Whispering Ponies Ranch is a private retreat center where horses are trained for various therapy uses and people of all ages can attend by invitation for restorative ministries. All amenities—from food services and lodging to expert recreational and counseling staff—are provided at no cost.
Tom and Nita Horn envisioned WPR as a safe and inspirational environment where people can be rejuvenated or just relax for a few days to get refreshed. The therapy ponies of WPR visit places like veteran centers and care facilities and are used in public schools to help children with learning disabilities. Dr. Horn says, “The heart and vision for the facility is primarily to focus on those who have somehow been hurt, abandoned, disabled, or abused.”
By sponsoring one or more of the therapy ponies below, you are partnering directly with WPR’s healing ministry by contributing to the care of these life-changing animals–their food, veterinary care, farrier, as well as contributing to the operating and construction costs of the retreat facility. As a thank you from us, when you become a WPR sponsor, you will receive a hoof-signed, frame-able picture of your sponsored horse(s) and a personalized autographed copy of Nita Horn’s memoir, No Fences: It Started with a Plastic Pony, all about the childhood vision that led to the 280-acre Whispering Ponies Ranch.
WHICH PONY(S) BELOW WILL YOU SPONSOR?
MEET THE MINIATURE THERAPY HORSES OF WHISPERING PONIES RANCH
Barn Name: “COWBOY”
Registered Name: LTD’s Kool Cowboy
2010 Stallion – AMHR/AMHA Currently measures 31.25”
He is a multi-color Silver Bay Overo with gorgeous blue eyes, a full ‘Fabio’ mane, and lots of flashy markings! Cowboy is one of our therapy horse sires. Has a wonderful temperament and lots of color that he passes on to his offspring. He is cart trained and loves it!
Barn Name: “HOSS”
Registered Name: Hot Water Farms Graduation Gift
2008 Stallion AMHR / AMHA Currently Measures 33.5”
He is a beautiful Cremello with cool blue eyes and a silky mane & tail that is a pleasure to brush! Hoss is one of our therapy horse sires. He has an amazingly laid back disposition and is very easy to manage. He passes his temperament as well as his drafty build to all of his foals. He is also cart trained.
Barn Name: “SPOT”
Registered Name: Bear Farms Better Business
2010 Stallion AMHR / AMHA Currently Measures 33.00”
He is a Red Bay Leopard Appaloosa with lots of spots nicely displayed, dark points with an adorable dishy Arabian shaped face, soft eyes, and a multi-colored mane & tail. Spot is a little spitfire among the herd, however he is very easy to manage. This little horse has it all! He is one of our herd sires and his foals are as colorful and smart as he is.
Barn Name: “CHIGGER”
Whispering Ponies Ranch Name: Champ’s Mini Chigger Queen
Actually, even though both sire & dam are registered, and her bloodlines go back to very famous lineage, CHIGGER is not registered because she is a Dwarf Miniature Horse. Dwarfism is a genetic disorder that causes abnormally smaller stature in an individual of a species.
2012 Filly Currently Measures 18.05”
She is a solid Red Sorrell with a small star on her forehead. She has adorable soft eyes, and a fluffy red mane & tail. Her dwarfism has left her with a slight monkey bite, crooked legs and a typical “dwarfy” forehead. Chigger is currently one of our main therapy horses and although she is very small and physically ‘incorrect’, what she lacks in physical perfection, she makes up for in spirit. She brings a smile to every face big or small, and is a huge inspiration for everyone who meets her. As a dwarf, she has beat the odds for sure! Many dwarfs do not live very long due to heart and organ failure, arthritis and other bone issues. Chigger will be celebrating her 6th birthday on March 3, 2018. We cherish the years we have had with her and anticipate many more. She has been retired to the farm due to arthritis in her legs however, she loves when the children visit and they love her too!
Barn Name: “CINNAMON”
Registered Name: WLS’ Cinnamon Mist of Carousel Farms
2006 Mare AMHR Currently Measures 33.75”
She is a Dark Sorrel Pinto with lots of spark and a little bit of ‘roaning’ across the back! She has a nice straight blaze down her face and 4 white stockings and ring around her rear. She has a petite build, a pretty face, brown eyes, and a soft mane & tail. She has an amazing disposition, is very well mannered, and she loves to please. Although she was cart trained a few years ago, she is currently one of our very select broodmares. She is an awesome little mamma, and all of her foals make great therapy horses and have inherited her gentle manners, and unique intelligence. We call her our little resident ‘Red-head’, and she proves to be one of the smartest horses in the herd. Her foals include Truffle, Cavalier Soldier, and Angel-Heart.
