Great Oak Horses

Great Oak Horses make the magic happen at Great Oak. We are forever grateful for the owners who allow us to use and love their wonderful animals. Each horse has something unique to offer to our riders and every rider has their favorite. Keep scrolling to learn more about each individual who makes our program great.

ANDY - A 22 year old dark bay Shire, a Draft Cross.

Andy spent most of his life as a hunt horse in Massachusetts. Don’t let his big size fool you, as he is quiet, steady and dependable. His easy going personality makes him a perfect fit for many of our riders here at Great Oak. Standing at over 17 hands, Andy is Great Oak’s largest horse.

His family moved to Aiken from Massachusetts and he was retired on their farm. Each day the couple would take their other horses out the back gate to hack in the Hitchcock Woods. Soon though, it became clear that Andy decided he wasn’t ready to fully retire and was interested in joining the fun and needed more attention. In response his owners contacted us at Great Oak Equine Assisted Programs to see if we could use a horse of his size.

Andy arrived at Great Oak in 2023 and has been a huge hit with our students ever since. He’s even traveled to the Special Olympics in Georgia, bringing home many blue ribbons for his riders. 

ARNIE - "Kilcarna French Fancy" A 16 year old, dark bay, imported Irish Sport Horse.

It’s hard to imagine a horse like Arnie in a therapeutic riding program. He stands at a mere 17.3 hands which is intimidating. He is good looking, well trained and athletic. And, he was ridden by two Olympic athletes in two different disciplines.

Arnie has been with Great Oak for 2 years now and he has made an exceptional Therapy horse. Don’t be intimidated by his size, Arnie is kind, gentle and patient. He seems to understand what each rider or student needs at the moment. He has taught one of our students to ride from the ground up. The student can now walk, trot, canter, and even jump small cross rails.

Arnie was imported from Ireland when he was 5 years old by an amateur rider here in Aiken. In 2015 Arnie was handed over to Olympic gold medal eventing rider Phillip Dutton to train, ride, and show. Dutton piloted Arnie around several local events at the Novice and Training level. He was spooky out on cross country and was not very good at dressage. After sustaining an injury and having some time off, Arnie transitioned to Show Jumping and was ridden by many local Aiken riders including Olympic rider Doug Payne.

After varied success in the show jumping world, Arnie arrived at Great Oak. You might say he has found his calling here at Great Oak. He has plenty more to give.

BUDDY - A 23 year old chestnut Quarter Horse

Buddy has been with Great Oak for 6 years. He is one of the original Great Oak horses who had a former career as a show jumper. 

His greatest gift to our students is his consistency and his ability to be a kind teacher. He is not over reactive and handles off-balanced riders by stopping politely. Among his many accolades, Buddy was Horse of the Year for PATH International in 2019. He has taken many riders to both the Georgia and South Carolina Special Olympics. 

Buddy has also been instrumental in our Ground work lessons. A Ground work lesson is a group of exercises you carry out with your horse while you’re leading them on the ground. Groundwork builds trust in your relationship with your horse. It helps set boundaries by giving instructions with a series of exercises. The horses stay entertained while learning – so boredom won’t set in from lack of riding.

You can learn a lot about your horse from being on the ground and establish the mood or temperament the horse is in before you ride. Groundwork sets the foundations for trust.

DUKE - A 16 year old chestnut registered American Quarter Horse.

Duke, or the Duke of Oil, is a registered American Quarter Horse. He was bred for cutting and halter and performance breeding. His family tree is dotted with Champions and World Champions. Duke can be ridden in both Western and English saddles. Before coming to Great Oak, Duke lived in New Hampshire and was a former trail horse. He would spend the Winter months here in Aiken trail riding, going on hunter paces and he even tried fox hunting.

Duke is an ideal therapy horse. He checks all the boxes. He’s the horse to bring out for a student who might be afraid of horses, and the one that new volunteers use when they are learning how to help in an equine therapy session. Most importantly he is one of the few horses that is quiet and safe enough for students who need the aid of the mechanical lift.

Duke is a solid citizen. Because of his great attitude, he is used for outside activities such as Special Olympics in both Georgia and South Carolina and also participates in the therapy class in the Horse Show in the Woods.

In 2024, Duke won Horse of the Year for his Region (Region 3). He is now eligible to be recognized as PATH International Horse of the Year. Duke has a relaxed and slow but collected gait cadence, along with his calm and responsive disposition teaches our students how to feel confident when learning to trot. He is a “pleasure” to ride, smooth-moving and very comfortable.

