I’d start taking him to local shows. Do you know anybody who reliably misses? Might be good to show him taking a joke really well (if not a bit risky). Have you talked about him with other local trainers? Surely someone in the area has a derided looking for a steady eddy. I also like the idea of giant sunglasses. Make his “ugliness” a positive.
He looks like an appy, I think there’s a big market for them. And that kind of mane/tail is typical of the breed
He has been to some shows around here. Spoke to some local trainers last year and one was going to come try him, but then they found something else instead…maybe networking is the key though. I just don’t know most of the new trainers…I feel old!
My sales video of him jumping does show him missing to a jump. He does it seamlessly (he takes off from one leg without changing his overall look). I was going to post it here, but thought that might cross the lines and turn this into more of an ad.
What about video of him being jumped bareback? Would that have merit?
[QUOTE=JBD;8044164]
He looks like an appy, I think there’s a big market for them. And that kind of mane/tail is typical of the breed[/QUOTE]
He is actually mostly Morgan. 1/16 appy only. His dam, sire and full brother all had lovely manes and tails. Poor Rocket wasn’t so lucky. He also got the Morgan gaited gene from both his parents so is gaited (but will trot and canter). Possible that is a turn off?
[QUOTE=Countrywood;8044009]
Play up his attributes and “inner beauty”[/QUOTE]
This and… there will be someone, who will think he is really beautiful physically also. You just need to find that person.
For instance, I think, he is beautiful and I mean it.
However, I already have three funny looking horses-
a Morgan so short, he looks like a square box, that changes color with every season;
a mini midget, whose only redeeming physical quality is his set of incredibly big eyes;
and another mini with peculiar gait and odd coloring with one part looking like someone poured a pot of boiling water over his shoulder and front leg.
Apparently, all three took a long time to sell/give away until we came around. Too strange looking, not correct. Well, I thought, they were almost too beautiful to look at, when I first met each of them.
I wish you and Rocket find that person soon. Good luck!
[QUOTE=CHT;8044165]
What about video of him being jumped bareback? Would that have merit?[/QUOTE]
It would show his versatility. It think, it is incredible, he can walk, trot, canter, and gait. I would play it up.
If you are aiming at someone like me, i.e. a pleasure rider, you should show/list as many “uses,” as you can come up with and definitely emphasize that he would be game for almost anything (if you think, he would be).
Many pleasure riders do different things season to season, year to year. An animal, that would “humor” them and accompany them into a jumper ring, dressage ring, barrel racing ring, trail ride, a parade, a Halloween party… that kind of animal is priceless.
ETA: Could you take him to a bigger organized trail ride in Spring and see, if you could network there? Trail riders tend to be more eclectic in their choice of horses and many prefer gaited ones.
I think he is cute and I am serious. I love Appy’s AND Morgans.
What markets have you been advertising him in?
I’d take some pics of him with a sidesaddle rider, definitely. That’d be adorbs.
Will he go around cross-country? Or go Foxhunting? Not necessary jumping huge fences, but stay chill around hounds and stuff?
I bet a nice old lady would love to play with this guy.
I think he looks just like a lot of other Appies and isn’t ugly at all. Or at least not substantially so. The perfect Pony Club horse. Roach his mane and send him out to be an eventer or family retainer.
Start a blog. Post regular pics and updates. Give him a voice–a quirky, fun one. 
He sounds like the kind of horse a serious trainer would jump at. Don’t they all need reliable, lower level horses for all us beginners and returning beginners out there? You could also call Pony Club organizers. Once a good horse enters Pony Club with a family, he gets handed from good home to good home to good home within the clubs. They are gold in Pony Club.
The one barn here has a…“untypical” hunter/jumper. When they started showing him, people were offering money at the shows to take him home.
If he is gaited you should advertise him to that market.That is where the nervous older ladies are too and some of them love the gaited appy.
This thread reminds me of an Appy my old trainer had. Her show name was Borderline Gorgeous. Truly suited her.
It will be a few months until I could get him out cross country or on a trail. I don’t think we have fox hunting here.
I advertised him on Kijiji, horsetopia, facebook and in the Gaitpost magazine. (he is really bothered by mosquitos so he would love to live in BC). I had someone in BC interested in him based on videos, but the vet doing the PPE had trouble telling if he was sound as he is hard to get trotting on the lunge or in hand without a rider (he just wants to shuffle/pace). As the buyer hadn’t actually seen him in person they just didn’t feel comfortable.
I like the idea of playing up to his looks…I will have to work on that. He is quite a character who can be quiet enough for a disabled rider, yet come alive to give confidence to an adult re-rider. I really want to find someone who appreciates his quirks.
What a shame. I was actually looking for such a horse. I’m getting up there in years, recovering from a shattered ankle, have osteoporosis, physically unfit and need a solid citizen to cart my sorry behind around without fear of getting dumped. My tb girls are green and need to be restarted as they haven’t been saddled in 3 years for one 2 for the other.
Instead, after the last storm I’m getting a new roof, fascia and then the heater died. NOT what I wanted to spend my cash on. I’d SO much rather be buying a horse!
CHT, I feel your vet’s pain at trying to determine the soundness of a gaited horse. We used to endurance ride a Tennessee Walker mare, who naturally had no trot, and some vets would be baffled about whether she was sound or not. We always reassured them that she was sound, as we wouldn’t ride her otherwise. The narcolepsy, now that was something else.
As for your beautiful ugly duckling, I hope he finds his proper pond. One with the right kid who loves him.
He looks cute to me. Please post more pictures. And I suppose for someone who does not like his tail they can always get a fake one. I’d love to see what his face looks like!
I agree that he’s super adorable looking already, but I would also do some “glamor shots” of him braided and with a tail extension in (borrow one?), a bit of dark grooming chalk around the eye, etc… to show that he could be “dressed up.”
[QUOTE=CHT;8044107]
Here is a picture of him jumping with a student.
http://www.stage.hillsidestable.ca/dir/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Rocket_Jump-300x275.jpg
Now…if you want something even better I could post a picture of Rugbygirl riding him sidesaddle last week…because he is totally the horse you do things like that on even though none of us had any sidesaddle experience…[/QUOTE]
I’d certainly look at him!
Do make sure you have some larger, clearer pictures of him on the ad. Small and fuzzy photos may be more of a turnoff than his actual looks.
How large is he? Could his size also be something holding him back? I’d push him as an all-arounder for the low-level Ammy adult. Make sure you play up that he’s a perfect confidence booster while also being extremely capable. Does he have a great personality? Play that up! If he’s just a workmanlike soul, then grab a few shots that look like he’s the life of the party. He may be a little unusually colored, but I don’t think that’s a deal breaker for most Ammies- not when they’re getting something that’s capable, safe, and fun. Just push him for what he is: One in a Million.
