Meet our Horses

Introducing our beloved equine-partners who leave their hoof prints on the trail to healing.

Agape

Agape is a Belgian Draft horse mare. True to her breed, Agape is strong, dependable, steady, and gentle. Belgian Draft horses are often seen pulling carts and wagons, and are also used as farm horses due to their large size and strong work ethic. Agape’s name means “unconditional, selfless love”; a reminder of the awesome love that God has for each one of us!

Benaiah

Benaiah, or Benny, as the staff often call him, is one of the oldest horses at camp. Don’t let his age fool you, he loves to run and greet people at the fence and give pony rides to the kids that visit for family camp weekends. Benaiah’s name in Hebrew means “God has Built” and he is named after a mighty warrior in the Bible who served under King David and King Solomon.

Freddie

Freddie is a cute little “flea-bitten” grey horse. Sometimes new things scare Freddie, but with a calm rider, he settles down quickly and is a smooth horse to ride. Studies show a horse can feel a human’s heartbeat from up to at least four feet away, so if you’re calm around them, horses like Freddie will be too. Likewise, if you tense up, Freddie will be more nervous and wonder what’s wrong. He looks to his riders to guide him and to enjoy the ride with him.

Moose

Moose is a gentle, dark brown Quarter Horse gelding. Named after a powerful, strong, majestic member of the deer family, this horse is gentle and kind. He enjoys working with people who are gentle and he has a really nice neck-rein style of handling. Moose can often be found hanging out with his friends Jasper, Freddie, Benny, and Phantom.

Philly

Philly is a beautiful bay roan Draft cross mare. She is the largest horse at Silver Birch Ranch, and a gentle giant. Philly was named because when we got her, we were told she was a stallion (a male horse). However; when she arrived, she was actually a Filly (a young female horse)! She was named Philly (with a slightly different spelling) in remembrance of this humorous mix-up. Philly can also mean “Horse-Lover” which seems oddly fitting.

Stormy

Stormy is a stunning registered Spotted Saddle Horse gelding. Stormy is affectionately known as the “cow-horse” due to his black and white coat pattern. He also knew some tricks in his younger years like how to bow, sit down, and stretch on command. He would do just about anything for a treat. Stormy is a comfortable ride and shares a similar smooth, gaited movement to Linus and Obadiah.

Ariel

Keep an eye out for cowgirl Emma and her horse, Ariel! Ariel is a young draft-cross mare who is currently in training as a riding horse. Her color is called Bay Roan, which means that her coat has small white hairs over a dark base color, giving her coat a unique, silvery shine. Ariel’s name means “Lion of God” in Hebrew, and she certainly is a strong, calm, and beautiful horse. We can’t wait to see how Ariel and Emma grow in their partnership together!

Dallas

Dallas is a gorgeous, solid black Quarter Horse gelding and one of the lead horses in the herd. He likes everyone to know that he is in charge. While he can push the other horses around sometimes, he is a great teacher and has taught many wranglers how to ride over the years. He is a fearless leader but can also always be won over with a handful of treats. Dallas is cowboy Ben’s personal horse.

Ghost

Ghost is a grey Quarter Horse gelding. Although his coat appears white to the casual viewer, there are very few true “white” horses in the world. More often they are called “grey” because their skin color underneath the hair is dark grey or black. Oftentimes grey horses are also born a different color and fade out to grey or “white” as they age - it all depends what their genetics look like! Ghost is a horse who, while sometimes spooky about new things, is a solid member of the herd.

Joppa

Joppa is a sweet and gentle “flea-bitten” grey Quarter Horse gelding. “Flea-bitten” refers to the speckled appearance of his fur. Joppa is a quiet, hardworking, and gentle horse. In the pasture, he is often seen alongside his favorite buddy Gimli, but he seems to get along with just about everyone! Joppa’s name means ‘Beautiful”, and originally referred to the city/port of Jaffa in Israel.