LEE LEE - “SPF Little Man Lee” An 8 year old chestnut AQHA registered Quarter Horse

Lee Lee, (aka SPF Little Man Lee), is one of our smaller horses, standing at 14.2 hands. He was generously donated to us after being bought at The Best of the West Auction in 2021. His breeding lines are speckled with top-bred western reining and cutting horses. It’s not surprising that he knows all the maneuvers of a western reining horse, which are precise patterns of circles, spins and stops. He has performed both English and western and has a fantastic neck rein. Lee loves being out on trails and is happy to lead or follow. He does have a sensitivity to loud unfamiliar noises and may scoot forward and start trotting, but is easily reassured by his rider or handler.

Before arriving at Great Oak, Lee Lee enjoyed trail riding with his owner here in Aiken. Lee Lee is the youngest horse at Great Oak and also the smallest. He is easy to handle, fun and athletic. You will fall in love with his

“in your pocket” personality. 

MONDAY - A 15 year old Missouri Fox Trotter/Tobiano Paint

Monday’s flat-footed, ambling gait resembles the “fox trot,” with movement front to back rather than side to side. This smooth gait has proven to be a boon for beginners and riders with physical disabilities. With a gentle disposition, sure footedness and poise he’s a favorite here at Great Oak. Our students never get a bumpy ride!

Today, the Missouri Fox Trotter is often described as every person’s “pleasure horse” because of the smooth and comfortable ride. The breed is in demand for use in pleasure, show, versatility, trail riding, cross-country and endurance.

Monday’s two different-colored eyes, one blue and one brown, are distinctly attention-grabbing, but is very common in horses with spotted coats, such as the paint and appaloosa.  After Monday’s owner passed away, he was generously donated to us by one of Aiken’s local realtors.

RICKY BOBBY - A 11 year old chestnut quarter horse

Ricky Bobby is a former Polo pony whose polo career played out right here in Aiken for one of the most talented female polo players in the world. True to his polo days he responds well to his rider’s body position when turning and reacts well to rein pressure along his neck. Everyone notes his intelligence and bravery; his active walk helps our students develop core strength and confidence. As expected from a polo pony, he is very responsive to his rider’s movements and prefers someone with a quieter seat.

In polo as well as therapeutic riding, temperament is critical; the horse must remain controlled under pressure and not become excited. Many polo ponies are thoroughbreds or thoroughbred crosses trained to be handled with one hand on the reins, and to react to the rider’s leg and weight cues for moving forward, turning and stopping. 

Ricky Bobby is somewhat head shy after his polo career and dislikes quick movements near his face.

TEDDY - A 20 year old gray Irish Sport Horse

Teddy has been a hunt horse all his life. Before coming to Great Oak, his current owner purchased Teddy in 2016 Teddy so that she and her husband could fox hunt together. After many years of fox hunting here in Aiken, he was loaned to a friend to enjoy even more fox hunting in Kentucky. 

Teddy is sturdy and safe and is absolutely at his happiest when he’s out on the trails. Teddy has a great steady and calm mind. Many have noted his quiet, agreeable, and seemingly unflappable demeanor. All our riders feel confident and safe when they are handling and riding Teddy.

Out on the trail, he is sure-footed and extremely good at his job, and he loves to gallop on a loose rein and will, true to his fox hunting heritage, confidently jump whatever comes in front of him without a second thought.

 

Yogi

An 19-year-old old roan Quarter Horse. Formerly a school horse and then owned and shown by a young girl, he is one of our most sensitive horses. Yogi has been instrumental in helping our students with anxiety and fear. He has taught them patience, bravery, and how to understand boundaries. He has built connections with nonverbal language by doing work in hand on the ground.

ZIGGY - A 20 year old Tobiano Paint

Ziggy comes from Colorado where he had a career in lower level Eventing and went on long trail rides with his entire family. He was a “husband horse” for a while as he is brave, curious and seemingly unflappable. In our leadership programs, his quiet personality has been a great advantage with nervous first-time horse handlers. 

He has been to both Georgia and South Carolina Special Olympics where he has shined with his rider bringing home many first and second place ribbons. Most recently he traveled a shorter distance down the road to the Horse Show in the Woods where he showed off his skills for local residents.

His forward walk and smooth trot allows our students to develop trust and confidence. One of our students has recently learned to canter on him and has even jumped small cross rails. He brings smiles to our students’ faces. Ziggy is the perfect example of a therapeutic riding horse. He possesses all the qualities needed for our program. He is tolerant of the environment and his riders. He has great ground manners and is able to handle many people on all sides of him. He is comfortable with sudden noises, unbalanced riders and positional changes.