Our Horses

Breed: Appendix (Quarter Horse / Thoroughbred cross)

Birth Year: 2014

Joined CORRAL: 2023

Buddy started life in Louisiana, bred with the intention of becoming a racehorse. His racing career was short – he ran in three races, placing 2nd once, and 3rd twice. At some point, an injury to his pelvis ended Buddy’s racing career. Rescued by Second Chance Stables, Buddy came to CORRAL alongside another horse – Lucky.

Buddy is a curious and friendly guy who enjoys sunbathing and spending time with people. He is particularly close with another horse at the Neuse River farm – he and Cap groom each other multiple times a day!

Breed: Grade Pony

Birth Year: 2019

Joined CORRAL: 2023

Lucky was pulled from a kill pen by Second Chance Stables, a horse rescue operating out of Randolph, NC. Originally named Lacey, the rescue changed her name to Lucky since she was close to being passed over (and  she happens to have a four-leaf clover marking on her hind!). As the rescue began to work with Lucky, it became clear that she hadn’t gotten to experience much positivity from humans. She was deeply afraid of people and very anxious. With support from CORRAL’s community, Lucky has started to overcome some of these difficult emotions.

Lucky is young and still trying to figure out who she is as a horse. To support her growth, Lucky was moved to the Cary farm in 2026 after starting out as part of the Neuse River herd. At Cary, she’s gotten to connect with Duchess – a confident mare who has become a little bit like a mentor to Lucky. Their relationship opened the door to a new chapter for Lucky! She’s grown a lot this year. We continue to do groundwork to build trust and help her learn that people can be fun to work and spend time with. We’re excited to see what consistent training can help Lucky achieve.

Breed: Half-draft (Percheron cross)

Birth Year: 2006

Joined CORRAL: Summer 2026

Bruno’s journey started in Canada before he made his way to Charleston, South Carolina. He was a carriage horse at some point, then eventually a trail horse before joining the lesson program at a summer camp in Western North Carolina. As a lesson horse, he enjoyed teaching students how to jump. As he got older, he retired from jumping, but still wanted to work with people. In 2025, he took the year off from camp programming and did a trial run at a therapeutic riding center. Bruno loved this new way of connecting with people! Seeing that he thrived in an equine-therapy role, his owner connected with a CORRAL volunteer and donated Bruno to our program. Bruno is a quiet guy, and very sweet. We’re grateful to have him here at CORRAL and look forward to seeing him shine alongside our students!

Breed: Appaloosa

Birth Year: 2015

Joined CORRAL: Summer 2026

Dior was born out West. In her earlier years, she worked with a few high-level trainers before making her way to North Carolina. She lived most of her life with the woman who donated her to CORRAL. After experiencing some life changes, her owner decided to rehome Dior – this tall Appaloosa mare is now part of our program at the Neuse River farm. We’re still getting to know her and are looking forward to seeing how she grows with our teens!

Breed: Thoroughbred / Trakehner cross

Birth Year: 2006

Joined CORRAL: Summer 2026

Stella was a competitive eventing horse until her owner went to college. She went on to become a lesson horse at a barn in Johnston County. When the lesson program ended, she needed a new home and was donated to CORRAL! So far, Stella has enjoyed working with Join the Herd. We’re still getting to know her and are looking forward to seeing her grow alongside our students.

Breed: Thoroughbred

Birth Year: 2005

Joined CORRAL: 2015

In her younger years, River was a racehorse. She was rescued from a hoarding situation and moved through a series of foster homes. During this time, she worked with several trainers. While she learned some high-level dressage skills, she struggled to relax. Her anxiety became the barrier to her success in the plans people had for her. This anxiety made it difficult for her to maintain a connection with people.

River has grown so much since coming to CORRAL! Today, she’s confident and calm – and she requires that her students meet her with that same energy. If a teen isn’t ready to work with her, she will walk away, cueing them to take time to center themselves and focus on their goal.

