Ask Him
Registered Name: Kinda Like Zipp
Birth Date: April 14, 1994
Breed: American Paint Horse
Color & Gender: Sorrel/Overo Gelding
Everyone likes Ask Him. Whether you are a horse or human you’ll find he is wonderful friend. He loves to be in the front of the line so that he can make sure that everyone stays in line and walks at the right speed. Although he is one of our biggest lesson horses he has one of the smallest canters. He is so photogenic. No matter where the camera is, you’ll never get an unhandsome shot of him.
Best Friend: Clint
Academy Fun Fact: He is the “super model” of the herd and loves to have his picture taken.
Tribute Express
Birth Date: February 12, 2000
Breed: Thoroughbred
Color & Gender: Chestnut Gelding
Racing Sumary: 32 starts, 8 wins, 7 places and 4 shows; Nominated for the 2005 Claiming Crown at Canterbury Park.
Earnings: $97,195
Although he’s amazing, Trib is one of the most down-to-earth and nicest horses at Kinni Valley. He’s seems so happy to have his new job as a dressage lesson horse. Because he’s truly confident, he never needs to prove his status: Trib truly enjoys his second life at a slower pace. Although he has had many amazing adventures, he’s very humble. Trib always seems embarrassed when we talk about his previous life because he doesn’t want to be a show off.
Best Friend: Volume and Hubba Hubba
Academy Fun Fact: Now that he’s retired from racing he is usually the last in line while on trail - happy to be enjoying life at the slowest pace.
Bo
Registered Name: Cody’s Little Bo
Birth Date: May 2, 1997
Breed: American Paint Horse
Color & Gender: Sorrel/Tobiano Gelding
Bo is the true “Cowboy” of our herd. He was trained as a rope horse and worked at a cattle ranch, gathering and moving cows, for two years. He is all business when you ride him.
Best Friend: Blue, Lucky and Dylan
Academy Fun Fact: Best canter work of the farm
Maria
Registered Name: Mea Maria Chex
Birth Date: April 19, 2000
Breed: American Quarter Horse
Color & Gender: Bay mare
Maria was shown in the American Quarter Horse Association in both open and amateur divisions. She has a total 13.5 AQHA performance points in Halter, Showmanship, Western Pleasure, Western Horsemanship and Trail. Maria paused her show career when we purchased in 2006 and is taking a brief sabbatical as a lesson horse while she waits for Carolyn’s daughters to start showing.
Best Friend: Can Can and Fancy Pants
Academy Fun Fact: Maria loves children and having her neck scratched.
Volume - SOLD
Congratulations Laurie!
Birth Date: April 15, 2003
Breed: Thoroughbred
Color & Gender: Dark Bay Gelding
Racing Summary: 13 Starts, 3 Seconds, 1 Third
Earnings: $8,014
Volume came to live with us under very heart felt circumstances. His owner was suffering from cancer and spoke to my jockey and friend to see if she would know of a new wonderful non-racing home for him. Volume had become one of her favorites among her many race horses and she wanted to be assured of his safe future. Cindy immediately contacted me and I was thrilled when I heard about him. An own son of the very famous thoroughbred stallion, Real Quiet, who finished second in a photo finish in the third race of the Triple Crown (the Belmont Stakes) after winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 1999.
Volume has become one of our model horses and has had several photo shoots at the ranch, most notably his Miroslavich shoot where Melissa was able to capture his true beauty and silliness. Standing 17.3h he is our second tallest horse. He is also one of Carolyn’s personal horses. Volume wants to be friends with everyone and is our big “Labrador Retriever”.
Best Friend: Tribute Express and Hubba Hubba
Academy Fun Fact: “Can Can is Volume’s “Mini Me.” Coincidentally, Carolyn picked up Volume and Can Can on the same day after purchasing them from different owners. Even though the horses had never even seen each other before, they are identical to each other except for their size difference. Volume, 17.3h Thoroughbred, Can Can, 14.3h Quarter Horse. For months they were inseparable until a girl named Maria came between them.
