Theo
Breed: Canadian WB
Sex: gelding
Age: 2019
Height: 17.1h
Pedigree:
Price: $25000 subject to change
Link to lots of photos: Theo | Flickr
Link to videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt-dzmhstvn2d-7KHHyCFdPCJ5cgxhah_
You might say it is luck but I like to think I have spent many years developing my eye for the diamonds in the rough. Theo perhaps is my shining example and at the moment I am feeling rather proud of myself. We have had this spectacular horse just over a month now and holy smokes are we just all a little obsessed. He is a 17.1 h 7yr canadian wb according to his former owner. No, I don't know his breeding. I did try to research with little success. Everyone is like well maybe he isn't a WB and okay maybe he isn't but does it truly matter? He is an incredible horse and I wouldn't kick him out of my barn for not having papers :)
We have been getting him fit and I really think that is coming through as he can now show the talent that I saw in there when he arrived. What a mover and the hind leg is just wow! He is starting to be able to sit and push. He is what I would call a WB kind of ride. He isn't dead lazy but you need to ride with leg up to the hand and really encourage the engine to keep coming. He is good off the leg and is now just working on being a bit straighter through the shoulders and learning more lateral work.
We have been trail riding him and he has now been out hunting several times. They had done a lot of trails, hound walking and hunting in his previous home. He has been EXCELLENT to hunt! He is a big horse but he is quiet to ride. Excellent with the hounds. Stands at checks. Great jumping all the jumps. Respectful of spacing out hunting. Not strong as he is uphill and quite balanced. He has more of an engine out hunting than in the ring but not in a naughty way just no problem keeping up. Using that hunting to get him fit!
We have jumped him very lightly in the ring (he is just now starting to get fit) but all his prior jump experience was out xc/hunting so the ring jumping is a bit new to him.
Theo has been excellent since arriving here. He truly is not a silly horse about anything. He is the same horse even if not ridden in days. We hunted him on Sunday and hadn't been ridden until today coming out on a cold windy day exactly the same as you left him. He is excellent in turnout, stall, shipping, clipping, grooming, baths, mounting, etc.
The only strange thing about this horse is that someone taught him to pick up his feet from the opposing side so if you are standing on his left he picks up his right front and then same on the other side. The hinds are normal. We are reprograming him but truly he is just oddly trained and I couldn't tell you why. They said he didn't pick up his feet which isn't true he just doesn't understand the traditional way as well but if you show him he does it.
I think this horse is something so very special and could see him doing so many things. He could be a huntsman horse/staff/field horse in any hunt in my opinion. I also think he is a heck of a fancy dressage horse but I think I could see him crossing over and doing some other things as well such as eventing or even hunters. Just such a neat horse!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt-dzmhstvn2d-7KHHyCFdPCJ5cgxhah_