Jenny & Prowler

My name is Jenny and this is my horse Prowler. I have owned him for three years, and we enjoy trail riding and western riding. I am also training him to drive.

Sara & Precious

I have owned Precious since I was 14 years old. She was the best thing I could ever have asked for. I got her for my birthday when I turned 14 in June of 2005. Not only did I gain so much knowledge and a great horse I also gained my best friend Lauren Sickert.

Precious will be 11 years old March 9th 2008. She is a half Arabian with 1/16 of quarterhorse from her mother. We together are apart of Erie Hunt and Saddle Club and also Lost Hounds Pony Club. We joined Pony Club two years ago and I was just recently rated to a basic D2 level. Precious enjoystrail rides more than anything and LOVES the water at Walnut Creek, one of the places we most often ride at.

Over the years Precious has transformed into the most amazing friend and horse I think there could ever be, and she is Gods greatest gift to me as well. Zucks is a great place and Precious is extremely happy out there, I could not ask for a better place to enjoy horse back riding. My mother grew up at Zucks around the same age as me and also had an arabian she enjoyed her days out there just as much as I am, and the group of people out there are just too much fun!

Precious and I have nine ribbons three third one second and five first place, one of which is the Walk/Trot Champion at EHSC. Along with a giant two foot blue ribbon we got a wooden plaque and silver plate with out names engraved.

Bob

Bob is an APHC Appaloosa gelding. His coat is a leopard pattern with blue points and he has a salt & pepper mane and tail. Bob is still young enough to occasionally try to buck off his rider and old enough to know just the right time to make the attempt. Some of his favorite pastimes include: playing in the pasture with his buddies Hershey and Tim, participating in the occasional horse show, trail riding through Elk Creek and (his very favorite thing) - rolling in the mud.

Tim

Tim has been "down graded" to a pasture buddy for the remainder of his time at Zuck Farms. He has remained lame at the trot, and rather than using medical remedies, we've determined he will be happiest enjoying a good grooming, an occasional walk around the farm, and grazing in the fields.

Poncho

Poncho was the patriarch of Zuck Farms, having lived here almost his entire life. He sadly passed on in February of this year, having lived to a ripe age of 36. He was everyone's friend, and Martin and Poncho were quite a team in the past, and used to pony a lot of Thoroughbreds during the Commodore Downs days. Heidi used Poncho for lessons for many years, most recently for one-time pony rides. He was very popular with young children, having a relaxed, mellow personality his whole life.

He taught all of us what is was to be around a great horse, and he will be greatly missed.

Ben

Ben is Zuck's newest lesson horse. He comes to us from the Therapeutic Riding Equestrian Center where he was used in the therapy program for many years. A stocky, well-built Morgan, we believe Ben to be in his mid-twenties, with many more years of teaching new students the art of horsemanship.

Update: Ben has adjusted well to his new home at Zuck Farms Stables, and is busy most every day with riding lessons. We find that he likes to busy, and gets bored if he sits around too long! He is very good at his job, and he adjusts his manners to the student he is working with - he will challenge the more experience riders, and be very gentle with the true beginners.

Klondike

Zuck Farms welcomed Klondike into the lesson program in November of 2008. He is a draft pony, only 13.2 heads tall, but well-built and sturdy. He's great with beginners and experienced riders alike, and has been shown competitively. He is blind in his right eye, so riders learn to help him accomodate his surroundings. He has pulled a cart and sleigh in the past, and Heidi is looking forward to him teaching her how to do that this winter!

Erica & Talisman (aka Tazz)

Talisman (Tazz) and I have been together for over 10 years! We started out as a 14 year old girl with only a few years of riding lessons, and a 5 year old Thoroughbred 9 months off the race track. We have learned, struggled and celebrated everything together from completing a simple under saddle class in a semi-controlled manner to mastering the tight turns and challenges of a hunter medal course.

We have recently moved to Erie, PA from Ohio and are looking forward to mastering new challenges and just having fun together. We are hoping to try hunter paces or possibly some more cross country schooling this summer. This picture is from the first cross country course Tazz had ever seen last August. He went over everything like a pro and it was such an exciting change of pace from the hunter ring.

Mary & Ebony

Ebony was bought for my as a birthday gift in September 2004 from my boyfriend, Troy. She was a rescue horse and was 2 1/2 years old when we got her. She is a quarter horse cross. Since then we've worked on training her using natural horsemanship methods. She loves her treats and being out in the pasture with her friends.