Lola
Birth Date: 2000
Breed: American Quarter Horse
Color & Gender: Gray Mare
Lola was originally purchased for one of our clients however when she arrived here she got so bonded to me so quickly that I couldn’t let my friend buy her. When I would go in the stall with her she would bat her big dark eyes at me and if he would go into the stall she would turn away and go to the back of her stall. Enjoying the status of being Carolyn’s favorite trail horse, Lola has chosen to be our horse herd manager. This gives her the extra responsibility of assuring that all of the horses do their jobs perfectly. She also loves attention and getting fussed over.
Best Friend: Doc
Academy Fun Fact: Lola is our official welcomer and is first to greet all of our guests.
Doc
Registered Name: BC Docs Sixarunnin
Birth Date: May 9, 2002
Breed: American Quarter Horse
Color & Gender: Chestnut Gelding
Doc came to us after being trained as a western pleasure show horse and working as a ranch horse in Missouri. Built like a limo with his big smooth strides. Doc truly loves his job and always eagerly waits in his stall for his riders. He is also one of our few horses that is branded with a freeze brand on his hip.
Best Friend: Lola
Academy Fun Fact: The Academy’s Curious George
Clint
Registered Name: Midnight Rachet
Birth Date: March 25, 2000
Breed: American Paint Horse
Color & Gender: Bay Gelding
Prior to his life here, Clint was ridden by the President of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) during the opening ceremonies of national rodeos. Used to being in the spot light, Clint makes a wonderful guide horse. Additionally he is so responsive and always listens to his rider. His wonderful training and vivacious personality also makes him very popular with our guests. Clint is our male social butterfly and considered by many of our guests to be our most handsome horse. He wants to talk to everyone and feels he needs to know what is going on with everyone.
Best Friend: Ask Him
Academy Fun Fact: Clint whinnies at you when you talk to him.
Cash
Registered Name: Dancin for the Cash
Birth Date: April 27, 1998
Breed: American Quarter Horse
Color & Gender: Gray Gelding
Cash is our only lesson horse that was born and raised here at the Academy - very sweet and loves attention is also very social and eager to please. He is very athletic and reminds all of us of a well tuned sports car
Best Friend: Charge
Academy Fun Fact: Still loves to hang out with his mom, Gracie, who still lives here at the farm
Dude
Registered Name: Hey Ya Dude
Birth Date: March 21, 1994
Breed: American Quarter Horse
Color & Gender: Chestnut Gelding
Dude loves to be adored and pampered which always makes him our first choice for grooming demonstrations. He takes his ring work very seriously but takes trail rides at his own leisure, using them to sneak a little extra grass, then practice his perfect jog trot.
Best Friend: Gracie
Academy Fun Fact: Dude has an extra special talent of being able to peak out of his stall by pressing his eye up against the bars so that he can check out any action that may be happing in the aisle.
Cowboy
Birth Date: 1987
Breed: American Quarter Horse
Color & Gender: Chestnut Gelding
Although Cowboy was purchased at the same time as Cody, he has become great friends with Dutch. He loves to be brushed and curried always enjoys showing off his perfect collected canter. He is an excellent horse and is one of our best horses for very beginning riders because he is always so safe and patient.
Best Friend: Dutch
Academy Fun Fact: Performs a full body “doggy shake” one time per day, each and every day.
Dutch
Birth Date: 1992
Breed: American Quarter Horse
Color & Gender: Sorrel Gelding
Dutch is perfect for our youngest students because he is always safe, serious and careful about his job. Children feel very content on him because he never makes waves with the other horses and is a wonderful follower.
Best Friend: Cowboy
Academy Fun Fact: Dutch loves to introduce the most beginning students to the joy of riding.
Doll
Registered Name: Tylers Barbie Doll
Birth Date: March 1, 1991
Breed: American Quarter Horse
Color & Gender: Sorrel Mare
Doll has been shown extensively in the Quarter Horse Association as a western pleasure horse. In addition to 36 total AQHA Open and Youth performance points in Halter, Western Pleasure, Western Riding, Hunter Under Saddle, Hunt Seat Equitation and Showmanship, Doll was a AQHA Reserve Champion and an AQHA Open All Around winner. Doll lived for most of her life in Canada where she had two foals: a filly that was sold as a four year old to a farm in Denmark and a colt that stayed in Canada and was also quite successful in Quarter Horse shows. Carolyn’s favorite to teach cantering on, Doll is also one of our three Mommies in the herd. She is specifically in charge of making sure that all of the horses are following good manners. Doll is always very careful to do everything correctly herself.
