top of page
Gracie's Place
Our Residents
Gracie
Gracie was our very first horse and our rescue's namesake. We adopted Gracie from a rescue that is no longer in operation. She is a Tennessee Walking Horse born around 2002 and stands about 14.2 hands high. She was rescued from a pasture after her owner passed away; unfortunately, we know very little about her background and history. Since being with us, Gracie has taught us so much about horse care, handling, and rescue. Her rehabilitation was long and expensive, but she has inspired our rescue journey, wanting to give vulnerable horses a new start in life. She is a sensitive but gentle mare; her cooperative nature makes her suitable for smaller and younger riders learning the basics of riding and horsemanship.
Millie
Millie is a Mustang from Divide Basin Wyoming. She was born May 7th, 2018, and was orphaned at just a few months old. We adopted Millie from the BLM as a 6-month-old, where she was scrawny and filled with parasites. With much dedication and tender loving care, Millie soon blossomed into the kind, goofy girl who is adored by all who meet her. We have now fully trained her under saddle and she has joined our horsemanship program. Millie teaches intermediate riders who have learned the basics and are ready to fine-tune their horsemanship skills.
Cherokee
Cherokee is an American Paint mare, standing almost 16 hands, born around 2001. She was purchased by the founders before the rescue was established to help teach riding and horsemanship, as Gracie was struggling with her health and soundness. Cherokee is from Nevada where she was a broodmare, having had 6+ foals prior to her arrival here. She moved to Idaho where she was a pack and hunting horse before arriving at Gracie's Place. Cherokee now enjoys a life of leisure, where she is retired from breeding and hunting. She now teaches adults and teenagers beginning to intermediate riding. She is known for her wonderful work ethic and positive attitude no matter the activity.
Lady
Lady is an American Saddlebred cross we picked up from Terrebonne, Oregon, as a 7-month-old in 2021. She was born as a surprise to her owner when her stallion accidentally got out. She didn't know Lady's mom was even pregnant and came out one blazing, July day to a newborn filly with identical markings to her father! Since her arrival here, she has been started under saddle and mastered the basics of unmounted handling. She is not yet finished growing, but she will continue her education this summer, slowly learning more as she physically and mentally matures. She is doing great and is a pleasure to have with her extroverted personality and beautiful coat pattern. We are so excited to watch her progress and join the program someday.
Dreamer
Dreamer is an adorable Hackney pony born in April of 1998, standing 11.3 hands tall. She quickly began her career as a show pony. She was shown in-hand, jumping, and driving, winning numerous awards and ribbons. She had a successful show career with a couple different owners before arriving here. Since her arrival in 2022, Dreamer has quickly become a favorite among the children around here. She teaches children under 100 pounds beginning, intermediate, and advanced riding principles. She does it all around here, from Mommy and Me class to jumping lessons and trail course camp. We love Dreamer's sweet and spunky personality and versatility. She is always up for any new adventure.
Timber
Timber is a registered Appendix gelding who arrived here in 2022, needing a lot of nutrition and TLC. Born in 1996, Timber is the oldest, current resident at Gracie's Place. Timber was previously a packing and hunting horse, almost his entire life, but when his owner's living situation changed, Timber quickly lost weight and became in poor health. After extensive rehabilitation involving added nutrition, deworming, dental work, conditioning, and treating a painful sunburn, Timber has since flourished here at Gracie's Place. He gets along with almost every horse and human alike, and is known for being a kind gentleman. Despite weighing 1200 pounds and standing 16.1 hands tall, Timber's patience and gentle nature has made him suitable for almost every activity. He has taught many the joys of riding and horsemanship, from ages 3 to 65! Timber is adored by everyone he meets; we hope he will grace us with his company for many more years to come.
Bella
Bella is a beautiful, buckskin Peruvian Paso mare born around 2001. In her younger years, Bella went on extensive hunting and packing trips, traveling over tough terrain into rural country. Bella developed DSLD as she aged, a degenerative disease to the suspensory ligaments in her hind legs; the exact cause of the disease is unknown, but her breed is believed to have a genetic predisposition. Following her diagnosis, Bella developed mobility restrictions, and could no longer carry most adult riders. She was then sold to a young girl to help teach her the basics of riding and horsemanship. After a couple of years, the little girl outgrew Bella and begun looking for a faster, more athletic horse. With most people worried by the disease Bella possessed, it was proving very difficult to find Bella a new home; stumbling across the situation, we offered Bella a forever home here at Gracie's Place. Bella truly has a heart of gold, and now has the easy task of being dressed up and played with by small children. Bella is by far the most popular option for mommy and me class due to her lovable nature and easy-going temperament. Bella has also joined camps, birthday parties, and lessons with small riders. She loves being adored around here, and the feeling is sure mutual among all who meet her.
