Horses – On Eagles' Wings Therapeutic Horsemanship

Our 21 therapy horses are the heart of our programming. We are very careful in selecting the right horses to be apart of our staff. Good manners, an easy-going attitude, and patience are some of the qualities that we look for in our equine team members. Each horse goes through a trial and training period before they are accepted.

Sponsor a Horse:

Horse sponsors help fund the cost of horse care including feed, hay, farrier and veterinarian expenses. The cost to care for one full-size horse is estimated at $3,500 per year and for one miniature horse is $2,500 per year. Donors may fund a year, or any portion of a year, to help keep the heart of our program thriving.

Abe

Abe is a Tennessee Walker, whose calm demeanor and sweet nature make him the perfect fit for our equine-assisted learning program. Abe demonstrates great patience when being worked with, making him a favorite amongst our students and ground horsemanship participants. He has a goofy personality, is always wide-eyed, and loves to make silly faces.

Blue

From his unusual spotted rump to the calm, cool personality, Blue helps the therapeutic riding program and equine-assisted learning group participants explore a new side of themselves. Blue is really more of a pony in size, but his big heart and beauty make him a program favorite.

Bo

Bo is a beautiful dark liver chestnut registered American Quarter horse. His large size and quiet demeanor are important assets to our program. He can help our taller and older riders with their lessons, but also loves the little ones in our hippotherapy program. He is the perfect horse for our independent riders. Extremely versatile whether riding indoors in our arena or outdoors, Bo has proven he is the perfect therapy horse!

Captain Jellybean

Captain Jellybean, named by one of our riders, is a rescued Appaloosa that quickly passed all the requirements to be in our program in the Spring of 2017. With his calm demeanor and friendly eyes, Jellybean melts the hearts of all that interact with him. Due to his aging, he has been retired from the program, but is still a friendly face around the center. He loves a good ear scratch or a scratch under the chin!

Delores

Delores is our newest mare who is settling into her role nicely. After some time learning how we do things at the farm, she has become quite the riding companion. Due to her short stature and quick, smooth walk, she is perfect for hippotherapy participants and our smaller therapeutic riding participants. She aims to please and is always up to try something new. She loves taking walks on our trails and playing ball!

Ginger

There seems to be a prejudice against red mares in the horse world, as the common lore is they are grouchy and opinionated; however, Ginger is the opposite. This Quarter Horse mare is amazing with our riders that need to work on their advanced riding skills, but she also does great with our little riders in hippotherapy. She is an all around gal, as she is used in therapeutic riding, hippotherapy, and EAL. With all of her winning attributes, we are blessed to have this “red mare” in the On Eagles’ Wings program.

Lad

Lad is one of our three minis. He is blind, but that doesn’t stop him from being a star in EAL sessions. He loves Sparkles and yells for her when they are apart – truly best buds. Our participants adore him because they feel like they can relate to him.

Lil’ Blue

Lil’ Blue is a miniature black and white paint horse. Lil’ Blue is a newer and younger addition to the herd. The addition of Lil’ Blue to On Eagles’ Wings will allow the Mini Wings programming to continue to grow and develop. Lil’ Blue is going to create a future full of happiness and healing for everyone she impacts and be able to carry on the legacy of Stormy and Toby.

Maverick

Many of those that love horses also love dogs, and it’s a good thing in Maverick’s case! Popular opinion is that he is really a Golden Retriever in a horse suit. Maverick thinks everyone loves him (they do), and he is the first choice for new or timid participants. While his advancing age has stopped him from carrying riders, he is still full of spunk and energy making him a great addition for EAL. Thanks to the generous donation of Bryan Tustin, Maverick is now a cherished member of the On Eagles’ Wings team! We aren’t sure of his ancestry, but we think he has some Paso Fino bloodlines. Regardless of the unknown, we do know that he is steady, reliable and a friend to all – a truly great therapy horse!

Mocha

Mocha is a grullo quarter horse whose beautiful coffee colored mane and distinct coat dazzle all that meet him. Tammi Pennell graciously donated Mocha to our program in the summer of 2018. Since his start, he mastered all sections of our programming – from therapeutic riding to hippotherapy to EAL. Our Physical Therapists were very fond of his unique lateral movement for their hippotherapy sessions. Mocha is full of personality, but knows when to show it. He has a calm demeanor and a lot of curiosity. While he no longer supports participants in our riding programs, he is still a wonderful asset to our EAL sessions.

Montana

Montana is a bay American Quarter Horse who we welcomed to the herd in late May of 2019. Montana’s calm and loving demeanor made her perfect for all disciplines on the farm, with a main focus on being a partner in hippotherapy and therapeutic riding. She was retired from the riding program in Spring of 2024 due to recently developed health issues that prevent participants from riding her. No worries, Montana is loving her new role in EAL and couldn’t be happier with all the attention she receives from our groups.

Murphy

Murphy is a fun-loving palomino Haflinger that is affectionately know as “Surfer Dude” because of his unruly hairdo. His breed is considered a small draft horse, and Murphy carries the distinction of having the largest hooves in the program. Murphy is a mainstay of the On Eagles’ Wings programming, as he is an excellent listener. Murphy is well known for gentle licks on the helmets of the riders!

Pecos

Pecos hails from El Paso, and that is about all we know. He was a ranch horse and probably owned by a REAL cowboy who trained Pecos quite well. None of that fake Yellowstone stuff…he is the real deal, easy to ride and rope cattle with, and smooth gaits that let you ride the ranges and mountains all day. Well….except we don’t have ranges to ride on all day, just some easy trails and two arenas. Pecos sometimes seems a bit surprised to find out his second act in life is as a therapy horse. He is fitting very nicely and obviously is well-loved all staff and participants!

Sherwood

Sherwood is our newest full sized therapy horse on the farm. He is always up for a trail ride but loves it even more if his friends go with him! He has the smoothest trot on the farm making him a great ride for our participants with poor balance and lower limb stiffness or paresis.

Sparkles

Sparkles is one of our four mares on the farm and is best buddies with Lad. She has a lot of spunk and loves attention from people! Her favorite activity is going on walks around the farm with one of our dedicated volunteers.

Splash

Splash holds the title for the biggest horse at On Eagles’ Wings, and definitely a unicorn in so many ways. His coat markings and his patient and calm ways makes him a vital partner with many of our participants. As a Medicine Hat paint horse (meaning he has coat markings on his head and ears that look like a hat), Indian lore has it that only the chiefs rode these brightly colored horses because they kept them protected when riding. True to this legend, Splash helps his riders have safe, fun lessons!

Spud

Spud is an American Quarter Horse who is, ironically, not from Idaho. His former jobs included pole bending, barrel racing and 4H showmanship. For an older fellow, he has a lot of spunk to him. His energy and easy going temperament are great attributes for our EAL programs. He knows his way around the farm quite well and is a favorite of a lot of our long time riders. Most importantly, he loves to have his belly button scratched!

Stormy

What words can describe Stormy? The littlest horse in our program, but yet probably the mightiest. She has brought more attention and volunteers to our center than anything else we have done, just by being cute and wearing pink shoes during her public appearances. Stormy is a visitor to WVU Children’s Medicine (yes, sixth floor, and yes, goes on the elevator!), countless school visits and several area assisted-living facilities. She has firmly established herself as a true diva, and is planning a publicity empire based on her observations of the Kardashians. No grass is too green for Stormy, and she has unlimited potential for hogging the spotlight wherever she goes.

Stormy also has her own Facebook page, Stories with Stormy! Follow this link to become one of her fans!

https://www.facebook.com/StorieswithStormy/

Tank

Tank is our newest horse on the farm, so he is still learning the ropes. He is one of our three minis on the farm. In his previous life he was taught to ride and drive, but for now he is just loving the attention and grooming. He loves children and is more comfortable around them than he is adults.

Toby

Toby is Stormy’s sorrel half-brother, who helps Stormy with the outreach program. Toby is lesser known than Stormy but has made huge contributions to our community. Toby has an enthusiasm that is contagious! He loves attention and gives complete focus to whoever is interacting with him. He would probably enjoy being a “lap” pony! Laughter and smiles follow him as he walks down the halls and stops to offer a soft nose to pet. His energy really lights up a room and everyone in it.

Yazzi

Yazzi is an AraAppaloosa who was bred for endurance, a high-energy sport in the world of equine. As a younger horse, Yazzi has been a great partner for equine-assisted learning, especially with our school groups. It doesn’t take much to notice she is also an accomplished artist. She will teach you quickly about herself while also giving you the opportunity to learn more about yourself through your interaction with her. Rubs and scratches on her speckled chin make Yazzi happiest, and she always appreciates the tangles brushed out of her mane after a long night in the pasture.