We believe that productive, active horses are happier horses. However, not ALL horses want to be school horses. All horses that come through the ELS Rehab or rehome program are interviewed as potential school horse instructors. Very few are selected. The ones that are not selected are placed in loving homes in jobs that better suit their needs. Many, but not all of the horses below are owned by humans in our community that wish to share their horse’s talents and abilities.
The job description for a great school horse has the following Knowledge, Skills, and Capabilities:
A. Knowledge: The horse must possess an underlying solid foundational training in either English or Western equitation for beginner to advanced riders. During the horses’ orientation into our school, we add to this education the concepts of bitless and bareback training they need to be successful in our program.
B. Skills: The horse must possess the following: extreme patience with beginners, varying skills to adapt to each rider and tolerance for a variety of riders with varying degrees of knowledge and experience.
C. Capabilities: The horse must be happy, calm, patient, kind, steady & reliable, gentle and self-controlled.
Meet our wonderful horses that are very special and individually unique
Bailey
Height: 13.3 hands
Breed: Mustang
Bailey is an amiable mare that loves to work with our kids and teens. While she is short in stature, she has a peppy trot that riders love! She also loves it when the staff give her cookies after a good day of work. Bailey is a darling!
Cash
Height: 15.0 hands
Breed: Arabian / Saddlebred (National Show Horse)
Cash is a delightful gelding with lots of personality. He loves to play and is great at teaching experienced riders the “ropes.” Although he can be found chewing on the ropes and leading you around. Cash is quite a pair with Marina. Cash loves trails! He is so curious and special!
Frankie
Height: 16.0 hands
Breed: Missouri Foxtrotter
Frankie is a sweetheart. His smooth gaits are not good for teaching posting or forward seat, but he has the smoothest canter around. What a confidence builder. Not only is he great in the arena, but he is a master on the trails. Frankie is one of the best beginner instructors we have! His human partner is Mary.
George
Height: 15.3 hands
Breed: Belgian / Paint
Gorgeous George is a professional who spent the first part of his career helping beginner riders explore the Oregon coast. He’s talkative (especially at feed time!) and a total class clown. George’s favorite people are his grown-up human, Kristin, and his small-person, Harper!
Gracie
Height: 15 hands
Breed: Tennessee Walker
Gracie is a sweetheart mare who likes to please people. She has been a wonderful addition to our school and has been patient and kind to beginner students. Gracie is an introvert and works quietly and patiently. She likes to be groomed and pampered. Although she paces, she is one of our best instructors in the ELS Herd!
Inge
Height: 14.2 hands
Breed: Norwegian Fjord
Inge has done it all! A graduate of an Oregon therapeutic riding school, she is gentle and loving but knows how to have some pep in her step when requested under saddle! She is a lovely teacher for beginners and more advanced riders alike.
Isabelle
Height: 16.2 hands
Breed: Percheron Cross
Izzy is one of our gentle giants. She is a huge people pleaser who loves teaching all levels of students how to be the very best horse people they can be! Don’t be fooled by her size, she can still tip-toe around the arena like a ballerina!
Karma
Height: 15 hands
Breed: Morgan
Karma and Cheryl are the perfect pair. Both of them are energetic and adventurous. Karma likes to “park” as any well-trained Morgan does. She is so good with kids and has been shown in a variety of disciplines: Halter, English Equitation and Western Pleasure. She is a great addition to the ELS School.
Silvie
Height: 14 hands
Breed: Kiger Mustang
Silvie is a patient, reliable instructor who has been successfully teaching students the three riding positions. She is an introvert and works patiently with our beginner to advanced students. She loves kids. Silvie’s favorite sport is eating and her partner in-training is Nancy!
Max
Height: 16.2 hands
Breed: Percheron / Quarter Horse
Max is a professional in every way. His consistent gaits are great for teaching posting or forward seat. He is another confidence-builder in our herd. Not only is he great in the arena, but he is a master on the trails. Joslin and Max are quite the partners!
Oliver
Height: 14.1 hands
Breed: Norwegian Fjord
Oliver knows how to strike a pose and is great in front of the camera! He loves being the center of attention. He is the best Pony Partner Practice pony!
Sansa
Height: 14.1 hands
Breed: Quarab
Sansa is a diligent teacher who helps her riders with concentration! She loves honey crisp apples but will turn her nose up at peppermints. Her favorite human is Cory!
Wiara
Height: 14.1 hands
Breed: Arabian
Wiara loves to teach beginners and help students gain confidence in ground work. She is happy to show off her Natural Horsemanship skills. She loves kids and has been teaching for many years. Her beloved humans are Maggie and Libby.
Zena (Warrior Princess)
Height: 15 hands
Breed: Andalusian / Peruvian Paso
Zena is a feisty, playful Spanish mare with a passion for soccer and french fries. Although she is not allowed human food, she will steal your fries if you get too close with them. An extreme extrovert, Zena prefers one rider and has an opinion about everything. She prefers bridleless and bareback riding. Zena’s current human-in-training is Robyn, who she thinks is coming along nicely.
Cash
