Horses

Sweet Saffron was originally trained as a show horse. She is a tall horse, but she would crawl into your back pocket if you’d let her. Saffron likes to paw in the lakes and if all four feet make it into the water there is a pretty good chance she will lay down for a quick dip. She is a very sweet girl and you can see it in her soft, beautiful eyes.

Thunder was a mistreated lady. Her previous owner was not very nice to her. She was very sensitive and always cautious of humans when we first got her. She has since starting seeking out the attention of people and very much seems to enjoy all the treats she gets for doing so! 

With patience and time, she has become a wonderful trail horse whose gentle, forgiving disposition seems most compatible with inexperienced horse lovers. She is 27 years old, but her age does not do her justice, she is feeling very good in her skin and loves going on rides!

Sugarfoot is our resident Schmoozer! He is a handsome boy and he knows it! He gets along with all the ladies in the pasture and frequently uses his charm to get extra treats. He is very gentle with young children but then has lots of get-up-and-go when you tell him to. He is half Quarter Horse and you can see it in the shape of his face but he still has that smooth Tennessee Walker gait!

He won a first and second place ribbon in an ACTHA competition (American Competitive Trail Horse Association). Sugarfoot is an oldie-but-goldie, having reached the age of 30! He still enjoys riding, being the trustworthy and loyal companion he is!

Skittles is around 15/16 years old. She is one the four ‘kill pen’ rescues. She is a gaited horse and has the build of a Walker Paso Fino. She seemed to be in the best health out of the four of them when she arrived. She was on the skinny side, but nothing compared to the other rescues!

Skittles used to be a little ‘stand-off ish’, when we first started riding her, she did not want to go left, right, forward or even.. anywhere at all! She has progressed enormously over the past year, and has turned into an amazing trailhorse. 

We call her our ‘rainbow pony’ or ‘skeeters’, a nickname given to her by Aubrey, one of our trailguide who fell head over heels for the spunky character of Skittles!

Phoenix was another rescue from the kill pen. He is between 8 and 10 years old. We don’t know his story but there is one thing for sure: He was dearly loved by someone at some point. 

He is so friendly and loves attention. Stands like a perfect gentleman to be groomed and loves to be brushed. It is heartbreaking to think of what he has been through since being someone’s beloved pet. 

Other than being so malnourished he lost his fur, he was in decent health. He has put on weight since he got rescued and with a steady, healthy diet this gorgeous boy has risen from the ashes into an awesome trail horse! He loves going on rides and is a reliable, sweet, handsome man.

He has a really weird habit of sticking his tongue sideways out of his mouth like a goober (even without a bit), and loves to splash his legs in the water!

Louie is a chestnut Tennessee Walker who is about 10 years old. He has been part of the ‘Sunshine Riding Stables’ herd for about two years and is ‘such a good boy’ (As Kirsten, one of our trailguides would say). Louie, Mister T and Daisy have all been gifted to us by a friend who got sick. 

He is a passionate horse, full of power and ‘go’, but do not let that scare you off, cause he also has breaks in the right places. He is a very smooth ride and a beautiful horse.

Because he is such a sensitive and responsive horse, he is mostly ridden by Kirsten (One of our trailguides), or an experienced rider!

Gracie is a 16 year old Spotted Saddle pony. She is a great ride for children and will even take four year olds on her back through the forest. She is gentle, but a beggar for treats and she loves to snack from the leaves in the forest.  

Many people think she is a young horse because she is so small, referring to her as ‘baby pony’. But this can’t be further away from the truth, so don’t let her size fool you. She is a mature horse with a mind of her own. She is fun, quirky, graceful and a great ride!

Josephine is our horse of a different color. She came here when she was just a few months old with her mom, Belle. Josephine was born with black fur and she has slowly been turning white. She is a real sweet heart and is kind of goofy.  Josephine also likes to lift her head up when it’s raining and catch big drops of water falling from the barn roof with her mouth. She has finished her training and is mainly used as a trail guide horse, Dave has laid claim to this one!

Starlite was the first red colored horse we ever fell in love with. Likely due to the fact that his mother has and always will be a favorite here (Vannah). He is the only horse born right here on the property. When Vannah was about due to give birth we would get up at all hours of the night to see if she needed any help but mostly it was because we just couldn’t wait to meet her baby. 

One day we came home from work, we were surprised to find that instead of 3 horses we had when we left that morning, we now had 4! From the second we saw him, he was loved and petted and spoiled absolutely rotten. He is one of the tallest horse here and probably the laziest. He will lift his foot to beg for treats and all, and immediately demand a treat after you get on his back too. He is a big big baby and no matter how old he gets, he probably always will be.

