Post by Syzygy on May 25, 2014 18:45:31 GMT -8
Well, I work for a woman who runs an after-school program where elementary, middle and high school aged children can come after school lets out and stay at her property until parents get off work (for the younger kids) or until they decide to go home (for the older teenagers who don't want to go home immediately after school yet have nothing to do otherwise). My employer (not going to give out names or post any pictures as per her request) started doing this several decades ago and is now in her sixties, so relies on her staffers to take care of things and see that things run smoothly.
I'm only one of several 'staffers' (as we like to call ourselves). My employer has several acres of land, complete with a large lake (on which kids are allowed to go fishing and canoeing in), biking and hiking trails, horseback-riding trails, horses, good internet service and she even houses several of her employee's on her property in employee cabins she's had built! Us staffer's are allowed to ride whenever we want.
Anyway, I thought I'd share with you the horses we have on the property that the kids are allowed to ride (so long as there's a staffer present).
In total, we have ten horses. Four geldings and six mares. I won't post pictures due to my employer's request, but I can tell a little about them.
Doctor Doolittle (aka Doc) is our oldest gelding. He's a grade Quarterhorse, chestnut in color and about 15 hands tall. Extremely well trained and is one of the three best to ride. His name originally didn't have the 'Doolittle' part in it, it just sort of got added...
Boo-boo is an Appendix Quarterhorse, dark bay (almost black) in color. He's 16-1 hands tall and was bred to be an Eventer, but was too slow and not motivated enough to make the cut. He's a great kids horse.
Little Boy is, just as his name sounds, our smallest horse (who's not a pony). He's a Mustang and is a bit more of a challenge to handle. He's about 14-2 hands tall and is sorrel in color.
Buddy is the younger brother to Blackie. He's my third favorite to ride and he's very unpredictable and not for beginner riders. We actually have to give him a feed-thru calmer before riding him else he sometimes decides to act like a fool and endanger himself and us. (I rode him today and forgot to give him his calmer and her took off on me and threw some huge bucks...). He's 15-3 hands tall.
Minnesota is our oldest mare. She's a registered bay Paint and is about 15 hands tall. She's not very people friendly, but is easily the best riding horse we have.
Momma is next. She's my personal favorite because she's very friendly and extremely forwards and powerful for such a slender built horse. She's a Walking Horse, but I think she thinks she's a Thoroughbred. She's a blood bay in color and loves to jump. She's 15-1 hands tall.
Blackie is, as her name describes, black. She's a naturally gaited Walking Horse and is shorter than most, standing at only 14-3 hands tall. She's my second favorite, because she's safe enough to ride in just a halter at all gaits.
Lady isn't much of a lady at all... She's an Appaloosa cross mare who is rather pushy and disrespectful most of the time, but we haven't had her long and are still working with her. We think she may have some back problems going on as at a trot she is super short strided in the back and just seems unhappy/uncomfy... and that's just on a lunge-line with no rider... She's about 15 hands tall.
Little Girl is half-blind from an old injury and can be quite flighty if her rider is nervous, but with a confident rider she's a pretty good horse. She's a mix breed... all we know for sure is that she has Saddlebred in her. She's chestnut and is about 14-3 hands tall.
and finally, Miss Polly is our only pony. We're not sure what breed she is, but she's about 13 hands tall and is bay in color. Aside from a hard mouth that tends to create some halting issues, she's a fun ride.
Sorry I can't post pictures!
I'm only one of several 'staffers' (as we like to call ourselves). My employer has several acres of land, complete with a large lake (on which kids are allowed to go fishing and canoeing in), biking and hiking trails, horseback-riding trails, horses, good internet service and she even houses several of her employee's on her property in employee cabins she's had built! Us staffer's are allowed to ride whenever we want.
Anyway, I thought I'd share with you the horses we have on the property that the kids are allowed to ride (so long as there's a staffer present).
In total, we have ten horses. Four geldings and six mares. I won't post pictures due to my employer's request, but I can tell a little about them.
Doctor Doolittle (aka Doc) is our oldest gelding. He's a grade Quarterhorse, chestnut in color and about 15 hands tall. Extremely well trained and is one of the three best to ride. His name originally didn't have the 'Doolittle' part in it, it just sort of got added...
Boo-boo is an Appendix Quarterhorse, dark bay (almost black) in color. He's 16-1 hands tall and was bred to be an Eventer, but was too slow and not motivated enough to make the cut. He's a great kids horse.
Little Boy is, just as his name sounds, our smallest horse (who's not a pony). He's a Mustang and is a bit more of a challenge to handle. He's about 14-2 hands tall and is sorrel in color.
Buddy is the younger brother to Blackie. He's my third favorite to ride and he's very unpredictable and not for beginner riders. We actually have to give him a feed-thru calmer before riding him else he sometimes decides to act like a fool and endanger himself and us. (I rode him today and forgot to give him his calmer and her took off on me and threw some huge bucks...). He's 15-3 hands tall.
Minnesota is our oldest mare. She's a registered bay Paint and is about 15 hands tall. She's not very people friendly, but is easily the best riding horse we have.
Momma is next. She's my personal favorite because she's very friendly and extremely forwards and powerful for such a slender built horse. She's a Walking Horse, but I think she thinks she's a Thoroughbred. She's a blood bay in color and loves to jump. She's 15-1 hands tall.
Blackie is, as her name describes, black. She's a naturally gaited Walking Horse and is shorter than most, standing at only 14-3 hands tall. She's my second favorite, because she's safe enough to ride in just a halter at all gaits.
Lady isn't much of a lady at all... She's an Appaloosa cross mare who is rather pushy and disrespectful most of the time, but we haven't had her long and are still working with her. We think she may have some back problems going on as at a trot she is super short strided in the back and just seems unhappy/uncomfy... and that's just on a lunge-line with no rider... She's about 15 hands tall.
Little Girl is half-blind from an old injury and can be quite flighty if her rider is nervous, but with a confident rider she's a pretty good horse. She's a mix breed... all we know for sure is that she has Saddlebred in her. She's chestnut and is about 14-3 hands tall.
and finally, Miss Polly is our only pony. We're not sure what breed she is, but she's about 13 hands tall and is bay in color. Aside from a hard mouth that tends to create some halting issues, she's a fun ride.
Sorry I can't post pictures!