As the proud owners of Whispery Pines Percherons in Kingsville, Ohio, Sam and Kellie Rettinger have opened their hearts wide to take on the joys and challenges of caring for their nine majestic black Percheron geldings. They offer carriage and sleigh rides, specialize in horse logging, and travel the United States presenting clinics and exhibiting their Percherons in halter, hitching, and obstacle classes.
![A demonstration at Equine Affaire.](https://www.horseillustrated.com/wp-content/uploads/1-Whispery-Pines-Percherons-Photo-by-Winslow-Photography.jpg)
“We want to share our horses with the world and show people how amazing they are,” Kellie says.
Growing Up With Percherons
Percherons have always been a part of Sam’s family. “My grandfather grew up on a dairy farm with draft horses,” Sam says. “And in 1976, my grandparents, Dick and Dottie Stasiak, established Whispery Pines Percherons. My grandmother came up with the name.”
Sam loved being with his grandfather—plowing and logging with the Percherons. “Grandpa made me his little sidekick,” Sam says. “And my grandmother always knew this would be my life; [she] told me I’ve got something special with these horses.”
![Whispery Pines Percherons in the snow.](https://www.horseillustrated.com/wp-content/uploads/4-Whispery-Pines-Percherons-Photo-by-Lori-Spellman.jpg)
At age nine, Sam wanted to play with the Percherons but couldn’t harness them without his grandfather’s help. Undeterred, Sam installed a pulley in the barn rafters, hoisted the harness up and tied it off, walked the horse underneath, and gently lowered it down onto the horse. Sam’s fascination with Percherons has never wavered.
At Whispery Pines, It’s a Family Affair
Kellie grew up riding Quarter Horses, watched Sam and his grandfather show the Percherons at local fairs, and attended the same high school as Sam.
“I’ve always loved draft horses. I was drawn to them, and loved Sam and his grandfather since I was little,” Kellie says.
When Sam was about 16, he was with his grandfather at a show when he realized a Percheron was missing. “I asked Grandpa where Rex was,” Sam recalls. “And he said some young blonde took him. I found Kellie running barrels on my horse, and realized this might just work out.”
![Sam and Kellie Rettinger.](https://www.horseillustrated.com/wp-content/uploads/3-Whispery-Pines-Percherons-Photo-by-Xenophon-Photography.jpg)
Twenty years later, Sam and Kellie are going strong—happily married and running a multifaceted business. “My biggest passion is Kellie and the horses,” Sam says.
Kellie adds, “I get to be with Sam, doing what we love every single day. The biggest challenge is the huge workload. There’s a lot of moving pieces.”
Whispery Pines Percherons offers carriage rides throughout the year for special occasions, including weddings and funerals. “A horse-drawn hearse—it’s an honor to be able to do that,” Kellie says.
In the winter, Whispery Pines also hosts sleigh rides through the woods to a little log cabin. Kellie also does photoshoots with the Percherons—complete with unique costumes she creates. “This business has taken me in all different directions—ways I never would have imagined—but all to involve the horse,” Kellie says.
Logging With Percherons
For over 22 years, Whispery Pines Percherons has specialized in horse logging and harvesting hardwood timber for private landowners in an eco-friendly manner. Sam explains, “Logging with horses is the lowest impact you can do to remove timber. It’s more of a selective process to regenerate the forest… We lay the tree down in the forest, with as minimal damage as possible, and then cut it into 10- or 12-foot pieces. We remove those logs using a two-horse team and only need a 6-foot-wide 4-wheeler trail.”
Although it’s possible to pull a log with a single horse, draft horses work best as a team. “They have a partner,” Sam says. “And they can handle their body weight times two. A pair of horses is about 2 tons—or 4,000 pounds—so they can handle about 8,000 pounds.”
Harnessing a draft horse requires strength. The collar alone weighs 30 to 40 pounds; the bigger the horse, the bigger the collar. Sam and Kellie can get a pair of horses tacked up and ready to go in about fifteen minutes if the harnessing tack is already fitted to the horse.
Gentle Giants
Percherons are undeniably impressive due to their massive size. Flash, one of the Whispery Pines Percherons, towers at 19.2 hands. Despite their size, Percherons are agile, have high energy, and possess great endurance. Their personality is steady, calm, and easygoing. And their charm is matched by their stunning beauty.
“We call them the classiest of the draft horses,” Sam says. “When we bring them to an event and shine them up, they are the coolest looking horse.”
![The Whispery Pines Percherons performing.](https://www.horseillustrated.com/wp-content/uploads/2-Whispery-Pines-Percherons-Photo-by-Winslow-Photography.jpg)
But Percherons are more than just eye candy to horse lovers. “The love they have for us and what we do is just outstanding. They have the biggest hearts,” Kellie says.
“I love their passion back to us,” Sam says. “The respect you put into them you get back from them… They are ready for the job before we even ask, whether to plow, spread manure, or travel off-site. They are stepping on our toes saying, ‘Let’s go.'”
The gentle personality of these horses attracts attention wherever they go. “They just love people so much,” Kellie says.
Percherons excel at learning. “Usually, if you teach the horse one time, let them think it through, you don’t ever have to go back to it,” Sam says.
Kellie adds, “They are so smart. Sometimes, I swear they know what we’re going to do before we even ask.”
Carrying On the Whispery Pines Legacy
Sam and Kellie’s love of horses and respect for one another is the glue to their relationship, as they joyfully carry on the legacy of Sam’s grandparents.
“It’s really hard work. There’s not a lot of us around that still do this type of family business,” Kellie says.
“These horses are our kids,” Sam says.
The rewards of bringing the Percherons to the public make all the sacrifices worthwhile. “People are just drawn to these horses,” Kellie says. “When we’re performing, I look at the crowd and see that one little girl or boy and watch their face light up.”
Sam adds, “When I was a kid, draft horses were a lot more common. They were in every farm or neighborhood, but not anymore. So the fairs and shows we go to allow kids to meet the breed.”
Whatever your age, it’s hard not to fall head over heels in love with a Percheron!
To learn more about Whispery Pines Percherons, visit whisperypines.com and follow them on Facebook. Then, discover how the Percheron Horse Association of America Education and Charitable Fund supports Percheron clinics and education.
This article about Whispery Pines Percherons is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!