Maggie
Maggie is a Mustang mare from the Navajo Nation, a Native American reservation in Northern Arizona. Unfortunately, very little regarding Maggie's history before arriving in Idaho is known. Her heritage was only recently discovered by the hot brands she possesses on her shoulder and hip. Technically a pony height, Maggie only stands about 14.1 hands tall, but with her stocky build and confident personality, you would probably think she is much bigger! It is believed Maggie worked on cattle ranches between Texas and Florida before being sold to a woman in Nevada for kid's birthday parties. After moving to Idaho, Maggie was sold to a loving owner who wasn't honestly informed about Maggie's abilities and personality. Not being a good fit, her owner kindly donated her to our program where she knew she would be treasured and valued forever. Maggie now does a little bit of everything from camps, lunge lessons, mommy and me class, and more. Maggie is known for her intelligence and calm demeanor. Her quick-witted nature requires kind, consistent handling and a relationship built on trust and respect with her handler. When these are achieved, the sky is the limit for what Maggie can accomplish.
Mocha
Mocha is a gaited Rocky Mountain Horse mare from Kentucky, with the classic "silver dapple" coloring. She was born around 2011 and stands about 14.3 hands tall. Mocha was bred in Kentucky and trained to be a trail horse. Her confident nature is well-suited for the unknowns one might encounter when on a long trail in wilderness country. She was also trained to trail course obstacles and can pose on stands and cross anything you put in front of her. Mocha was offered to us when the facility where she lived was being closed down. She came up to Idaho from Utah and soon joined our program. Mocha is an introverted horse, not known for being social or outgoing, but she is calm and confident. Mocha is happy to ride out by herself and is never phased at new adventures or stimuli. She has quickly become popular around here for beginner lessons as well as camps, events, and much more. We especially appreciate Mocha's unflappable demeanor for rainy or windy days. She may not go very quickly, but she will get her rider there safely!
Jasper
Jasper is an Appaloosa gelding, standing about 15 hands, born around the year 2000. He arrived here in February of 2024, and was brought to Gracie's Place from Rexburg, ID, by a kind, third party individual who was willing to help. After tracing the brand on his right hip, it was discovered Jasper was formerly a trail horse for the public just outside of Yellowstone. Jasper did this with one seeing eye for almost his whole life, until he began losing vision in his other eye due to Equine Recurrent uveitis, a condition very common to his breed. Following this, he was sold and his new owners struggled with getting his hind hooves trimmed; his poor vision makes balancing on them harder than most horses. Due to this, they planned to euthanize him by bullet. He was then taken in by a lady in Rexburg; shortly after, she decided to donate him to our program. Since arriving here, Jasper has made loads of progress with his hoof-handling. He can be ridden, despite his compromised vision, with consistent direction and guidance. Jasper has participated in both group and private lessons and we are excited to see his additional progress this year.
Galley
Galley is a 13.2 hand Welsh Pony gelding foaled in April of 2008. Galley was bred, born, and raised at a lesson barn in Meridian, ID. He was actually one of the first horses Amelia learned to ride and jump on. Galley's personality was never well-suited to the bustling environment of a boarding and lesson program. Having strange, new riders on his back made Galley anxious, and when it became too much, he would have episodes of panicking and running. When Galley's owner became ill with lung cancer, she knew she would never have the capacity again to ride and care for Galley how he needed. This is how Galley ended up with us at Gracie's Place. Galley was purchased and the money went towards his owner's cancer treatment. Since arriving at Gracie's Place, Galley's confidence and trust has grown. He will now patiently stand for the farrier, cooperate for the veterinarian, allow strangers to approach him, lead him, and feed him snacks (his favorite), and has even taught a handful of private lessons to intermediate students! When in an environment where Galley feels safe and comfortable, he has proven to be a talented pony with beautiful movement, talented jumping, and a heart of gold. Galley will continue to participate in programs however he feels comfortable. We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to help him find love, trust, and safety.
