Meet the Horses
Welcome to the ‘mane event’ page, our wonderful horses! Get to know some of our mighty steeds and come see them at an event!The California Historical Artillery Society’s (CHAS) horse of choice for artillery work are Standardbreds off the track; ex-harness racehorses that were done racing or breeding and in need of a forever home. Some of these Standardbred horses are adopted by CHAS and given a second chance at life in the service of the “Army” providing educational opportunities for the public. These horses are the highlight of our unique historical impression!
You can help support them! With our Horse Sponsor Program, you can select a specific horse to support. All feed and vet care for the CHAS horses comes from tax-deductible donations like yours so any amount is appreciated!
Here is the current home of the herd. Irrigated pastures, great care from the owner and centrally located for our activities.
D Cross Ranch Horse Boarding
11240 28 Mile Road Oakdale, CA 95361
Donation Options
To choose a horse to sponsor, click the “Sponsor Me!” button and type in the name of your horse under the dollar amount at checkout. If you have any questions, email admin@warhorse.org.
To donate by check, mail to:
CHAS Horse Sponsorship
c/o Alan Ginos, Treasurer
559 Hillrise Place
Walnut Creek, CA 94598
Gumdrop
A level-headed mare that partnered with Grasshopper to pull the ambulance. She came to us in 2011 as a 10-year-old and is now doing excellent work on the artillery team.
Grasshopper
Also came to us in 2011 as a 10-year-old. A cute little mare that is great at pulling the ambulance and has just started (March 2026) working on the artillery team. She is a classy stepper and has paired up well with Barth in the pasture.
Big Guy
Around 27 years old, this gelding has done it all from many appearances in the Pasadena Rose Parade, years of combat as an officer horse, cavalry horse, and now does time pulling 5 other horses around on an artillery team. Has lost a lot of teeth over the years but a special diet of softened food and supplements keep him going strong.
Brodie
Also at least 27 if not older, this serene gentleman does not like to be caught but once in service he is genuinely mild mannered and a willing worker. With recent dental work he seems good to go for a few more years. Can be ridden in cavalry combat individually or used on the team in any position.
Barth
A relatively young gelding at about 16 years old, he was a big money $3/4 million dollar racehorse. Retired at 12, came to us at 14 and is a very nice horse to be around. Will not make a cavalry mount as too bothered by gunfire, but he does alright in a middle position on a cannon team. Has been a loner in the pasture until just recently (March 2026) when he made friends with Grasshopper and they are a couple in the pasture now.
Bailiff
A big boy about 19 or 20 years old. Came to us after a decent racing career followed by trail riding for his owner. Like Barth he does not care for gunfire as a cavalry horse, but is doing better in a middle position in the team. Can be lazy so needs encouragement to pull his weight on the team. He and Brodie make a well matched pair on the team. Bailiff is an alpha horse in the herd and hangs around with Gracie who is also near the top of the pecking order.
Grio
Around a 16 or 17 year old mare. After a racing career, she spent about 3 years with a steady job pulling a stagecoach in Columbia CA. She came to us in December 2024 for the specific job of being a wheel horse paired with Gracie who came in with her. She hangs around Bailiff and Gracie and is probably the third horse in the pecking order. A good puller, she has a cute pose at events when tied on the picket line. She hangs her tongue way out and lifts a front leg as if she is begging for attention.
Gracie
This 21 to 22 year old mare has the same history as Grio of racing, stagecoach duty, and now wheelhorse duty with us. Nice for us to handle but she can be rough on the other horses to maintain her dominance in the herd. She is always around Bailiff and Grio.