Profile of our "Perfect Horse"

We are continuing with Sean's relearning how to mount a horse. The weather for the past week however has been so intense that the only time I could do anything with Sean is very early in the morning, or in the evening, just before sunset.
So while we continue working on this goal with Sean, I thought it would be a good idea to describe what the "perfect" Sean Project Horse might be. Our two horses do not fit this criteria, so we will need to find this "perfect horse" somewhere!

If you or anyone you know has a horse that sounds like this, please let us know!!!

BUILD: 1) The "perfect" Sean Project horse will be between 14 hands and 15 hands in height. (a "hand" is 4 inches. In the horse world, height is measured in "hands"). This is NOT a tall horse. In fact, I don't want a horse taller than 15 hands. Why? Because if Sean decides to slide off the horse, he can do so without a huge drop, which could hurt his ankles.
2) The horse will be wide-backed and quite stocky. This is because such a horse can more easily take weight than a slender horse. This is crucial. The first part of our riding again (after several years) is going to be double. Sean and I will ride the horse, at a walk, just around our pasture. I'm sure Sean will remember our double riding, and this will be a great, secure way for him to get used to it again. Riding double like this, until Sean feels secure, may take weeks, or months. Obviously we are not going to put a strain on the horse, but it's important that the horse can handle this weight, for short periods of probably 20 to 30 minutes at a time.
3) Built so its trot is not bone-jarring. If the horse is gaited, so much the better, but that's not a requirement for The Sean Project. (It would be great for everyone else though!)

TEMPERAMENT: This horse will love people. It will want attention and enjoy the company of people, It will be very caring of its rider. It will take care if it feels the rider losing balance and will stop or adjust itself to keep the rider on. This is not unusual, but it is vital to us in this Sean Project. We do not want a horse that will just keep going no matter what is happening on its back. This temperament is just as important as the horse's physical build.

TRAINING: 1) Obviously this horse has to be extremely well trained. It has to be trail savvy, meaning it is familiar with all sorts of things it might encounter out on the trail: water, holes, ditches, snakes, etc. These are things that may be in our pasture from time to time and the horse must be completely at ease around general trail obstacles. Part of this includes having a horse trained to not spook at noises, moving objects like plastic bags in the wind, etc. Ideally, the horse would have been a "schooling" horse - one used to new riders and very well trained to be calm amidst noises, changes of weather, moving objects etc. Or the horse could be a successful field trial horse which would include that it is trained to gunshots.


2) The horse also has to know where its feet are at all times (many don't!). This may sound silly, but some horses have never been trained to actually look at the footing themselves! Some horses have been trained to NEVER make a decision on their own and that's not good. We'll need a horse that knows where its feet are at all times, is sure-footed, and can be allowed and trusted to pick its way through something.

3) The horse also has to be trained to ground tie, meaning if a rein drops to the ground. it won't shy but it WILL stop.

While I can teach a horse to ground tie, the first 2 items in this "Training" category really need to be in place before the horse comes to us. This is because I can do training of a horse, but not while doing The Sean Project.
The above points are what I consider necessary. In addition to being The Sean Project Horse, this horse would also double as a trail horse for visitors.

AGE: It just has to be physically mature - I'd say at least 7 or 8 years old - up to 18 if the horse is sound and in excellent condition. I would think a horse about 13 or 14 would be ideal. Again, build and personality are key.

GENDER: No matter. I would prefer a gelding but if the perfect horse turns out to be a mare (and it could very well be) than so be it!

PRICE: Honestly, we don't have much money, so the price has to be within our means. If a person who has this "perfect horse" is willing to work with us, then I'm sure we can work with them and come to some equitable arrangement.

So there it is. Sometimes it helps to just write it all out - as a sort of wish list. Notice I have NOT said anything about breed. Breed doesn't matter a whit. What matters is the horse's personality and its build, more than anything else.

If any of you horse people out there have some suggestions please comment, we'd love to hear your ideas!! Someone suggested getting a mule instead of a horse for The Sean Project. Mules can be more laid back and they won't put themselves in harms way, but mules can also spook. I love mules but the first part of this project is riding double. Some mules' backs are just not suited to double riding. However there may very well be a mule out there with the personality and training as outlined above and so that might work very well! We're open to anything that will work!!!

Nancy