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 stunning “silver bay”mustang, born wild in Arizona. From the “Cerbat herd” his herd’s lineage can be traced back to the Colonial Spanish horses. He is very 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. His dominance is not reserved only toward horses, and requires an experienced, firm hand out on the trails. He is an independent thinker, not overly fond of affection, has a very level head and abundant willingness to climb any mountain you put in front of him.
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.
MEMPHIS
Memphis is a flea bitten gray, quarter horse mix. Not much is known about his early life. Unfortunately, it seems like he has been passed around a lot before we bought him. He’s a big boy, standing at 16 hands, but don’t let his size fool you, he is the gentlest of horses. He lives his life with 2 important mottos: Slow and steady wins the race and there is nothing in life that food can’t fix. While he enjoys scratches, we can honestly say his favorite pastime is eating. He loves anything he can put in his mouth (although apples, dandelions and carrots are his favorites). One of the things we appreciate most about Memphis is his unflappable steadiness and dependability. He has already helped so many people overcome their fears.
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.
NIGHTHAWK
Standing at 15.2 hands, Nighthawk is 1,100 pounds of sleek, black muscle. We had him DNA tested and the results came back: Percheron, Morgan and Quarter horse. He lived his early years out on a range in Idaho, with the hopes that he could be a rodeo bucking horse. Thankfully for us, he didn’t like to buck and was passed over. He came to us with very little training and unsure about humans. He quickly took over as herd leader and we are slowly building his foundation and trust. While still very new to trail riding, he is willing to learn and making great strides. While it may be a while before he is ready for guests, you may see him bravely leading the way as he is ridden by one of our guides.
ALBIN
Albin is a white, smooth as silk, gaited Tennessee Walker mix. If Albin were a person, he would be the busy bee who sticks their nose in everyone’s business. He would be that guy, telling you how to do your job, as they’re unloading and reloading the dishwasher “the correct way”. Although he can be bossy to other horses, with age comes wisdom, and no one embodies that like Albin. He is a “been there, done that…I could do this with my eyes closed” kind of guy. Very calm and steady on the trails, he is an excellent confidence booster for kids and nervous riders. Although he may not have a sense of humor, he takes his job seriously and excels at it. Because he is getting older, these days he is only ridden by children or small adults.
BONZAI
Bonzai is the youngest member of our herd, at just 5 years old. He is a beautiful, sooty buckskin mustang who was born on the plains of Nevada, where he was rounded up as a yearling. Bonzai is a small boy with a big personality. Typical of a young child, he is full of curiosity and playful. He loves to carry around sticks, fly masks (that he’s so helpfully removed from one of his buddies), playing with his ball and generally being a nuisance to the other horses. His favorite playmates are Nighthawk and (no surprise here) Charlie. =-) Although still in training, he is shaping into an amazing horse and we are really excited by his continued progress. We are hoping he will be ready to carry guests within the next year or two.
BUTTERCUP
Buttercup is a beautiful palomino, paint, quarter horse mare. Being a mare, she can be a bit opinionated sometimes, but she absolutely LOVES children. Given her love for kids, we generally tend to let her carry her favored passengers. She is a girly girl, who loves to be pampered, (brushing, braiding) and generally just being fussed over. She is smitten with Caspian, and the two of them will often be seen hanging out together out in the field.
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.
JOON-BUG
Joonbug is a BIG personality packed in a bite sized package. She is a pony mule who took after her donkey parentage more than her horse side, (she is often mistaken for a donkey). Joonbug 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 sassy when she needs to be and will put the other horses in their place if they get too rough with her. She is the first one up to the fence the moment she spots someone coming. She is an attention seeker, always wanting affection and treats. Although she is small, she is eager to please and will out pace even the tallest of horses.
CHARLIE
We love Charlie’s big ears, and larger than life personality. He has a lot in common with Curious George, curious, playful and is constantly getting into things…everything goes in the mouth….brushes, jackets, water bottles, buckets and lead ropes. He likes to untie himself (or a buddy) and dump water buckets. While patience may not be his virtue (yet) we are holding out hope he will someday master the art of standing patiently as he waits until everyone is ready. He has a working dog mentality, and loves “adventuring” (ie trail riding). He behaves like a perfect gentlemen….once his feet are moving. He adores attention and is often very demanding to get his scratches. While he may have the attention span of a goldfish, he’s so likable you can’t stay mad at him.
YUKON
Yukon 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.
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. 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 is currently enjoying his well earned retirement, enjoying lounging around in the pasture, playing in the sprinkler and eating whenever he wants. Hudson’s big plans for the summer include an apple eating contest he is confident he will win (jk). =)
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.
CRICKET
Deserving honorable mention is Cricket, (although obviously not a horse.) Cricket loves to accompany Erin out on the trails and welcome guests to the barn. She is 2 years old, and has an abundance of energy. She is a rescue dog who sadly ended up in an abusive home as a young puppy. She is sometimes still a little wary of men, but has discovered how much she enjoys scratches from strangers. She has come a looong way in her journey and warms up quickly to new people. She is doing amazing as a trail dog and loves hitting the trails with us, bravely leading the way down the trails.