Lauren & Jake

Jake is my newest project. I got him in February after Lily was put down. I am going to be leasing him for a year or so as a horse to work with. Jake is a 15'2'' Quarter Horse but has the look of an Appendix. He's got quite a personality which is pretty close to mine. I think it's why we get along so well. He's fitting in very well at Zucks especially with his buddy Bob. He doesn't like anyone coming near him when he's in his stall, it's only his territory. When you get him outside of it on the other hand, he's a complete sweetheart. He will do anything to get treats from you, they are his only weakness. He can jump as well as showmanship, cutting, reining, and many other things. He fits in amazingly at Zucks and loves having his head out of the stall seeing whats going on and who is coming in and out of the barn. I couldn't ask for a more perfect place to keep Jake while i have him.

Tina & Fireball

I purchased Fireball in 2003 from CANTER of OH, a wonderful OTTB rescue operation. He has been a wonderful horse since I bought him, with a great mind and fun personality. We have done mini-events, dressage shows, hunter shows, trail riding and our favorite-hunter paces! He's adjusted really well into Zuck's schedule and is enjoying every minute of being temporarily retired and a 17 hand 'pony' for my daughter. He is currently available for lease or possible sale.

Heidi & Signal

I purchased Signal in the spring of 2009, with the intent of working him into a event horse. He is an off-the-track thoroughbred, whose career sadly ended with a bowed tendon. He has healed fine, and we have been actively training in dressage and starting some basic jumping. A 17 hand bay, he has a soft eye and a calm personality. We'd like to do a mini-event in the fall, and possibly a hunter pace, if he continues to progress.

Sarah & Annie

Annie is my three-year old mare that I have worked with for about one year. She is still very young but I usually have a lot of fun with her. I have ridden western for three years and I started riding English just this year. It can be difficult trying to teach a horse this young so many different things but it is an awesome feeling when she has learned something new. I participated in districts for 4-H with Annie and I enjoy taking her for trail rides and to shows.

Jesse and the Plazonys

The Plazony family rescued Jesse in 2007 while living in the Chicago area. She was neglected, but her very 'sweet' and calm personality was still strong and healthy. Now, Jesse, a five year old quarter horse mare, is groomed daily by her family (often 2 or 3 of the kids working on her) and grazing happily for hours. She'll do almost anything we ask of her; english riding, western riding, bareback, lessons (for all the kids plus Mom; even the 6 year old lessons on her), trail riding and even some jumping. For Halloween she was Darth Vador and had to wear a mask, shirt, cape and pants on her front legs..........she was ok with that!! I think her moto is 'whatever.....makes 'you' happy....I'm ok with that'!!!

Owned and loved by the Plazonys: Michele, Ryan, Jake, Caitlin, Will and Erica. (Mike too, he was taking the picture)

Michelle & Mya

Mya is a black and white registered American Paint Horse (Mya Girlz Thunderin). She turned four this year 2010 and has come a long way since i got her two years ago. I found Mya and bought her three weeks after i had to say goodbye to my friend Thunder, it took a long while for us to bond because i felt guilty for getting/wanting another horse, but we are very close now. When i got her she had never had a saddle on or bit in her mouth, I have done her training along with some pointers from a few friends along the way. She currently is just shown in English Pleasure with dreams of one day (with outside training) do some Hunter Jumping, she also trail rides.

Mya is very quiet and enjoys giving rides and sniffing my four year old niece and two year old nephew. Mya's favorite past times are being pampered/spoiled and SLEEPING, but she is still a growing girl! Mya has settled in well, has made new friends, and is really happy at her new home here at Zuck Farms.

Lauren & Bailey

Bailey turned 13 this year 2010. She was a PMU rescue (pregnant mare urine- used in estrogen suppliments- from a farm in Canada) when she was about 6 months old, so it's not 100% certain what breed(s) she is other than she is some sort of draft. She stands at 17.3 hands and weighs just under a ton. She loves kids, treats of any kind, and hates to have her mane neat n combed to one side. Bailey is a lover not a fighter, all she wants is quiet n FOOD!! She is very happy here at Zuck Farms and has made new friends.

Casey

Casey is the latest addition to the lesson horse herd. He's a belgian/quarter horse cross (as near as we can figure!) and is for intermediate and advanced students. Although he is bit older, he still has a LOT of energy and requires a focused rider. He is a great trail horse, and Heidi uses him frequently to pony her smaller students.