Raphi is a registered Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse who was born on June 9th, 2001. Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horses are smooth-gaited horses who were bred to be strong and comfortable to ride all day along the trails in the mountains of Kentucky, and to be gentle enough for even the youngest members of the family to handle.

In 2009, Marianne purchased Raphi to be used at Gateway, right when the ministry was just starting.  She named him Raphael, which is Hebrew, and means “God heals.” When he first joined the Gateway team, Raphi had foundered, and his feet were in terrible condition, but with lots of hard work, his feet are once again healthy. Raphi shows the gentleness characteristic of his breed, and has been used as a session horse to work with students right from the opening days of the ministry. God has used this big, kind-hearted horse to bring joy and healing to many people.

In late December 2023, his owner Marianne made the difficult decision to say goodbye to Raphi after a long fight with a chronic condition where he would not improve and his suffering had increased.  She chose the kindest final act and put him to sleep just before the new year.   She misses him terribly, as we all do at Gateway.  He was well loved and a huge influence in the lives of our students, staff, and volunteers.

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