Rocking Horse Ranch Horse Information
Happy
Breed: Haflinger Color: Palomino
DOB: 2001 Sex: Gelding Height: 14hh
Character Traits: Pushy, slow-going, smart and responsive.
Techniques to Use While Leading: Can carry a dressage whip and use as needed. Be
assertive. Before lesson starts get him moving forward. Maintain good contact with lead rope
and have your attention on him at all times. Watch his body language (especially in field); he
may become nippy when bored. Keep his attention especially when riding outside of arena.
When riding on the grass make sure to keep his head up as he is a grass hog!
Things to Avoid: Do not use riding field when grass is tall. Avoid standing for too long; he
will paw at ground or nip when bored. Half halt if needed. Do not pull forward with the lead
rope to encourage him to walk faster – request him to move with you by verbally saying walk
on and bringing your energy up. Do not walk ahead of him.
Dutch
Breed: Connemara Color: Flea bitten gray
DOB: 1992 Sex: Gelding Height: 14.1hh
Character Traits: Pushy, forward going, responsive.
Techniques to Use While Leading: Before lesson starts work on getting him to move at
different speeds. He is very responsive to voice commands. If he becomes too forward provide
a firm correction (half halt) to get him listening again. Prepare him to halt so he stops beside
you rather than wrapping around in front of you.
Things to Avoid: Be careful not to get him fired up with excessive energy. If he gets pushy
be firm with him so he respects you. Maintain your position as the leader. Do not let him
graze in hand.
Cody
Breed: Quarter Horse Color: Bay
DOB: 2002 Sex: Gelding Height: 15.1hh
Character Traits: Quiet, slow-going, reliable.
Techniques to Use While Leading: Can carry a dressage whip and use as needed. Be
assertive. He is responsive to voice and body language. Utilize warm-up to create impulsion.
During the lesson keep him engaged & moving forward to prevent toe dragging. Maintain
good contact with lead rope and have your attention on him at all times. He may become
nippy, try to eat lead rope or bob head when bored.
Things to Avoid: Avoid standing for too long; he will bob his head or try to eat the lead rope
when bored. Half halt if needed. Do not pull forward with the lead rope to encourage him to
walk faster – request to move forward by over exaggerating bringing your energy up. Do not
walk ahead of him.
Dakota
Breed: Quarter Horse / Arab Cross Color: Grey
DOB: 1995 Sex: Gelding Height: 14.1hh
Character Traits: Smart, slow-going, reliable and no alternate positions.
Techniques to Use While Leading: Can carry a dressage whip and use as needed. Be
assertive. He is responsive to voice and body language. Utilize warm-up to create impulsion.
During the lesson keep him engaged & moving forward. Maintain loose contact with lead rope
and have your attention on him at all times. He may become nippy if uncomfortable with
something.
Things to Avoid: Avoid letting him get his mouth close to objects as he will try to play with
them and become mouthy. When cones, poles or barrels are being used keep a good distance
as he will try to knock them over as he walks by. Do not pull forward with the lead rope to
encourage him to walk faster – use verbal cues with authority. Do not walk ahead of him.
Sonnie
Breed: Percheron / Morgan Cross Color: Black
DOB: 1998 Sex: Gelding Height: 15hh
Character Traits: Polite, sensitive, responsive. Sensitive to energy of people around him.
Techniques to Use While Leading: Stay quiet and minimize cues. He really needs to have
the person leading him give him the confidence to do his job. When he is nervous he will get
nippy. Do a lot of transitions during the warm up so that you get his mind working.
Things to Avoid: Be careful not to get him fired up with excessive energy. If he gets pushy
be firm with him so he respects you. Maintain your position as the leader. Don’t get ahead of
him; this just gives him a target to bite at.
Beau
Breed: Quarter Horse Color: Bay
DOB: 1997 Sex: Gelding Height: 14.3hh
Character Traits: Polite, sensitive, blind in left eye. Responds well to voice commands.
Techniques to Use While Leading: Lead from right side. Before lesson starts work on
getting him to do transition. He needs the relationship this will create. Very responsive to
voice commands. Give him a few seconds to process what it is you are asking him.
Things to Avoid: Leading from the left side. He likes to walk behind you but keep him
engaged in proper leading positions. If he gets pushy be firm with him so he respects you.
Maintain your position as the leader. If you notice that he is uncomfortable with anything
bring it to the instructor’s attention immediately.
Cisco
Breed: Appaloosa Color: White Blanketed
DOB: 2001 Sex: Gelding Height: 15.1hh
Character Traits: Sweet, smart, forward going, responsive.
Techniques to Use While Leading: Can get a curly body when not kept slow and straight.
Before lesson starts work on getting him to do transition and stay straight. You need to have
him in tune with you prior to the start of the lesson. Very responsive to voice commands.
Give him a few seconds to process what it is you are asking him.
Things to Avoid: If he gets pushy be firm with him so he respects you. Maintain your
position as the leader. When trotting make sure he doesn’t get a head of you.
Louie
Breed: Quarter Horse Color: Chestnut
DOB: 1997 Sex: Gelding Height: 15.3hh
Character Traits: Strong, reliable and slow going
Techniques to Use While Leading: Can carry a dressage whip and use as needed. Be
assertive. He is responsive to voice and body language. Utilize warm-up to create impulsion.
During the lesson keep him engaged & moving forward to prevent toe dragging. Maintain
good contact with lead rope and have your attention on him at all times.
Things to Avoid: If he gets pushy be firm with him so he respects you. Maintain your
position as the leader. If standing to long he will get bored and start to ignore you.
Atticus
Breed: Quarter Horse Color: Sorrel
DOB: 1988 Sex: Gelding Height: 15.2hh
Character Traits: Well educated, reliable and slow going
Techniques to Use While Leading: Can carry a dressage whip and use as needed. Be
assertive. He is responsive to voice and body language. Utilize warm-up to create impulsion
by performing lots of transitions. During the lesson keep him engaged & moving forward to
prevent toe dragging. Maintain good contact with lead rope and have your attention on him at
all times.
Things to Avoid: Can be nippy when tightening girth. He is older so make sure he gets an
adequate amount of warm up time so he is not stiff in lesson.
Patch
Breed: Paint Color: Brown and white
DOB: 1990 Sex: Gelding Height: 14.3hh
Character Traits: Well educated, reliable and slow going
Techniques to Use While Leading: *Ground lessons only* *Walk Only* Blind in left. Use
a lot of verbal cues to let him know what is going on at all times.
Things to Avoid: No tight turns as he has a stifle injure and will make him lame.