MISTY
Herd Matriarch
Misty is a senior red dun Pinto mare. She has been with Kat for 7 years but called Tyler her home prior to that. She has a hunter jumper background and is the mother to Stormy.
ROCKIT
Leased Eventer Turned Hunter
Rockit is currently here at GRIT on a lease from Houston. He is a senior OTTB gelding with a history of eventing under his belt but he has definitely embraced his Hunter side the last two years. We are so grateful to have Rockit in our program!
KISMET
Pony Mare
Kizzy, as she's belovedly called by our clients and volunteers, was recently given to Kat, but she has lived here for the past 3.5 years. She is a large pony and does well with leadline kiddos or kids learning how to walk and trot independently. She's a little shy and worries about her ears so she does best when you're patient and kind. Kizzy has started her jumping career and is currently schooling up to 2'6".
DASH
Pirate Pony
Dash was rescued by Open My World Therapeutic Riding Center while Kat worked there as their equine manager. He is a one-eyed halflinger and has some luscious hair. We are so blessed to add him to our team. Dash works best with kids that work primarily with a horse handler and is very round. He has been thriving in our partnership with Boshears!
APOLLO
Gentle Giant
Apollo belongs to one of our longest supporters and volunteers, Abby, and is a 13 year old Percheron gelding. He is an ex-security horse and while his size may be intimidating to some, he's truly a golden retriever personality. Just watch your feet! He prefers to be ridden in a dressage or western saddle, or bareback.
JAKE
Appendix
Jake came to us in early summer 2023 on a trial and we quickly fell in love with him. He reminds us of our sweet Luke. Jake has alot of movement and can be a challenging ride, but the work is worth it. He is mostly active with our intermediate-advanced riders as his trot can be hard to figure out as a beginner.
BISQUIT
Donkey
Bisquit is our resident miniature donkey. He is an 8 year old John and as friendly as could be. He LOVES treats and enjoys hanging out with Stormy. Bisquit really wants to be a big horse but he'll settle for having them as his buddies. He helps people who may be frightened of the big horses and regularly attends events to educate the community about therapeutic horsemanship.
HOPE
Standardbred
Hope is a semi-retired team member. She's worked over the last 5 years at a therapeutic riding facility in the Austin area and when the opportunity came up for her to step back, Kat jumped at the chance. We are so happy to have her here! You may see her at horseshows or camps. She doesn't really like her face pet so please pet her shoulder/neck.
HENDRICKS
Killpen Rescue
Kat rescued Hendricks from a killpen in January, 2018. He is approximately 20 years old and a red dun Pinto gelding. He prefers to be ridden Western and Kat has shown him in Western Dressage. He loves cuddles and chin scratches.
STORMY
The Baby
Stormy is Misty's foal. Has anyone read the Marguerite Henry books? She was born in May, 2019 and is a buckskin pinto filly. She is always in your business and likes to stick things in her mouth so watch your fingers! She loves being brushed and hangs out mostly with Bisquit.
CATALINA
Autochanging Queen
Catalina is Sonora's half sister. Both girls came from a rescue situation, known popularly as "The Texas Seven," and Kat took them in when their owner passed away. Catalina is a 9-year-old OTTB, with 6 races under her belt. She belongs to our Conditioning Team Lead, Katie, and is best suited to a confident rider.
SONORA
Sweet red mare
Sonora is a 14 year old Chestnut mare rescued through Nicholas Pet Haven after her owner passed away. Unfortunately, due to an injury in 2023, she has mostly been retired to groundwork but she participates in horsemanship camp and ground lessons. She is very friendly - feel free to say hello over the fence.
LUKE
4/4/2000 - 5/19/2023
Luke was one of our original herd when GRIT was founded in 2020 and unfortunately, we lost him to colic in May, 2023. He was very well loved and we will always remember him fondly.