Joe is a 9 year old Paint, registered with the American Paint Horse Association and born at a breeding stable in Williston, South Dakota. His mother was an American Quarter Horse named Sunny’s Playgirl, and his father was an American Paint horse stallion named Joeys Wagons West. As a 2 year old, he was sold and moved to Wisconsin. Joe’s new home allowed him to try all sorts of different jobs. He did hunter under saddle, western pleasure, trail riding, and even roping and parades. He became a jack of all trades, and his gentle nature and easygoing personality made him a shoo-in for our lesson program. As a four-year-old, Joe became the youngest member of our family in 2004.

An incredibly versatile horse, we’ve also trained Joe in dressage, jumping and reining. He is also an advanced freestyle horse. He has been through countless parades, horse shows and expositions, and his freestyle demonstrations without a saddle or bridle are always a hit for onlookers. Although Joe is a great athlete, his favorite thing to do is beginner lessons with those just learning how to ride. In fact, in our lesson program, Joe has helped over 100 new riders fall in love with horses.

Joe’s favorite thing is scratches on his face and behind his ears with soft curry combs, and long neck rubs. His favorite treats are cookies and watermelon rinds.

Gracie is a 14 year old gray American Quarter Horse mare born in Montana on June 5, 1995. At the age of 7, Gracie stepped off a trailer at a riding lesson stable in Kasson, MN, with a group of other horses purchased from a ranch in the Dakotas. They chose to keep several of the horses in their lesson program, and Gracie was one of them. She was trained as a hunter/jumper and excelled at it. A student purchased her and showed her to the 3’ hunter division and in eventing. After changing hands a few more times, she became a permanent member of our family in October 2008. Her calm, quiet personality eases the fears of even the most timid rider. She is a treasured member of our lesson horse team, and continues to show over fences, often dominating her competition.

Because Gracie has some respiratory problems, she gets an ever-lightening workload and now takes on more beginners than advanced riders. Her days of competing over the big fences are a thing of the past, but she still has plenty of energy to keep doing what she does best. She always meets her students with pricked ears and bright eyes, eager to teach another young rider. When not doing lessons, she loves her quiet time, and stands in her shelter surveying the pasture like she’s sitting on a porch swing just observing the goings on of the neighborhood.

Her favorite thing is lying in the sun, and her favorite treats are molasses cookies, the soft kind with frosting on top.

Lucky (or "Luckers" as he is sometimes called) is a 15 year old Miniature Pinto horse, born on July 16^th 1994 in Hutchinson, Minnesota. He is a cross between an American Miniature Horse and an American Shetland Pony and is registered with the Pinto Horse Association. In 2000, the Sautter family purchased him as a first horse for their oldest daughter Rhiannen. Since Lucky was the very first horse to arrive at West Wind Stables, we like to consider him to be our mascot. Since Rhiannen has outgrown Lucky, he became a first horse for all of the Sautter girls, and many tiny lesson students since. Lucky rides western and english, but at 9.3 hands tall, can only hold riders up to 60 pounds. We’re looking forward to teaching him how to pull a tiny cart someday.

Lucky absolutely adores children and many toddlers call him their own. He has been all over the Chippewa Valley doing demonstrations and offering a soft pet to all at movie theaters, nursing homes, churches and schools. He also loves doing special events like 4-H and horse camp demos and birthday parties.

Lucky could be petted and brushed all day long, but his favorite things are apples, carrots and bananas.

Katmai is an 11 year old Pinto Pony, registered with the Pinto Horse Association. Katmai was born April 30, 1998 in Glenwood City, WI. His mother, Khemo Knox Kandy, is a dark bay American Shetland Pony X Arabian cross mare sired by WF Khemo Bey. His father, RF Rambo, is an American Pinto Pony with 50% Arabian bloodlines, who himself won 42 halter championships and has many wins in both western and english pleasure.

Katmai was named after Mount Katmai, a volcano located on the peninsula of southern Alaska, responsible for an eruption in 1912 that was estimated to be 10 times greater than that of Mount St. Helens. The eruption was heard hundreds of miles away from the "Valley of 10,000 Smokes". His breeder named him Katmai after her son was deployed on the USS Katmai around the time of his birth. Mount Katmai sits atop Katmai National Park near Kodiak, Alaska. One of the most beautiful regions of Alaska, it is accessible only by air and is home to the highest concentration of wildlife in the state.

Katmai has been a part of the family since 2001 when he was purchased as a hunter/jumper pony prospect. Always playing games and into endless mischief, Katmai is the class clown of our lesson program and a never-ending source of entertainment. He is our most advanced freestyle horse, doing dressage and jumping full courses in nothing more than a string around his neck. He is perfectly suited for our smaller intermediate and advanced hunter jumper riders, giving them an easy step up to the higher levels of competition.

Katmai’s favorite thing in the world is tummy rubs, and his favorite treats are chocolate cupcakes and saltine crackers.

Stormy is a 7 year old Section A Mountain Welsh Pony. He has an energetic spirit but is as gentle as they come. He became a part of the family when he was purchased as a 4-year-old in 2006. For those small enough to ride Stormy, he’s a crowd favorite. He loves the attention he gets from being a lesson horse, and really enjoys being pampered and primped before and after his lessons. Stormy has been shown in hunter under saddle, bringing home ribbons even when competing against the bigger horses.

Stormy is kind and gentle with even the smallest children, but his number one love is yummy treats. He loves apples the most, but he’ll eat almost anything. In fact, Stormy has to stay on a diet to keep him from gaining too much weight from all of the peppermint candies and cookies he gets from his fans!

Cabaret’s sire was an 18.3 hand Belgian Draft stallion, and her mother was a 14.1 hand American Paint Horse mare. After years on the production line, she too was rescued and now serves as a demonstration horse for equine massage.

Cabaret is a strawberry roan mare, standing 16.2 hands tall. She is as sweet as she is big, and is well trained in dressage and working western events. Cabaret is a very special addition to our lesson program, working with intermediate to advanced riders in dressage and western pleasure.