Piper
Piper is a Morgan mare, standing around 14.2 hands tall, who was born around the year 2000, according to our veterinarian. Unfortunately, Piper is another one of our rescues who we don't have much history on. We know she was left at a boarding facility when her owner didn't pay her boarding fees. The facility owner sold her to a family to be a young girl's first horse. Piper is very intelligent, and the little girl's lack of experience was no match for Piper's quick-witted nature. Shortly thereafter, Piper arrived at Gracie's Place. Piper needed to put on some weight, but mostly, her hooves had a severe thrush infection which required extensive care and rehabilitation. Thrush is a bacterial infection of the horse's frog, the soft triangular-shaped structure, on the underside of the hoof. It causes dark, foul-smelling discharge and severe tenderness and pain. The infection was so severe that the frogs on her front hooves fell out! It is certainly better, but healing it completely has been a long road. Fortunately, she is now much more comfortable. Under saddle, Piper has also required training and rehabilitation. She doesn't trust her riders hands; as a result, she carries her head very high and inverts her neck, which could lead to pain and tension. Piper has learned the cue for lowering her head, and has started to find safety and relaxation. Her favorite activity is Mommy and Me class, where she can be groomed and pampered, and she doesn't have to worry about a rider's cues. Piper has also participated in camps and lessons. With more training and positive experiences, her trust will certainly grow, and we've been enjoying helping her find relaxation and a positive riding experience.
Laney
Standing about 14 hands, Laney is a beautiful, Welsh Cob mare with a flaxen chestnut coat and striking feathers. Laney was born in Washington state to a Welsh Cob breeder in 2005. She was primarily a broodmare, having had 3 foals before being started for riding and driving at the age of 8. She was then sold, and became her owner's companion and riding horse for the next decade. Her owner decided she needed something more suited to her age, so she decided to list Laney for sale. She was then purchased by our secretary/barn manager, Dayna, as her 50th birthday present. We picked her up from Portland, Oregon, and her previous owners were thrilled to have Laney come here. Fast forward to now, Laney has been a wonderful addition to the Gracie's Place herd. As well as being Dayna's personal horse, she has taught lessons, participated in Girl Scout events, and helped with Mommy and Me classes. Her unmotivated nature and kind demeanor makes her well-suited for beginners and children. We are so thrilled to have Laney with us; we hope to have her around for a long time to come.
Heidi
Heidi arrived here in the early fall of 2024 needing extensive rehabilitation. Heidi is a Quarter Horse mare standing about 15 hands and around 20 years old according to our vet's assessment. We are not sure where or how Heidi got her start in life, but when the first owner we know of became ill, Heidi was given to a friend. We were told Heidi had a negative start with a trainer, and she never had the opportunity to be re-trained before her owner became ill. At the friend's house, Heidi remained scared of people and difficult to catch. With no fencing to house her, she was tethered to a pole for years to prevent her from wandering. Sadly, Heidi had never been evaluated by a vet, wasn't being properly fed, and hadn't had her feet trimmed for years. She grew long, hard hooves that curved upwards and sideways, and began to cause significant strain on her knees and joints. When we went to pick up Heidi, she was in terrible pain from the long hooves and was covered in bugs, making her itch and bald. Miraculously, we caught her within 5 minutes, loaded her up, and brought her home. She has undergone extensive vetting and farrier work, receiving dental work, x-rays, and sedated trimming. Damage had been done to the interior structures of her legs and joints from the long hooves, but our vet believes she was rescued in time to make a recovery and find some healing. Heidi's healing journey will be long and extensive, both physically and mentally; though we do not know what else Heidi has endured in her life, it is evident Heidi has had negative handling experiences and shows extreme distrust of people. Heidi is currently in training to continue working on trusting people and relaxing. Her long hooves have seen loads of improvement, and with each trim, her soundness improves. Hopefully someday Heidi can relax enough to allow people to experience her kind, gentle personality and share in her progress. In the meantime, Heidi will enjoy rehabilitation for however long it takes, knowing she's safe and no longer in pain.
