Longacres Riding Camp
Meet the Horses !
Return to Home Page - Return to "Tour"
Click here to return to Longacres.com. (NOTE: The pictures on this page are large files and may take a little time to download)
This page was most recently updated during July of 2012. Except for some of the private horses, most of the horses on this page will be back for 2013!
You will look a long time to find a riding camp or show stable anyplace in America with a string of "school horses" the quality of those in our herd at Longacres. Why? Because what we at Longacres call our "school horses" would be privately owned show horses nearly everyplace else. It's an economic fact of life. Most stables try, like we do, to buy the best quality horses they can for their lesson programs. But the best of them, the ones that show real talent, are nearly always taken out of the "school" string and sold to private owners who will become more profitable show customers for the stable. That's just the way it is.
Longacres is different. We exist to provide a very special riding and showing experience to our summer customers. We do NOT sell our horses. Once a horse is in our string, the horse stays with us year after year, gaining experience and getting better and better. We do bring in a few young horses every summer specifically as sale horses, but once a horse becomes a "Longacres horse", it stays a Longacres horse until the end of its career,
But don't just take our word for the quality of horse flesh at Longacres. Scroll down this page. Read the descriptions and look at all the pictures. Seeing is believing! And email some of the fine people on our penpals page. Longacres people love to talk about Longacres horses!
Video Clips:
During July of 2012 we took a series of short video clips showing each horse jumping a small X-rails course, just to give you an idea of how each of our horses and ponies moves and looks as of July, 2012.
Enjoy!
Jazz
Jazz is one of our most powerful horses. She is just eight years old and we just bought her in the spring of 2010. We've jumped her 4'3" so far, and we think she has a bright career ahead of her as a show jumper. She is a thoroughbred – Clydesdale cross. Click HERE for more pictures and stories about Jazz! Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
Ginger
Ginger is an extremely talented hunter/jumper/equitation horse. Also a bit temperamental! Click HERE for more pictures and stories about Ginger! Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
Whitley
Whitley was sold at the end of the 2012 season to a Longacres family that had leased him and knew him well. He was not easy to ride for beginners and we came to believe he is one of those horses better suited to a private owner as a one rider horse. Click HERE for more pictures and stories about Whitley. He was a popular horse at Longacres until sold.
Star
Star is one of those rare horses (large pony, actually), that can be ridden by anyone, beginner to the most advanced rider. She is often sought after at horse show time! Click HERE for more pictures and stories about Star! Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
Merlin
Merlin is arguably our most popular horse (large pony) – he has his very own fan club, the ILMFC – I Love Merlin Fan Club! Click HERE for more pictures and stories about Merlin! Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
Horatio
Horatio is one of our very promising young horses. He has a BIG jump and lots of heart! He won the prestigious Longacres Jumper Derby in 2010! Click HERE for more pictures and stories about Horatio. Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
Brody
Brody is another Longacres horse with endless potential as a hunter/ eq. horse or as a jumper! He is in the prime of his life. Click HERE for more pictures and stories about Brody. Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
"Little" John
"Little John" is not so little! This gelding had a successful thoroughbred racing career and has a heart of gold. We bought him in the spring of 2012, knowing that an old injury keeps him from jumping high, but he is a fun ride and it is good for our students to have a big thoroughbred like this as part of our herd. Click HERE for more pictures and stories about Little John! Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
Ebony
Ebony, as you can see in this picture, has a great jump and athleticism. Fine pony. She sometimes has a mind of her own and needs solid support from her rider. Click HERE for more pictures and stories about Ebony! She had one of her best show seasons in the summer of 2010! Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
Brownie
Brownie was THE "elder statesman" of Longacres school horses. He taught many hundreds of Longacres students to ride over the many years of his long career! And he was still doing it in 2009 - 2010! Brownie was retired after our 2011 camp season to live out the rest of his life with Alex Millar, now an adult, but one of Brownie's best friends when she was a young student with us! Long live Brownie! Click HERE for more pictures and stories about Brownie! Video of Brownie taken three years ago. The girl in the above picture is Peyton, who learned to ride and show on Brownie.
Zanzibar
Zanzibar (Zanee) is a fine, versatile hunter, jumper, and equitation horse. She is suitable for a wide variety of riders and her jumping just gets better each year. Click HERE for more pictures and stories about Zanzibar! Here's a very nice video of Natasha taking Zanee over a number of our jumps doing interesting exercises in 2009. Zanee had a terrific show season in the summer of 2011, though a little temperamental in her stall. Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
Peppermint Patty – 1982 - 2008
We owned Peppermint Patti for 23 of the 26 years of her extraordinary life. She came to us from a friend when she was a green broke three year old. She gained experience over her years at Longacres and became one of the best known Show Jumpers in western New York history. After a sudden decline in her condition due to old age, she was humanely put down in the fall of 2008 and buried with highest honor here at Longacres on "Jumper Hill", along with three other greats from Longacres past, "China Heart", "York Springs", and "Tip-off". She was one of the most famous show jumpers in western New York State and has won nearly every championship and special jumping event ever held in our part of the country at one time or another in her long career. Old? Yes; but nonetheless, we prepared her at the end of the 2007 season for the "A" rated Erie County Fair show and she was Champion in the Beginner Jumper division!!!! Be sure to click HERE for more pictures and to read the heart warming "Miracle of Peppermint Patti" story along with comments about Patti from some of her friends and riders. We traditionally leave pictures of some of our most memorable horses here on the "Meet the Horses" page for a year after they are retired or die out of respect for their fine careers. Patti's picture will remain here permanently.
