We strive to make each moment with horses “a blessing, a life lesson, and a memory”. If you would like to ensure your horse-moments are cherished memories or you would like to further your equestrian education, consider yourself invited to participate in any of our educational programs. More information about Dressage, Eventing, Hunter/Jumper, Sidesaddle and Groundwork is available here  for easy reference.

Our programs could not be such a success without our herd of Dancing Horses and Ponies! Please take a moment to learn about our DHF Herd.

Jamiile- "JJ" is a 15.2h 1995 Anglo-Arab gelding. He is a great all-around, been-there, done-that sort of guy. He has competed to 1st, schooling 2nd, level in dressage and Beginner Novice level eventing with his former owner. After some time off while his previous owner attended college, he joined the DHF lesson program in the winter of 2010-11 where he is brushing up on his dressage skills and rebuilding his topline.  

JJ is wonderful for our intermediate and advanced students as he knows all the 'tricks', but he requires you to get everything right before he releases his inner dressage horse. He is sensitive and fun to ride, but occasionally remembers his Arabian heritage and finds imaginary objects to focus on instead of the work at hand. You can usually find him by the sound of his neighs, as he has a crush on Cinnamon and calls to her frequently. His favorite treats are bananas.

Pete is a 2000 pinto gelding of unknown heritage. What we do know, though, is that he is a super teacher for our new riders. Before joining the DHF family, Pete was trained as a hunter pony, and has lots of show ring experience. Pete joined us the same weekend Waldo left us, so we feel fortunate that he came in as Waldo's replacement as our beginner lesson teacher.  He is very quiet and steady, and with his smooth gaits, he can be trusted to take good care of our newest riders. He also loves to teach kids jumping, and he is very good at it. He rarely misses a distance or knocks a rail. Sometimes he is so quiet, though, that he requires a bit of motivation to get going. Pete can usually be found making angry faces in his stall, but it's all an act; he is extremely sweet. He enjoys munching peppermints and hanging out with his girlfriend, Cinnamon.

Grandioso- “Grand” is a 2005 16h bay Canadian warmblood gelding. Don't let his large size fool you, he is a gentle giant and is our go-to lesson horse for students of any size, age, or skill level. He came to us at DHF with a hard mouth and an unsteady canter, but his big heart and willingness to try won us over. After being in training with DHF president Jen, and continuing with the apprentices, he is now a much nicer horse than we ever imagined. He can now softly go on the bit and has 3 lovely, easy-to-ride gaits. He has started lateral work and has great uphill walk-canter transitions. He also likes jumping, having done small courses with our apprentices and students. He has participated in DHF shows, been a demo horse for the USDF L Program, and has cliniced with Mary Wanless. Grand is also our designated side saddle lesson horse, being a good fit for riders of all skill levels.

J.R.’s Town- “Jay” is a 1997 16.2h Thoroughbred gelding. He is a stunning copper color when in the sunlight. He was formerly a very successful racehorse, earning $156,390 on the track. After 90 starts, he was no longer eligible for any races, so he became a hunter/jumper. He came to DHF with a very sore back and a grouchy attitude, but all the animosity disappeared with a little TLC and body work/injections to get him pain-free. He is now as kind as they come and an all-around nice guy.

Jay likes to jump and is very athletic. Sometimes he rushes a bit, but he navigates sizable courses very well under the guidance of an experienced rider. He is also doing very well in his dressage training. It took a while before he began to understand seat aids and contact, but he is now getting the hang of it and seems to enjoy the challenge. He has three very balanced gaits with tons of suspension and is a nice mover when he can be persuaded to lift his back and soften his neck. 

He is currently working with DHF's apprentices and advanced riders to become more symmetrical, as the years of running in a left-handed oval have made him a bit lopsided. Jay is unusually mellow for a former racehorse, but his size and athleticism limits him to our intermediate and advanced riders despite his gentle nature.

A pony is a small horse measuring under 14.2 hands or 58 inches. A “hand” is 4 inches and is considered the standard measurement for horses. Why 4 inches, you may ask. This measurement came about because that was considered the average width of a grown man’s hand, and using a measurement standard that everyone had handy was a logical solution. So, if you count the number of man’s hand widths a horse is from the ground to the wither (that bony bump at the base of the neck), you will know how tall they are. A horse is over 14.2 hands and can even be taller! Jen once broke a horse that was 18 hands tall and fortunately very sweet and quiet!

Ponies have even been used by the Vikings to fight wars (Fjord). Some ponies sometimes eat seaweed instead of grass (Shetland)! They also jump, pull carriages and are extremely intelligent. Most ponies like to have jobs - pulling sleighs (Haflinger), driving, farming or carrying packs (Highland).

In the Wild West, ponies carried the mail. It was called the Pony Express and it ran day and night. Each pony had to ride 10-15 miles before a new pony would take his place and the trail was about 2000 miles. Those ponies had to be healthy! 

Where would the world be without these intelligent, inquisitive, adorable, cuddly, mischievous little equine creatures!

Sticky Bun is a 2006 13.1h Shetland/Paint cross mare who is as cute as they come. She is very friendly and always ready to greet visitors to her stall, nuzzling them and searching for treats.

She came to us at DHF with nice gaits but very green, and has been in training with the apprentices and advanced students since winter of 2010-11. She is an extremely quick learner and has taken to dressage quite well. She can steer from the rider's seat, go round, and is schooling lateral work and walk/canter transitions. She has also started jumping small fences, and has very cute form over them.

Despite her small size, she is wonderful for our advanced riders because of her perky attitude and intelligent nature. Sticky loves the challenge of the advanced riders, but she adores getting attention from our littlest kids as well. She is quiet and gentle enough to be a favorite among our beginning students. She enjoys treats of any sort and hanging out with her best friend, Miley.

Miley is a 13.1h 2006 buckskin pony mare of unknown breeding, but her fancy movement hints at some Morgan heritage. She is quite feisty and is always fun to ride. Her flashy gaits led to her purchase by DHF as a prospective dressage pony, but she soon let us know that her real talent lay in jumping. 

Miley was quite green when she came here, but through her consistent training with DHF's apprentice trainers and more advanced students she is developing into a solid citizen. She is frequently used in Maple Leaf Farm's lesson program and is now jumping 2' courses with students with plans to begin competing in the hunter ring very soon. She is super about getting correct leads but she sometimes can test a student's steering skills. Her good looks and pony attitude make her a favorite here at DHF. She is best friends with Sticky Bun (they came from the same farm) but they sometimes bicker like all sisters do. Miley loves peppermints and treats of any sort, she's not picky.

Cinnamon is a 14.0h 2004 red roan Mustang (born wild on the range in Nevada) mare with a beautiful thick tail streaked with white. Quite tame now, she is friendly and loveable, always hanging her head out of her stall to greet visitors and search for treats.

She has been a reliable member of DHF's lesson horse program, teaching both dressage and jumping to our intermediate riders, but she is also steady and quiet enough for our new riders, and sturdy enough to easily carry adults. She has three smooth gaits and a soft mouth. While relatively new to it, she is excelling in her jumping training, never refusing a fence, and has done 2' courses with students. Cinnamon is also a cute little dressage mount and knows how to both go on the bit and steer off the rider's seat. She has had some experience in the show ring, having participated in DHF's hunter and dressage shows. She is a super fun pony to ride and is always up for a challenge.





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