Below are our beloved school horses.  Horses that are suitable and trustworthy enough to be used to teach riding lessons are very special and worth their weight in gold!  Blessed be the school horses!!!  Carrots are always appreciated!!!

Some of our school horses are available for our Half Lease Program.  Leasing a horse provides an excellent way for potential horse owners to test out what it would be like to have a horse of their own.  The horses are available to be used by their lessees on the days they are not used for lessons (3-4 days per week).  This would include weekends since we do not teach lessons on the weekends.   Some restrictions do apply:

     1.    Leases are only available to students who are currently taking lessons at Stopek Stables.

2.    You must be able to demonstrate that you are able to catch, groom, tack, ride and put away the horse correctly, safely, and without the help of an instructor to qualify to lease.

3.    Horses may not leave Stopek Stables property without permission from Karen.

4.    Lessees get first dibs on showing “their” horse at a show.  Plus, if you are leasing a horse and take it to a show, you only pay the coaching fee, not the school horse fee, thus saving money!

5.    Tack may also be available for lease (if you do not have your own).

6.    Leases will be available in one month terms; therefore you do not need to make a long term commitment! 

Since you will be only “half” leasing the horse, you only have to cover half of the horse’s expenses!  Board will be paid by the lessee, but vet bills, farrier bills and insurance will be covered by Stopek Stables.  If you are interested in half leasing a school horse, please discuss this further with Karen. 

*New at Stopek Stables

13 hh black Medium Pony Hunter mare.  She is registered with the American Quarter Pony Association and Pinto Registry.  "Panda" is a beautiful mover and exhibits text book form over fences.  She loves to jump and has automatic lead changes.

 

*New at Stopek Stables

"Tink" is a 14.2 1/8 hh 9 year old registered bay Thorouoghbred mare.  Perfect for the petite Hunter/Jumper rider.

Photos by Molly Mellinger

"Decaf" is a 2003 17.2+ hh Thoroughbred gelding shown here at his Hunter/Jumper show debut after being owned by Karen for less than 2 weeks.  He ended up Reserve Champion of the 2' Hunter Division.  This was his first show ever!

"Buddy"-1986 gray Arabian gelding-Used in English, Western, Barrels, Poles, Equitation, Horsemanship, Crosspoles, Barely Verticals, Lead-line, Trail and foxhunting.  Pictured above with Hailee (left) and with Danae and their first place ribbon!  Buddy is available for a half lease.

Jewel--1998 13.3 Hh Palomino American Quarter Horse mare-- Used in English, Western, Hunter Over Fences, Equitation and Trails and has foxhunted.

"Misty"-1991 gray Arabian/Quarter Horse mare-Misty is talented in English, Hunters, Equitation, Dressage through First Level, Lead-line, Western, Trails and has foxhunted. 

Electa is a 1989 17 hand liver chestnut Swedish Warmblood mare.  She is by Elektron, a black Swedish Warmblood by Gaspari by Parad and out of Farah by Favorit by Magnifique.  Electa has competed successfully in dressage and is a schoolmaster.  Known around the barn as "Lexi Lou", she will be used as a lesson horse when not in foal.  Pictured above with her beautiful 2006 Swedish Warmblood filly born on Valentine's Day 2006. 

"Trinket" is a Thoroughbred mare that is approved by both the American Trakehner Association and the Oldenburg NA.  She has become a hunter/jumper since retiring from a successful career on the race track.  Trinket is a very scopey jumper and a beautiful hunter.  When not being used as a lesson horse, Trinket is a broodmare at Stopek Stables. 

"Squirt" is a 2000 Section A Welsh pony gelding.  He is broke to ride and drive.  Squirt loves to stand still while kids learn how to groom him and pick out his hooves.  He'll do almost anything for a peppermint!!  Owned by Heather Huntoon.

"Pat" is a 37" 2003 bay tobiano miniature gelding.  He is owned by Hailee Huntoon, but she will share him with other small people (at least until she is old enough to ride him all by herself!)  She is pictured here at 6 months old and then again at one year old with Pat and her mommy (and trainer) Heather Huntoon.  Giddy Up, Pat!

Flicka is a small pinto chocolate palomino gelding.  Flicka loves kids and tolerates anything and everything they can dish out.  He rides both English and Western.  He's cute and well-behaved.

Another school horse at Stopek Stables' riding academy is Queenies Babe, or "Erma" for short.  Erma is also from Lake Erie College's line up of school horses.  She is a 1986  15.2 Hh dark bay Thoroughbred mare with a unique gray mane and diamond shaped star.  Erma is approved by the American Holsteiner Horse Association.  She is a very talented jumper! 

*On November 3, 2007 Erma's pelvis was broken by a kick from another horse.  Very sadly, we had to put her down.  Erma was a favorite of many students at Stopek Stables as well as Lake Erie College.  She taught many kids to ride and jump and helped them win their first ribbons and championships at shows.  She was a sweet horse that was so easy to love.  She will truly be forever missed.

"Roanie" is a 1983 16.2 Hh roan Appendix gelding and he's the biggest teddy bear we've ever seen!  He came all the way from Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio.  Before that, he was a lesson horse at St. Andrews School and before that, he was a top adult amateur horse in Maryland for years and even in the nation for several years.  Roanie is great on the flat and over fences.  He is pictured above in a lesson with Abrianna and then Mackenzie at Stopek Stables. 

*On April 21, 2008 Roanie broke his leg and had to be put to sleep. This is a terrible loss to us.  He was a favorite lesson horse and a wonderful schoolmaster.  His loveable personality is deeply missed.

 

Copyright 2008 by Stopek Stables

This page last updated on October 03, 2008