Our Horses
Meet the Herd
Get to know all of our talented and special horses. Their backgrounds may be varied, but their hearts are all made of gold.
You can adopt a High Hopes horse with a contribution of $500 or more, which can be paid quarterly in $125 increments.
Your donation will help us keep a special member of our herd, happy, healthy, and with everything they need to excel in our therapeutic program.
A plaque bearing your name will be placed on your adopted horse’s stall, and you will receive an update regarding your horse during the year. And, of course, to see your adopted friend, we welcome visits. Adopt a horse and make a new friend today.
Learn about volunteering with our High Hopes herdWhat it takes to feed our herd
4500
bales of hay
91259
gallons of water
375
bags of grain
18750
lbs of grain
Addie
Addie hails from New York where she enjoyed going for pleasure rides with the family who owned her. Addie is a black and white Paint mare, standing just over 16 hands tall. Her solid build enables her to serve some of our older participants who are working on independent riding skills, while her easy-going personality makes her a joy for volunteers to handle. Addie can seem quite shy and reserved but she really warms up around her favorite students!
Adopt Addie
Aladdin
Aladdin, better known as “Al”, was born in 1996 and is a palomino gelding. At 9.1 hands Al is by far the shortest member of our herd but, interestingly, he is actually quite tall for his breed. In terms of height, Al is technically a pony but he is a Miniature Horse by breed. Al works in our unmounted and driving program and he has his own small carriage, which he enjoys pulling. Al has been at High Hopes since 2004! Al was voted as the High Hopes Horse of the Year in 2020.
Adopt Aladdin
Arthur
Arthur is a flaxen chestnut Belgian/Quarter Horse cross gelding. He was a trail riding horse until 2016 and shortly thereafter came to live at High Hopes. Arthur has a unique “paint splatter” marking on his belly and has beautiful dapples during the summer time. He is the heaviest horse in our herd, weighing in at over 1700 pounds. Arthur loves neck scratches under his mane and makes a funny face to let you know you’ve found the perfect spot!
Adopt Arthur
Blessing
Blessing was bred and raised to be a racehorse who pulls a carriage on the track – called a “pacer”. Blessing raced until he was 6 and earned nearly $40,000 in his career. After his retirement from racing, he was brought to a nearby town for retraining to work as a pleasure driving horse. He came to High Hopes in 2013 as a 9 year old. He is a smart and funny horse who now loves to drive at a slower pace! Blessing was voted as the High Hopes Horse of the Year in 2019.
Chip
Chip is a 14.2 hand Appaloosa gelding who was born in 1993. Chip came to High Hopes in the spring of 2011 from a barn in CT where he worked teaching students to jump. Chip is very social, he loves to nicker at passers-by and always keeps a watchful eye on what is going on in his “neighborhood”. Chip has to wear sunscreen on his nose in the summer – otherwise he gets a sunburn!
Adopt ChipYour Adopt a Horse donation helps pay for hay, grain, shoes, supplements and veterinary care.
Adopt a Horse Program
Gracie
Gracie is a dark bay mare who came to High Hopes in the winter of 2010. Gracie is a Paint horse, though her pattern is less obvious than many Paints who have lots of white markings – she only has a small white “splash” mark on the side of her belly. Born in 1999, Gracie is a savvy teacher and requires that her riders try as hard as she does! She has a big, bouncy trot which helps our riders learn to post.
Adopt Gracie
Joe
Joe is a Quarter Horse who stands 16.1 hands tall. He is a stunning chestnut, with lots of “chrome” in his coppery coat so he seems to glisten in the sun! Joe has a unique small indentation in the muscles of his right neck that is called a Prophet’s Thumbprint, thought to have been left on the most cherished horses that belonged to the Prophet Muhammad as a sign of their special qualities. A kind soul, Joe bonds strongly to people he works with and always appreciates praise when he tries hard. Joe can often be spotted rough-housing with his buddies in the pasture, tag is his favorite game!
Adopt JoeMia
Mia is a petite bay pony mare who came to High Hopes in 2022. Mia is a Grade pony, which essentially means that her breeding is not totally known. Luckily, breed has nothing to do with a sweet, friendly demeanor and Mia has that in spades! Mia has training in dressage and eventing – a discipline that involves riding over open fields and jumping the various obstacles that are in the path. She is now enjoying teaching our smallest participants the ins and outs of horseback riding in our arenas and trails!
Adopt Mia
Neon
A Dutch Warmblood gelding, Neon was imported from Holland in 2000. 16.2 hands tall, this handsome bay has four white stockings on his legs plus a star, a strip and a snip on his face. With an extensive history of travel and competition in the hunt seat discipline, Neon is a sage, social horse who enjoys the attention of people. Neon is a sought-after mount because he is comfortable to ride and has long, smooth strides.
