• IEA and IHSA

Split Elm's History



Split Elm has been in business since 2001 when the Morrongiello family purchased the first property which is now referred to as Barn 1. In 2006, Barn 2 was purchased and in 2012 the trail and paddock area next to Barn 1 was added making our property total 64 acres. The first horse to live at Split Elm and to help Steph start her teaching career was named Imperial Hank. Hank was a 1981 AQHA gelding and his kind temperament has helped influenced Steph's lesson horse selection to this day. Hank lived out his days at Split Elm.



Bobby





2010 14.1hh Connemara Cross

Bobby Boucher has been a great addition to the lesson program. He has been showing in the .70m jumpers, IEA, and IHSA. Bobby has scope to jump bigger and is quiet enough for kids to ride.



Ferqo





2010 16hh Belgian Cross Gelding

Ferqo was rescued a few weeks ago and has been started as a lesson horse. He has shown to be nothing but quiet and willing.



Margy





2014 15.3hh Fresian cross mare

Margy was rescued a few weeks ago and has since been going nicely walk, trot, canter. She is still a little shy and reserved but has been warming up to the people she knows.



Mercedes





2018 Dutch Harness Horse/ Hackney Cross Mercedes came here a few years ago, arriving terrified of people, after being rescued from being a cart horse. Since then she has turned into our most talented sport horse. She has evented up through preliminary and 1.20m jumpers.



Sookie





2009 Paint 15.1h mare Sookie is a very well schooled and accomplished show horse. She is great for our intermediate riders as she loves dressage and jumping. Sookie also has amazing flying lead changes and is a patient teacher.



Copper





2006 AQHA 15.3h gelding Copper is the head trail horse. He is also very athletic and talented in eventing but he would rather go for trail rides. Copper is very confident and easy going. He is an IEA/IHSA favorite in both english and western.



Comet





2006 AQHA 14h chestnut mare Comet is a super smooth and fun jack of all trades. She will sort cattle, do ring work and even take small jumps. Her gates are very smooth, especially her canter. She is easy to get going but never trying to go fast. Comet nickers to her rider, especially whenever they dismount.



Dude





2005 APHA 16h paint gelding The Dude abides! He is a fantastic western or english horse, giving riders of any level confidence. He has shown IHSA western for multiple colleges. He also goes english and will take small jumps. The dude loves to ride out on trails! He is a larger horse so great for our tall riders as well.



Cha Cha





2007 QHx 16h mare Cha Cha is a very easy going yet talented dressage and event horse. She has evented through novice and gone to PC nationals for dressage. She is a highly requested horse for IEA/IHSA as she can do any level. Cha Cha almost fell victim to slaughter but was rescued from a Texas kill pen by a woman named Talley who entrusted Split Elm with Cha Cha's future and care. We are lucky to have her. She is an IEA/IHSA favorite. IHSA 2025 Horse of the Year!!!!



Myrtle





2007 Morganx 14h mare Myrtle can be very grumpy to groom, especially if it is cold, but once you're on her back she is really fun. She has giant lips and will shake the bit around before it goes in her mouth. She is a fantastic jumper and has evented BN. She is energetic but is forgiving so advanced beginners can ride her. She is an IEA/IHSA favorite!



Sugar





2001 AQHA 15.1h mare Sugar is a really cute horse with a lot of experience in many disciplines. She enjoys jumping courses, running barrels or just going for a relaxing trail ride. She has evented intro level, done jumper shows and shown hunters. She is a favorite at IEA/IHSA shows. She also loves to fox hunt!



Coco





2000 QHx 14.1h mare Coco is very calm and reliable to ride. She is good at all horse sports, including jumping and polocrosse where she competed nationally in D grade/intermediate level. Coco has lived at Split Elm the longest as she was boarded here before she became a lesson horse.



Maple





2012 Appaloosa 14.3h mare Maple is a very calm and patient horse. She loves to jump and go for trail rides. Maple is about as tall as she is wide and is a very sturdy built horse. She is a beautiful example of an appaloosa with striped hooves and spots on her muzzle. Fun fact, she uses the automatic water posts as her own personal scratching post for her large barrel!



Zee





2007 AQHA 16h gelding Zee was rescued from a local farm. He came back up to weight and good health quickly and has proven to be a wonderful lesson horse. He goes english and western and is fantastic on trail rides. He loves all food and will even "talk" for his treats.



Porter





2012 AQHA 15h gelding Porter is a very smooth and fun horse. He used to be a western show horse and has a lot of training in that discipline. Porter is blind in his left eye but he isn't held back by it at all! He is a very kind horse and a favorite to learn to canter on. He is also a very smooth jumper and he helps students gain confidence over fences.



Twilight





2004 Paint Cross 15h mare Twilight is a quirky and fun girl. She makes grumpy faces on the ground but she is extremely sweet when you're brushing her or on her back. She is partially gaited so she will running walk in addition to walk, trot and canter. She is a trail machine and loves to explore the farm. Twilight loves barrels and will gladly teach novice riders the pattern. She has an extremely smooth canter and is one of our all time smoothest horses. Twilight lost her left eye but she has not slowed down at all!



Cupcake





2008 16hh Belgian Mare

Cupcake is a new addition to our team after being rescued a few weeks ago. So far, she has shown nothing but a calm, quiet, willing attitude.



Sushi





2009 AQHA 14h Mare Sushi is a bombproof little mare. She loves going on trail rides and she is really good at walk, trot lessons for smaller riders. She will also canter and jump! Sushi is a small mare but she is the boss mare of her paddock. She also jumps courses and sorts cows!



