- Skills / Disciplines
- All Around, Companion, Experienced, Natural Horsemanship Training, Ranch Work, Ridden English, Ridden Western, Therapy, Trail, Trail Riding, Western Dressage, Western Riding, Working Cattle
Additional Comments
Aztec is the man. Not only is this horse handsome as heck, but he also is his own sort of unicorn. What do I mean? Well I got him for my husband who decided that he only wanted to ride once in a blue moon and ended up his main rider. When I got him all I knew is that he'd do trail rides and might have worked cows and it turned out he's got a little bit of everything going for him, a real renaissance horse.
Things I've played around with him on: Western & English Dressage (walk/trot), basic obstacles, ranch sorting, pole bending, jumping very low 12"-18" fences, ground poles, equine yoga, liberty training, bareback riding, trail riding, etc.... (read more) There's nothing I wouldn't be willing to introduce to him. If its fun for you he'll probably give it a go, even if it is at a low level.
His needs: AMPLE time outside keeps him vice free. Not enough time outside he'll let you know he's missing it. Ever seen a 1200 lb horse stir crazy? Just let him stay out as much as you can, trust me. He also loves his herd, but is not herd bound I've taken him out alone many many a time without a backwards glance at the barn.
He's a great horse to lead a trail ride as he has the guts to face anything and the things he's shy about he'll do with encouragement. He tends to run hotter than most. He has a deep gas tank and is not afraid to go. I would often lunge him before riding, not because I couldn't handle him, but because it was an easy way to let him run it out before getting on and so that he could focus. He wants to be a good boy and be praised. A beginner can lunge him with or without a lunge line. I've also hopped on him bareback after he sat for a few weeks while I was away without lunging and he just moves along. Aztec spooking is stepping fast in place a few times or lifting his head fast and it happens very infrequently. Someone at a sort accidentally threw a bottle of soda to a friend and hit him in the head with it. He barely moved. While he's got more go than whoa he'll stop when you ask. Just mean it when you ask him to do something. Can a beginner ride him? If they're willing to say what they mean, yes. If you're wishy washy he'll walk all over you. He's higher in the pecking order and will instigate playfully with yearlings through retirees.
Oh yeah, the one time I fell off it was because I forgot to tighten the girth so the saddle slipped going around a corner. He stopped instantly and waited for me to get up and re-mount. He tends to stop/ slow when he thinks you're coming off as well.
Abilities:
He loves to play with cows, and be around cows. There is no big stop in him nor is there a turn on a dime. He'll get to where you need him to go, but not like a metallic cat. When I got him all I knew is that he'd do trail rides and might have worked cows. Turns out he's comfortable to ride English & Western. I've seen him at a western joy, trot, collected trot, and extended trot. He'll let you open a gate. We've started liberty training. He'll do some lateral movement when ridden regularly. I've practiced equine yoga with him, which he really enjoys. He'll run barrels, not fast, but if you want to see if it's fun for you before buying a 25k horse, then he'll do the trick. Frankly that's his superpower - go out and explore the world with you and have some fun. I was actually getting ready to start shooting a bow & arrow off of him. While I haven't gotten a chance to start this yet I'm not worried that it'd spook him or that he wouldn't be able to handle it.
Attention: Ride him or don't he'll happily eat grass/ hay all day with his herd. He loves the attention and grooming and his thick beautiful tail is gorgeous when clean and blown out! He likes to see each brush before you use it. Its a quirk, but it doesn't really harm anyone and he seems to enjoy seeing what's coming next. This of a big curious kid saying - what's that? He knows his name and if he's had enough time outside to move around he'll come when he sees you approach the gate/ fence.
Easy Keeper: His feet grow slowly so he typically goes 8 weeks between barefoot trims. He can get fat on just hay; he only gets a handful of grain morning and night because he like to strut around saying what a special horse he is to get grain. I humor him because its cute how excited he gets. He doesn't really need a blanket in the winter unless it get COLD. I mean like below 10. We have a blanket for him that I'm happy to pass along to you. He's a big fan of carrots, apples, german horse muffins, peppermints, and just about any treat you could give him. He's food motivated so to keep him honest and not pushy he gets treats only AFTER behaving well and when the work is done for the day. He does love his mineral salt lick.
Medical: No known issues. I practice and teach energetic body work on horses and so he's been the subject of a lot of practice sessions. He enjoys it but doesn't have any real need of that kind of maintenance. Barefoot trims - stands for farrier. His teeth naturally stay good - he gets checked every 6 months and hasn't needed a float in quite a while. He gets his sheath cleaned every 6 months as well and is fine for me to clean it myself without sedation or worry. He just got his fall shots. He'll move around on the cross ties or tied to the wall mostly if he thinks something interesting is going on that he can't see. He's very curious.
This horse has had a good life so far and has many more years ahead of him. He is affectionate and a joy to be around. Why am I not keeping this gem? Part of my work is as an animal communicator. When I got him he said it was only for a few years and now he told me its time to find his new person. My animals get to choose if they stay or go and he would like to find a new person to love on so he gets to have that. In my first month with him a few years back I hand walked him in the woods (his idea!) then we stopped and hung out taking in the sights. He wrapped his head & neck around me in a long hug and then we walked back to the barn. He is just a great guy and deserves the best.