Penny came to us with her momma, Belle, and sister, Josephine. She is about a year older than Josephine (born in 2005). She may not have gotten Belle’s coat color, but Penny sure did get Belle’s wonderful, easy going disposition. 

Penny is a very sweet girl and loves attention. She also likes to open all the stall doors to let out the other horses.  Even though she listens very well, she still voices her opinion about many things. Due to her fire and spunk, Penny is Kathy’s favorite and personal horse. 

Gigi came from the same herd as Belle and is a very silly girl! She has little to no concept of personal space and always wants to be a part of what you are doing. She is very curious but very sweet. I guess you could say she can’t hold her licker because she loves to lick people! She is really spunky and loves to go fast!

She takes great deal in taking care of the people that are riding her. She is perfect at anticipating to their needs, and loves to swim and of course.. her treats! She will beg you for carrots by pressing her nose on your knee, wether if we are at a treatstop or not!

Gypsy is our gentle giant. She is a Percheron/TN Walker cross who, unfortunately, is not gaited. However, because of her stout physique, she can carry up to 260 pounds! She weighs in at 1,500 pounds! and when she gets to galloping in the pasture, you can feel the whole ground tremble! 

She is blind in one eye, but that does not compromise her ability to trust people. She has a very stead walk through the woods, loves dipping in the water and is a pleasure to ride!

Sampson was one of the horses we rescued from a kill pen, together with Miles, Phoenix and Skittles. He was rescued in March 2022, when he was approximately 14-15 months old. He was so docile and sweet especially considering his situation and being malnourished. Turns out he had an upper respiratory infection with a fever that was making him feel pretty crummy. Take a close look at the pictures for the before and after!

We were worried that once he started feeling better he would be harder to handle, but he is still the sweetest little thing! He will let us groom him head to tail (including feet!) and meets us at the gate with a whinny that will melt your heart. We think he will grow into his legs nicely.

Sampson is not being ridden yet, therefore he is too young and not fully grown yet. However, he is getting used to daily life on the ranch, seeing all the other horses tacked up and finding his place in the herd!

Miles is a 15 years old spotted saddle horse. He has been rescued from the killpen and was very malnourished when he arrived. We have no idea what he has been through, but we do know it must have been a horrible experience. 

Miles is very traumatized and scared to death. Kathy has been working on gaining his trust, but this will take numerous years of therapy to get him to a level where he feels comfortable around people. 

He is not in the riding program.

Teddy is about 20 years old. He is a Missouri Fox trotter. He had only been ridden two times (by cowboys!) in his life, before joining the herd at ‘Sunshine Riding Trails’. 

Teddy is a very sweet, calm and gentle horse. You don’t have to expect a spunky fast ride on him, but he will make you feel comfortable and relaxed with his smooth gait. He is perfect for a beginning rider due to his gentle nature.

However, he can also be an opportunist. As in: He will try to trick you into thinking he needs extra carrots, all the time!

Elvis is a Tennessee Walker / Spotted Saddle Horse. He is about 16 years old, and has been part of the ‘Sunshine Riding Trails’ herd for six years. He is a beautiful horse that can carry up to 190 lbs. He has very expressive eyes!

Elvis is an all round horse, there is nothing that this horse can’t do. He is an amazing leading trailhorse that wouldn’t flinch an eye if the boogeyman would jump out of the bushes! For experienced riders he is a fun and steady ride, for beginners he is gentle and nurturing. A true gentleman!

He was gifted to us by people who came on a trailride with Sunshine Riding Trails. Kathy said yes to Elvis before even seeing him, because she is a huge fun of Elvis Presley!

Buddy is a Paso Fino, he joined the ‘Sunshine Riding Trails’ herd together with his best friend Rita. The lady that owned them got sick, and since Paso Fino’s are spicy horses to handle, she made the decision to donate them to us. 

He is 21 years old and both him and Rita are the smoothest horses we have, but they also have the most spirit. He is a very fast horse, so is only suitable for experienced riders that have enough confidence to handle him.

Rita joined the ‘Sunshine Riding Trails’ herd together with Buddy. She is also 21 years old and will take you on the ride of your life. 

She is fun, smooth, very fast and enjoys taking experienced riders out on rides. She also does great as a leading trailhorse and because of her spirit and passionate nature, she is only reserved for experienced riders who can keep their heads cool!

Daisy is a black/brown Rock Mountain Horse. She is 25 years old and was gifted to us with Mister T and Louie. She is a wonderful addition to our herd and has a very smooth gait. 

We often call her our ‘boss mare’, because she is all business. On trail rides, she will take care of you like no other. She knows what she is doing, where she is going and is a very determined horse with a strong spirit. 

