Our Herd

Dutch is owned and sponsored by Tim and Adrienne Freeland. He is a dark bay quarter horse and is about 20 years old. Dutch has fox hunted, enjoys trail rides, and is a therapy horse who is especially great at grief groups and connection. He is a sweet and sociable guy…but not with cows! Dutch was meant to be a cutting horse in a previous home, but his fear of cows kept him from success. After that, Adrienne welcomed Dutch to her herd, and they have had a strong bond ever since.

Penny is owned and sponsored by Tim and Adrienne Freeland. She is a 30-year-old Welsh paint large pony with much life left in her! Penny will have you hooked with her beautiful blue eyes and sweet face. She loves a nice grooming…especially when you find her sweet spot! In her past, Penny has competed in the jumper ring (a grand champion then and NOW), fox hunted, been a solid trail horse, and, more recently, a therapy horse. She excels at working with grief and veteran groups.

Lucy is owned and sponsored by Tim and Adrienne Freeland. Lucy is a 20-year-old halflinger/pony cross. Like Dutch Master, Lucy fox hunted, rode trails, and is now a therapy horse. She never preferred the show ring but will absolutely shine when trotted over the occasional cross-rail. Lucy appreciates clear communication – no wishy-washy conversations – and needs solid, kind leadership. She may be 20, but has held onto her sass…Lucy is very particular about her bangs! She exceeds in boundary work and is great at teaching clear communication. Lucy is also a member of “Mindful Moments with the Mobile Unit”.

Russell is owned and sponsored by John and Suzanne King. He is a bay Dutch warmblood with an impressive history in the show ring. Russell is now thriving in his second career after losing the ability to jump. He is by far the most social horse in the barn and likes to keep tabs on all his friends. Russell is known to have large opinions when a herd member is not in their proper space. His laid-back and goofy manner fosters true connection and will instantly brighten your day. He excels at grief support groups and Walter Reed sessions.

River is owned and sponsored by John and Suzanne King. She is an 18-year-old dun miniature horse. Don’t let her size fool you, River has a huge personality and has had a tremendous impact on the program. Previously, River was a companion horse in a show barn and has since become the star of the show here at Holistic Horsemanship Services and especially within “Mindful Moments with the Mobile Unit”. Her compact size and friendly demeanor make her approachable to people of all ages.

Duncan is fully sponsored by John and Suzanne King.
Duncan arrived on October 1, 2023, and is a beautiful white Quarter Horse but Adrienne suspects that he has some Arabian in his bloodlines.
He has a beautiful personality but he is a bit of a worrier and very vocal when he feels alone. He, like Russell, likes it when everyone is tucked in and is where they should be. He reminds me of the empty nester Mom who loves it when everyone is home and getting along. He is already very attached to Adrienne and is slowly getting accustomed to more people who are very excited to meet him and hear his story. We can already tell he’s going to be an excellent addition to HHS501C3. We are incredibly grateful to have him join our Equine Assisted Learning team.

Loved and Sponsored by Marilyn Finnemore and Aldo Bello

An Appendix Mare 20 years of age. Until age 7, Abby participated in Western Riding, Cutting, and other ranch work. Since then, Abby has ridden extensively as a trail horse, covering thousands of miles of Northern Va with her partner and friend Marilyn.

Abby has already proved to be a gift to the program. She demonstrates concern for her herd mates, loves to be groomed, and have deep conversations while knowing exactly where all her herd members are.
She craves connection, especially when she is confused about what is being asked of her.

She often dismisses the nonverbal communication of her herd members when she is hyper-focused. “Sound like anyone you might know?”

Lovingly sponsored by the DeTemple-O’Brien Family.

Ladora is a Holsteiner mare from Northern Virginia. Showing under the name Dreamliner–a nod to the revolutionary and high-flying Boeing aircraft– she was named for her graceful and accurate flight over the jumps during her show career, where she partnered with her riders to great success at the highest levels in the hunter, jumper, and equitation rings.

Ladora is equally transformative outside of the ring. Her profound kindness is matched only by her strength and confidence. She thrives as a source of safety and comfort for her human partners in and out of the saddle. Now that she has retired from show jumping, she is grateful to have a purposeful position as an equine therapist at HH501c3.

JLO is sponsored by John and Suzanne King. We have no words for JLO…you just have to meet her.

4 Donkeys are a part of HHS as well. They reside at the home farm. Too much grass is detrimental to donkeys. They do best on hilly steep terrains with less grass. Millie, Hannah, Samson and Houdini are all living their best life 3 miles away from HHS at Adrienne’s home farm. They are sponsored and all board goes directly to HHS 501C3. Thanks to Kathleen and Kerry Skeen and Alison Wishon.

See our Gallery for more fun donkey photos.

Our heaven sent therapy dog.