Barn Name: “CARLOS”
Registered Name: Piddy Paddocks Carlos Azul
1997 Gelding AMHR / AMHA Currently Measures 33.75”
He is a Silver Dapple with Flaxen mane & tail, soft eyes and pretty face.
He has an amazing attitude and is cart & buggy trained. He drives single and double with his son Tango and is trained to for a 4 horse hitch. He is bomb proof and one of our seasoned program horses and never fails to please.
Barn Name: “TANGO”
Registered Name: Haven Lee CD
1997 Gelding AMHR Currently Measures 35.50”
He is the offspring of Carlos and is registered as a Chocolate Dapple with Flaxen mane & tail. He has his sire’s soft eyes, pretty face, and amazing personality. He he is one of our seasoned program horses and is gentle and easy to manage. He is also cart & buggy trained and drives single, double, and for a 4 horse hitch. He is the perfect team mate to his dad, Carlos. (pictured above)
Barn Name: “TRUFFLE”
Whispering Ponies Ranch Name: Tricky’s Little Cinnamon Truffle
Her Sire is a buckskin Overo, named LTD’s Magic Trick – aka Tricky. Her Dam, WLS’s Cinnamon Mist of Carousel Farms is still on the farm and is currently giving us more sweet tempered babies as we speak.
2009 Mare GRADE Currently Measures 32.00”
Truffle is a solid Smokey Black Overo with a black mane and tail, and has a small star on her forehead, a petite frame, friendly eyes, and “pony-kissable” face. She is extremely patient, and eager to please, and has always been a wonderful kid’s horse. When Truffle was born, our 3 year old granddaughter Kate was the first one to bond with her immediately after foaling. When Truffle turned 3 years old, Kate spent an entire summer cart training her once. She has the perfect disposition we look for when adding horses to our program.
Barn Name: “SUNSHINE”
Registered Name: Baby Sunshine Journey’s Kisses
2010 Gelding AMHR Currently Measures 37.00”
A flashy Sorrel Pinto with flaxen mane & tail and 4 fancy white socks.
He is the offspring of one of our select brood mares we call Buttercup. She was already bred when we purchased her. His Sire (Not on our farm) a is 32.00” Sorrel Pinto named Sunshine Boy.
Sunshine has gorgeous quintessential western style markings that are very eye appealing and he is extremely photogenic.
Sunshine nearly died at birth. He was a bit disoriented and could not figure out how to nurse his mamma. It was her first foal and she was a bit confused as well. So, after consulting our veterinarian, I was instructed to milk his mamma! WHAT? Are you serious? How do you milk a horse? Well, I had never milked a horse but with a crash course, I learned real fast! It was certainly touch and go that first night, however, after he got the necessary colostrum, and had several feedings in his tummy, he stood upright, kicked up his little heels, did a half flip, and contentedly laid back down. That’s when we knew he would pull through.
Sunshine is cart trained and we are currently putting hours on him.
Barn Name: “LITTLE RED”
Registered Name: WPR’s Shades’s Magic Red Racer
2013 Solid Sorrell Gelding AMHR Currently Measures 32.50”
He is the offspring of one of our brood mares named Buttercup. His sire is LTD’s Shades of Magic, a very sweet tempered 32.00” grey pinto overo, no longer on our farm.
He is the younger brother of Sunshine pictured above. He has a very likable disposition. He is now cart trained however we are still putting hours on him. He will added to our program once his training is complete.
Barn Name: “REBEL”
Registered Name: WPRS Grand Slams Baby Grand Storm
2014 Gelding AMHR/AMHA Currently 37”
Sire: LTD’s Grand Slam
Dam: Millwood Stars Lil Stormy Valentine
Rebel is a solid black Gelding with one white sock and a striking blaze down his face. Sharp eyes, a confident attitude, and definitely an independent thinker. He is easy to work with and loves people. He is currently scheduled for cart training and hopefully join our program very soon.
Barn Name: “Blondie”
Registered Name: WGF Dusty’s Golden Sunraye Frost
2012 Filly AMHR / AMHA Currently Measures 28”
Blondie is a spunky Palomino. She has a sweet face and is always ready to go. She is one of our main therapy horses and takes her job serious. She loves people and is super gentle with kids and has been used in birthday parties as well. She brings joy to everyone she visits. She really loves her grain and is such good girl!
