Our Horses

OUR HORSES

WHAT MAKES A GOOD THERAPY HORSE?

Most people don't realize what good horses therapy horses must be.

First of all, therapy horses must enjoy being around people, and having people around them -- all the way around! Since many riders require a leader, 2 sidewalkers and an assistant or instructor very close by, these horses must quietly accept being a bit crowded.

Exercises and games used with riders produce some unusual movements a horse must become accustomed to, and some riders' disabilities produce sudden movements of arms or legs and/or trunk movement due to lack of strength and/or balance. Our horses must learn to tolerate these movements and to trust the people around them so they will stay calm when something unexpected happens. They also must stand quietly for mounting and dismounting our riders, which can take much longer than most horses are accustomed to. It takes 6 - 9 months for a horse to become comfortable with all the non-traditional things that are expected of them in a therapeutic riding program.

Equally important to a therapeutic riding program is the quality of the horse's movement. Therapy horses must be able to move freely and in a balanced, rhythmic manner in all three gaits -- walk, trot and canter/lope. An even, smooth movement builds strength much more efficiently than movement that is uneven or unbalanced. Poor movement quality may also indicate an injury or weakness that might be made worse by the work expected in a therapeutic riding program. Our horses are exercised regularly to keep them moving freely and responsive to traditional aids -- weight, legs, hands/reins and voice. As the pictures here illustrate, we expect them to move well, and they do!

The regular exercise the horses get also provides a good change of pace for them, which is as valuable for horses as it is for people. Turning them out together in a large paddock allows them to socialize and bond in a herd structure that is normal for horses and important for their psychological well-being.

The Saddle Light Center currently has ten horses in its Therapeutic Riding program. Many of the program horses come to us from loving owners who can no longer ride or compete with the horse, but want to make sure they remain in a healthy, secure environment. Some remain owners or donate them to us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Native is the grand lady of the Saddle Light Center program. She is a 19-year old dark bay Quarter Horse mare. Native has been with us since before 1993, when she was loaned to us by the grandfather of one of our riders. Native is a big horse with a wide back, so she is a good choice for heavier riders, and riders who need a broad base to sit on to help with their balance. Native’s gaits are very smooth and she has a very calm, affectionate disposition. She is extremely careful with her riders. When she feels their weight shift off-center, she stops until they regain their position. She closely monitors her riders when they dismount, and nickers to them like she would to a foal. As soon as she feels their weight “disappear,” she turns her head to check them over and make sure they are OK. Native “talks” a lot, especially when food is involved. She will use her nose to do a thorough search of anyone suspected of hiding a treat. Frequently, her searches are rewarded when she finds a peppermint, one of her favorite treats. Adopt this horse ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Blackjack (a.k.a. “BJ” & “My Sweet Baboo”) is a 19-year old black Tennessee Walker gelding. When Blackjack arrived at The Saddle Light Center in January 2000, he was afraid of other horses, especially if they were running. He has since learned that the Retama Park Equestrian Center is a pretty safe place. Blackjack has a gentle nature and is very tolerant of little fingers poking around his face. His build is slender, so he is a good choice for riders with limited range of motion in their hips. His gaits are very smooth, and he has a very fast walk. When Blackjack steps out with his neck slightly arched and his long tail flowing, he is a very elegant therapy horse. Adopt this horse ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

