Meet The Horses at Where The Heart Is Ranch!
Birthday: May 18, 2013
Breed: Quarterhorse+Thoroughbred
Color: Bay
Markings: Heart-shaped star; sock on right front
Height: 16.1 HH
Owner: Aimee Zabst
I adopted Spirit while he was being shipped from Athens, Ohio to California! He is a nurse mare foal, rescued on the day he was born by Last Chance Corral, and was merely weeks old when a group of 11 foals were loaded on a trailer headed west.
My friend and I received photos of the available foals onboard, and I chose Spirit because I liked his heart-shaped star marking!
When he arrived at our barn in SoCal we had to feed him, and his new “brothers” that my friend adopted, replacement milk in buckets - every 4 hours! We did this for a few weeks. We chronicled their lives on a Facebook page we created called Hidden Treasure Orphan Foals. They had lots of visitors and attention, and were even in the newspaper! Spirit has grown into a big, handsome horse, and we are riding him Dressage and Western. He has also done some jumping! He still thinks every new person who comes to the barn has come to see him 💙
(He also is the inspiration for the ranch name!)
Meet Spirit!
Meet Nelson!
Birthday: Dec 26, 2013
Breed: Quarterhorse+Haflinger
Color: Palomino
Markings: Stripe + snip
Height: 15.2HH
Owner: Aimee Zabst
Nelson is a nursemare foal, like Spirit, rescued on the day he was born by Last Chance Corral. He was adopted by someone in Connecticut and they had him and his half-sister for 2 months before deciding to rehome them. My friend who was raising Spirit’s “brothers” with me decided to bring them and a little quarter horse to California. He was a cute little sassy package - I don’t think he was handled very much. Since I seemed to be the only person who could catch him and do anything with him, I decided to adopt him as a companion for Spirit to grow up with. He was a light brown color at the time, with a white mane and tail. Boy were we surprised when he shed out his foal coat that spring into his beautiful golden color! He is half quarter horse and half haflinger, I’m told, and I believe it! I thought he would be small, like haflingers are, but instead he decided to be the big 15.2HH horse he is today. We ride him Western, Dressage, trail, and jump him too!
There he was - coal black and glorious, standing tied in the barn. Just over a year old, and already showing his bloodlines in elegance! Fancy head and ears, expressive eyes and legs for miles! We turned him out in the breeder’s large arena. He ran around a bit, went to one corner, and then proceeded to canter a straight line directly to me, doing four or five tempi changes as he came!! My chin dropped - wowza!
I knew I would have my hands full, with all the young horses, but I couldn’t resist. He’s been everything he was supposed to be - so special and even extraordinary! Unfortunately he had a setback with a few surgeries and the recovery times. Fast forward to 2022, he has just turned 7, and I’m finally riding him! We have great hopes for the future!
Meet Sir!
Birthday: April 2, 2015
Breed: Oldenburg
Color: Black
Markings: White on left hind inside heel
Height: 17.3 HH
Owner: Aimee Zabst
Birthday : February 27, 2008
Breed : Appendix Quarter Horse
Color : Black
Markings : a few random white spots
Height : 15.3 HH
Registered Name : Gridiron MVF
Owner : Lindsey Colligan
Oh Dyson, silly Dyson. I met Dyson when I was 10 years old back in 2010. At the time he was just two years old, but since I was a larger kid, he was the only horse I could ride in the program! I remember when my previous trainer let him out in the arena before our first lesson, and he went crazy getting all his wiggles out. But the moment I got on he was the sweetest horse. He could sense any worry I had and would not take a single step until he felt that I was okay. Fast forward 6 years, and after leasing him from the same trainer, I was given the opportunity to purchase him. So, on my 16th birthday, instead of purchasing a car as I had planned to, I bought Dyson! (In my opinion it was a much better purchase!) Dyson and I have done a few years of showing together, and we have also competed for a year in the Tigard OHSET team. (He competed with another student who was also leasing him before I purchased him.) In 2018 I moved from the Tigard area to Monmouth were I started at Western Oregon University. During this time he was leased out to a friend. Eventually, I realized I needed to find a way to get Dyson to school with me. The next day, I started looking for a barn nearby and thats when I found Aimee. For a few months, I cleaned stalls to work off the first few months of board. Since I started working with Aimee, my confidence in myself and Dyson has skyrocketed. In addition, I am forever confident that he will be given the BEST care, and he loves being used for lessons. -Lindsey
Meet Dyson!