Lucy

Lucy is a sweet and spicy red bay Quarter Horse mare with a cute white stripe down her face. While she likes to snack and sometimes is sassy with the other horses, Lucy is a gentle, willing horse and loves to go out on trail rides and work with kids. Lucy is best buddies with Benny, has had one foal in the past, and is named after the Peanuts’ character (think “Linus and Lucy”).

Otis

Otis is a stocky, well-built chestnut Quarter Horse gelding with a white blaze on his face and two different colored eyes. He has one blue eye and one brown eye, but this does not affect his vision in any way. Otis has a big personality and likes to get into mischief, but at the end of the day he is a trusty, gentle, and smart horse who loves people and attention. His best friend is Meshach, and they almost look like twins except for the blue eye.

Sam

Named after Samwise Gamgee from JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, Sam the donkey is a gentle, easygoing friend to many horses and people alike. Sam is a chill creature, and best friends with the miniature donkey Sméagol. Both donkeys are often seen hanging out with Buckwheat in the pasture. Listen for their unique braying sound as you approach the barn!

Apollo

Apollo is a chestnut Quarter Horse with a white stripe on his face. Quarter horses are the most common breed in America, with good reason! Apollo is certainly a beautiful, calm horse with a relaxed and easygoing temperament. Quarter horses were originally bred to gallop quarter-mile races, hence their name, but they excel in many jobs including trail riding and equine learning like we do at Silver Birch Ranch!

Buckwheat

Buckwheat is a tall, dun Quarter Horse gelding. “Dun” refers to Buckwheat’s markings – the dorsal stripe on his back, the stripes on his legs, and the dark tips of his ears. Notice the white hairs sprinkled throughout his mane, tail, and over his back – these markings are called frosting! Buckwheat’s best buddies are Sam and Sméagol, the two donkeys. The three of them can often be found eating hay together or napping in the sunshine.

Gandalf

Named after the character in JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings series, Gandalf is a stunning bay roan draft horse cross. Like his namesake, Gandalf is a bit of a loner in the herd and tends to hang back and observe situations from afar. While he can be a bit shy at first, once this horse gets to know you he is lots of fun. Gandalf is also very smart and can get out of any halter the wranglers put on him, so you’ll see him wearing a special collar when standing at the fence.

Jezebel

Don’t let her name scare you – although she is named after an evil queen in the Bible, Jezebel is one of the sweetest horses you will ever meet and proof that anyone can be redeemed! Jez is a buckskin Quarter Horse mare. A lot of people think she looks like Spirit from the movie, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron. Jezebel has had two foals, and several grand-foals. She has spent many good years between SBR, as a therapeutic riding horse, and as a show pony and cowboy mounted-shooting horse. Jezebel is cowgirl Ivy’s personal horse.

Linus

Linus is a unique amber-champagne colored Tennessee Walking Horse (TWH) gelding. These horses are known for their gentle dispositions, unique gaited movements, and how comfortable, smooth, and easy they are to ride. Although some things spook him, like the farrier who comes to trim hooves, Linus is a perfect trail horse and takes good care of his riders. Linus is named after the Peanuts’ character (think “Linus and Lucy”).

Obadiah

Obadiah (Obi) is an old favorite who has been at Silver Birch Ranch for many years. He is a chestnut Kentucky Mountain Horse with a white stripe down his face. Obadiah is very smart and we often catch him taking his bridle off and even sometimes his halter! Obadiah is named after one of the minor prophets in the Bible, although there are several biblical characters who share this name. Obadiah’s name means “Servant of God”, an attribute this horse shares with his namesake!

Revelation

Revelation is a gorgeous dun registered Quarter Horse gelding. Rev was malnourished in his previous home, so wranglers had to work hard to help him gain weight. He’s come a long way since then and is now a healthy, happy horse. He is a sweet horse who loves attention and scratches, and also has a white mark that is shaped like a heart on his head.

Beatrice

Beatrice is a lovely chestnut Quarter Horse mare with white markings on her face and her side. Strong and stout, she is hardworking and gentle. She is best friends with some of the other mares, often seen hanging out in the pasture with her buddy Dolly. Beatrice’s name means “Bringer of Joy” and she lives up to it by bringing smiles to our campers out on the trails.