Scoot





2010 AQHA 14.1h Mare Shesa Scoot is a cutting bred cow horse. She is also wonderful at trail riding and gives beginner lessons. Scoot is very sweet and can even be ridden in just a neck rope! She also happens to be Wicked's mom.



Muffin





2002 Belgian 14.3h mare Muffin is a little work horse. She loves leading trail rides and has a great work ethic. She will also give lessons and even jumps small crossrails. She may be almost pony sized but she is very stout and has one of the biggest heads in the barn!



Lady





2009 AQHA 14h mare Lady Highbrow Acre is a really fun sorting horse! She also enjoys leading trail rides and doing advanced lessons. She is small but very fast and fun! Lady is pregnant with a 2025 foal.



Frank





2007 Grey AQHAx 15.3h gelding Pope Francis aka Frank is a wonderful horse to learn to jump with! He is great all around and will do some dressage, take out trails and even ride western. He will jump a 3' course with lead changes but is also gentle enough to take a beginner out for a walking lesson.



Gracie





2016 14.2h AQHA Palomino mare Gracie was bred to be a pleasure horse and it shows! She is a semi recent addition to the lesson team but she is catching on really quickly. She loves to work and has a natural lead change. She also enjoys jumping and has done XC schooling at Flora Lea as well as cattle sorting at Iron Ranch.



Baretta





2006 AQHA 15h mare Lil Itchy Trigger aka Barretta is a fantastic all around horse who really excels at ranch sorting. She will also jump courses, do lower level dressage and teach riders about flying lead changes. She is very sweet and can usually be found following her best friend Pistol around. She gave us baby Trigga in 2024 and is in foal for 2025!



Pistol





2004 AQHA 15h mare Pistol is a very fun ranch sorting horse. She will also lead trail rides, do basic dressage and even jump a little. Pistol is as close to a real life unicorn as you can get.



Hickory





2004 AQHA 15h mare Hickory of Rippin is a great little broodmare and trail horse. We rescued her from auction in summer of 2022 and she gave birth to Mystery in 2023. She gave birth to baby Tali in 2024 and is in foal to Cats Merada for 2025!



Quincy





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Jelly Bean





2002 AQHA 14.2h mare Jelly Bean is our first new lesson horse for 2024 but she isn't new to us at all. Friends of ours have owned her as a first horse locally and we were lucky enough to buy her when they needed a little more speed. Jerry is exceptionally trained in western ranch type riding but is also willing to do small jumps and go English too! She was trained on cattle for many years so she is very fun for sorting.



Snack





2015 AQHA 14.1h mare Snaking aka Snack is a goofy and sweet cutting bred mare. She has many talents including jumping, cattle sorting, lead changes, spins, etc. She loves to play with her tongue after a treat and will also rub her body against the walls like a cat if left tied for longer than she likes. She comes to her name and is Steph's favorite.



Marta





2005 15.1hh Morgan

Marta is owned by one of our instructors, Dana. Marta used to do jumpers and eventing and now neaches advanced lessons.



Ricky Bobby





2015 AQHA 15.3h gelding Ricky Bobby was gifted to us from a therapeutic riding program. He is a retired reiner with a ton of training. He is slow and smooth! RB has some arthritis in his knee which means we won't use him for jumping, but he has a lot to offer as a flat only horse. He has beautiful transitions and lead changes. RB is a cribber so he always wears a collar.



Kit





2019 16.1hh Thoroughbred Mare

Kit is an Otto who has been showing in jumpers, IEA, IHSA, and soon eventing. Kit has lots of scope and is careful over the jumps. She is a forward but quiet ride, and has a change!



BB





2007 AQHA 14.2h mare BB is a cattle sorting machine! She is very sweet and has also started to lead trail rides. She has beautiful flying changes so you may see her step into the hunter arena too.



Mocha





2017 Dutch Harness 16.1h mare Mocha has competed through prelim level eventing and 1.15m jumpers. She is an exceptionally nice mover and has shown to have lots of scope and bravery to go with it.



Mystery





2023 AQHA filly Mystery was quite the surprise as we rescued her mom from auction and along she came in January! She is super personable and eager to learn. She is working on her basic ground work skills and has an in your pocket personality.



Leila





2018 International SH 14.2h mare Leilani is our first born homebred! She is half paint and half Hanovarian. Leila has done xc, hunter paces, and jumpers but she really excels in hunters! She is working on her flying changes and she always jumps a "10". She is used for advanced beginner lessons and up.



Wicked





2023 AQHA colt Wicked is by Foolgun out of our own Shesa Scoot. He is a little bit shy but he is really starting to enjoy interacting with humans. He is in training for ground work and he will lead, load into a trailer and mostly stand for the farrier!



Charli





2014 Mustang 15h black mare Charli is a super fun ride who excels in jumping. She evented and lead trail rides in her previous home making her an easy fit for our barn.



Tali/ Trigga





2024 Tali and Trigga These two adorable fillies were born in May. They are both purpose bred for cattle work. Time will tell what color they will end up! Trigga is very friendly and calls out to visitors. Tali is a little more reserved but loves water and being hosed down in the heat.



Fiona





2016 AQHA 14.2h cremello mare Fiona is on loan to us from her owner, Brianne. She is an IEA favorite, even winning horse of the show once! She likes flat work and tolerates jumping. She has the most beautiful blue eyes and soft coat. Fiona even used to event and really enjoys hacking out.



Dublin





2013 16.2h Bay TB Gelding Dublin was one of Steph's personal show horses who is now an amazing lesson horse. He has done eventing, dressage, jumpers, IEA, and IHSA. He is also a favorite trail lead! He hates being brushed but he doesn't mind getting bath!





Split Elm Equestrian



553 S. Frankfurt Ave.
Mays Landing, NJ 08330