Heart of Gold

By Amanda (Shine ’05) Zambrano 

If you walk through the bi-level barn at the Houghton Equestrian Center, a friendly black and white gelding will invariably poke his nose out to request a good scratch or a friendly pat. He’s a 22-year-old tobiano Friesian sport horse registered as Knight’s Dream, and known affectionately as Otto.

Otto came to Houghton from the Rochester area, generously donated to the program by Sue and David Knight in 2014. He’s been a barn favorite for years and it isn’t simply because of his friendly, affectionate nature and beautiful black and white markings.

Donated horses are the lifeblood of the Houghton University Equestrian Program. “We say our horses are the best teachers in the program,” remarked program director Larissa (Strappello ’08) Ries. ““As instructors we are helping the students understand what the horses are trying to tell them, through their body language and the responses they have to the riders positioning and aids.”

Not every horse makes a good lesson horse, and Otto is a gem among the Houghton herd. To make sure they’re a good fit, prospective lesson horses like Otto go through a number of steps before joining the herd, including visits with Houghton instructors, videos of training or shows, and often a trial period on campus. Program Director Emerita Jo-Anne (Olsen ’69) Young evaluated and accepted Otto into the Houghton herd when the Knights reached out looking for a new home for their horse. On his acceptance papers, the Houghton equestrian staff remarked on Otto’s fit for the program. “He has a quiet mind,” the form reads, “which will make him a great lesson horse.” The assessment was correct. Since his early days, Otto has grown and matured into a great lesson horse embodying everything a learning rider and trainer could wish for.

Otto works with Houghton’s equestrian students as they learn, focusing on dressage. Students have ridden him in second level recognized dressage shows, schooling shows and in clinics with world-renowned clinicians such as Agnieszka Majewska and Kristi Wysocki. “He’s a confidence builder,” shared Professor Ries. “Otto is a confident horse and that instills confidence in the students. He’s great at working students through the challenging walk to canter transitions, giving them true lightbulb moments in their educational journeys.”

“Being a lesson horse is hard,” reflected Andrea (Potteiger ’00) Boon, assistant professor of recreation and equestrian studies. “There are so many people handling them, all with different ways of communicating with their horses. Otto is a special horse—he’s worth a million bucks!”

This horse with a heart of gold is only one of the 34 horses in Houghton’s herd, almost all of whom have been donated to the program. Since the original donation of seven Morgan horses from Dr. Demosthene Romanucci, Sr., in 1984, Houghton’s herd has been built with the generosity of those looking for the next perfect home for their beloved equine companions.