Best Friend: Hanley
Academy Fun Fact: Even though Doll has had a huge show career, she is afraid of the paparazzi and hates to have her picture taken.
Sonny
Birth Date: February 22, 1963! our oldest horse - At 48!
Breed: Tennessee Walking Horse
Color & Gender: Black Gelding
He is proof positive that staying healthy and keeping a good balance between work, rest and fun makes a winning combination. (We are quite sure that his spunky 23 year old girl friend helps with his famed longevity as well!) Sonny thinks that he knows how to run the barn better than any of the people that work here. He is able to open all stall doors and the feed room with his nose so we have to keep a careful watch on him to make sure that his stall is securely locked. He is also a master at untying any knot. Sonny is truly at the stage in his life when he is old enough to know exactly what to do and how to do it. As for his work, he is forever popular for his great trot that really helps new riders learn how to post. And of course he is the boy friend of our very popular Dalaki and is always by her side and very loyal to her.
Academy Fun Fact: Even though he is so gentle to ride he is the oldest and liveliest of the herd.
Dedication for Sonny: Jan. 3, 2011 at the age of 48! Although we will miss him so, we are honored to have spent so much time with this incredible, gentle, bright, honest and funny gelding. He will be missed by so many.
Charge
Birth Date: February 2, 1996
Breed: Haflinger
Color & Gender: Chestnut with White Mane and Tail
Charge is a perfect pony. A favorite of all of our leasing clients, he is able to do it all: western, dressage, jumping, trail and he even pulls a sleigh! Charge was trained with his brother Monty by a very talented Amish family from southern MN and was purchased by the Academy in 1997. After arriving at the farm, we have been thrilled with is ability and his love for learning. He has a loving personality and he really likes to have a special bond with his riders.
Best Friend: Queenie, Smarty and Cash
Academy Fun Fact: He is our beautiful sleigh pony
Teddy
Birth Date: 1988
Breed: American Quarter Horse
Color & Gender: Bay Gelding
Teddy is a little horse with a huge personality and is absolutely great with kids. As Cody’s best friend, he always waits for Cody to make sure that they are together. He is a little worker bee and although he trots very slowly in the area, on trail he trots like Fred Flinstone bowling so that he can keep up with the longer legged horses.
Best Friend: Cody and Dylan
Academy Fun Fact: Consistently wins the slowest trotting award at camp
Joe
Registered Name: Mighty Marshall
Birth Date: February 22, 1984
Breed: American Quarter Horse
Color & Gender: Gray Gelding
After a successful career as a hunter jumper, Joe has been happy to teach students all about his love for jumping. Now in his later years, he is always content to get out to do his job. He is a true best friend and is sure to take good care of his two best friends: Jimmie and Flossie.
Best Friend: Flossie, Jimmie
Academy Fun Fact: Erin’s favorite trail horse
Jimmy
Birth Date: 1986
Breed: Appaloosa
Color & Gender: Leopard Gelding
Jimmie has been with us almost his whole life. We bought him when he was just a three year old and trained him to be a combined training horse. Although he was quite talented as a dressage horse, Jimmy has always liked jumping work best. Jimmy is very sweet and always wants to do the right thing. He’s very fond of taking very beginning riders outside for wonderful times on our trails.
Best Friend: Joe
Academy Fun Fact: Joe’s very best friend. They always like to be in the stall together if they are in the barn.
Queenie
Birth Date: 2002
Breed: Percheron
Color & Gender: Black Mare
Queenie is truly one of a kind. After working at a farm as a work horse pulling a plow for a farmer in southern Wisconsin, Queenie came to Kinni Valley. Once she was trained as a riding horse and understood what her job as a lesson horse should be, she has been happily doing a great job even since. Queenie is very dependable and she truly loves her job. She is so sweet to everyone she meets and is an Academy favorite because of her size. At 1600 pounds she is our gentle giant.
