- Skills / Disciplines
- Lesson, Trail Riding
Additional Comments
Mae is a 15.2 HH, 13 yr old, Bay, OTTB mare. I have owned Mae for 3 years. Mae is very easy to handle on the ground & does everything a horse her age should. She is bottom of the pecking order. Mae goes barefoot.
I would like to find Mae a home where she could be used in a flat lesson program, as a gentle hacker, broodmare, or companion horse. I am VERY open to offers to a good fit.
THE GOOD: Mae is at her best when being ridden.... (read more) In a lesson situation she is completely unbothered by the other horses. She just simply goes to work and will walk and trot on the rail at a steady pace for as long as is needed. Mae is also a wonderful, calm trail horse. She rides calmly, on a loose rein, in open fields or dense trails. Mae crosses water, bridges, anything we put in front of her. Mae is NOT spooky. Mae also ponies like a champ and therefore is great for giving pony rides. With a little consistency, Mae will ride away alone from the barn and her herd.
Mae was leased by a high school student & boarded for 7 months in '23/'24. Mae was ridden 5 days a week in a lesson program during this time. Mae and her HS rider worked on picking up the canter from a walk, slowing down her canter, pole work, and Mae was even beginning to get her flying lead changes!
THE NOT SO GOOD: Mae is what I consider serviceably sound, but she will NOT pass a vet exam. She is stiff in her hocks and stifles. Mae moves best when she is ridden consistently. Being in a 5 day a week lesson program had her moving BETTER. I do not believe Mae is in pain, she just has track wear and tear.
Mae's HS rider bought her own horse, so Mae came home on April 5, 2024 and cut her common digital flexor tendon on the very first night. Mae was on stall rest while she healed and was then slowly brought back in to work with the help of my trainer. Mae was able to come back to weekly riding lessons and even completed 2 tough trail rides with me. Unfortunately, Mae then ended up popping a splint in the same leg she had cut. It is now cool to the touch and does not seem to bother her.
My vet feels that Mae has recovered from her tendon injury and should be able to return to her previous athletic ability. She feels that the splint was unrelated. My farrier feels that the scar tissue from her cut has limited Mae's range of motion and that she is not a good candidate for the difficult trail riding that my husband and I enjoy. He feels that she is best suited to flat work in an arena and rolling hill hack outs. I tend to agree with my farrier.
Mae is NOT a candidate for jumping, barrel racing, or tough trail rides.
Mae had 2 quirks. One, she can be touchy about her stomach being brushed. No bite or kick, but she'll swish her tail and move around. This gets way better as she gets comfortable with her handler. Two, Mae doesn't like to be left alone. Although she is 100% FINE to ride in the arena solo and will even ride away from the herd, she hates when they leave her. If left on a property alone she will whinny and run the fences.
Mae has a lot of life and riding left in her! I would so love to see her go to a lesson barn or find a home where her rider wants to play in the arena and hack out around the fields. The more Mae moves, the BETTER she moves. And luckily, she seems happiest when being in a program! I am open to ALL offers if the home is a great fit! She just no longer fits how we ride.
