Meet Your Equine Teachers
Learn More About Our Special School Horses
Rufus
Quarter Horse/Friesian/Arabian
Rufus is the kind of horse who quietly wins your heart the moment you meet him. Generous, kind, and endlessly patient, he takes care of every rider who swings a leg over his back. But beneath his gentle nature is a spark of brilliance—when he steps into piaffe and passage, he becomes truly captivating, his Friesian side shining through with expressive movement and presence. A perfect blend of all the best qualities from his unique breeding, Rufus is one of a kind—and with his endearingly crooked nose, we’re quite certain he’s the cutest horse in the barn.
Fancy
Welsh/Quarter Horse
Fancy has been part of the family for 22 years. Megan acquired her when she was 11 years old and they have been riding partners ever since. Megan says, “It was the best money I ever spent.”
Fancy is a Welch/Quarter Horse pony who has competed in Hunter/Jumper, Eventing, Dressage, and Ranch Sorting. She also enjoys helping out at the occasional cattle branding. Though Fancy can be spirited, she is very gentle and loves it when students are soft and slow with her. Fancy embraces her job as a school horse and is a great teacher.
Mister Moon
Thoroughbred
Moon is a young thoroughbred that fell into our lap after using one of our previous school horses, Sonny, suddenly. Even though we were not expecting to get a new horse so soon we thought it was a sign that the “Moon” would come after the “Sun.” Between that and his sweet demenor, he quickly stole our hearts.
Moon was broke to race but never actually raced. When he came to us his feet were in bad shape and was very underweight. Since being with us he is back to a healthy weight and his hooves are growing out in better condition. Moon is not fully ready for his role as a school horse as he is still learning to be a balanced riding horse. He is showing a lot of promise though, being levelheaded and calmly packing around any rider we put on his back. Even though he is still green, we still use him for certain lessons, and he is showing much promise to be a wonderful long-term equine teacher at Classical Horsemanship.
Aida
Quarter Horse Draft Cross
Aida is a quarter horse cross mare that has been a school horse pretty much her whole life. She has a momma-bear nature that makes her a natural teacher. Aida came to us out of a riding school program in Littleton, CO. Since joining the school horse program at Classical Horsemanship she has learned to relax and be more balanced in her work. She has a very sweet nature that makes her a forgiving teacher.
Aida enjoys her job as a teacher and always takes very good care of her riders. Even though she is great with beginners, she isn’t affraid to show her sass and strut her stuff when a skilled rider is on her.
Aquina
Holsteiner
Aquina came to us through a student that was having trouble keeping her sound in training. We loved her so much that we purchased her from this student to be part of our school horse team. Her sweet temperament and love for people has made her take to the position quickly. With classical horsemanship training Aquina is learning to find her own balance as she is no longer being interfered with by riders and this has allowed her strength to increase greatly.
For now she is working on building strength in her piaffe, half pass, canter and simple transitions. We know that she will be a great teacher of high level work as she builds strength. Aquina is now in her forever home where we will forever enjoy her big mouse ears, the songs she sings while being worked, and her big heart that makes her try so hard.
Oakie
Grade Paint
Oakie is a striking Paint horse with both beauty and heart to match. One of the gentlest souls you’ll ever meet, he has a quiet, steady presence that immediately puts people at ease. Generously shared with our program by his owner, Oakie has truly found his purpose as a school horse, taking pride in caring for each rider he meets.
He’s the first to greet you at the gate, happily welcoming strangers as if they were old friends. With his kind eye and easygoing nature, Oakie has a special way of building confidence and connection, making him a favorite among students and a treasured part of our barn.
John John
Paint Arabian Cross
John John is the quirkiest senior horse we have ever met! He may be old in age but not old in spirit. John John likes expressing himself through loud nays at feeding time and funny expressions.
John John was donated to us by The Foundation of the Equestrian Arts, where they knew he would continue doing the work of teaching many students Classical riding. We are honored to provide John John his forever home and have his assistants in teaching students. His rhythmical trot is great for students to learn their seat.
Zatanna
Quarter Horse/Arabian Cross
Zatanna is a special part of our program, generously shared with us by Galaxy to help bring thoughtful, high-quality instruction to our riders. When she first arrived, she surprised us all by revealing she was expecting—and has spent much of her time since embracing her role as a devoted mama.
Now, as she begins to step back into teaching, Zatanna brings a calm, kind, and easygoing presence to every lesson. She has a way of putting riders at ease, creating an environment where both horse and human can relax, connect, and truly learn.