Faith

With this girl there will be stipulations and the biggest one is non negotiable. Faith is NOT to be ridden until she is at least four years old. Yes, she is broke to ride. No, that does not mean you will be riding her.<br/><br/>The reality is that Faith is only around 2-2.5 years old. She was reportedly started under saddle somewhere around one to one and a half years of age and ridden extensively on pavement before coming to us. She is currently sound, comfortable and happy. My goal is to keep her that way.<br/><br/>Because of that, any adopter will be required to sign not only our standard 50 year lease agreement but also an additional waiver acknowledging that Faith is not to be ridden, free jumped or subjected to any unnecessary stress on her joints until she is a minimum of four years old. Personally, I would prefer five... but the veterinarian advised at least four. She already has a click in her one hind occasionally... which he believes is cartilage due to being loped down asphalt roads constantly. He said in order for us to not be dealing with an arthric horse, she needs time to finish growing. <br/><br/>That does not mean she has to sit in a pasture and do nothing. You can saddle her, work her in a round pen, ground drive her, take her on walks, pony her from another horse, expose her to new environments, and continue her education. What you cannot do is put someone on her back or start asking her body to perform athletic work before she has finished developing.<br/><br/>The reason for this is simple: I don't want to get a call five or six years from now asking me to come pick her up because she is crippled and someone doesn't want to continue paying for her care. Giving her time to grow now gives her the best chance at remaining sound for years to come.<br/><br/>Now for the fun part. Faith is a Thoroughbred approximately 2-2.5 years old and currently stands exactly 16hh (taped her today). She is also currently sporting the world's worst haircut, which she arrived with.<br/><br/>When she came to us, she was suffering from a severe abscess in one of her front feet. The veterinarian opened, cleaned and packed it. It has since healed beautifully. She is sound, sane and an absolute joy to be around.<br/><br/>She's easy to catch and halter. Stands to be groomed and fly sprayed. She loads in a trailer, crosses ditches without hesitation, handles new situations well and has one of the most level headed personalities I've seen in a young Thoroughbred. I can walk her through the gate on a welded wire retriever kennel like its nothing. Quite honestly, she's a doll.<br/><br/>The one thing I will caution potential adopters about is fencing and general management. Faith is not what I would call hot wire savvy. She either walks through electric fencing like it doesn't exist or gets zapped and decides the appropriate response is to bolt through it. Because of that, I strongly recommend permanent fencing.<br/><br/>Potential adopters should also be aware that Faith has absolutely zero sense of self awareness when it comes to her body and size. She's frequently getting herself "stuck." She is notorious for casting herself. She will lay down and roll right beside panels, fences, stall dividers or other objects and somehow manage to convince herself she cannot get back up. She also has a habit of sticking her head through fencing and then standing there for hours acting as though she is hopelessly trapped, despite the fact that she got herself into that position to begin with. She'll also wiggle and slither her head, neck or half her body under anything she can while laying down to sleep. Once again, you'll need to rescue her because in her mind she's"stuck".<br/><br/>She isn't dangerous, she's not difficult to handle and she's certainly not lacking personality. She just seems determined to spend her free time testing whether common sense is actually required for survival. If there is a way to get herself into a situation she shouldn't be in, Faith will probably find it. Because of that, I do recommend safe fencing, thoughtful stall setup, cameras and an owner who is willing to keep an eye on her and make accommodations for her unique talents.<br/><br/>As for her future, I think she would make an outstanding trail horse. Once she is old enough and her growth plates have had time to mature, I think she could also excel as an English pleasure horse. If she happens to have any natural jumping ability, I could absolutely see her doing well in cross country. She has the build, the athleticism and most importantly, the temperament for it.<br/><br/>Right now, though, she doesn't need a job. She needs time. She needs someone willing to let her grow up, mature correctly and become the horse she has the potential to be.<br/><br/>I will also be getting updated conformation photos of Faith sometime this week. She is still a relatively new intake, so she is continuing to gain weight and you can see that. Her ribs are now covered and she is looking better every day... but she is not yet where I would consider her finished physically.<br/><br/>Realistically, I don't expect finding the right placement for her to be a quick process, especially with the restrictions regarding riding and her age. Because of that, we've decided to start looking now rather than waiting until she's completely finished filling out. This gives us time to find the right home instead of simply the first home.<br/><br/>Equine Application: <br/>https://form.jotform.com/261664791301053

With this girl there will be stipulations and the biggest one is non negotiable. Faith is NOT to be ridden until she is at least four years old. Yes, she is broke to ride. No, that does not mean you will be riding her.

The reality is that Faith is only around 2-2.5 years old. She was reportedly started under saddle somewhere around one to one and a half years of age and ridden extensively on pavement before coming to us. She is currently sound, comfortable and happy. My goal is to keep her that way.

Because of that, any adopter will be required to sign not only our standard 50 year lease agreement but also an additional waiver acknowledging that Faith is not to be ridden, free jumped or subjected to any unnecessary stress on her joints until she is a minimum of four years old. Personally, I would prefer five... but the veterinarian advised at least four. She already has a click in her one hind occasionally... which he believes is cartilage due to being loped down asphalt roads constantly. He said in order f

With this girl there will be stipulations and the biggest one is non negotiable. Faith is NOT to be ridden until she is at least four years old. Yes, she is broke to ride. No, that does not mean you will be riding her.

The reality is that Faith is only around 2-2.5 years old. She was reportedly started under saddle somewhere around one to one and a half years of age and ridden extensively on pavement before coming to us. She is currently sound, comfortable and happy. My goal is to keep her that way.

Because of that, any adopter will be required to sign not only our standard 50 year lease agreement but also an additional waiver acknowledging that Faith is not to be ridden, free jumped or subjected to any unnecessary stress on her joints until she is a minimum of four years old. Personally, I would prefer five... but the veterinarian advised at least four. She already has a click in her one hind occasionally... which he believes is cartilage due to being loped down asphalt roads constantly. He said in order for us to not be dealing with an arthric horse, she needs time to finish growing.

That does not mean she has to sit in a pasture and do nothing. You can saddle her, work her in a round pen, ground drive her, take her on walks, pony her from another horse, expose her to new environments, and continue her education. What you cannot do is put someone on her back or start asking her body to p