Adopt Neon
Nifty
Nifty came to High Hopes in 2002 at the age of 14. A registered Quarter Horse, he performed in English, Western and Reining competitions before coming to live at High Hopes. Nifty has a very unique coat color called “dun” which makes him really stand out in a crowd. Nifty’s very long tenure as a therapy horse is very special, he is really a great guy! Nifty was voted as the High Hopes Horse of the Year in 2010.
Adopt NiftyHorse Donations
Interested in High Hopes as a home for your horse?
Penny
Penny is a small pony at just 13.2 hands tall. Being of Welsh breeding also makes her very fine-boned. But for what she lacks in size, she makes up for in heart! Penny, whose show name is “Rise and Shine”, is a shiny chestnut mare who gleams in the sun like a bright new penny! Penny was a successful show horse before coming to High Hopes, carrying her owner all the way to the CT Horse Show Association’s finals in 2017.
Adopt Penny
Petra
Petra is a Norwegian Fjord mare born in 1995. She is a brown dun with a dorsal stripe. Her mane hair is “roached” (clipped short so it stands upright) to show off its two-toned coloring. Petra loves to take long naps in her stall. She is one of our most reliable and tolerant horses, she has a heart of gold! Petra is exceptional for many reasons…not the least of which is that she came to work at High Hopes at the very young age of four years old!
Petra was voted as the High Hopes Horse of the Year in 2011.
Adopt Petra
Rolex
A Westphalian horse born in 2000, Rolex joined the herd at High Hopes in 2018. Rolex has a light blonde mane and tail and his coat color is known as a flaxen chestnut. He is tall and slender, with easy and smooth strides that feel like you are riding in a Cadillac! Many riders have learned to ride off-lead on Rolex, he is steady and patient and loves to show people the ropes.
Adopt Rolex
Savannah
Savannah, born in 2008, is a pretty bay Quarter Horse mare who stands 15 hands tall. She came to CT via the Midwest US, but has never lived in Georgia! Savannah really enjoys the company of people and wants to say “hello!” to anyone who is nearby. Savannah has smooth gaits and a sweet temperament.
Taylor
Before coming to High Hopes in the summer of 2009, Taylor’s career as a show horse was very successful. He was the CT Horse Show Association’s “Quarter Horse Hunter Under Saddle” champion in both 2004 and 2005! At High Hopes, Taylor enjoys socializing with his friends and he especially enjoys spending time with his participants on the trails. Taylor is very responsive to cues and he appreciates a soft touch. His pretty chestnut coat is dotted with small white spots called “Birdcatcher spots”, named after a Thoroughbred from the 1800’s who had the same unique coat markings.
Adopt Taylor
Teddy
Teddy, born in 1998, is a high-spirited 14.2 hand bay Morgan gelding. Teddy is full of personality and likes to work hard. Teddy is a “people horse” and genuinely becomes sad when he has a day off where he doesn’t see his friends in the arena! Teddy was born at the University of Vermont in their world famous Morgan breeding program. Teddy was selected as the PATH International Region 1 Horse of the Year for 2022.
Adopt Teddy
Val
Val, a Danish Warmblood mare, was born in 1999. She was bred by the famous rider Peter Leone who won an Olympic medal in 1996! Val has had a distinguished career in the Hunt Seat riding discipline, winning many championships in Children’s Hunter and Pleasure classes all over the region. Working at High Hopes has been an easy transition for Val, who loves the busy environment and having lots of people to love and admire her! Her favorite thing is to teach participants to ride off lead for the first time.
Adopt Val
Vixen
Vixen joined our herd in the spring of 2011. She is a draft cross mare and was born in 2002 in Canada. She came to live with her owner in CT when she was just a baby. Vixen has a great sense of humor, is friendly and curious. She has arguably the most comfortable gaits of any horse in our herd! She is a fun horse to work with, especially if you have things to accomplish- Vixen walks with purpose everywhere she goes!
Adopt Vixen
Warrior
Warrior was born in 2000 and is a New Zealand Warmblood who was imported to the US some years ago to compete in the World Equestrian Games in the sport of jumping. Now ready to leave his jumping days behind him, Warrior is happy to be part of our herd teaching riders how to walk, trot and canter. He is tall at 16 hands but he is so easy going that participants of all sizes are comfortable working with him. Warrior is elegant and dignified, a true gentleman.
Adopt WarriorHorse Stories
Meet Aladdin
Aladdin, better known as “Al”, was born in 1996. He is a palomino Miniature Horse gelding. At 9.1 hands Al is actually quite tall for a mini.
Read More
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Support a Herd Member
The High Hopes' Adopt a Horse program is a way to express your appreciation for one or more special members of our herd.
Adopt A HorseReady to Join the High Hopes Family?
Volunteer RegistrationSupporting High Hopes
Your contribution will support our riding program and ensure the ongoing sustainability of our operations, including care of our horses and scholarship support to financially disadvantaged participants.
GiveSharing the Power of Equine Assisted Services
High Hopes offers lectures and workshops on topics related to equine assisted services including disabilities, equine care, effective instruction and non-profit administration. Learn more.
Training & Education