We had heard in advance of meeting this guy that he “gorgeous” and “huge”. Even so, we weren’t quite prepared for what walked out of the stall! Gorgeous indeed, his height is balanced by a well proportioned solid boned frame with a good shoulder and engine that really impressed us. He would be an excellent fit for a larger rider, although any rider should be experienced and confident because he is just so big and powerful. He knows he is something special, and his trainer says he can try to be dominant, and he was just gelded earlier this year, so he needs an experienced horse person. She says that once he knows he has to respect you and you are kind but firm with him, he will be a love… something we observed as he nuzzled her and eagerly took the offered peppermint treats.
We first saw this guy in May, when we took these photos and he was on stall rest for what the trainer described as a small sesamoid crack in his left front. The vet gave an excellent prognosis after rehab for any discipline but racing and his x-rays are available for viewing. His trainer has carefully rehabbed him, following up the stall rest with weeks of handwalking, and for several weeks now she has returned to riding him. When we revisited him in mid-October, she said she is now riding him 5 days a week, in the indoor track around the barn, But she also recently took him out with another horse, on a trail ride in an area park, and she said he was unflappable, even with dogs barking and running under him. She said they rode for over 2 hours, including trotting and cantering. To demonstrate that he is indeed riding well, she rode him for us, and even set up a jumping pole on the ground to see how he would react… he went right over it without any hesitation! The video posted here is from this mid-October ride, and while it was hard to follow him around the indoor track, you can get a flavor of his athleticism, trainability, and outstanding potential. He is lightly raced, with only 6 starts, and he is well bred, and was sold for $65,000 as a yearling. Horses with his looks and size and athletic potential don’t come around often so we anticipate he will generate serious interest.
Price $5000 negotiable to a fully reference checked home, sold with contract; she will take him back if he does not work out, and will insist on right of first refusal on resale. She prefers that he go to a forever home, rather than to someone looking for a resale prospect.
Contact Dorothy 518-522-0229
Race record and pedigree: http://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=Horse&refno=8885300®istry=T