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ROWAN - SOLD
16.1 hh, 9 yr old Warmblood X   Rowan is a big, beautiful 9 yr old chestnut gelding, started and trained under saddle as a five yr old by a professional, given a year's worth of once-weekly professional training thereafter--and nothing since. His pony clubber teenager reitired her pony and moved on to snow-boarding and college instead. Rowan continued his pampered life with the family, had his teeth floated, his feet trimmed, his vaccinaions given--and did nothing else. For the last number of years he was hardly ridden until coming to Archer's Horses for a month of tune-up training in February. SO, he is solidly in the category of good mover, athletic, lovely jumping form...and green as grass. No mileage. No shows. No pony club excursions. No trips to the local fairgrounds. You name it, he hasn't done it. What Rowan does have are solid basics, a good hunter-style grounding and a good start over fences, but he is (or was, at least, when he arrived) quite rusty on the finer points. His penchant is for jumping, and he shines at it-he likes the job, has beautiful style and has talent to spare for 3'+, but he also has very little current experience. In the hands of his trainer as a five and a half yr old he was brought to the point of cantering 2'6 courses with easy changes, and was ready to move on. He has not done much since, except be the family pet.  Rowan was purchased a still-nursing weanling by his family. His dam was a 16.2 BWP (Belgium Warmblood) who competed in jumpers with Rowan's south african breeder (dam's pedigree is not available, although we knew her). Rowan's sire was a paint horse, pedigree also not available, owned by Rowan's near family. Rowan is put toggether like, and has the temperament of, a typical warmblood/thbd cross: solid but not heavy, good bone, and a temperament which can be mellow or forward. on circumstances. Rowan is willing under saddle, learns quickly, and is in general a pleasure to ride-light to leg, very comfortable gaits, and a hunter-style way of going. In every way, though, he does need mileage. Rowan is best suited for an intermediate rider, any-age teenager or reasonably experienced adult, who has the time to ride him consistently and bring him 'back to level'. He is not a horse who needs drilling, he can be left alone fo a few days (or months) and hopped on with a minimum of fuss. He has no buck, no rear, and is NOT spooky. He tends to start out very forward, but after his first five minutes he's a horse you push a bit. He has forward days, and pokey dyas, and needs a rider who doesn't mind either. He likes to hack, he likes to stretch, and he likes to go like a hunter. He has no trail experience, almost all of his work has been in the arena.  Rowan is very talented, very sweet, and very green. He is naturally confident under saddle BUT he can be quite pushy on the ground from a lifetime of too-nice handling by a family who loves thier animals and would never hurt a flea. His pushiness iscin no way not-sweet (just pushy) but we do feel he could use a solid course in polite ground manners. Rowan would be a very good mount for a pony clubber willing to put time and further training into him before his first competition outing, and experienced enough to handle a big (imagine five year old) green warmblood. He would be suitable for an experienced adult in a lesson program. He would be suitable for a rider who wants to show hunters/low jumpers, wants an already broke horse started over fences, and who doesn't mind putting the needed mileage on him themsleves. Rowan is NOT a made horse. Rowan is sound, and healthy. He had an incident concerning one eye as a two week old foal (had a foxtail removed from the cornea) He had the eye thoroughly examined before his purchase as a weanling, and again later in life before starting training, by two different, and excellent, equine vets. Both vets gave him a clean bill of health and could detect no loss of vision, nor could his hunter/jumper trainer detect any deviation from normal sight whatsoever while jumping or during flatwork. Nor could I, in my month with him. Rowan, after his month tune-up here, is currently at home with his owners and can be seen and tried at their arena. Please email or call Archer's Horses if you would like to discuss Rowan's suitability or to make an appointment to meet him. Video footage of Rowan under saddle and further pics will be updated shortly. ROWAN is offered for sale for $3000 |