Handsome is as handsome does! He sounds like a real sweetheart to me. Someone will be very lucky to have him.
I agree…no need for a goofy ad. Get a video, some good pictures and show what he can do. He sounds like the kind of horse someone would be lucky to own and the person who deserves him is the one that won’t run away because of his color.
This is the ugly duckling in my life. I had to work pretty hard to convince a friend to look past some things. She now adores him because of his personality and his willingness to try anything…his spots have even grown on her. 
I sent you a pm. He sounds like the type of trail horse I’m looking for.
“Pretty doesn’t ride” is the phrase used around here. I can’t imagine a cute, colorful packer not selling. Big thick manes and tails are pretty but a PITA to maintain. See, there’s another selling point - “This guy is a timesaver at shows”.
That’s a fair point CHT° He IS a time saver at shows. Besides the mane and tail, he can be almost totally muddy and not show it LOL
I think he’s adorable. I would play up his personality and the fact that he is safe/easy to ride. I know plenty of kids who would love a horse like that! Maybe try some pony club parents? They definitely value safety over looks. Or an older trail rider?
Here’s my old “ugly” Appy/mutt: https://scontent-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/2308_55824310212_9251_n.jpg?oh=82327be19b07696fbbc4b10eff95c7b2&oe=558B83CA
He lived until age 32 and was worth his weight in gold as a kids/guest/husband horse. I could have sold him 10 x over based on his reputation as a saint. Him being funny looking was always a great conversation starter too.
Also, in terms of target audience, this is EXACTLY the kind of horse I’d snap up as a guest/husband/spare horse for under (probably well under) 5k if I had acreage.
If I were selling this horse I might be willing to take a bit of a hit on the price to send him to such a place - many of the private backyard barns are much more willing to keep on their retirees or outgrown horses, particularly if they’re hardy and easy keepers.
So maybe old school tear-off ads in tack shops and publicizing the horse with your vet/farrier might yield some results? Again, this is totally the kind of horse that I’d buy without thinking even if I wasn’t specifically looking for a new horse (i.e. trolling Dreamhorse and the like.)
Based on your description, and the picture you posted, I would be interested in him! My drawback, from what I know, would be your location. I hope you’ve gotten lots of PMs, because he certainly deserves a wonderful home.
Based on what I DON’T know that might be drawbacks, would be size, and price. He looks adorable to me. 
[QUOTE=rugbygirl;8048607]
That’s a fair point CHT° He IS a time saver at shows. Besides the mane and tail, he can be almost totally muddy and not show it LOL[/QUOTE]
I know, that is totally going into his ad! He is the perfect colour for hiding any stains or stray bits of shavings!
Can’t decide on price yet. That part is hard. I don’t want to sell him too cheap just to see him back on the market in 30 days at double the price, but I don’t want to price him out of a good home.
For those of us who would love to have a horse just like that, please just satisfy our curiosity and let us know how big he is! We’re following this like a story and we want a fuller description. And, since we’re all invested in his situation now, I hope you’ll let us know when he does find his forever home. My fingers are crossed for Malda in SoCal.
[QUOTE=GotMyPony;8050769]
For those of us who would love to have a horse just like that, please just satisfy our curiosity and let us know how big he is! We’re following this like a story and we want a fuller description. And, since we’re all invested in his situation now, I hope you’ll let us know when he does find his forever home. My fingers are crossed for Malda in SoCal.[/QUOTE]
I am a very long-legged 5’10" and…hmm…more pounds than I want to be, 12 months post-baby.
Horse being a fantastic sport about trying sidesaddle. I am too big to ride him seriously/often, but he would fit MANY adult women absolutely fine, IMO.
He’s an appaloosa - so of course he has little mane and tail. That’s a breed attribute and doesn’t make him ugly at all! He looks like a very well bred appy to me. You could always take a page out of the strip-joint book and advertise “Three beautiful horses and one ugly one” for sale!
[QUOTE=Mondo;8050959]
He’s an appaloosa - so of course he has little mane and tail. That’s a breed attribute and doesn’t make him ugly at all! He looks like a very well bred appy to me. You could always take a page out of the strip-joint book and advertise “Three beautiful horses and one ugly one” for sale! :D[/QUOTE]
He is actually 15/16 morgan…his full brother had a full mane and tail and no appy characteristics. Not sure why Rocket got them all! Took some conformation shots of him today, and hoping DH can get a western video of him this weekend, and then will start advertising him for real (apparently he kind of neck reins if you also use leg).
[QUOTE=CHT;8044166]
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]
Consider that he either may have a selenium overload/toxicity, or is more sensitive to that mineral. Excess selenium usually first presents with hair loss or failure to grow. A Veterinarian can do a blood test to check his selenium status. That does need to be checked, because it is a health problem.
