Meet Our Horses
ECHO
Echo is a black and white Morgan gelding. He came to our herd in 2022 and is catching on quickly. He aims to please, but is still gaining experience and learning what is expected of him. He is one of our younger horses and will sometimes get distracted by things and needs a gentle reminder to stay focused. He is very affectionate and playful, he loves to be in the middle of the action. When you see the horses running around the field, Echo is always in the middle of it (and probably started the ruckus). He tries really hard to do what is asked of him and we love his willingness to please and zest for life.
CASPIAN
Caspian is a mustang, born wild in Arizona, from the “Cerbat herd” which can be traced back to the Colonial Spanish horses. He is as beautiful as he is smart. His unique coloring is called a silver bay. He is the herd alpha and quite the ladies man. He usually has his harem of mares surrounding him, and isn’t afraid to assert his dominance if any of the geldings “forget their place”. Caspian absolutely loves playing in the water, whether it’s a water trough or a puddle. He is playing in it. He is very confident out on the trail and likes to be in the front. He has a lot of go and is quite forward, thus not suitable for beginners. He is great guide horse and will be primarily ridden by our wranglers.
MR. BO JANGLES
Bo Jangles is a big 2,000lb jet black Percheron draft horse. He is a gentle giant, very calm and steady on the trail. Not a lot ruffles his feathers. He is quite the social butterfly with other horses. He voices his concerns whenever we take a horse from the field and he isn’t invited. He loves all people, but tends to be on the dramatic side in his interactions with the other horses at the hitching post, and it isn’t uncommon to hear his high pitched “pony squeal”. Bo Jangles journeyed from the midwest, where he had been a plow horse with the Amish. In the winter he and his partner pull sleighs at Mountain Springs Lodge.
SPIRIT
Spirit is a buckskin Quarab gelding (1/2 Arabian 1/2 Quarter Horse) We named him after his twin “Spirit of Cimarron”. We bought Spirit and Copper together, (they have been together their whole life) when their aging owners weren’t able to provide the care they needed. They were both underweight, and in need of dental and hoof care, so we didn’t have a lot of time to assess their trail savviness before our early snow this fall. Spirit is very friendly, curious and loves attention. He is definitely more of a follower than a leader. We are looking forward to getting him out on the trail more this year.
ALBIN
Albin is a white, smooth as silk, gaited Tennessee Walker mix. He likes to be in charge and is full of opinions. If he were a person he would be the busy bee who sticks their nose in everyone’s business, tells you how to do your job as they’re reloading the dishwasher “the correct way”. He is very calm and steady on the trail and great for beginner riders. Although he may not have a sense of humor, he is extremely smart and loves to nap at the hitching post as he conserves his energy.. He is sometimes a little too smart for his own good and has been known to untie himself (or a buddy) or open gaits and help himself to the hay in the barn.
ECLIPSE
Eclipse is a black registered Paint Horse, or the "paint that aint" as we affectionately call him. He is a big boy standing at 16.2 hands. He was rescued with LadyBug in 2014. He was undernourished, covered in scabs, and had rubbed off his mane and most of his tail. He initially was very scared of everything, but has gained so much confidence, he has been one of our main guide horses for years, confidently leading from the front. He has a lot of personality and can be a bit of a stinker sometimes, especially with sneaking grass when you aren’t paying attention. He is curious about everything and loves to run and play in the field. His favorite treats are watermelon and apples.
DANCER
Dancer is a grulla Quarter Horse mare. Her color (grulla) is rare (less than 1% of registered Quarter Horses) and highly sought after. She fluctuates between a smoky gray and silver gray with black points. Due to her unique color and bloodlines, she has foaled many babies before joining our herd. Dancer came to us after tragically losing her foal, shortly after giving birth. She is beautiful, confident, smart….and bossy. She is the queen of the herd and likes to remind the other horses every chance she gets. Like any respectable diva she detests bugs, especially around her face. She is very responsive and can be push button if asked correctly. She loves to eat (and it shows) and thinks Eclipse is the bee’s knees.
JASPER
Jasper is a mustang who was born wild in Idaho. After being mistreated by a previous owner’s kids, he was turned over to a horse rescue, before coming to Wild At Heart. Although he has every reason not to, he still trusts and enjoys people. Jasper is our most playful horse in the field, his favorite game is tug-of-war with sticks, a jolly ball or even fly masks. He (like LadyBug) is petite, but doesn’t let that slow him down one bit. He has spunk, can be a little impatient with the “slow walkers” but will stop tailgating when asked (usually). He’s so fun to ride, very sensitive and responsive. Less is more with him and he prefers a calm rider with gentle hands.
INDIGO (or INDIE)
Indie is a Quarter Horse buckskin paint mare with one blue eye and one brown eye (hence her name Indigo). She is built like a tank, short and stout. She has a lot of nervous energy. If she were a child her report card would say “hyper, talks in class and has a hard time sitting still”. She is a go getter who doesn’t have time for slow walkers. She is brave out on the trails, except she thinks puddles are hot lava and mud must be quick sand (we are working on that). =)
HUDSON BAY
Hudson is a bay colored thoroughbred/quarter horse, who loves to be in the back of the line so he can keep tabs on everyone. He is peppy and opinionated and loves to boss the other horses around, but also very steady on the trail. We call him Hollywood Hudson as he is a little full of himself and likes to be admired, (he will push the other horses away so he can hog all the attention and treats). He does get a little worried if his rider is anxious but he tries really hard to please his rider.
