This striking gelding is a 15-year-old Trakehner who was a jumper in his younger days. We think of Will as our “Hollywood Hunk,” as he certainly is tall, dark, and handsome! Will tends to be the head of the herd (some might say the boss), and he keeps everyone in line. His funny trick is that he will often nod his head as if to say “yes, please” when getting ready to eat first thing in the morning.

This dreamy boy is a 15-year-old Arabian. His nickname is “Santi.” We think of him as the distinguished grandfather or elderly professor of the herd. Who knows? He may recite the works of Shakespeare or Bronte to his herd mates on quiet summer evenings. Santi is certainly a dashing horse who possesses a very gentle soul. He has an easy-going personality with “more whoa than go”!

This gorgeous six-year-old Halflinger is the strong-and-sensitive type. He was used as a draft horse during his first few years on a midwestern Amish farm. Luke is beginning cart training and he just got outfitted with new tack—so keep your eye out for him to give rides to staff and volunteers in preparation for clients. To understand Luke a little better, simply think back to the sports superstar at your high school…and that pretty much sums up Luke! He’s cool and tough, and we think he’d probably be dating the cheer captain.

This Gypsy Vanner Cross stunner with the luxurious long locks is about 20 years old.  While her name is Opal, we often call her Mama.  She is the proud (albeit tired) mother of JoJo.  You can usually find Opal happily wandering around the pasture minding her own business.  Opal was purchased by our founder Linda in 2021 and unbeknownst to her, Opal was pregnant; Linda and staff soon realized we were in for a treat as Opal would deliver a baby the following spring.  Fun fact: she was going to be a mother to the great-great-great granddaughter of Secretariat.  How cool is that!

Officially named Josephina Patricia, this young lady is a bit ornery but she makes up for it (?) by being a cute-as-a-button filly. JoJo was born March 17, 2022 right here at the Horses Help SWI ranch. She’s learning the ropes, and is regularly handled and groomed in hopes that she’ll be a future therapy horse. In the meantime, she can help clients as part of certain groundwork programs—and by offering regular comic relief.

This lovely lady is 17 years old and an excellent cart driver. She was a show horse, so you’ll find her prancing when she’s led around! We say that Adriana is full of spunk…but maybe she prefers to say that she’s full of “pomp and circumstance!” Her guilty pleasure is scratching her head on people—rather forcefully! We often call our unicorn due to her fluffy white coat, mane, and tail.

Our only pony, Candy is 17 years old and has been freshening up her cart driving skills. She lives in the pasture with the other American Miniatures and is slightly larger in size. She’s happy to have a job to do, and can be ridden by children—or she can easily haul two adults around the property. Candy is diabetic, so she’s fed a specialized diet with medicine and supplements.

This little lady rounds out the girls in the “mini herd” and is our tiniest American Mini. This two—and-a-half-year-old is lovey-dovey and gladly accepts people giving her attention. We hope she can join in the ranks of our other cart pullers as soon as gets a little bit older.

We usually just call him Del, and although he’s a miniature horse, he thinks he’s actually a “big.” This six-year-old can often be found at the pasture line as if he’s ready to go toe-to-toe with the full-sized horses in the pasture—though we should qualify this by saying that’s the case as long as there’s a fence in between! He’s a talented cart driver, but can be aloof and is selective in choosing his friends.

Also known as our lover boy, he’s poised to saddle up next to you and give kisses! Romeo is very young at just three-and-a-half years old. He’s working on his handling and cart-driving skills. Romeo usually is the first mini to seek out attention—and he has the best “rockstar” hair of the entire group!

This cool, colored mini is seven years old. Scout has a playful disposition and is geared up to take you for a cart drive. He’s happy to greet visitors but doesn’t demand attention. All the minis are great comic relief, and are highly skilled at making us smile!