Best Friend: Sam and Bo
Academy Fun Fact: In the herd she doesn’t like drama and spends her time making sure that everyone is getting along.
Hanley
Birth Date: 1999
Breed: American Quarter Horse
Color & Gender: Sorrel Gelding
Before coming to the Academy, Hanley was a cutting horse in Colorado and worked at a large cattle ranch. Although he likes to act tough with his herd, he’s really just all talk. Hanley is one of our most gentle horses. As a lesson horse, Hanley is great to ride. He adapts perfectly to each rider’s ability. Children love his name because it is very easy to make nicknames. Many things rhyme with Hanley. His most popular name is Manly Stanley Hanley.
Best Friend: Blackie, Lola and Alex
Academy Fun Fact: Excellent at adapting to his riders ability.
Cody
Birth Date: 1967
Breed: Arabian/Morgan
Color & Gender: Sorrel Gelding
It’s hard to write a story about a horse I’ve known almost my whole life. We bought Cody and Cowboy on the same day from a local horse buyer. Cody is truly a miracle. Although he hasn’t been lucky with his health, Cody is resilient. He always pulls through every aliment he has. Cody is our second oldest horse at the ranch. He’s best friends with Teddy and is great with kids. Students love Cody’s bouncy trot.
Best Friend: Teddy and Dylan
Academy Fun Fact: While Cody was working out of our trail barn, we had to make sure that he was always tied up if he didn’t have a rider on him. He loves his job so much that if he was untied and a group was leaving on a trail ride, he would back out of stall and go along even if he had no rider!
Dylan
Birth Date: 1982
Breed: Thoroughbred
Color & Gender: Chestnut Gelding
From day one, Dylan has been a perfect horse. Although I’m not sure of his exact history, his training tells us that he has been very well cared for during his life. Dylan started as a race horse, but was a dressage lesson horse for the majority of his life. Dylan is forever patient and careful with his riders: he truly loves his job. Dylan also has the cutest ears of the herd and has them perked up always to accent his happy expression. Dylan’s incredible ability to adapt to riders’ abilities makes him a client favorite.
Best Friend: Blue and Lucky
Academy Fun Fact: We love this horse! He is our very best employee - never a bad day!
Blue - (Big Blue)
Registered Name: Sabres Blue X Two
Birth Date: June 13, 1995
Breed: American Quarter Horse
Color & Gender: Gray Gelding
Blue is one of the newest additions to our herd. He comes to us after being shown as a National Reining Horse Association open and novice reiner throughout the US and Canada then later as a youth horse in open shows throughout Colorado. Blue loves to be leader but never in an aggressive way. He always follows the rules and stays on task. Blue is truly confident in his abilities. Because he’s such a professional, he never feels like he has to prove anything.
Best Friend: Dylan and Lucky
Academy Fun Fact: Blue likes to lead. If he isn’t at the head of the line, he slows down, making a space so that he can be leader of his own group of horses. Isabel’s favorite horse (Carolyn’s 5 year old daughter)
Bright Blue
Registered Name: Oneka’s Brite Blue
Birth Date: May 18, 1995
Breed: American Shetland
Color & Gender: Bay Stallion
Although Bright Blue is not used for lessons because he’s a stallion, he’s a favorite for our clients to watch as he plays. Bright Blue is an incredible athlete and is so fun to watch as he does flying lead changes and sliding stops in the arena. Blue spends all of his time looking over his herd and play fighting over the fence with his best friend Can Can.
Best Friend: Can Can and Queenie
Academy Fun Fact: Even though he is our smallest horse, Bright Blue is head-over-heels in love with Queenie (our largest Percheron mare).
Holly
Registered Name: Plainly A Lark
Birth Date: April 3, 1999
Breed: Appaloosa
Color & Gender: Chestnut mare
Holly is a beautiful mare. Although she’s a registered Appaloosa you would never know by looking at her because she doesn’t have any spots. Her grandfather, Rugged Lark, is one of the most famous Quarter Horse stallions of all time. Before coming to work with us, Holly was a western pleasure show horse in Iowa. Holly is the most social mare of our herd and always exhibits very good manners for her riders. Although she’s very dainty, sweet and shy (at first), Holly absolutely loves attention. Holly is very professional at her job and is our girl-version of Big Blue.
