The Ponies

2011 Dales Pony Mare

Mari

Raspotnik Mari Kingmaker Talisman x Raspotnik Bess Bred by Raspotnik Farm in Ashland WI Mari is our first Dales Pony and she arrived at Dark Horse Ranch in 2018 as a greenbroke 7 year old that lived most of her life out in a herd. She has learned a lot about stable life and riding as my dressage mount. She has come a long way in her training, even taking a break to have our foal Lyric before getting back to work. She is best known for her Rare Breed Demonstrations at the Midwest Horse Fair in 2024 and 2025.
2019 Dales pony mare

neesie

Cascadiadales Anamnesis Kingmaker Talisman x Raspotnik Carly Bred by Cascadia Heritage Farm in WA Neesie arrived in 2019 as a weanling from Cascadia Hertiage Farm. She handled the trip from WA to Harvard IL very well and settled in to her new life pretty quickly. We spend the first few years working on ground manners and round pen work, and at age 3 1/2 she was broke to ride and the sky is the limit. Neesie gained her celebrity status as the first Dales Pony to be featured in the Grand March at the Midwest Horse Fair in 2024, and participating in Rare Breed Demonstrations in 2024 and 2025.
2023 Dales Pony Filly

Lyric

Darkhorsedales Lyric Floridadales Blue Envoy x Raspotnik Mari Bred by Dark Horse Ranch in Harvard IL Lyric is something of a big deal being the second blue roan filly ever born in the US! She is living up to her role and becoming quite the superstar in her training. She's all business just like her dam Mari, and has excelled in everything from in-hand halter and showmanship classes to obstacle courses and trails. One more year and she'll be under saddle and we can't wait to see how she does.
2023 Dales pony gelding

northstar

Blackshadow Northstar Roandale Blue Heath x Canadale Prim 'n' Proper Bred by Blackshadow Dales Stud in NY Northstar joined our herd in 2024 and he’s been a joy since the day he arrived. Lyric bonded with him immediately and they have been best friends ever since. He’s friendly and cuddly, and very smart and accepting of new things and situations. He is excelling in his in-hand halter and showmanship classes, obstacle courses, and trails. Northstar is going to be a great steady calm horse, and he is already at 14.2 hands at 2 years old so this boy is going to be a large pony!
2004 Friesian gelding

Mystere

Bred by Friesian Dreams in Franklin WI, Mystere is our retired dressage superstar with many years of riding and training behind him. He is prominently featured on our YouTube channel from 2008 to 2020. In 2020 he was diagnosed with an eye disease that has slowly taken his vision and he is comfortably living out his days as a blind horse here at Dark Horse Ranch.
1998 miniature horse gelding

Hawkeye

Hawkeye came to Dark Horse Ranch in 2018 to live out his semi-retirement after a full career of driving in drill teams, parades, fairs, and competitions. He taught us how to drive over the years. He still drives occasionally, baby sits youngsters, but mostly lives his best life out with the ponies in the field.

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