Looking at a Malibu Moon OTTB gelding, age 8, and wondering what their reputation is for sport horses? I have a Noble Causeway son (GIant’s Causeway grandson) who is a fabulous mover and super chill. I lost a Seeking the Best (Seeking the Gold) gelding who was my heart horse and totally opposite of my chill guy. Anyone have any experience with the Malibu Moon line? He looks more on the sensitive side, which I like, but just wondering. Thanks!
I had one that was a gorgeous mover and pretty freaky athletically. Super sweet, just too much exuberance for me. After 4 months I moved him on, thankfully he found his person.
I rode one for a while for someone. Really sweet horse and quiet. Super mover and a very technically correct jumper, although not the scopiest thing. Jumped 3’6 ok but that was approaching his upper limit. Very fancy though and I believe he went on to be a nice low level eventer for a kid. He raced a lot and had a chip in a knee that I think limited him eventually but I really liked him.
Malibu Moon is excellent for sport. Many successful eventers at prelim and above, including Phillip Dutton’s Sea Of Clouds.
Typical of AP Indy sireline…good movers, good jumpers, smart and sane. He tends to make a “round” body type and topline.
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Cool – thank y’all! I’m only looking for a low-level guy because I don’t have the $ to show other than local schooling shows. The one I’m looking at looks almost a dead-ringer for cheektwocheek’s profile pic! I like exuberance and try. And my current guy needs a buddy, so a guy that can run and hang with him and I can lesson in basic dressage and the occasional clinic will work. The guy I lost moved like a sewing machine, but with his heart—I didn’t care 
He was so much fun when he “got” what we were trying to do and he was such a character.
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There is a MM baby on our local circuit. Kind of plain but a very nice jumper. He has won a lot. Is ridden by a pro and an amateur. I like him.
I have a 2015 Orb gelding, so a Malibu Moon grandson. I haven’t done much with him yet but he seems to be pretty fancy and athletic. He is extremely bossy, but also very brave and confident. I am thrilled with him so far!
Oh thank y’all! I’m so hoping that my vet will OK this guy. He has a couple things that I’m a little concerned about from a long-term maintenance standpoint. Oh…and he’s only 6. I misspoke saying he was 8. So hoping to talk to my vet this evening or tomorrow. This guy has experience jumping—he showed at Wellington in baby things not long after he came off the track apparently, but isn’t the high-level type. That’s fine. I’d be absolutely thrilled to go to a local show and do a 2’ course!! And I went to the Maclays twice as a junior and rode in the North American Prix de Villes back in the stone age!! Yikes!!
There is a young MM gelding in training at our farm and he is a hot, sensitive horse with a LOT of horsepower… He has calmed down since he found his person but that horse is very much a pro ride. That being said he is a nice mover and respectful to his person.
Mine is extremely hot and challenging. Physically he is gorgeous-- pretty much the perfect TB hunter type but he gets explosive when excited and other horses excite him. Very much a pro ride, and can be very bad on the ground as well. His first instinct is to kick out HARD to express his feelings.
Mine was pretty rank when I first got him. He was given to me after he bowed at the track, and I actually think the bow was a really good thing for him because it guaranteed down time. I got him in May and he finally started acting civilized in October. I’m just doing a slow winter of tack walking since I don’t have time to do it every day, and he has been really great so far BUT when he actually has to start working I’m anticipating some sass. It’s 100% his world, and I really hope he likes jumping because if not he’s not. doing. it.
In my experience, they are professional rides. They are extremely smart and athletic but if you are coming off of a “chill” horse, it might be a rough adjustment.
I recall being at a jumper show once and this horse was in the warm up hopping around and spending a lot of time on his hind legs. The rider had an excellent seat and was totally unphased and she goes “this is Malibu Kid” (IIRC) and everyone went “oh got it, makes sense” and went about their business.
Thanks all! I don’t mind them being a pro ride. My past 2 OTTBs have been challenging—one (a Deputy Commander guy) was insecure and unpredictable, and he just got more scary over time—15 years. Fine on the ground, but a head case. We discovered his calling—polo with a male rider—way too late and that was sad, because even at 16h and 17 years old, he would have made a superb polo horse. The horse I lost last year was hot and sensitive and we got along great. My chill guy is kind of the anomaly. I decided to go ahead and adopt the Malibu Moon guy and am excited for him to come. My background experience as a junior in the 1970s was A circuit, the Maclays and riding 3-5 horses a day, and teaching beginners. I’ve had OTTBs here for the past 17 years, so that doesn’t scare me. I’m happy that he’s best suited for low level at this point and I think we’ll have a lot of fun!
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Congratulations!! Please keep us updated!
I’m posting here because while sitting in my bedroom in California, looking for big TB’s in one of my fantasy searches, I came across a MM gelding in PA, His name is Swinging Star and he’s on Dreamhorse. This is not an ad–as I said, I’m in CA just fantasy horse shopping on the interwebz.
I LOVE fantasy horse shopping Well, my MM guy (Bounce) arrived 12/26, the day after Christmas, and he has settled in really well. Not afraid of the longhorn steers anymore. We had a bit of a glitch because his buddy, my other OTTB was in the hospital at Texas A&M with recurring sand/dirt colic from the 22-28th. I borrowed a horse to keep Bounce company until I was able to bring Roo home on the 28th. Got on Bounce for the first time a week ago and he had a huge hump in his back and was hot and anxious but finally realized I wasn’t asking him to do anything but walk. Super light in my hands. In fact, hands off is the best way with him. I can simply turn my hips toward the right and he turns right. Turn them toward the left, he turns left. Entire circles if I don’t sit straight again! Shift horizontally and the shoulders move over. Raise my sternum and his back rises to carry me and he relaxes a lot. Had my first lesson on him yesterday with my dressage teacher and she absolutely loves him. She breeds WBs but is open to all breeds really and said I got a really good one. Yep. I agree.!! Absolutely thrilled with my $500 horse.
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