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GRIFFIN - SOLD
7 yr old, 16.1 hh Gelding   Griffin, our trooper, is the horse we choose to ride last each day, because even with the sun fading, the shadows stretching out in frightening long fingers across the arena, the wind coming up and the cold coming down and the other horses snorting and galloping and acting like idiots to be fed, even with all that snorty and frequently heart-stopping ruckus, Griffin remains totally patient, easy, unflappable and sane, a horse that makes you unafraid to ride out alone in the spooky dark, face down the shadows-- and still get good training time in. Griffin just makes you feel... SAFE. This is not to say that he is perfect, never puts a hair out of place, never looks at things (pretty rare, though) or puts in a prance. He does sometimes, although sloooowly and with great solemnity. But mainly, when you ride Griffin you feel like he is a steady, brave, solid heart with no agenda but the work at hand. He doesn't want to leave you behind, leave you in the dust, or leave you anywhere else. He wants you to stick around, which is to us about as good a base for a lasting human-horse partnership as we can think of .  All that said, it is important to understand that Griffin is NOT a little old lady's horse. He is hunky and athletic. He is athletic enough to make an intermediate or beginner/intermediate rider feel like they are finally on a REAL horse and heading up, and intelligent enough to make a trainer smile. He has energy and loves to gallop laps in his field. He is playful, curious, and is one of those horses who follows you around trying to put his nose in everything you're doing. Griffin reminds us, in every sense- his looks, his temperament, his big-boned legs and rock-hard feet, his patient eyes, and heavy-boned, sweet face-- exactly of the old-time Cavalry mounts of dusty, light filled, black and white Westerns: those sturdy, steady, strong horses that were as fearless or as fiesty as cirumstances required, and who jumped, forded, crossed every obstacle in their paths without complaint. Griffin is exactly that: kind, sweet, enormously tolerant, a wee-bit solemn, very confidence-inspiring, and fun 
Griffin is NOT fancy. He is NOT refined. But he is, in his own solid way, very much a beautiful horse. He is light and soft to ride, uphill and well balanced. He is NOT a big mover, but he is a capable mover, with a natural feel for collection and lengthening. His walk is slow (he's working on it), his trot is nicely forward but never hurried, his canter is LOVELY, with a big, uphill, very adjustable stride. His total sanity under saddle makes him UTTERLY enjoyable to ride and train. Griffin has no bad hair days, he is consistent and willing. He's excellent working alone but is even happier (like the Cavalry type he is) in crowded circumstances, with things going on left and right .
Griffin is a QH/Thbd cross of unknown pedigree. His dam was purchased in foal with an unrecorded breeding (Griffin) and Griffin was foaled, raised, and ridden by his one owner until this fall, when owner circumstances forced his sale. Griffin has extensive trail experience and has good basic training in the arena. He is walk-trot-canter on the buckle on the rail for any level rider. He is just beginning to be educated over small jumps and courses and to further his dressage basics of balance and bending. Griffin is the ultimate great horse for the intermediate child, junior or amateur adult rider who wants a loving, sane horse to do everything with: to learn on, to compete at low-to mid-levels with; to do trail riding, dressage, or basic jumping with. 
Check our VIDEOS page for footage of Griffin as we update daily. 
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