting as much work and attention as he deserved. “He needs a job,” she told me on the phone. Now he has one. Rock-steady and kind, Dooley easily made the transition to therapeutic riding where he works with everyone from absolute beginners to the handful of advanced riders who are able to ride independently. Like Oscar, Dooley has “been-there-done-that” and knows his job like the old pro he is. In fact, the two old campaigners have become paddock buddies, and like to spend their time outdoors grazing together or just hanging out. In addition to providing us with another reliable school horse, Dooley has added some colour to our lessons: Appaloosas were bred by the Native Americans for, among other things, their brightly patterned coats which are often accented by striped hooves and a very short mane and tail.

Louis
2004 Canadian Horse (Cheval Canadien)
As a proud member of Canada’s national breed, Louis exhibits all the characteristics that make this a breed worthy of representing our wonderful country: strength of both body and character, together with a high degree of intelligence and remarkable hardiness. Louis moves through his world with a wary eye and ears always slightly back of vertical, indicating his refusal to simply accept things at face value. Despite his relatively small size (15’1’’ hh), he is “second in command” only to Wilby on the herd hierarchy, and has been known to chase the mighty Moose (17 hh Belgian-cross) away from a tasty pile of hay. Under saddle, Louis is rock-solid, refusing to be startled by snow-avalanches sliding off the arena roof or cats appearing suddenly over the kick-boards. He has been diligently schooled in therapy-horse skills by Joslyn, and recently joined our string of school horses, ready to take outstanding care of our special riders. Like Henk, Louis enjoys interacting with humans more than most horses do, and likes to have his active mind challenged.

Harley
Harley was born in 1998 and named Hurricane Joey. Since he was destined to be a race horse, I suppose his owners wanted him to be as fast and powerful as a hurricane, and he did have a successful racing career for many years. Now that he's retired from the track, he has found his way to our farm and we've re-named him Harley. Harley is a 16 hh Standardbred, and while you might expect a former race horse to be skittish and high-strung, he is a perfect gentleman with a sweet nature that makes him a favourite with riders and volunteers. His only "down-side" is that he trots really, really fast, and that means a major work-out for his leader and sidewalkers! We're teaching him to slow down, though, and he's even learned to canter under saddle - a big accomplishment for a horse that was bred to trot! Harley is a gentle soul who is enjoying his new job, bringing smiles to our riders' faces.

Therapy Horses in Training, and Friends:

Moose, 2003 Belgian-cross gelding

Ronan, 2003 Clydesdale-cross gelding