The most honest ad you’ll ever read, because I want this horse to find a forever home. He needs a partnership with a rider that is confident and calm and focused, and I’ve realized that’s not me.

The good: 17h 11 yo branded, registered Oldenburg gelding
In 2016-2017 He was shown green hunter, children’s hunter and is super athletic, has jumped 3’6”
He trailers easy, stands for vet, farrier, clipping.
He is gentle and kind- has never bitten or kicked, doesn’t have a nasty bone in his body.
He is a dream mover, big extravagant trot.
No maintenance - he gets free choice grass hay in nibble net and 3 lb Triple Crown safe starch. Scoop of California trace a day. No meds, has had hocks injected once, never been lame since I’ve had him.
He is barefoot and has feet that are solid.
Took him to a working equitation clinic and he walked up on tire, bridge, through noodles no issues and first try. Have taken him on trail rides and sometimes he’s great, sometimes his energy is too much. It often depends on the horse he is with. I don’t think he is suitable to purchase as a “trail horse”.
Started in dressage training and is coming along well. His trot is amazing- huge and comes easy to him to look great in it.
Just had full vet exam by CSU and great report and you are welcome to all records and films. He is sound and has full set of xrays, spine, hocks, feet, stifle. Has OCDs in both hocks, but has not caused him any issues, never flexed positive or been lame. I did this to rule out pain as cause of his spook. He has been scoped and doesn’t have ulcers. Eyes checked too, also good.

Why the low price you ask:
Once every few months he has a spook that can be for no reason at all. He in fact does well with obvious things that most horses spook at like dogs, chickens, loud noises, bicyclists. He will get looky at the mounting block if you move it, and if you rearrange things in the indoor he will notice. He’s very smart.
He can refuse a cross rail after jumping 2’6” with flowers and a windmill, and has a hard stop when he doesn’t want to jump, and hasn’t been jumped in months.
It doesn’t always have a warning so the rider has to present and focused. He will go quiet and people think he is amazing, and I have put my child on him. I have had beginners ask about leasing him because he seems so quiet and sweet. It’s deceptive because the spook is so sporadic and he seems quiet 98% of the time, so you have to be able to ride a spook and stay focused. He will feed off your energy too.

There’s something about him that makes you want to take care of him, and he develops trust for his person. He lets me touch his head and ears but others have to earn that right. I’m too high strung and too much of a worrier to be his rider, so I have to see if someone else can. He always seems focused and calmer with riders who unlike me, are focused and not worriers. He’s got too much potential to be a pasture puff.

He is suited only for an advanced rider and one that can ride a spook and wants to work gently with him. He does not respond well to force or to “ sacking out” type of training because he will shut down.
He cribs but we put hot rope with solar charger on top of his run/paddock and this has stopped it and no cribbing or cribbing collar needed, and it’s turned off now.
He used to have gas colic every now and then when he cribbed but not since we did this.
He had one episode of choke when he used to wear crib collar and it got caught and injured his neck, no issues with choke since then, and this was April 2019.

My dream is that someone sees the special in him and figures out how to bring it out- I think he needs consistency, patience, calm, sensitivity, turn out, free choice hay, and a rider that unlike me doesn’t get anxious, distracted , or in their head. Price very negotiable to good home, but rider must come ride him and our trainers would have to talk to discuss if he was a good fit. I truly don’t think he is a horse that likes to jump so don’t see him going back to hunter/jumper.