Now in her 20’s, it seems like River gains more pep with each passing year. Thriving as a therapy horse at CORRAL, River has been recognized twice for her impact – in 2022, the Jockey Club honored her as the Thoroughbred of the Year. The following year, she received the very first Mayor’s Star Medallion from the Town of Cary. While her CV is surely impressive, the biggest testament to her gifts are the stories of the lives she’s helped change.

Breed: Appendix (Quarter Horse / Thoroughbred cross)

Birth Year: 2002

Joined CORRAL: 2015

While we don’t know much about her early life, we do know that one of Noel’s former owners is now imprisoned for animal abuse. After her rescue, Noel entered a much happier chapter. She was adopted by a kind man who saw her heart and potential. He trained her to ride on cross-country trails, even learning how to jump 3-4 foot tall logs! When she was ready to retire from their adventures, her new owner connected her with CORRAL, where she has blessed our students ever since. Noel has known both the best and worst of life. Every day, she shows our girls that what happened in the past doesn’t define the future.

Her gentleness and steady nature make Noel a great teacher. Her relaxed disposition requires teens to figure out how to use their energy to get her going (left to her own devices, Noel is perfectly happy to enjoy a peaceful nap in the arena). Once a student learns how to be present and confident with her, Noel has a ton of fun!

Breed: Quarter Horse

Birth Year: 2007

Joined CORRAL: 2018

Maya was found at a South Carolina auction sale with a note pinned to her that read: “walk, trot, canter under saddle.” She was pulled from the kill pen by an organization called HERD, and eventually came to North Carolina to start a new life. When she arrived at CORRAL, we named her in honor of Maya Angelou.

Maya is a master of emotional detection. When a student is trying to bury difficult feelings, Maya senses their inner tension and cues them into what they are avoiding or haven’t yet realized. This can look like signals of agitation, or simply walking away from her partner. What’s really wonderful about Maya is her ability to come back and connect once these feelings have been honored and addressed. Her high expectations for emotional regulation have led to some powerful breakthroughs for CORRAL’s teens.

Breed: Quarter Horse

Birth Year: 1994

Joined CORRAL: 2011

When she was found, Ruth had been locked in a stall for days with no food or water and manure up to her knees. Her abandonment and neglect left a mark on her physically and emotionally. With time and patience, Ruth healed at CORRAL. She’s been thriving as part of our programs for 15 years!

Ruth is calm and patient, but has high expectations of the people around her. She doesn’t allow students to cut corners in the arena and consistently raises the bar as girls build skills. In order to work with Ruth, teens have to be fully present with her. If your mind is wandering, Ruth knows. While many horses will create distance when a student is disconnected due to strong feelings like anger or anxiety, Ruth always stays. This steadfast nature inspired her name. Originally known to us as Delilah, we gave her a new name that seemed to be a better fit after getting to know her.  Named after the biblical Ruth, this little mare’s motto is “Where you go, I will go” (Ruth 1:16).

Breed: He’s somethin’ – we joke, but we really don’t know! Genetic testing says that Starbuck is a mix of Spanish, Turkish, and English breeds. He looks and acts like a Mustang, but we can’t confirm. He denies all allegations.

Birth Year: 2002

Joined CORRAL: 2013

Starbuck was found in a large herd of horses that didn’t get much attention. Starbuck wasn’t cooperative at this home, which resulted in him having even less interaction with people. Left to his own devices, working with people was a fairly new thing for him when he came to CORRAL. His arrival here is an interesting story that kind of fits his vibe – he was actually dropped off here by mistake and never left! Happily for all of us, it was a very lucky mistake.

Starbuck is as food motivated as he is intelligent – that is to say, very. He is the Houdini of CORRAL and finds entertainment (and snacks) by creating new and innovative ways to escape the pasture. He never goes far, but he definitely makes life interesting. In the arena, he’s a big believer in conserving energy. He makes teens work hard to motivate him. They need to be confident and persistent to get him going. They also need to find the fun with him. When working with Starbuck, a sense of humor is essential. Once students build their skills, they can unlock Starbuck’s hidden talents. You wouldn’t expect this stocky little guy to be a fancy mover, but he has the ability to achieve beautiful collection and do dressage movements like leg yields!

