Rocky was an HHK Equine Assistant for almost 8 years. During his time of service his role was to give our physically affected riders the ability to ride. Being a big horse, 17 hands, he was able to support the bigger riders. He was always patient and kind and careful about his steps. He was also very good at teaching our smaller riders how to walk and trot. As the years went on, his arthritis became an issue and we had to stop using him for bigger riders, and he was too stiff for the little riders to maneuver. Normally, when we have horses that aren’t able to be ridden we have them assist with our Equine Assisted Learning sessions. These sessions include games and activities on the ground. We have the students lead the horses through, over, around and between obstacles, using a variety of props. This was not something Rocky enjoyed and he could be a bit spooky. So, we recently made the decision to retire him from the program. This was not an easy decision because we love having him around, but we wanted to do what was best for him. He is now living with Joe (our farrier and bodyworker) and Cindy Elliott. He is in a huge paddock with a pal, living the life.