Best Friend: Sugar and Fancy Pants
Academy Fun Fact: Most requested Lesson Horse of summer 2010
Sugar
Registered Name: Mito Walker
Birth Date: February 20, 1999
Breed: American Quarter Horse
Color & Gender: Chestnut Mare
Sug is very girly and loves to hang out with her friends Holly and Fancy Pants when she isn’t working. Before Kinni Valley, Sug was a western pleasure show horse in Oklahoma. Sug is a great lesson horse and is also very popular with the riders at summer camps.
Best Friend: Holly and Fancy Pants
Academy Fun Fact:Hates to get her feet muddy
Smarty - SOLD
Congratulations Cirsten!
Registered Name: Hes Smartly Dun
Birth Date: April 28, 2006
Breed: American Quarter Horse
Color & Gender: Bay Gelding
Smarty was shown in the Open division of the 2009 National Reining Horse Association Futurity held in Oklahoma City last fall. Smarty is the favorite horse of all the Academy trainers, and their favorite to ride. Smarty is gentle, serious, happy all the time and loves to keep order in the herd. Smarty looks out for everyone, making him a perfect guide horse (he prefers to ride on the side of the line so that he can keep track of everyone).
Best Friend: Charge and Queenie
Academy Fun Fact: Even though Smarty is our youngest and newest addition he was able to overturn Hank as herd boss after his 12 year rein.
Blackie
Registered Name: C Putt Go
Birth Date: April 15, 2002
Breed: Standardbred
Color & Gender: Black Gelding
Racing Summary: 82 starts, 6 first, 9 second, 9 third
Earnings: $14,740
When I bought Blackie, the man that was with him told me: “This is a great gelding. He is really quiet and quite a gentleman. He should be just what you are looking for in a nice lesson horse.” Then he said casually, “He did well at the track. You might want to look up his race information.” I didn’t give it any thought at the time, until I decided to do this project and research all the horses’ backgrounds. Blackie is true to the form of our other retired successful race horses. He’s so happy to go with the flow and slow down in his new career as a lesson and trail horse. He was also very happy to arrive at the farm and have an endless supply of hay and grass, without too much athletic work. (He’s sort of let go of his sporty race figure.)
Best Friend: Alex and Hanley
Academy Fun Fact: In his free time he likes to goof around and play in the pasture with his horse friends.
Alex
Registered Name: Dixie Jay
Birth Date: June 18, 1999
Breed: Standardbred
Color & Gender: Dark Bay Gelding
Alex was raced as a Pacer at several small tracks throughout the Midwest in his early life and was later used as an Amish buggy horse. He is learning to love his retirement from racing. Alex is a pure gentleman and is really enjoying his new peaceful and stress free life as a lesson horse.
Best Friend: Blackie and Hanley
Academy Fun Fact: Determined to follow the rules and is always good.
Hubba Hubba
Registered Name: Mr. Dredge
Birth Date: March 31, 2004
Breed: Thoroughbred
Color & Gender: Chestnut Gelding
Hubba Hubba has a great story. He was trained and conditioned in Jones, Oklahoma by a great jockey and trainer named Cindy Murphy. At the same time, Tribute Express was being trained by Cindy to start his new life as a barrel horse. Both horses were stalled next to each other in Cindy’s barn, and got to be good friends. Early that year, Hubba Hubba was sent back to Canterbury Park for his next racing season. In the meantime, Cindy called me to buy Trib because she found him too gentle and quiet to be a barrel horse. Later that spring, Hub’s trainer contacted me about wanting to retire him. Both horses ended up here at Kinni Valley. Boy were they surprised to be reunited at a new ranch (in a completely different state) and see each other after being separated for several months! It was a happy reunion.
Hub always wants to work and is first to volunteer each day. He is very easy to train, has a great work ethic has tons of try. He is always fresh and interested in what he is doing. Even though he is our tallest horse (standing 18 h), Hub is so gentle to ride and work with! He’s a great mover and loves his new career as a lesson horse.