She has the ability to make her riders feel very safe with her, making her a great choice for beginning riders who need a confidence boost, or experienced riders who are in need of a relaxed ride.

Cupid is a buckskin Tennessee Walker/Paso Fino cross. She is eight years old and got gifted by Kathy’s brother five years ago. She is still undergoing training, since she has a few quirks to work out.

She does what we call the ‘Cupid Shuffle’: Instead of going forward in a line, you go forward sideways. She also often stops for no reason and runs herself into a tree occasionally when she gets distracted.

She is the clown of the barn and a lot of fun. She can open the tack room and barn to help herself to the food and treats. And whenever she gets hosed off after a ride, she drops like a stone and rolls long before we reach the pasture

Mister T is a Tennessee Walker who is about 11 years old. He is currently being trained and recovering from Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM). This disease can get caught when horses eat infected opossum feces. Incoordination, muscle atrophy and loss of feeling around the body are a few signs of illness. 

He is still nervous and is dealing with a lack of coordination, but Kathy believes he will make mostly a full recovery. He will only be ridden by the trailguides.

This little guy came to us when he was just 4 months old, born 2011. He is a buckskin roan Paso Fino and he is just the sweetest thing with four hooves! He loves to be petted and to give hugs! It is amazing how sweet this little guy is considering he never had any interaction with humans before coming to us. He is so trusting and willing we think he is going to be a terrific horse!

Poor Humphreys was such a mess when he came to live with us. We could count every bone in his back! He is now filled out and healthy. Quite a fun ride, he loves to play in the water! He will lay down, then stand up, then lay down, then stand up, then lay down and so on and so on till he has had enough! The most times I have counted were six lay downs! When he is not in the water, he is very comfortable and enjoyable. He is a Paso Fino born around 2007. Who ever rides him, loves him!

Ebony came to us with her baby, Cocoa. Ebony had been put through a rigorous training program for Tennessee Walkers and then was used as a brood mare. Ebony didn’t have too many pleasant experiences with humans before coming here. We don’t know if she was actually abused or just neglected for so long but it took a very long time to gain her trust. She can still be shy and stand-offish sometimes but she willing comes to you and certainly seems to enjoy treats! She is also a great riding horse, one of the smoothest gaiting horses we have.

She is 30 years old, so she spends a lot of her days in retirement, enjoying time out in the pasture! However, she does still enjoy a ride from time to time, dipping her legs in the water and exploring!

Savannah was born in Memphis, TN in 1994 and we got her when she was about 18 months old. Savannah passed away. She was such a sweetheart. She would put her head on your shoulder and go right to sleep while you pet her face. She was very gentle and great with kids, but she still had some spunk too and loved to get up and go out on the trail. Savannah’s only baby was born on the property, Starlite. She was a great mother to him even though he is nowhere near a baby anymore! 

Cocoa-Moco came to us with her mother, Ebony, when she was only a few months old. Her and Starlite were about the same age and were oftentimes inseparable during their youth. 

Since then, Miss Cocoa has taken the role of herd clown/brat. She is very smart and that often time gets her into trouble. She loves to pick on and tease the other horses and she always has to be watched when she is in the yard. She likes to pull up freshly planted trees and shrubs, chase chickens, dogs and anything else that will run from her and she absolutely hates being left alone.

Cocoa is currently not ridden, since she got herself a bit too much in trouble and hurt her leg! A funny story about Cocoa, is that Miss Kathy once caught Cocoa with a bag of feed on her head! Never a dull moment with this one. 

Penguin has been with us the second longest. He originally belonged to a young lady who lived in the neighborhood but didn’t really have time for him when she went away to college. Peng has the biggest sweet tooth out of all the horses!  He has a very expressive face and likes to taste just about everything.

Penguin is retired, but occasionally still joins in the one hour rides! He is a true gentlemen, loved by kids and beginning riders due to his very gentle nature. He loves getting brushed, and falls asleep in your hands if you stroke him on his head!

Belle came to us with two of her foals Josephine and Penny. She was a brood mare and had many babies before joining us. Belle is so gentle and easy going. She listens very well and is great with children. 

When Belle was born she was a dark brown. It took her about 10 years to get her beautiful white coat. She typically likes to bring up the rear and isn’t in too much of hurry to get anywhere. 

Belle is currently retired, she enjoys her time out in the pasture with her two daughters, Josephine and Penny.

Jessie is a 10 year old Quarter horse. He is a very mellow horse that is extremely good with kids. He is an exception in our herd, as in that he is not gaited. He is more woah than go, making him a perfect horse for beginning riders. 

Jessie did not need any training when he became part of the ‘Sunshine Riding Trails’ herd, he instantly knew what he was doing (and is great at it!). He loves his carrots and is very treat motivated.