Breed: Quarter Horse Cross (genetic testing shows several gaited breeds)

Birth Year: 2001

Joined CORRAL: 2019

Cap was rescued by USERL in 2008. He lived near the North Carolina coast before coming to CORRAL. At rescue, Cap was very malnourished and in need of rehabilitation. He’d also been through some tough stuff: at some point, Cap was involved in a bad trailer accident. He is still working through his trauma around trailers, but has made significant progress (it only takes 2 hours to load Cap now – originally, it was closer to 6!).

Cap is incredibly smart and loves people. He is often the first horse to roll out the welcome wagon for visitors to the farm. Very smart, loves people. If you’re not paying attention, Cap likes to see what he can get away with. He requires that students be present and focused on communicating with him. Once they do, Cap is a very fancy mover, which is a sight to see (he’s a very rare horn-less unicorn, after all).

Breed: Mustang

Birth Year: 2013

Joined CORRAL: 2021

Duchess spent five years in the wild before she was rounded up in California by the Bureau of Land Management. After her capture, she moved through four to 5 different homes. Having experienced a lack of commitment from people after being taken from the wild, Duchess is slow to trust and open up.

Duchess is very smart and has learned a lot since coming to CORRAL! She can be ridden, but requires her partner to put in the work. They have to go through all the steps of building a relationship with her before they can ride. Duchess teaches us to slow down and trust the process. Every day, she shows teens the importance of putting the relationship first. She can sense when a student is focused on “checking the box” on a task list versus investing in their relationship with her. People that invest in their connection with her are rewarded with a truly beautiful partnership.

Breed: Mustang

Birth Year: 2019

Joined CORRAL: 2021

At only one year old, Duke was rounded up from the wild in Utah. He was passed around to a couple of different trainers before landing at CORRAL with  another Mustang: Duchess. Duke can be quite reserved in the arena. It takes energy and presence to get him moving! However, that energy needs to be tempered by restraint and empathy. The teens that work with Duke learn how to read his body language and understand how he’s receiving their communication, as he’s still learning a lot about being with people.

Duke is in his teenage years right now, so he’s figuring out a lot about himself! He’s not always confident and needs a lot of encouragement. Luckily for him, our CORRAL teens get it – that’s why they’re such great partners as they work to figure out life together.

Breed: Arabian

Birth Year: 2002

Joined CORRAL: 2009

Giselle is the first rescue horse to be part of CORRAL’s programs. This tiny Arabian mare lived in a field, bullied by an aggressive herd of horses (many of them stallions). When she came to us, she was 10 months pregnant and recovering from starvation (horses carry their babies to 11 months). Thankfully, her foal was born healthy. Her daughter, Baylee, went on to a successful home in the Triangle.

Giselle stayed with us and continues to be an amazing therapy horse. She has a gift for sensing trauma in our teens. She helps them face things that they’ve never been able to talk about, opening the door for healing. As they heal, these girls grow past painful experiences that no longer define them, just as Giselle did when we met her in 2009.

Breed: Quarter Horse

Birth Year: 2001

Joined CORRAL: 2019

Before CORRAL, Panzer taught young riders and competed in small local shows. His original owner made the difficult and compassionate choice to donate him to CORRAL when she recognized that she didn’t have the resources needed to care for him. Her love for him allowed him to find a new purpose in supporting our students, and we are so grateful to have Panzer as part of the herd!

Initially anxious, it took a little time for Panzer to adjust to his new home. Once he did, we got to see his true personality. Panzer is a lot like a puppy. He is very friendly and curious! Unlike a puppy, he is a big believer in conserving his energy. His laid-back vibe requires students to build their relationship and learn how to motivate him. Panzer is very responsive to clear and confident communication. He wants to please, but will wait for a correctly delivered cue instead of trying to guess at what you’re trying to say. His patient nature and high expectations make him an excellent teacher for our teens.