Get to Know Our Incredible Herd

At Albany Therapeutic Riding Center, our horses are at the center of everything we do. Each one plays a unique role in supporting riders as they build strength, confidence, and connection. Carefully selected for their temperament, training, and adaptability, our herd brings patience, intuition, and consistency to every lesson.

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A girl wearing a helmet and purple jacket walking a brown horse with a white marking on its face on a lead line in front of a large barn with a brown roof and red and beige siding.

Our Program Horses

  • Close-up of a palomino horse wearing a purple halter outdoors with a white fence and a red barn in the background.

    Elsa Marie

    Haflinger, 4/10/1998
    Sponsored by Allie Gleaton

    ​Elsa Marie is a 28-year-old Haflinger mare who is full of sugar, spice, and everything nice. Elsa is sweet yet sassy and makes it known that she marches to the beat of her own drum. She's our stubborn star pupil who loves serving all levels of riders and building emotional connections with her humans. The quickest way to Elsa's heart is through treats and scratches, especially on her neck and chest. She gets sensitive to the bugs in the summer and loves a helping hand to scratch all those hard-to-reach places!

  • Close-up of a white and brown horse with a red barn and green grass in the background.

    Tanner

    Spotted Draft Cross, 7/15/1998
    Sponsor Needed

    Tanner is a 28-year-old Spotted Draft Gelding who loves to hang out with friends and get brushed. He has been shown in Western Pleasure in the past and has done plenty of trail riding. Due to his age, Tanner doesn't do mounted lessons often, but he is a wise and calm companion who loves treats! You'll often see him wearing his UV-protective fly mask when he's outside because he has sensitive eyes. Don't worry, he can see out of it! 

    Tanner was donated by Dana Hendrickson.

  • Close-up of a white and brown horse wearing a blue halter, standing outdoors with green trees and a white fence in the background.

    Apollo

    American Paint, 5/26/1997
    Sponsored by Lillian Herba

    ​Apollo is a 29-year-old American Paint Horse registered with the American Paint Horse Association (APHA) under the name, Jack J Stormy. Miss Kate and her mom, Kristine, purchased Apollo in 2003. Apollo walks, trots, canters, and used to jump. He loves teaching children how to ride, including Miss Kate’s own daughter, Lillie. He has been a youth stock horse and participated in countless lessons, trail rides, and horse shows during the years that Miss Kate has owned him. He has won innumerable English EQ championships. He loves being brushed and using people as human scratching posts.

  • Close-up of a light brown horse with a black halter, standing outdoors near a white fence, red barn, and green trees.

    Music

    Quarter Horse, 5/7/2001
    Sponsor Needed

    Music is a 25-year-old Registered Quarter Horse Gelding that was purchased by ATRC back in September of 2022. Music is an instant fan favorite! He's known to greet all who come to his fence. He is always chatting with passersby and has been deemed the farm's "Golden Retriever." Music is a happy guy who loves snacks, performing fancy moves in the arena, and his best buddy, Apollo! Make sure to share some horse cookies with your new BFFL Music when you are at the farm!

  • A cream-colored horse wearing a navy halter standing outdoors with a white fence and a red barn in the background.

    Blue

    Quarter Horse, 2004
    Sponsor Needed

    Blue joined ATRC's herd at the end of January 2025 and fit right in! Before coming to the farm, he competed in the 3' Hunter Division with his owner, Dani, for five years! Dani has owned him since he was 6 months old, and we are happy to welcome him to our family. At 22, Blue is an all-around great guy! He's willing to walk, trot, canter, jump, and trail ride! Blue loves spending time with fellow herd member Tanner, all kinds of treats, and napping in the sunshine.

  • Close-up of a chestnut horse wearing a pink halter outdoors with trees and a white fence in the background.

    Nova

    Quarter Horse, 2003
    Sponsor Needed

    Nova is a 23-year-old red roan American Quarter Horse Association mare. She was purchased by her owner, Payton, from TN in 2010, and has competed in the American Professional Rodeo Association (APRA). Nova won APRA breakaway horse of the year in 2018 and brought Payton to the APRA Finals several years in a row!  Nova is an easy-going, laid-back, old girl. She loves scratches on her neck, chest, and forehead. She loves to be groomed and to graze grass with pasture mates, especially during the spring months.

  • Close-up of a brown horse with a white blaze on its face, wearing a teal halter, outdoors with green trees and a white fence in the background.

    Opie

    Irish Sport Horse, 2003
    Sponsored by Karin Spencer

    Opie is a 16.2 hand, 23-year-old Irish Sport Horse, originally from Tipperary, Ireland! He is owned by ATRC's Barn Manager, Lindsey, who purchased him as her first horse! Opie was an eventing horse, competing in dressage, cross country, and stadium jumping in his younger years. Upon retiring from showing, he became a lesson horse before finding his way to us!