[QUOTE=Chachie;8046813]
Ugliest horse in the world. Don’t look…he will burn your eyes!
Ok so if you’re still reading this, maybe you need to get your eyes checked. Or maybe he’s the horse for you.
Rocket is by far the ugliest horse I’ve ever seen. I need him gone because all of the other horses laugh at him. I mean really, who ever heard of an appy Morgan cross?(Someone must have left a gate open!)
Rocket needs someone who is kind and can look past his hideous color. I’ve tried to counsel him because he knows he is ugly because he has a heart of gold (It’s what’s on the inside that counts right?) and he tries so hard to please people. I mean, he will let anyone ride him because he so desperately wants his own person. He’s that kind of solid good guy that protects his rider, whether it’s a little kid or a nervous newbie, it’s like he knows he needs to be a steady Eddie.
Rocket is the kind of horse you can use for lessons, put your husband on to go for romantic trail rides, or just stick out in the field to use his ugly looks to scare away the bears.
He’s got a trot to die for and that rocking horse canter that makes him easy to ride. And believe it or not, he’s gaited. (Really. No joke. He’s a gaited Appy lol) so he’s really very versatile. I think that’s why he does so well in Dressage to be honest. He’s smart, flexible, and willing. He’s a cute mover, if you can look past his horrid looks.
He’s a smaller guy so everyone thinks he’s a POA but I tell them he’s from Alberta so I created a new breed…Ponies of Alberta. There’s only 2 that I know of, him and his brother so you’d have a very rare breed.
I really need to sell him so I can replace the mirrors in the indoor. They always crack when he goes by because he’s just not pretty. It’s getting expensive! I was hoping that over the years he might get more attractive but I don’t think it’s going to happen. He’s 15 so maybe invest in some of that horsey spray paint before you turn him out with your herd. He’s low man here, maybe some fancy artwork will help him at his new home.
Just please, don’t look directly at him. You might turn to stone if you do. I lost a good instructor that way. I really liked her.
So if you need a good ol boy in your barn for the kids, your guests or even if you’re just a little timid and don’t want a big horse, come check him out. Just bring some eye protection.[/QUOTE]
Awesome! Do you, by any chance, do volunteer ad-writing for Big Fluffy Dog Rescue also? That was so much like some of the wonderful write-ups I see on Facebook for the dogs they are trying to rehome.
[QUOTE=Emilia;8044186]
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.[/QUOTE]
I agree with this. I sold an excellent all-rounder TB with some disclosed soundness issues a few years ago. I put a long sales video on YouTube of a full First Level dressage test at a schooling show, a full stadium jumping round, as much of a cross-country round as could be captured, PLUS him sorting cows and highlights from an extreme cowboy race. The lady who bought him loved that he could do so many different things, and that I didn’t edit the videos to show only the very best parts. Since he can do lots of things, try to show that off! The production value may not be that high with weather issues but it’s somewhere to start.
I thought I would update: after all the great ideas on here, all it took was Rugbygirl’s facebook post to find Rocket a new home. He went on trial two weeks ago, and now officially has a new home! (we wanted to make sure he would do ok at a busier barn, and being ridden mostly western).
The lady seems perfect for him: nervous adult re-rider who was thrilled to be able to “lope” all the way around the ring on her first ride. She is also allergic to mosquitoes…which is perfect as Rocket is very bothered by them! What made me feel even better about the match was that when she had some issues with him (swishing his tail while she rode and being twitchy to groom after the ride), she didn’t assume it was him being naughty, and instead looked into why his behaviour had changed…and figured out it was the expensive wool saddle pad she was using! She has young kids that will eventually share Rocket as well.
Now I’m really sad I didn’t get my pony sold in time! Glad to see he’s gone to a good home. I’ll have to keep looking.
I wish desperately that I was in the market. I used to work with an “ugly” horse many years ago. An Appy, roan, with mottled skin and sclera, barely any mane or tail at all, and jugheaded as sin. He was solid gold. Could jump the moon, level-headed, gaits like floating on a raft, the patience of Job, and a sense of humor. I’d give my eye teeth to have one like him in my life.
[QUOTE=CHT;8051255]
He is actually 15/16 morgan…his full brother had a full mane and tail and no appy characteristics. Not sure why Rocket got them all! Took some conformation shots of him today, and hoping DH can get a western video of him this weekend, and then will start advertising him for real (apparently he kind of neck reins if you also use leg).[/QUOTE]
REALLY??!?!?!?
he looks like any number of Appy schoolies I rode in my lifetime. I am in western Washington and they are common and all pretty much look alike; the scraggly mane and tail hide a stain coats
and good as gold.
Anyone needing a nice first horse or a solid citizen hes your boy.
