Meet Our Herd
I really like horses, I think they are some of the most amazing animals in the world. I like the way they look at you. It’s like they are talking to you. I love putting my hand on the horses’s nose and feeling the warmth of the horse’s breath.” Maxx, ClientOur equine partners at Hold Your Horses are a special group of professionals! Each member of the herd is carefully selected and trained for their job of partnering with our staff and clinicians to provide therapy services. They amaze us every day with their wisdom and generous spirit.
Lily
A founding member of the HYH herd and a true Queen Bee, Lily inspired the vision of HYH. She was a Haflinger/Fjord cross mare who retired from mounted work in 2018 and continued to amaze us with her active senior lifestyle until she died September 18, 2021 on a day filled with sunshine and sadness. She was one pony that touched a thousand hearts. Her legacy is love and these important truths:
-Good food is good life
-Never make assumptions (about her)
-Be curious
-Play
Ghost
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Ghost is a 21 year old pinto gelding who is our herd leader and the longest serving member of the HYH herd. Ghost works in all of our therapy services and many consider him to be a wise and spiritual guide. His favorite treat is a peppermint. Experience has shown that if you come on property with one in your pocket, he will find you.
Bentley
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Bentley’s breed is anybody’s guess. His value to our mental health services though is no joke. He is a sensitive and insightful professional and is very social with all visitors to the barn. He loves to frolic in the snow and delights with the arrival of summer when his favorite treat of watermelon rind comes in season.
Whisper
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Whisper is a Morgan gelding who came to HYH with his owner, psychologist Molly DePrekel in 2012. Whisper is intuitive and playful and a willing partner in all of our programs and services. His favorite activities include soccer (with the giant soccer ball) and participating in educational events. He is a good listener and loves to have his mane and tail brushed.
Bingo
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Meet Bingo a.k.a. Pony Soprano. Bada Bing! This little man stepped in when Lily had to step out for retirement. At 12 hands and 20 years young he shows up in a big way. Donated by the McCann family he spent much of his life with them at shows, gaming and being an awesome family member. Now a player on team HYH he is gentle and dependable carrying little ones for their therapy sessions and then stands his ground with the big horses in the pasture. Now that’s a Bingo!
Yoder
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Yoder is a 10 year old gelding. Our best guess is that he is a Percheron Fjord cross but we will entertain other ideas. Trained as part of a driving team he sadly lost his partner and needed a new job, and some new friends. He was purchased from Windy Hill Farm in Millersburg, Ohio thanks to financial support from Mary and Armand Brachman. He loves working in our therapy services and will soon be seen in full harness helping to drag the arenas at the farm and perhaps pulling a cart sometime soon!
Leo
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Welcome Leo who is jumping out of his hunter jumper show career into the role of therapy horse. He has a giant heart and is also a giant of a horse (by our standards). At 16.2 he definitely towers over the rest of our herd with extra gentleness, love and kindness to spare. We welcome this Hannoverian warmblood into the HYH family and thank the Slovut family for bringing him to HYH.
Ninja
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Ninja comes to HYH via our farm manager Lindsay. The two of them spent many years galloping the fields in summer and skijoring the snow trails in winter. Ninja is a paint horse with some draft breeding in his DNA and is basically a handsome dude. He is happiest outdoors and is eagerly learning everyday about how to work with clients in his new job.
Karl
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Karl is a registered Norwegian Fjord and a seasoned therapy horse. He came to us from Stable Pathways thanks to a grant from the Ralph French Charitable Foundation. He is a seasoned therapy partner from his time with Stable Pathways and now in his new and forever home Karl continues to serve clients and earn our admiration. He is well suited for our OT/hippotherapy sessions providing his broad backside for support and lively step for helping clients develop balance and coordination. He is gradually learning the mental health side of our work too and is happy to engage and welcome clients to observe his beauty and develop awareness of their own. Welcome Karl.
Yosi
Yosi was a 13 hand POA (Pony of the Americas) gelding. He was loving, kind and gentle and was one of the most dependable members of our herd. After decades of love and devotion to clients, Yosi crossed over to greener pastures in May 2018. He will forever be remembered and loved by our team and all of the people who’s lives were changed for the better.
Rose and Ida
We are grateful to Dr. Sarah Carlson for donating this mom and daughter mini donkey duo to our herd. Ida is the 7-year-old mom and Rose is her yearling daughter. They were adopted from the Hooved Animal Rescue in Zimmerman, MN but did spend a short time living with a family and providing some hospice care. They live separate from the herd of horses (mostly because of fencing challenges) and spend their days out in their carefully fenced paddock enjoying their shelter lovingly built by Don and Pam Shea. They have started therapy work with clients and are certainly enjoying their role as official greeters to the farm
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How to find us.
(763) 498-0007
5265 Woodland Trail
Greenfield, MN 55357
Hours: 7am - 7pm
Hold Your Horses is a Minnesota nonprofit dedicated to moving lives forward from trauma and disability with the help of a horse.
Hold Your Horses
5265 Woodland Trail, Loretto, MN 55357, USA