Best Friend: Tribute Express and Volume
Academy Fun Fact: Alisoun’s and Stephanie’s favorite
Can Can
Registered Name: Star A Can
Birth Date: March 23, 1997
Breed: American Quarter Horse
Color & Gender: Bay Gelding
After winning the Iowa State Futurity in Western Pleasure, Can Can went to Chicago for a very busy show career as an amateur western pleasure horse. Upon arriving at our ranch from the “big city,” he was happy to be experiencing the wide open spaces of his new Wisconsin home. Can Can couldn’t believe that his new home had so much pasture land and that he actually got to live out on it. When he came to Kinni Valley, we joked that he was just like a city kid experiencing camp for the first time.
Best Friend: Maria and Bright Blue
Academy Fun Fact: Carolyn’s personal guide horse allowing him the great status of being in charge of the herd.
Fancy Pants
Registered Name: Cowboy Triplebarlena
Birth Date: May 2, 2005
Breed: American Quarter Horse
Color & Gender: Gray Mare
Fancy is everyone’s favorite horse at camp. She was trained to be a reining horse which explains her responsive nature. She always wants to do the right thing so if she doesn’t know the correct answer she carefully stops and waits for more information from her rider. She got her barn name in a funny way. She’s named “Fancy” because of her very famous grand parents and “Pants” because of her great big muscles.
Best Friend: Holly and Clint
Academy Fun Fact: Fancy loves her status of being a guide horse but is gentle enough for our most beginning riders.
Dalaki
Birth Date:May 28, 1987
Breed: Arabian
Color & Gender: Gray Mare
Dalaki is a playful little mare, and a joy to be around. She’s our social butterfly and loves to practice her perfect canter. Although she is very outgoing and friendly with everyone, she only has eyes for Sonny.
Best Friend: Sonny and Eclipse
Academy Fun Fact: Always prompt for her morning grain. She greets us every morning.
Sam
Registered Name: Jets A Smokin
Birth Date: March 31, 2004
Breed: American Paint Horse
Color & Gender: Bay tobiano gelding
Sam came to us after being a ranch horse in Montana. As one of our younger geldings we’re extremely happy with the way that Sam has settled in. Sam is always first to welcome anyone to the herd—people or horses. Sam is a pleasure to ride because he is always careful to do his job just right, which makes him perfect for beginning riders. Sam also has really big ears, as shown in his foal registration picture.
Best Friend: Queenie and Bo
Academy Fun Fact: Reminds Carolyn of Cheyenne, one the Kinni Valley’s all time favorite horses
Pugwug
Birth Date: January 30, 1998
Breed: Thoroughbred
Color & Gender: Dark Bay Gelding
Racing Summary: 10 starts in Allowance and Stakes races, 1 first, 5 third
Earnings: $14,677
Pugwug was retired from racing after a big win at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, where another horse ran into him and pushed him from the inside rail to the outside rail on the last corner of the race! After coming from behind to win that race, he decided that being a race horse was too dangerous for his style and that being a dressage horse was more up his alley.
After his collision, Pugwug never really wanted to run again. In practice he would run very fast, but, during a race he would slow down when other horses were near him. At Kinni Valley, he’s amazed us with his abilities and talents. Pugwug is Carolyn’s personal dressage horse.
Academy Fun Fact: Often the “playful court jester” of the horses. When they are playing by themselves we always see him leading the group.
Lucky
Registered Name:I’m Feeling Lucky
Birth Date: January 14, 2005
Breed: Thoroughbred
Color & Gender: Chestnut Gelding
Racing Summary: 33 Starts, 1 first, 6 seconds, 6 thirds
Earnings: $38,577
Lucky is a wonderfully kind and gentle gelding. He was a favorite with trainers, jockeys and grooms while he was a race horse. Lucky was trained by my race horse trainer and great friend, Wilson Brown, so when he called me to tell me about Lucky, I knew right away that he would be a great lesson horse for us. During his racing career, he raced at Remington Park and Will Rogers in Oklahoma, Prairie Meadows in Iowa, and Canterbury Park in Minnesota. He has been great fun to get to know and is really loving his new career as a dressage lesson horse.