Our Horses

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.

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 21 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 21 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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kid is a 16 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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mr. Cool is a very unusual sorrel 12 year old Thoroughbred who joined the Saddle Light Center in August 2002. 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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NUGGET has personalized herself into our program and her riders enjoy her. She is a 22 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 Saddle Light Center welcomes BIG RED donated by Daniel and Suzanne Dickerson. He is a wonderful addition to the herd and beneficial to our smaller riders that need more support. He is 8 years old and came from Dawn Patterson who was a lead line pony at birthday parties and similar events. Adopt this horse ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SUNNY D, an 8 year old 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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PRINCESS POCO PINE "Poco" for short is a 26 year old sorrel quarter horse mare. She was originally trained in cutting and became the lead working horse for one of the largest breeders of purebred Horned Hereford Cattle in Louisiana. She is willing, trustworthy and loves to be part of the action. Poco is friendly and enjoys attention and she will undoubtedly be a good addition to the team Adopt this horse ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SOMEBODY'S GOT LEGS, better known as "Legs" is a 26 year old bay quarter horse mare. She had an extensive career in three-day eventing, dressage (level III), cross country jumping, stadium jumping, hunter/jumper and western trail. Legs is kind, gentle and huge hearted. Her love for people and attention, as well as her great will to please have qualified her for retirement helping our riders. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Two new horses arrived on Friday, August 21, 2009, loaned to us by Beverly Thomas from Gonzales, TX. Stetson – An 8-year-old Tennessee Walker who loves giving rides to the grand kids. He is not afraid of new things and has been known to go inside the house to visit. Ringing cell phones and electric saws don’t bother him either. One of Stetson’s favorite games is picking up a pom-pom and tossing it around in the air. He has been with the Thomas family since he was 7 months old. Cinnamon is a 7-year-old Quarter Horse. He loves coffee and sodas, so watch your mugs and cans! He is very gentle and willing to try new things…pom-poms and plastic bags – not a problem. He was one year old the first time he was touched by a human and within an hour he was leading and behaving like he had always been around people. He too has lived his entire life with Stetson and the Thomas family. 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: Cheyenne retired to North Texas to live a life of luxury in open green fields with his owners in July 2009. He was a wonderful therapy horse and we all will miss him. Happy Trails Cheyenne! An update on HOLLY CHIPS from her owner, Jill Page: Holly Chips is doing wonderful and has a new job teaching children of different ages how to ride at our barn, we decided to keep her here, she has calmed down and has a huge fan club already! We just wanted to say "Thank You" for taking such good care of her for the last year + We are truly grateful. (2008)
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