Barn Name: “BUTTERCUP”
Registered Name: Baby Bear Teddy
2006 Mare AMHR Currently Measures 34.50”
Buttercup is a Red Dun with a white mane and tail. She’s a pretty mare with the best disposition. She is a good mamma which makes our job training her foals so much easier! Her foals are the perfect size for therapy, saddle pony, or for pulling carts. She is one of our favorite brood mares and we currently have five of her babies on site which include; Sunshine, Little Red, Diamond, Gemma, and the youngest one, Chase. These horses will remain here to be part of our equine activities, visitations, and other programs. Buttercup is also cart trained for single or double, and saddle trained by the Amish folks up north near Sedalia, MO. She is easy to manage and is willing to do anything we ask of her. She has been used in birthday parties, and is gentle with kids. She is currently in foal to our new stallion Spot for 2018. This one will be a full sibling to Chase.
Barn Name: “GEMMA”
Registered Name: WPRs Hoss’ Gemma Baby Bear Gift
2015 Filly AMHR (PENDING) Currently Measures 31.00”
A pale Palomino with white a mane and tail. She is a full sister to Diamond.
Gemma is very manageable. She’s a maturing into a very sensible horse and is going to make a great cart team mate with her older brother Diamond. Due to her sweet and mannerly disposition she has been used for therapy visitation, however, her larger size makes her a great candidate for a multi-purpose life here on the ranch. Like her brother Diamond, she is a warm hearted little gal and coming along quite nicely! I look forward to seeing how her and brother Diamond mature together.
Barn Name: “DIAMOND”
Registered Name: WPR’s Hoss’ Diamond Bear Gift (PENDING)
2014 Gelding AMHR Currently Measures 33.00”
Diamond is a Pale Palomino with white mane and tail. At birth he had a small blaze on his nose that formed perfect diamond at the bottom. It has stretched a bit and since then, but we still call him by his first given name. He is a stout horse with kind eye and sweet disposition. He is easy to manage and loves to get scratched. Diamond is currently scheduled for training this summer for cart and saddle. He’s a quick learner and will be joined by his younger sister Gemma. They will make great program horses with their willingness to follow your lead. A perfectly matched team for future fun.
Barn Name: “JUSTIN”
Registered Name: IONA Farms Just My Luck (HOF)
2002 Gelding AMHR / AMHA Currently Measures 33.55”
Justin is a solid black with a black mane and tail. He has a very small white snip on his forehead. He has a petite frame and awesome conformation. He is a veteran of the AMHR show ring and a member of the Hall of Fame. He is cart trained and has adapted quite nicely to farm living and is now part of our program. We are proud to have Justin on our ranch. Thank you Cindy Coffman for the honor of owning this awesome little guy.
Barn Name: “TINK”
Registered Name: NOT KNOWN. Papers were lost before we bought her.
Approximately 16 years old. (As of 2017) Currently Measures 33.55”
Tink is a short legged, multi-colored pinto mare. She is cart trained to pull single or double and drives like a dream. She has come a long way while at the ranch. She has taught me many things and still continues to ‘whisper’ to me. She inspired the name WHISPERING PONIES RANCH. If you want to know why this little girl is so important you can read more about her in my book, NO FENCES, By Nita Horn.
Click here to buy No Fences by Nita Horn
Barn Name: “CALLLIE”
Registered Name: Red Fawn Maiden CR
2001 Mare – AMHR/AMHA Currently measures 30.75”
Callie is a Sorrel Appaloosa with doe type eyes, red roaning across her back, and a frosted blanket on her rear. Her mane and tail looks like mixed pumpkin spices. Se has a wonderful temperament and is very patient. Callie is currently in training for visitation therapy horse.
Barn Name: “MULAN”
Registered Name: Bear Farms Holly Dream
2010 Mare – AMHR/AMHA Currently measures 32.00”
Mulan is a golden Buckskin with a small star on her forehead, a black-brown mixed mane and tail, 4 dark stockings. She has lovely eyes, a petite frame, and soft muzzle. She is a very kind little mare with great manners and passes on to her foals. She is one of our select brood mares and has given us three pretty babies with a natural therapy disposition. Her foals include, Dream, Mr. Smurtz, and Giggles Bandita. Pictured here in her winter fuzzies, she awaits the clippers.
Barn Name: “VALENTINE”
Registered Name: Millwood Stars Lil Stormy Valentine
2002 Mare – AMHR/AMHA Currently measures 37.00”
Valentine is a flashy Sorrel Pinto with a white star on her forehead and snip on her nose, and a mixed mane and tail. She is a veteran of the show ring and is trained to pull single, double, or even in a 4 horse hitch. Her unique markings are quintessentially western and since she is a bit taller, her foals are perfect size for saddle and carts. She has a wonderful and very manageable disposition and gets along with anyone. Her foals include Rebel and Amen. She is currently in foal to Spot for a 2018 baby.