Our Small Animal Herd

  • A small brown horse walking toward the camera on a grassy field with a white fence and trees in the background.

    Jerry Lee

    Miniature Horse
    Sponsor Needed

  • A donkey standing outdoors on grass, with a white fence and trees in the background, and a bench to the right.

    Elvis

    Miniature Donkey
    Sponsored by Paul Aloy

  • A black goat standing on a platform with white markings, inside a wooden barn with metal walls.

    June

    Goat
    ​Sponsored by Maria Aloy

  • A black and white cat walking on a concrete sidewalk with rocks on the side.

    Sir Oscar

    Barn Kitty in Training
    Sponsored by Lulu & Skipp

In Loving Memory

  • Close-up of a white horse with a halter, standing outdoors with a green background.

    Pillsbury DoughBoy, "Doughy"

    June 30, 2025

    Doughy joined the farm in February 2024! Doughy was owned by and leased to us by his human, Susan. He was a 20+ year old Quarter Horse gelding starting as a ranch horse in Tennessee before coming to NY. When he came to Susan, he took to jumping very quickly and was a natural. He successfully competed in the adult hunter division for several years before retiring and starting his new career at ATRC. Doughy is greatly missed by all at ATRC.

  • Gray cat sitting outdoors on a sidewalk with a blurred background of grass and trees.

    Momo the Barn Kitty

    May 27, 2025

    Momo was our barn cat who loved spending his time in the dirt and sun, rubbing his head on the bottom of your muddy boots, and sleeping in his cat bed in the utility room (or on top of the heated vents!). He will be greatly missed.

  • Close-up of a brown and white horse wearing a colorful halter, standing outdoors with a green landscape in the background.

    Jane

    February 9, 2025

    Jane was donated by Terri and Dave Hendrickson​. Jane was a 29-year-old Spotted Draft mare​. Jane was a broodmare in the past, so she had a few babies! She was also a show horse, had been driven by herself and in a pair. Jane loved grass, cookies, and all of the scratches! She was best friends with Tanner and Elsa, and loved the fan in her stall. Jane is dearly missed and will continue to hold a special place in ATRC's hearts.

  • A dog with a large build and dark fur is relaxing in a small blue plastic kiddie pool outdoors on grass, with a red barn and white fence in the background.

    Johnny Cash

    2024

    We lost our piggie friend Johnny Cash in the Winter of 2024. Johnny lived a long and happy pig life with his mini friends. He will be missed by all!

  • A young woman with long hair smiling and holding a horse's bridle outdoors in a green field.

    ​"Montana" King Klegg

    November 29, 2021

    Montana was a 29-year-old chestnut Quarter Horse gelding and was owned by Miss Taylor, our Executive Director! Montana was a rockstar lesson horse; he had been teaching people of all ages and abilities from their first lesson to their first time cantering. Montana was the sweetest. He loved all things peppermint and loved the occasional potato chip (even though we'd told him plenty of times that potato chips are not for horses). Any time he heard packaging crinkling, he would be right in your pocket. He also enjoyed rolling in the dirt after every bath he got, which did not make Taylor, Lauren, or the volunteers super happy, but it made him happy, so that's all that mattered. ​Montana was blind in his left eye, but you could never tell! He navigated his environment like a champ, but he may have bumped you with his nose to find you if you are standing on his left side. We miss him so dearly, but glad he is running through grassy pastures in horsey heaven.

  • A brown horse wearing orange traffic cone hats on its ears, held by a person on a leash in an outdoor grassy area.

    Tugboat Teddy

    July 1, 2019

    Teddy was a 29-year-old Haflinger gelding and was one of our wonderful lesson horses. Teddy was ATRC's main lesson horse in the past, teaching many riders the skills and knowledge that go along with riding.  Despite his oddities and unique tendencies, Teddy was a sensible and very good boy who loved all the attention he could get! He was very trustworthy and dependable, and definitely a farm favorite with our riders and volunteers. Teddy will be deeply missed, and our memories of him will be forever cherished. The farm is quiet without his silly attitude and mushy grain face. He will forever have hoof prints on our hearts.

  • A brown horse standing behind a wooden fence at the Albany Therapeutic Riding Center, with a scenic background of green hills and a cloudy sky.

    Mr. Tee

    June 29, 2019

    Mr. Tee was our resident old man. He was an aged Off The Track Thoroughbred (we think he was in his early 30s). He was a gentle, sweet boy who spent his retirement years at Albany Therapeutic Riding Center. Occasionally, Mr. Tee was used for unmounted grooming lessons for those who may not be able to ride safely and who needed a gentle soul to connect with on the ground. Mr. Tee loved watching the deer graze in the back hay fields and kicking up his heels frolicking in the back pasture. He was loved by all for his wise old man attitude and quirkiness. He will forever have hoof prints on our hearts.