Meet Our Horses
We must take a moment to introduce some essential members of the Dynamic Strides family. Get to know more about our MVPs (Most Valuable Ponies) who work with our kids every day.
Cali
Joined DST 2024Cali (Registered name Calliente Afire JNP) joined our herd late in 2024. She comes to us with a wealth of exposure to obstacles and a wonderful, forward movement pattern. She is perfect for our riders that need a slightly narrow horse with a lot of flexibility in her movement. She is a therapist and patient favorite!
Cole
Joined DST 2023Our smallest and mightiest member of the herd, Cole was bought from a member of the DST family. His tiny size is paired with a friendly personality, so Cole is perfect for helping patients become more comfortable around horses. You will often see him at events as our equine ambassador and photo-pony.
Felix
Joined DST 2024Felix (Registered name Imfixintowin) is currently the tallest member of our therapy herd. Coming from an extensive racing career, he is what is called an Off The Track Thoroughbred, or OTTB. His race history exposed him to tons of different things making him tolerant of just about everything we can throw at him. He is long legged with a unique swinging gait that is a huge benefit to many of our patients.
Ginger
Joined DST 2024Ginger was donated from a local family after having a long career as a 4-H and trail horse. She is highly trained and has a lot of flexibility in her movement. In the arena she is always willing to give each session her best, but in the field she prefers a more relaxed pace.
Lakota
Joined DST 2024Lakota joined the DST therapy herd in 2024 at the same time as Felix. She has an extensive career as a trick riding horse, traveling all over the Midwest with her donor. She is comfortable with all manner of stimuli in the barn and tolerates patients in very unique postures while riding due to her previous role. She is popular with both our patients and our lesson riders because she is speedy and smart.
Maggie
Joined DST 2023Maggie was donated to our program by a volunteer who thought that the pace of a therapy horse fit her personality, and he was right! Maggie has a big swinging gait, broad back and gentle personality, making her a great match for a variety of our patients. In our lesson program she is slow and steady, giving new riders plenty of time to practice new skills with a safe partner. Maggie’s favorite thing is to greet every rider or patient with a quick sniff to say hello before she gets ready to work. We are thankful for her sweet personality in our program!
Melvin
Joined DST 2022Melvin used to compete in jumping, but he is happy with his less lofty life now at Dynamic Strides. His extensive training makes him great for our patients who need a horse that walks with energy and drive, and he is one of the few that will tolerate bubbles in therapy sessions! You can often find Melvin searching for the best grass in the pasture or frolicking with his equine friends.
X-ey
Joined DST 2020X-ey is one of the longest-serving and most reliable horses in the herd. He joined the program in early 2020 and has always been a staple in hippotherapy due to his solid build and quiet temperament. X-ey is also a favorite amongst volunteers and staff due to his patience with patients and students!
Support Our Herd
Want to play an active role in supporting our horses and hippotherapy team? Regular donations help offset the costs of keeping our horses happy, safe, and ready to serve our patients.
We average 15-20 horses on the property at any given time. These starting donation amounts can help support one horse for one month. A $3500 donation can sponsor a horse for a full year.
We occasionally work with individuals interested in donating tack or other equine equipment, or even potentially healthy, friendly, and active horses to join our team.
Monthly donations can help support:
$325
sponsors one horse’s monthly needs
$100
supplies hay
$50
supplies grain
$15
supports dental visits
$5
covers vaccines