Teddy
Teddy is big Appendix gelding standing 16.2 hands tall and weighing over 1200 pounds. We named him for his kind nature and soft eyes; he reminded us of a cuddly Teddy bear! Teddy arrived here in the early fall of 2024. Based on the vet's assessment, he is around 20 years old. Much of his history is unknown, but fortunately, we were able to trace his hip brand and lip tattoo to find some additional information about him. He was bred in Colorado and was raced at some point. He was clearly very well trained, but ended up in a situation where his owner could no longer keep weight on him. He was given to a family member where he put on weight before finding a permanent home; that is when he found his way here! Since being with us, we have discovered Teddy is a gentle giant and love bug despite his large stature. He quickly has become a favorite here, and has already helped teach riders of all ages beginning to intermediate riding principles. He is truly a gem to have and we are grateful he found his way here.
Buster
Buster is a 13.1 hand POA, or "Pony of the Americas" born around 2010. Buster is from South Dakota, where he was given as payment for a house painting service. After some time sitting, he was then given to a family member, the reason for his trip to Idaho. He arrived at a local lesson program with his new owner. Unfortunately, Buster was not well-suited for the bustling environment of a boarding and lesson facility. It began to give him anxiety, causing him to panic and spook during lessons. Buster's owner came to the sad conclusion that he needed a calmer environment and someone experienced to help him work through his anxieties. Buster has shown to be a kind pony, but it is apparent he hasn't always had positive handling experiences. Since his arrival in the fall of 2024, Buster has been learning about trusting people, processing unknown stimuli, and gaining confidence in his environment. He has participated in a handful of private lessons and we are hopeful he will participate more as his education and trust grows. We are excited to be a part of his journey, finding a purpose where he can feel confident, safe, and loved.
Sunny
Sunny is a palomino Quarter Horse gelding who arrived with Thunder in November of 2024. Based on our vet's assessment of his teeth, he appears to have been born around 1999. He stands about 15 hands and has undergone extensive evaluation since arriving here at Gracie's Place. During his vet evaluation, it was discovered Sunny has a condition called THO, a degenerative disease affecting the temporohyoid joint. Sunny received an endoscopy of his guttural pouches to check for the condition after the vet suspected with his head tilt. Due to this, he receives very careful teeth floating, specific supplements and anti-inflammatories, and is only ridden in a bitless bridle. Despite the condition causing deafness in his right ear, Sunny remains easy going and gentle for beginning riders. He has participated in mommy and me classes, beginner camps, and intro lessons as well. We hope to have Sunny's bright personality and silly antics around for many years to come.
Thunder
Thunder is a very large grade gelding, meaning his breeding is unknown. He appears to be some sort of draft cross. We do not know much about his past before arriving here. He arrived with Sunny in November of 2024, and was born around 2004, according to the vet's estimate based on his teeth. He came to Gracie's Place after his original owner couldn't keep weight on him, and the following owner no longer wanted him. Thunder was trained under saddle at some point, but we believe he has had a lot of time off. He has been re-learning the basics of riding and ground manners. At 16.3 hands tall and nearly 1300 pounds, he is our largest horse. He is a big goofy boy who is known for his love of snacks and his intelligence. He has been showing us his ability for learning new concepts quickly, and also opening gates! Thunder will continue his training and will soon join the program for adults and taller riders!
Luna
Luna is a registered Thoroughbred mare who arrived to Gracie's Place in the early winter of 2024. She has a unique coat color called "flea-bitten grey" and stands 15.3 hands tall. She was born in March of 2005. She raced for the first years of life in California before beginning life as a broodmare. She since bounced around to several different homes, where she did a variety of different activities. She was jumped, trailered to clinics and beaches, and had another foal. When her owner's life situation changed and they no longer had time for her, they sought out a spot for her at Gracie's Place. After a period of evaluation and some weight gain, Luna is now ready to join the program, starting with teaching intermediate riders the English riding style. Luna has a kind demeanor and some pep in her step! She is energetic and enthusiastic. We are excited to have her on our journey and continue getting to know her.
Honey
A Gypsy Vanner cross, Honey is the newest addition to the Gracie's Place herd, and now the youngest! Born in June of 2024, Honey will spend the next several years growing, maturing, and learning unmounted handling and manners. Since arriving in February of 2025, Honey has already learned so much. She can halter easily, lead, lift her feet, stand tied to be groomed and bathed, and has started learning the basics of pressure, release, and lunging. Honey has a sweet personality and is known to be an attention hog already, often found begging for scratches and pets. She should mature around 15 hands high, and we are so excited to watch her growth and progress.
bottom of page