Birthday: 2005 (?)
Breed: Draft cross
Color: Black
Markings: Blaze, mottled white patches on legs and body, stocking on left hind
Height: 16HH
Owner: Aimee Zabst
I found Cappy when I went to look at a totally different horse! He clearly deserved a loving home, with lots of sweet people to dote on him. He has only been with us since September of 2021, but he’s already an important member of the family! He stepped right in to lessons, and has a regular schedule, plus all the good things he needs to keep him healthy & happy!
He is currently leased until July 2024, but will be available after that!
Meet Cappy!
Birthday: May 25, 2011
Breed: Welsh Pony
Color: Chestnut Roan
Markings: Blaze, stocking on right front & left hind, sock on left front, white patches on legs
Height: 11.5HH
Owner: Aimee Zabst
We call her Tink, Little One, Twinklebell and Miss Cutie. Her little adorable self has taken the barn, and the lesson program, by tiny storm! Like Cappy, I also found her in September of 2021, so she and Cappy have become an unlikely bonded pair, since they arrived here just days apart. They are best of friends, and look strangely alike!
I don’t know a lot about her history before us, but I feel she could have been treated better. No worries, she found pony paradise! She jumps, she trail rides, she ponies, trailers, shows, and is becoming the best little-person pony around!!
Meet Tinkerbell!
Meet Hallie!
Birthday: 5/30/2001
Breed: AQHA
Color: Bay
Markings: Star, socks with ermine spots on both hind legs
Height: 14.1 HH
Owner: Mallorie Zabst
Hallie and her owner Mallorie competed together when Mallorie was a young girl in the National Reining Horse Association as well as local and 4H shows in Nevada. Hallie sustained a career ending injury at the age of 9 and enjoyed her “retirement” as a pasture pet while Mallorie was in college. Hallie proved to be a tough, resilient little horse. After a little time her injury seemed to stabilize enough for light riding so she moved to New Mexico to finish university with Mallorie. The two then moved up to Oregon where they started trail riding to explore their new stomping grounds. These two desert dwellers were amazed by all the rivers and creeks they got to splash around in together.
At 16 years old Hallie was as healthy as ever so Mallorie decided it was time for her to try something new- English riding!
Over the past few years Hallie has shown everyone old horses can certainly learn new tricks despite their “career ending” injuries.
After competing in a few local dressage shows Hallie became a lesson horse at WTHIR in 2017. She loves her students (and love the treats and pets they give her even more) and has become the best family horse Mallorie could ever ask for.
Birthday: 5/17/2001
Breed: Hanoverian
Color: Black
Markings: None
Height: 16.3 HH
Owner: Carrie Rasmussen
Dolce Bella is a Hanoverian mare by Dressage Royal, born in Germany on May 17, 2001. Dolce, as she is affectionately referred to, was imported by Olympian Debbie McDonald as a young horse and was competed by Adrienne Lyle. She was sold to an adult amateur and eventually purchased by current owner, Carrie Rasmussen. Carrie and Dolce competed in Dressage all the way up to 4th level before Dolce was retired. In their final year of competition (2014), the pair ended the year as :
🏆 CDS Horse of the Year Champion 4th level AA
🏆 USDF Reserve Champion National Ranking 4th Level AA
🏆 LA Chapter High Point Reserve Champion 4th Level AA
Dolce is easy going, sweet and dependable. She enjoys grazing and face scratches (a lot!) She has packed around adults and children as young as 3 years old. A true gem! Dolce is retired here in Oregon to spend her golden years at our beautiful place!