Dolly

Dolly is a cute Quarter Horse mare with a “bald” or white face. Dolly was once used as a speed pony before coming to Silver Birch Ranch. While she would excel as a barrel racer, roper, or rodeo mount, she also enjoys the calmer trail riding life and spending time with the herd - her best buddy is Beatrice. Dolly’s name means “Gift of God” and she certainly is a gift to our riders that visit and spend time with her.

Gimli

Affectionately called “Lippy” because he likes to play with his lip, Gimli is a majestic black and white Draft horse cross. His coat color and pattern can also be referred to as “skewbald tobiano” which identifies the color and shape of his unique markings. Gimli is named after a member of the fellowship in JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings series, and just like his namesake he is loyal, trustworthy, and a source of strength to his friends. Gimli’s name means “Fire” in old Norse.

Judah

Judah is a majestic dark bay Draft horse cross. While this horse can be stubborn and cranky toward other horses, Judah is gentle with his riders and loves to walk quickly down the trail. He bears a kingly namesake – in the Bible, Judah was one of the sons of Israel and the founder of one of the 12 tribes. This was the bloodline that the Messiah, Jesus, eventually came from. The “Lion of Judah” is an emblem that is still used in the modern-day city of Jerusalem, Israel.

Meshach

Meshach is a gorgeous chestnut Quarter Horse gelding who is best friends with Obi and Otis. Meshach is good at grabbing food on the trail and munching, or as the wranglers call it, “fast food”. Meshach is named after a Bible character from the book of Daniel whose Hebrew name was Mishael. The name Mishael means, “Who is like God?”. Meshach was one of the faithful men saved from the fiery furnace as a witness to God’s amazing power.

Sméagol

Sméagol is a miniature donkey and quite the troublemaker. While he is best friends with Sam and Buckwheat, he sometimes slips under the fence and goes on adventures by himself to eat hay from the other horse pens. Nonetheless, he is a gentle companion and easygoing. Yes, he is named after the creature Gollum in JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings series.

Leroy

Leroy is a spunky and sassy “flea-bitten” grey Quarter Horse gelding. He has a lot of very long majestic hair, which is fun to braid - he’s definitely a favorite with the riding adventure campers during the summer! Leroy is gentle and loves attention, pets, and leading rides with his wrangler friends. Leroy’s name means “The King” in French, and he seems to know it. He is best friends with Dallas and is one of cowboy Ben’s personal horses.

Milo

Milo the pony is a cute new friend around the barn. He is very well-behaved, gentle, friendly, and curious. Milo wants to be friends with everyone! Despite his small size, he is fully grown. He can be saddled and ridden just like the bigger horses. He also can be harnessed and pull a cart! His color is called buckskin and his best friend is Peppy.

Peppy

Peppy is a newer addition to our horse herd. She is a pretty chestnut Quarter Horse mare. We suspect she may also be partly Arabian horse due to her dished face, high intelligence, and spunky personality. We are still learning about her, as she is a little bit shy, but her best friend is Milo the pony and you rarely see them apart from each other.

Sponsor-a-Horse

The “Adopt” or Sponsor-a-Horse Program is a unique donor program designed for those who want to support Silver Birch Ranch & North Star Stables in a special way! Through this program you are able to sponsor one of our horses that we currently use for our camps and retreats, and support that horse financially.

It currently costs over $100 a month to provide everything a single horse needs to be a healthy, happy horse. With monthly support from people like you, each of our horses is guaranteed adequate food, grooming supplies, and riding equipment. Without support, it is an increasing struggle for us to provide the best quality of living for our horses. Please consider sponsoring one of our horses today!

The Sponsor-a-Horse program in a nutshell:

  • Monthly support of either $20, $50, or $100 from donors like you!

  • Receive updates and information on the specific horse you sponsored.

  • An immeasurable amount of gratitude from all of us at Silver Birch Ranch & North Star Stables!