MAGGIE
Maggie is a dark bay Arabian mare, and one of our rescue horses. Sadly she was abandoned in a field in Canada by her previous owner. Her halter had been left on so long, it had embedded into her skin. The scar tissue caused her hair to grow back white in the outline of the halter. Some wonderful ladies launched “operation save Maggie” and brought her back to Washington where she joined our herd in 2022. She is such a gem, with her calm disposition, confidence and love of being out on the trails. She is quiet and kind hearted, very affectionate and LOVES head scratches.
LEVI
Levi is an Arabian gelding. He is an older gentlemen, but still loves to hit the trails and has no problem keeping the younger horses in line. He has been a family kids horse for years and takes great care of his young charges. Levi is the only horse that consistently does “yoga” stretches before each and every ride, stretching out his back legs one at a time as we leave the hitching post. Because of his smaller size and age we only use Levi for kids and small adults.
PEARL
Grandma Pearl is the sweetest mule. She’s a been there, done that kind of gal but is nowhere near ready to retire. She loves being included and adventuring into the woods. She is very calm and kind. Pearl is amazing with kids or nervous riders, as she lends them her confidence and calmly follows the horse in front of her. She is very social and loves attention, scratches especially, and will move into you like a dog and look back at your expectantly if you stop scratching her.
TALOOLAH (TA-LOO-LA, or Loo for short)
Taloolah is a white, standard bred mule (half donkey, half horse). She is a shy girl and is learning to trust. We aren’t sure what her earlier life looked like. If you love underdogs, you’ll love her. She has a big heart and tries really hard to please her rider, but sometimes gets a bit nervous about new things. She faces her fears like the brave girl she is, but does best when she’s partnered with a patient, confident person who can offer her support if her courage slips a little.
JUNE-BUG
Junebug is a BIG personality packed in a bite sized package. She is a pony mule and took after her donkey parentage more than her pony side. She is often mistaken for a donkey. Junebug is VERY curious, friendly, extroverted girl who loves everyone. (Think stereotypical cheerleader bouncing up to the new kid in school, talking a mile a minute, as she gives the lowdown on everyone). She is the first one up to the fence the moment she spots someone coming. She is our shadow and tends to be pushy with her demands for affection and treats (incidentally she has lost her treat privelages while we work on manners and not using her teeth to get attention). We absolutely love Junebug but she’s easily distracted and not quite ready for guests yet.
CHARLIE
We love Charlie’s big ears, and larger than life personality. He has a lot in common with Curious George, playful and is constantly getting into things…everything goes in the mouth….brushes, jackets, water bottles, buckets, lead ropes and likes to untie himself or a buddy. He adores being out on the trails and behaves wonderful once his feet are moving and he has different things to look at and smell. He adores attention and is very demanding to get it. The only thing that makes Charlie shy is the camera. As soon as he sees a camera he can’t seem to hold still. While he may have the attention span of a goldfish, he’s so likable you can’t stay mad at him.
LADYBUG
Ladybug is our little old grandma horse, incredibly sweet and loves kids. We rescued her with Eclipse and they are best friends. You can usually find them sharing meals together in the field. She is gaited and we believe she is a Pasofino mix. Although she is small, she is mighty and will out-walk all of her larger herd mates. She is as gentle as they come and takes exceptional care of her small passengers. Due to her age she is mostly retired and will only occasionally do a short ride for our youngest riders.
COPPER
Copper is a red dunn Quarab (1/2 Quarter Horse, 1/2 Arabian) He is an older gent and came with Spirit last fall. Their aging owners weren’t able to provide the care they needed. When they came to us they were both underweight and in need of dental and hoof care, so we didn’t have a lot of time to assess their trail savviness before our early snow this fall. For being an old man Copper has plenty of energy. He tends to be very vocal, and has separation anxiety. His distinct neigh sounds like a cross between a donkey, mini pony and a dying cow. He is very clingy with several horses, but has especially attached himself to Maggie and is her constant shadow (much to her annoyance). If you don’t see him, you’ll probably hear him hollering from the field if his friends are at the barn. We are looking forward to getting him out on the trail more this year (probably behind Maggie).
YUKON
Yukon is our newest and youngest member of the herd. He is a 7 year old Shire draft horse. Standing roughly 17.2 hands and weighing 2,000 lbs he is a big boy. He is a rescue horse that hasn’t had much training. When we brought him home he was suffering from upper respiratory infection, parasites and overgrown feet that hadn’t been trimmed in close to a year. We are working with him to gain trust, lift his feet, and are hoping with training and time he will be joining us out on the trail. As of right now we haven’t been able to get him to accept any treats. We’re still trying to find something he can’t resist. =) We are very excited to see his progress as he is very sweet and willing to learn.
CRICKET
Deserving honorable mention is Cricket, although obviously not a horse, Cricket loves to accompany Erin out on the trails. Cricket just turned one this spring and has an abundance of energy. Sadly, she ended up in an abusive home as a young puppy. While she has improved tremendously, (in part to all the treats and love our guests show her), she is still learning not to be scared of new people/things. While not aggressive, she can have a big bark, but warms up quickly once she has a chance to say hi. (We have treats for anyone willing to help show her kindness). Even though this is new to her, she is doing amazing as a trail dog and loves hitting the trails with us, (although she is still learning how not to be underfoot).