When amateur eventer Augie Vettorino imported Kilcarna French Fancy from Ireland as a 5-year-old, he hoped the 17.3 hand Irish Sport Horse gelding would end up being the perfect long-term partner. Unfortunately, the athletic youngster proved to be a bit more exuberant than Vettorino had expected. After being bucked off several times, Vettorino sent “Arnie” to his friend, U.S. Olympian Phillip Dutton, for training.

Although Dutton successfully competed Arnie through training level, the gelding was not a star in the dressage phase and proved spooky on cross country. Fortunately, Arnie found his place in the jumper ring, and he built an impressive resume in that sport with the help of several different riders, including Christina Kelly, Sharer Dale, and another U.S. Olympian, Doug Payne. Eventually, Arnie found his way to a young professional, jumper rider Emily Smith, who competed him through Grand Prix. When Vettorino passed away in 2018, Arnie became hers.

As this special and well-schooled gelding started to show signs of needing a less intense lifestyle, Smith began to consider the best next steps for Arnie. One of Smith’s friends worked for Great Oak Equine-Assisted Programs in Aiken, South Carolina, and wondered if Arnie might be a good fit.

“He is just an impressive, sweet horse,” Smith said. “He is a really kind horse, a really fun horse. He was always so affectionate with everybody, and I wanted to be sure he went somewhere he would be loved.”

Despite his size, or perhaps (at least in part) because of it, Arnie proved to be a perfect fit for the Great Oak program. In the short two years since his arrival, Arnie has already worked with over 100 participants, doing everything from healing veterans through unmounted programming to helping taller riders finally feel supported in the saddle. He has bonded with volunteers, who trust him implicitly, and taught independent riders how to canter and even jump small fences. Thanks to his “icon” status within the Aiken equestrian community, and the positive impact he has had on Great Oak program participants, Arnie was chosen as the 2024 U.S. Equestrian Federation Heart Horse of the Year.

“Arnie has something beyond his background, his training and his handsome looks that make him special: he is kind, patient and attentive, forming deep bonds with his riders and handlers,” Ann Villa, Great Oak Equine-Assisted Programs' former executive director, explained. “He is compassionate, responsive, and careful around all who he serves.”

Although his size does initially intimidate some students, once they get to know him, this fear typically fades away. In fact, his empathetic personality and prior professional training seem to make it easy for Arnie to connect with everyone he meets. One unmounted program participant with severe PTSD shared that, thanks to her strong connection and positive relationship with Arnie, she experiences a state of calm that lasts for days beyond her session. Arnie’s mounted riders report that they trust him because he is careful and cautious, enabling them to concentrate on building their confidence while addressing new challenges.

“This horse is compassionate, careful, and kind, all the perfect traits that make him the ideal therapy horse,” Villa said. “So many of our students are unbalanced in the saddle, and Arnie is so careful with them, centering his body beneath their weight. If you visit him in the field, he responds faster than any other horse to visitors, dropping his head for attention.”

Villa added that Arnie is also a favorite with their Silver Saddles group, an “older generation of ladies who want to ride,” particularly among those with prior riding experience. When not in therapy programs, Arnie’s skills are kept tuned up by volunteers, who form deep bonds with this special animal.

“Arnie is so patient, and has the personality of a young horse,” Kinga Kiss-Johnson, a retired US Army Sgt, said. “We have bonded for life, hopefully. No doctor and medication can replace the healing I am doing with him.

“This horse is a miracle worker�" he got me out of the bed, out of the house, and I am able to connect to my trauma with him on my side,” she continued. “He is helping so many others with disabilities�"I am just the one veteran who started her new life with a horse by her side.”