Our herd is a big happy family! We’ve got horses of all ages and colors. However, they are almost all one breed – Quarter Horses – stalwart, steady, and reliable!
Roger: is a sorrel Quarter Horse gelding. He is one of the best horses for our youngest riders. He is full of personality, but always careful and gentle with riders on the trail. He hates nothing more than having new shoes put on and will lean all his weight onto the farrier to make him stop. Roger has been involved in numerous civil war re-enactments and commonly plays the role of Sgt. Reckless due to his similar facial marking and color. Sgt Reckless served in numerous combat actions to deliver supplies and ammunition, as well as carry out wounded personnel. Roger is an excellent trail horse and specializes as an escape artist and can untie himself from anywhere.
Wimpy: is a Palomino Quarter Horse gelding. Wimpy specializes in reining and has won shows in this competition. Now Wimpy is known for being the absolute slowest walker in any trail riding group. I guess we should have thought about that when he got his name. He is a cow horse and is very good at team penning, where he finds new energy and enjoys going after the cows! Wimpy is also ridden in parades every year as well as the occasional Civil War reenactment.
Misty: The gem of our herd is a black Quarter Horse mare, the granddaughter of Don’s beloved horse Midnight. Misty is one of the best horses for an experienced rider as she is smart and responsive, but she can take beginners too. Misty is an all-star in every discipline: she jumps, she reins, she pens cows, and more. Of course, she also a calm, reliable trail horse that guests usually fall in love with at first sight!
Jessie: Have you ever met a horse with heterochromia (different colored eyes)? Then Jessie will be your first – one of her eyes is sparkling blue and the other is muted brown. Jessie is a Quarter Horse mare with a personality as two-sided as her different eyes: she can be both slow and steady on the trail and speedy in the arena or field. She is the closest thing we have to a pony, both in height and personality.
Mickey: Good, old Mickey – the most experienced Civil War reenactment horse on our ranch! This lanky bay Quarter Horse gelding is as smooth as a sailing ship and will take you for a quiet ride. He is virtually cannon ball proof (due to his reenactment experience) and will not spook at anything, let us repeat ANYTHING. Nothing ruffles this horse’s feathers! But, he does enjoy a dip in the creek – both with or without a rider on his back. 😉
Zeus: If you want a gentle giant, Zeus is the perfect horse for you. He is the biggest horse on our ranch and probably the sweetest too. Climbing onto Zeus’ back gives a full view of the valley. This big guy will make your trail ride experience one to remember! He loves carrots and treats and will shake you down looking for more of them.
Leo: This sorrel Quarter Horse gelding comes to us from out West, the land of the cowboys, and his brands speak of an exciting past on Memory Ranch in Nevada and beyond. Leo’s is responsive when need be, and he is a pleasure to ride on a quiet trail. At the end of the day, he enjoys galloping at full speed to join his friends in the field.
Shenandoah: Shen is a Grey Quarter Horse mare. She is a favorite of our on site equine therapist because she is calm and gentle and good with kids. She does not have a mean bone in her body. She is independent and calm and a little bit of a loner in the field, you will often find her separated from the herd because she found a greener patch of grass and is demolishing it.
Whiskey: is a bay Mustang with a voluminous mane and tail. He is the boss of his field. He keeps the other horses in line and occasionally will play with the other horses by chasing them around the field with his luscious mane and tail flowing out behind him. Under a saddle he is more docile. He knows to respect his riders and appreciates the grain given after a day of riding.
Tookie: is a beautiful strawberry roan quarter horse. She is sassy and strong willed and fun to ride. She spends her days side by side with Whiskey but will leave him high and dry if there is human attention to be gotten. She loves to get in the way of us when we are trying to deliver hay and tries to eat from the bales while they are still on the tractor.
Lena: is a buckskin quarter horse. She is sensitive and responsive. She does not like to lead the group, but will happily follow after a group with her friends. She is strong-willed yet begs to come in every morning at breakfast. Obviously, breakfast is the best meal of the day (other than dinner)!
Waffles: is a maple syrup colored (well, technically it’s flaxen chestnut) Belgian draft horse. He is a whopping 19 hands tall but has no idea that he is a huge horse because he has a sweet and timid personality. He is a rescue and when he first came to us, he was skin and bones. Now, 500+ pounds later, he happily follows Walks-a-lot around like an enormous puppy.
The Horses That Made The Ranch
Nearly 3 decades have passed since SPR was established. Many of the horses which were at the Ranch’s birth are no longer with us, but we remember them fondly. Meet the horses who shaped the ranch!
Walks-A-Lot: is an Appendix Quarter Horse. Walks, as he is commonly known, is the most unique horse on the ranch. He was the best training horse for beginner riders, but has since retired and enjoys uninterrupted days in the pasture. He will occasionally make a special appearance to take one ride with one of our littlest guests. Walks has been in numerous movies, including: Roosevelt, Rockefeller, Men who Made America, Wild Wild West, Making of the Mob, and Battle of the Bighorn. Walks has also been involved in many civil war re-enactments and Washington DC parades.
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Midnight: Every so often the horse chooses the rider, and then stays with them forever. That’s what happened with Midnight and Don – a previously untouched 6 month old filly walked up to Don Warlick and decided that she liked him. She lived for 45 years, hand in hand (or hand in hoof) with her rider. Midnight won countless barrel races, pole bending, jumping and equitation competitions. On the ranch, she was a trustworthy, gentle steed who watched out for the little ones. We miss her!
Con (Continental Doc Bar): He was Don’s original stud; he is true Foundation bred and has blood both from Continental King and Doc Bar. Con is the sire of many of the horses that you will meet at the ranch today. This stud was in many movies and reenactments, including a Kellogg Cornflake movie. Con lived for 43 years, and died of a heart ache midstride as he was cantering up to Don up from the field.
Snip: Who says the kids of famous parents cannot live up to their reputation?! Star Bar and Star Bar Gold, Snip’s sire and dam, both won reining championships. Snip was a great reining horse himself… and he could also fly! He lived for 39 years and because Don was the only one who rode him all this time, he was nigh near perfect – Don didn’t let him get away with anything!