Diesel
Diesel is a trip! He is Longacres favorite "Gentle Giant". And a giant he is at 18 hands plus and over 2000 pounds. He came to us as an experiment in the spring of 2008 and won our hearts. He drives, and we hope to have a harness and be working with him as a driving horse next season. AND, he jumps! Click HERE for more pictures and stories about Diesel. Video of Diesel. He is BIG! Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
Boo!
Boo is cute, as you can see. He is one of our most versatile and promising middle age horses. He's gentle and can be ridden by a variety of riders. He wins ribbons in jumpers and in pleasure. Click HERE for more pictures and stories about Boo. Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
Lincoln
Lincoln is handsome, as you can see. He is a promising horse that joined us in 2009 and has gotten better each year after winter homes with some talented riders. He's gentle and can be ridden by a variety of riders. He is already winning some ribbons in shows and is with a fine rider over the 2010 – 2011 off season. He was a solid member of our show string in 2011. Click HERE for more pictures and stories about Lincoln. Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
Tux
Tux (Tuxedo Junction) is cute, and is one of our youngest horses at not quite 7 years old. He is a willing jumper and can be ridden by many students. As a youngster, he does pull a few stunts now and then but likes people and mostly wants to please. We're having a lot of fun training him. We had him at Longacres training him for his former owners in 2008 and bought him permanently in the fall of 2009. Click HERE for more pictures and stories about Tux. Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
Quantum Leap - 1992 to 2010
For nearly ten years, Quantum Leap was almost like our trade mark and an example of Longacres at our best. He broke a leg in a tragic horse show accident early in the summer of 2010. (The rider was OK.) All of western New York mourned. Quantum won Western New York Jumper Horse of the Year in 2009. He was at the peak of his career when he died. His picture will always remain on this page, along with that of Peppermint Patti, another great jumper in Longacres history. Click HERE for more pictures and stories about Quantum! Video of Quantum, and more video of Quantum jumping big.
Neek-o
Neek-o is a nine year old large pony, just purchased by Longacres in 2010. He is extremely versatile and can be ridden by a variety of riders. He's gentle and eager to please! Click HERE for more pictures and information about Neek-o. Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
Bristol
Bristol is a big, strong warmblood mare. She is a classy jumper and good mover. She is predictable and not complicated to ride, though she can get strong jumping. She was actually considered as an Olympic eventing prospect before we bought her! Bristol was new to us in 2010 and returns for her third year in 2012. Click HERE for more pictures and stories about Bristol. Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
Maggie
Maggie was sent to Longacres during the summer of 2011 as a consignment horse for us to show and train while she was offered for sale. Recently we decided to buy her ourselves as an additional Longacres school horse. She is willing, and has a nearly auto lead change. She is trustworthy and suitable for many of our students. click here for more pictures. Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
Ladd
Ladd was a four year old pony sent to us for training and consignment for sale in the 2011 season. We quickly found a good buyer, and unfortunately, slightly after that discovered that he is a SENSATIONAL pony and that we should have bought him ourselves! This happens now and then, but Longacres has a sound "send your horse to camp" and "sale horse" program and we're pleased when we connect the right buyer to the right horse (even if sometimes we miss out on a great deal for ourselves). FORTUNEATELY – Ladd's new owner decided to go back to school six months after we sold her the pony, and we were able to buy him back, so he is now a permanent part of Longacres! Yippee!
click here for more pictures. Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
Coal Train
Coal Train, "Coal" to his good friends, is one of the newest horses in the Longacres herd. He was purchased by us in 2012 with a background as a western pleasure and trail horse. He is coming along well with his English jumping training as of July 2012. He is gorgeous! Click HERE for more pictures and stories about Coal. Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
Private Horses & Leased or "Send Your Horse to Camp" horses for 2012
Every year we take in a couple of private horses to train and show for families interested in the Longacres program. The following are a couple of recent "Send Your Horse to Camp" projects! Also some of the horses here on consignment for sale.
= = = = = = = = = = =
Avalon
"Avalon" is a great halflinger pony loaned to us for the 2012 season by Findlay College. Very versatile – we hope we get him again for 2013. Click HERE for more pictures and stories about Avalon. Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
Mave
Mave was sent to us as one of the 2011 "send your horse to camp" horses. Her owner was too busy to ride her regularly and we were glad to have this sturdy horse in the barn. She is a bit headstrong when you are leading her around on the ground, but willing when being ridden. click here for more pictures. Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
Tee
FOR SALE: Tee and her stable mate, Mae, are here from Linda Fuller Stables on consignment for sale. They are interesting training projects for our students. click here for more pictures of Tee. Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
Mae
FOR SALE: Mae and her stable mate, Tee, are here from Linda Fuller Stables on consignment for sale. They are interesting training projects for our students. click here for more pictures of Mae. Click here for a July 2012 short video clip.
Sunfire
Sunfire is the latest of a long line of talented horses sent to Longacres by a nearby stable that specializes in breeding and green breaking very nice young horses. We take them and do basic jumping training after the fine job of early training they already have. Sometimes we buy these horses, sometimes they are sold to others.
click here for more pictures.
Digger
Digger was a "send your horse to camp" horse that we used for the 2012 season. A very handsome gelding, Digger was a popular ride that got better every week as the summer progressed.
click here for more pictures.
Banjo
Banjo, along with his stable mate Avalon, was leased by Longacres for the 2012 season from Findlay College in Ohio. They were both willing jumpers and great to handle. We hope to get them back in 2013!
click here for more pictures.