Meet Our Horses
Avatar
It’s hard to believe, but this gorgeous Percheron was born in 1993! Avatar is a barn favorite, and it’s easy to understand why — he’s stunning, sweet, and very fun to ride. He’s also a favorite among our herd. Avatar’s easy-going, unflappable nature has earned him lots of equine friends. Of all the horses at SSRC, Avatar enjoys playing with our little Arabian Son the most. You can sometimes see them cantering the fence line together or engaged in some spirited face fighting. Avatar is used for both traditional and adaptive riding lessons. He’s also a wonderful trail horse. We are thankful to Pam Farthing for allowing us to use this great horse.
Blueberry
A former dude string pony, Blueberry came to us in rough shape. She was covered in scabs and active sores from an untreated fly allergy and was suffering from ulcers, which caused her to repeatedly colic. After diet adjustments, medication, and fly control, Blueberry was much healthier and ready to work. Though she had only ever walk and trotted on the trail, she proved to be an apt pupil and quickly learned to walk-trot-canter, jump, give beginner to advanced lessons, and even show. In her first hunter jumper show, Blueberry won reserve champion in the two-foot jumpers! This unique pony has lots of personality and isn’t afraid to share her opinions with us. She is definitely a character!
Charlie
A later-in-life career change to jumping was a great choice for this calm, willing Appendix. Charlie is a straightforward, fun ride. He is calm enough to do lunge line and walk trot lessons and talented enough to jump around at a show. Charlie is loved by students for his easy-going personality and eagerness to please. Around the barn, Charlie prefers to spend his time with humans over equines, so we take care to spoil him with lots of grooming and grazing time. We are very fortunate to have this wonderful horse in our barn.
Felix
This unsuccessful racehorse didn’t make it long at Turf Paradise. He was sold as a three-year-old to a Tucson resident and eventually made his way to SSRC. Felix is a young horse learning flatwork and jumping and is available for lessons to our advanced traditional students. Felix is extremely smart and willing but is anxiety-ridden from his experiences on the track. He often weaves in his stall and can become agitated when his environment changes. In addition to training Felix under saddle, we are also helping him become a more relaxed, healthy, well-adjusted horse. This guy is full of personality and loves people!
Flash
This sweet Morgan is privately owned but is generously loaned to SSRC for lessons. Flash is in the running for MVPH (Most Valuable Program Horse). Flash can do it all. He is used in adaptive riding lessons, beginner lunge line and walk-trot lessons, and advanced jumping and dressage lessons. He is also a wonderful (albeit vocal) show horse. Flash is a well-educated and straightforward ride but has just enough attitude to help teach our students to be in charge both on the ground and when riding. We love his appropriately sassy attitude. Thank you to Leila Gass for allowing us use Flash.
Freedom
Free is an older quarter horse with tons of experience. He is a seasoned show horse, as well as a wise, patient teacher for students learning to walk, trot, canter, and jump. He is also great at liberty work. In the barn, Free is happy and relaxed, no matter if he is alone, with other horses, or with people. We adore this zen master of a horse and are fortunate to be able to use him in both our adaptive and traditional lessons. Thank you to Maria Miller for allowing Free to work at SSRC.
Iggy
Iggy came to us from a dude string. He was thin, covered in bite and scratch marks, and infested with bot flies. Though he was physically a mess, we loved his sweet, cuddly, easy going nature and decided to give him a better life in the hopes he would prove useful in our program. After rehabilitating Iggy, we began training him for adaptive riding. Iggy is now a top-notch adaptive riding horse. He is calm, steady, and adores his riders! After each lesson, Iggy patiently waits for his rider to dismount before he turns his head to give and receive cuddles. It’s his favorite part of the lesson! We are so thankful to have this wonderful horse at SSRC.
Kazimir
Kaz was a racehorse who, after an unsuccessful racing career and an injury, found himself at auction and at risk of being sold to slaughter. No one was bidding on the skinny, scared, injured Thoroughbred except kill buyers, but lucky for this horse a rescue stepped in to outbid the killers. After clearing quarantine in California, Kaz made his way to a small rescue in the Phoenix area where Melanie Roeder adopted him. Kaz is well-mannered and sensitive on the ground and is able to give grooming and round pen lessons.
Rio
At more than 17 hands, Rio is our tallest horse. And he’s a lot of horse(!), which is why he ended up at SSRC. Rio’s owner purchased him from a disreputable seller who had drugged Rio to cover up his behavioral issues. After the drugs wore off, Rio began bucking off riders and being unmanageable in the barn. After months of trying to retrain him, the owner put him up for sale. She was upfront with potential buyers about Rio’s issues and was unable to find him an appropriate home. Eventually, the owner felt she had no options left and was planning on sending him to auction, which could have resulted in Rio going to slaughter. SSRC offered to take him as a rescue to prevent such an outcome, and Rio’s family was kind enough to let us take him. When Rio arrived, he was scared, withdrawn, and defiant, but he slowly learned to trust people and has become very sweet and loving. He is doing well with his under-saddle training. Program Director, Melanie Roeder, fell in love with Rio and has adopted him. He will remain at SSRC and will be available for lessons once he progresses further in his training.
Smarty
This gorgeous 2009 Thoroughbred raced until he was eight. He made his way from California to Arizona earlier this year and ended up at SSRC. Smarty is still green undersaddle but is showing tremendous potential. He’s a beautiful mover and jumper and is becoming increasingly more confident with his flatwork and jumping. Smarty earned reserve champion in the schooling hunter division at his second schooling show! Smarty is available for lessons and showing for our more advanced students. We are so lucky to have this sweet, fancy horse in our school program.
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