cheyenne is our great big horse – weighing in at 1,200 pounds. He’s an 19-year old tri-color paint gelding. Cheyenne has been with us since the summer of 2002. Before joining our herd, Cheyenne had a long, successful show career and was also a dependable trail ride mount. Cheyenne oversees the herd when they are all turned out together, and he makes sure he is the first one haltered to come in at mealtime. Although he sometimes acts big and tough in the paddock, he's more like the Lion in the Wizard of Oz -- he ust doesn't want anyone to know it! Cheyenne can carry riders up to 220 pounds, so he is the horse we use when a therapist needs to ride tandem behind a rider to provide head and trunk support. It takes a big strong horse to be able to carry two people! Adopt this horse ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kid is a 14-year old sorrel Quarter Horse gelding. He joined our program in the spring of 2001. Kid has very smooth gaits and generates a lot of movement when he walks. That makes him a good choice for riders who might lose interest on a slower-moving, less active horse. Kid likes to work and enjoys attention and affection. He has a willing nature, humoring us by letting us tuck his ears into hats and generously carrying the plastic rings our riders use for some of our games and exercises. Occasionally, he amuses himself as well by carting off the Fisher-Price ring stand. Kid’s name suits him well! Adopt this horse ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Napoleon joined our program in the spring of 2002 when his young rider outgrew him and needed a bigger horse. He’s a 25-year old gray paint pony, meaning the skin under his white coat is black and pink, not all pink (that would make him “white” or “cremello”). He is less than 58 inches high at the top of his withers. Napoleon’s small size makes him a great choice for riders who need quite a bit of support from sidewalkers, and his quiet, patient nature make him very good for riders who might be frightened of a faster moving horse. Napoleon is truly a gem to work with, and is as close as you can get to a living stuffed animal. Adopt this horse ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mr. Cool is a very unusual sorrel Thoroughbred who joined the Saddle Light Center in August 2002. He is our youngest horse, only 9 years old, which is young for a program horse. Originally destined for the racetrack, Mr. Cool had other ideas about a fast-track career path. After an alternate stint as a jumper, Mr. Cool landed with us and has finally found his calling. Mr. Cool loves being around people and being the center of attention. He’s very gentle and patient with his riders and their equipment, which is very unusual for such a young horse. We know he’s happy and relaxed when he walks around with his ears out sideways, bouncing just a little when he walks. Now that’s a happy horse! We’re very glad he didn’t get all excited about racing or jumping – he knew there was a better career out there for a good-looking’ guy with natural talent. Adopt this horse ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SCHOONER is a 11 year-old 15.1 hand Palomino Quarter Horse who came to us from Austin, TX on January 6, 2007 from Aline Gaubert, a licensed chemical dependency counselor and play therapist, www.alinegaubert.com/horsesense.html. Together since March 2004, they helped people develop a sense of self, overcome fear, improve focus and release stress. Schooner became so popular that he soon had his own mailbag from thankful and appreciative clients who always brought treats for him. He soon learned how to show his appreciation by stretching out his head and neck as far as he could and turn his head sideways. Ms. Gaubert said this was Schooner's way of giving kisses or so visitors would think he was very cute and give him more treats ... you be the judge when you visit him at our stable. Adopt this horse ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOLLY CHIP is a 10 year-old POA (Ponies of America) too. She is 13.2 hands tall and is on loan from Jill Page. Her right eye was injured as a foal and because of that, it was thought that she would only be good as a broodmare but that isn't the case. Her size makes her perfect for some of our smaller and younger riders. She has a sprightly gait that translates into stimulating movement for her riders. Adopt this horse ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NUGGET has personalized herself into our program and her riders enjoy her. She is a 21 year-old Chestnut Quarter Horse mare on loan from Barb and George Head. She was raised in Oklahoma where she enjoyed the life as a pleasure horse, has a wonderful disposition, very caring, patient and an asset to our program. Her name really fits her because her gleaming coat shines like a gold nugget. Adopt this horse ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Center welcomes our newest face, SUNNY D, a Welsh pony on loan to us from our barn manager, Lori Hutchinson. Everyone probably has seen Sunny D’s bright face peeking out as they walk by his stall. The Center needs a pony of Sunny’s size specifically to help those children just beginning ride on their own and those requiring a little more help from the side walkers. We are happy to have Sunny D join our horsey team. Adopt this horse ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ADOPT-A-HORSE: Are you interested in sponsoring one of our amazing therapeutic riding horses for one year? The cost of hay, feed, farrier, barn/pasture rent, and veterinarian care per year is $2,570.00 per horse. We will recognize the sponsors in our quarterly News Letter, on our Website, plus a plaque will be hung by the horse's stall with the name of the sponsor engraved. You can also make donations in any amount to help support them. All donations are Tax Deductible! Mail a check payable to The Saddle Light Center to: The Saddle Light Center - Adopt a Horse 17530 Old Evans Rd, Selma, TX 78154. OR BY CREDIT CARD THROUGH SECURE:
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