Theo - New Bowie Horse Arrival - 4 y/o Saddlebred Gelding

[phantomhorse]

@luvmyhackney

It wouldn’t surprise me if that was the way Theo was kept. I have no idea how he supposedly has driving training. He has the education of a yearling at best.

A million years ago, I used to work for a guy who used to attend some of the cheaper auctions around and look for horses to upgrade. He got quite friendly with some of the local Amish and Mennonite families and sometimes they would offer him horses before they went through the auction. I went with him to pick up a horse one afternoon. Upon our arrival at the farm, we found a teenage boy working in one of the fields with a team: one huge old belgian and one young non-draft horse who was wearing harness as well as a variety of ropes around legs and neck and head. That young horse was not into participating but the Belgian just dragged him along! I was told it was the first day of training for that young horse and he would eventually give up fighting. I guess this is a similar concept to teaching calves to lead by tying them to donkeys?

I could certainly understand Theo being traumatized if he was “trained” in such a way…

[RMJacobs]

My Hackney pony wasn’t technically a rescue, but a rescue asked me to buy him. The rescue from whom I got my Paint mare and grade pony gelding boarded with a woman who showed Saddlebreds (I think?) and had the Hackney pony for her kids to show, and as kind of a mascot. The kids were now grown. One of the partners in the rescue told me that this Hackney looked totally miserable, was retired from showing and stuck in a stall most of the time, with occasional turnout in a very small pen. She knew I was looking for a driving mini, and she asked me if I’d consider buying the Hackney instead to get him out of that situation.

He too had been gelded late (at age ten) and was 22 when I met him. I fell in love. When my trainer and I went to pick him up (I didn’t have a trailer), the owner’s daughter said the pony was cuddly and seemed to crave attention. When I asked the owner what the pony’s barn name was, she said “Oh, I call them all Horse.” Zero sign of caring about them as fellow creatures. At least the daughter paid attention to him, but she wasn’t always around. I asked the daughter what she called him, and she said “usually Crackin’ Man or Crackers.” His registered name was Get Crackin’. I thought Crackers was perfect for him, so that’s what I always called him.

When I got him home and turned him loose in the pasture, he went running and bucking and looked like he was having the time of his life. He never went into the sheds for as long as I had him, which was until he had to be euthanized at age 29. He’d be outside by choice in a blizzard, totally covered in snow with just his eyes showing, and looking contented. And he loved attention, scratches and cuddles and going out for drives.

Of course he was way hot, and I was new to driving, which made for interesting times. But he was my guy, then and always.

[luvmyhackney]

Because Theo was looking cute eating breakfast. He eats better out of a stall.

He’s also loosing hair in patches along his chest and on his body. Super odd as it’s not fungus. Hair wipes right off, almost like he is shedding mid-season.

[Alterration]

I just had that experience with two boarder horses who came in underconditioned. Once fed, they literally blew an entire coat and grew a new one. It was incredible. They looked terrible for a bit and I was worried about fungus too.

[cayuse]

Handsome man has some long legs there!

[luvmyhackney]

He’s smaller than they had him listed as. He’s a baby 3 so will probably grow a little.

I’m 5’3” and can easily look over his back. His withers come to my chin area.

My pony, that he is shown with, is a 12.2 model.

[cayuse]

He looks so tall to me, I need to get away from my minis and get out into the real world!

[MNick]

He is filling in nicely! Have you done the string test on him??

I’m so baffled by his height he did not look that short!

[luvmyhackney]

@MNick

I’m so baffled by his height he did not look that short!

It’s the neck. When the neck is up, saddlebreds grow 3 feet taller.

I have not string tested as I didn’t think it worked for 3 y/os. Does it? I try not to buy horses younger than 4 for this reason.

[Paint_Party]

I agree! He looks like he’s at least 15 hands.

He’s looking great! Really blossoming already.

[luvmyhackney]

Who knows… maybe I shrunk. But he seems tiny compared to my 16.2 ASB, but of course bigger than my pony.

Theo heard a gunshot this afternoon and looked at least 17 hands tall, scared the life out of me with as close as it was.

[MNick]

Maybe you have to get into mounted shooting if you want a taller horse

[luvmyhackney]

Three weeks today.

And I was thinking about his height. I’ve been rasping his front feet every day practicing for the farrier and he’s broken off a ton of foot. After he gets a real trim, I’ll stick him to see his actual height.

[chestnutmarebeware]

What a difference you’ve made with him in such a short time! In both his weight and his confidence/demeanor.

That middle picture looks like a bright-eyed baby who’s been around nice, reliable humans his whole life.

[JBCool]

@chestnutmarebeware

What a difference you’ve made with him in such a short time!

Agreed!!

[Paint_Party]

Oh, he’s looking mighty fine!

[cayuse]

!

[Heinz_57]

He is looking FABULOUS! I think you picked a winner.

[2DogsFarm]

I 3rd this!
Theo’s gonna be a Golden God

[luvmyhackney]

He’s trying to keep up in the looks department with Burt and Ernie! They are stunning.