2006 Black Quarter Horse gelding
Toby arrived with Koda, Murphy and Taffy from the New Holland auction in June of 2015. This good-looking guy stands about 14.2 hh. We suspect that Toby was mishandled in the past, as he was initially very cautious around people and remains a bit head shy. Toby needed some serious attention from the dentist, as it appeared that his teeth were likely never done before. However, overall he arrived in good shape physically, and after a 1-month quarantine we began his retraining.
Toby has proven to be a quick study, and progressed easily with groundwork, obstacles and round pen work. This is a forward-thinking and athletic little horse who is a lot of fun to ride. He is quite sensitive to the aids but has also proven to be sensible. Toby did not have any concept of bending and softening to contact, and would rush off with his head in the air when we first began riding him. Although he certainly needs more work in the ring he has progressed well and is becoming steadier and softer in the contact with each passing week. Toby hacks out with confidence either alone or with others, and we have just begun jumping him over small fences in the ring and out in the fields. He trailers, ties, clips, bathes, and was very relaxed during his off-property ‘field trips’ to date.
While Toby will need continued training with an intermediate level rider or above to really bring out his potential, we feel confident that he has a bright future. We look forward to continued work with Toby as we fine-tune his skills, and are currently accepting applications as we begin the process of finding his forever home.
Update: In the last week of March 2016, this flashy black Quarter Horse self-loaded onto the trailer and headed for his new forever home in Massachusetts. Toby’s smart and eager personality made it easy for him to progress from the beginning when he arrived in June. He tackled groundwork and the obstacles with no troubles, but to really see him shine, you had to be outside. Toby was always much happier without a ceiling overhead. This is exactly what his new partner will provide. Alexandria and Toby will now enjoy miles and miles of trails and adventures together. They will continue with lessons and have made it their mission to grow as a team. We are so happy for Toby and Alexandria. He now gets to live a life showered with love and affection, and she gets a partner deserving of the attention. Congratulations to both Toby and his wonderful new forever family.
FURTHER UPDATE: Sometimes, despite best intentions, horses and their owners can end up needing different things. When that happens, we fully support the horse being thoughtfully and carefully rehomed to find the best fit for everyone. We were so happy to have Alexandra reach out to us for permission to find a new home for Toby which truly suited his needs, and were thrilled to hear recently that she had succeeded:
Below is a video of Toby in training from July 2015:
