Meet Barron

Suffolk Punch is a rare breed of quintessential giants with sweet, quiet personalities. Dino is nothing short of that and became an instant therapy horse! He is patient, mellow and sweet – Dino adores belly rubs, treats and kind words. In the arena, he’s accepting of all things that come with being a therapy horse, from shooting hoops to noodle jousts and corn hole! Dino serves our medium to large adult riders in Therapeutic Riding and kiddos on our Family Fun Days. He is also the gentle giant of our mental health EASE program, teaching many that our physical appearance does not equate to who we truly are!

From cow pony to show pony - Griffin has done it all! He may be small, but he is mighty. Griffin enjoys his own pasture, but will go greet other horses over the fence when he wants some company. Griffin is the perfect fit for our smaller participants in Therapeutic Riding and Hippotherapy program. He has a great slow and steady go button, which makes him perfect for our low muscle tone clients, a cluck or a light tap will send him on his way! Griffin is a smarty pants and an all around adaptable dude.

Barron is a big handsome horse with a big personality to match! He loves people and any sort of human attention but mostly praise pats and of course treats. He’s a retired field hunter and used to live with his old owner Lisa Butash and our other therapy horse, Flynn, who passed in 2022.
Barron wasn’t sure about his new job as a therapy horse, but after some settling in and learning that work can be relaxing too – he has become the biggest star in therapy across all of our programs! Barron helps medium to large riders in our Therapeutic Riding program gain independence, he is a pony ride master for all of our little ones at Family Fun Days, and who doesn’t want to hangout with this big and beautiful equine during EASE sessions for our veterans and rehabilitation groups!

Johnny Cash stands at an impressive 18.1 hands and weighs approximately 2,200 pounds! A light bay with lots of chrome (white markings), Johnny is a must-see for all Quantum visitors. Johnny and his donkey side-kick, Carlotta, were donated by Karen Unger in 2014 after her husband’s death. Bob Unger retired from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department as a Master Sergeant, was a veteran of the US Navy and loved field hunting with his beloved Johnny. Prior to Bob’s death, this couple supported veterans’ causes and were aware of Quantum’s work with veterans. When Karen decided to donate Johnny, she knew Quantum was the perfect fit.
Johnny’s work as a therapy horse has been exemplary. His huge presence, warmth and quietness has calmed many veterans navigating rehabilitation and community re-integration. Johnny’s provided non-judgmental support for veterans coping with post-traumatic stress, and given freedom to those who feel limited by their physical disabilities a way to focus on their abilities through horsemanship.
Johnny remains a hard-working therapist as he stands at the entrance of his paddock ready to greet all who visit! Who can deny those perky ears and long fluttering lashes a carrot and a few pats?

Twinkles is every little girl’s dream: a beautiful white pony, living right here at Quantum Leap Farm! Twinkles hit the jackpot when Mark & Margo Lalli bought her for their TWIN girls, Phoebe & Cassidy.
Her owner, Mark, is a Veteran participant in our Therapeutic Riding Program – he’s also a donor and former Board member. His daughter Cassidy, has several diagnoses that leave her legally blind and with a brain injury, but our Therapeutic Riding program provides a safe space for her to spend time riding Twinkles with her sister Phoebe!
Twinkles is a huge help in our Therapeutic Riding and Hippotherapy program for many of our little participants. She also helps veterans and rehabilitation groups in our mental health EASE program.
This young mare is sweet and sassy - and she loves her pasture mate Liberty!

Presenting the Queen of Quantum … CARLOTTA! This cute-as-a-button donkey may be small but she is full of sass! Although she arrived with Clydesdale Johnny Cash, her current love/hate interest is Eugene. She’s a stickler for being treated gently and with respect, but if you do it her way, she’ll fall in love with you. Just ask Eugene, who shares a stall with her – he can show you the way to her heart: let her eat first!

Baby Eugene came to Quantum in his first year of life, after his previous owner was forced to close her own equine-assisted therapy program. He and his mini-horse companion, Honey, were adopted here to be part of our Kinesthetic Therapy program helping kiddos with sensory integration deficits. This burro is very sweet and kind – you haven’t lived until you’ve felt him pick up a treat from your hand with his gentle, velvety lips. Unlike our horses, he seems to appreciate the difference between a finger and a carrot. Eugene’s endless curiosity and interest in people makes him an invaluable “asset” in our programs!

Khan is a retired show and trail horse – he’s both beautiful and elegant, and he knows it! He has a playful, but sensible personality and loves his role as a therapy horse. Khan has received high quality training in his past and his skills are reflected in his work in the arena. While he’s patient enough to accommodate beginners, he’s skilled enough to perform well for our more experienced riders. He loves human attention, praise and treats. Treats maybe a little too much: he gets super excited when there is a carrot in his immediate future! Khan serves children and small to medium size adults in our Therapeutic Riding & Hippotherapy program. He also proves to be a wise teacher and “comfortable nap buddy” in our EASE sessions with veterans and rehabilitation groups.

Liberty was an immediate favorite when she got to Quantum. She can be found snuggling with everyone she meets. Liberty was born in a slaughter house and was rescued and trained under our very own Operations Supervisor, Cami Brady. She did barrels, reining and drill team.
Liberty is a sweet, young thing! We are lucky she has the perfect curious and sweet personality to be a therapy horse and hope she has a long and happy career helping others. Liberty works in our Hippotherapy and Therapeutic Riding Programs carrying our small riders. She also works in our EASE program helping our veterans and rehabilitation groups. Liberty loves her pasture mate Twinkles and thinks that Barron is very handsome. Her favorite treat is to drink out of cups, especially your smoothie cup!

Prince is perfectly named as he was definitely born to rule the herd! You can always find him and his best buddy Tie grazing together and watching over the rest of the herd. Prince and Tie can be found in their stalls enticing guests to bring them treats and give them some neck scratches! He spent his career as a hunter jumper, but was ready to retire from jumping and start his most important work – being a therapy horse. Prince works in our Therapeutic Riding Program caring our medium riders, as well as our EASE program.

Mack is nothing “short” of his name! He stands at a whopping 18.3 H and towers over the rest of the herd. Although Mack has a big boy presence he loves nothing more than his tiny herd mate, Waffles! You can always catch these two grazing on lush pastures side by side. Mack spent his career doing light dressage and was part of a mounted patrol unit. He works with our large riders in the Therapeutic Riding program and is already an instant therapy horse with our veterans and active military participants who come from the VA. If he is not hanging out with Waffles or in programs, you can catch him laying down in the pastures for a snooze!

You are in for a “treat”! This sweet, little pony is as cute as it gets and is already making an impact in our Hippotherapy and Therapeutic Riding programs. Waffles spent part of his career as a cow pony in MO and then in FL as a kid’s hunter jumper and trail pony. He is the perfect size for our little ones at Family Fun Days and just loves attention overall. You can find him with his big buddy Mack or his other herd mates in the ELAPP.