Rojo ATFO Diamond Division

PLEASE NOTE: THE INQUIRY FORM ON THIS PAGE IS NOT THE HEART OF PHOENIX ADOPTION APPLICATION<br/><br/>Name: Rojo<br/>Foal Date: 2020?<br/>Breed: Mustang<br/>Color: chestnut<br/>Gender: gelding<br/>Height: 15 HH Est.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>starting bid for approved adopters: 1800<br/><br/>Rojo is a 2026 ATFO Diamond Division horse in training with Alison Mattis. Follow his progress at #hopteamrojo. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575000461322<br/><br/>From the trainer 7/6/26<br/><br/> Second Required Post for #HOPteamRojo <br/>I could go on and on and on about how wonderful this guy is and what a joy hes been to bring along.<br/>He is truly a horse that I genuinely look forward to working with each day.<br/>Rojo-Gregory continues to greet every new challenge with a lets give er a shot attitude, occasionally needing some kind reassurance or some confidence from his handler. Who has seen the video of me shooting a bow over his back?<br/>For this required post, I really wanted to showcase how well hes coming along under saddle. Rojo is continuing to learn softness, but makes strides and grows his education daily. His gaits are incredibly comfortable to ride, and hes relatively good at staying consistent without much rider help.<br/>Rojo tends to err on the side of lazy, but has learned that when his rider asks for forward, it does truly mean to go forward. He doesnt put up a protest, and he has a great whoa transition. (Brakes are important to me, so that makes me happy, lol).<br/>So what are my upcoming plans with Rojo?<br/>* fine-tuning our transitions; as mentioned above, Rojo can be a little lazy ... meaning sometimes asking him to trot requires more leg than Id like, lol.<br/>* More canter work! Ive only cantered him under saddle once, and that was today, so this is obviously something to work on<br/>* Continuing to progress with lateral movements under saddle<br/>* Out-of-arena work! Both in-hand and under saddle. Im hoping to take him for his first trail ride soon!<br/>* Adventures! Id really like to get him off of our property, and Im in the works of scheduling a field trip to one of my favorite places! (Cough Double C Farm Cough)<br/>* Exposure to other people - Rojo is great with everyone so Im sure this wont be an issue, but Id like to start bringing him out to our lesson barn and having our volunteers brush him and play with him!<br/>I truly cant say enough good things about this horse. The past 30+ days have been nothing but a joy getting to know him and getting to work with him. He meets every single day with a can-do attitude and genuinely enjoys people.<br/><br/><br/>June update from trainer<br/>So - what are Rojos current strengths?<br/> good with kids<br/> in fact, he loves our three-year-old son and regularly comes when he calls him. Rojo LOVES people<br/>standing in the crossties, single tying and ground tying<br/> if you tell him stand, this boy wont move his feet regardless of where you park him<br/> standing to be brushed and tacked up<br/> English or western, crossties or not, hes a breeze to tack up. And he LOVES to be brushed.<br/> catching in the field<br/> in fact - he almost always comes to you, no catching needed, and usually with a sweet nicker<br/> plays well with others, even in a mixed herd of mares and geldings<br/> he went right into the herd like hes been here his entire life, no drama whatsoever<br/> obstacles!<br/> hell try anything if you are a firm but fair leader<br/> lunging walk/trot/canter both directions<br/> still a little more unbalanced when tracking to the right - but is getting better with every session. And, is willing to do it!<br/> basic lateral movements in-hand<br/> forehand & haunch turns, leg yields and the beginnings of sidepassing!<br/> leads from both sides at a walk & trot<br/> fly sprays all over<br/> picks up all four feet<br/> accepts a snaffle bit<br/>And what does Rojo need work with?<br/> riding!<br/> Ive been taking the slow & steady approach with Rojo, so hes only had a few sits and one ride. He is more than willing, and as I start pushing more, Im sure hell sail right along.<br/> ground driving<br/> while he can finally tolerate ropes around his haunches and touching his hind legs, the concept of driving is still very confusing to him. He doesnt do anything naughty ... he just gets confused lol.<br/> standing for the farrier<br/> I only have one session to base this off of - but Im including it in the struggle list because he didnt receive an A+ score for his trim ... it was more of a B.<br/> flexion & softening<br/> only including this because this n training never truly ends lol - Ill be working on flexion and softness with every single horse forever<br/> taking oral pastes<br/> he no longer casually walks backwards when he sees a tube coming (lol), but he makes it known he doesnt enjoy it by turning away from you. A gentle nope, you do actually need this and he stands and accepts it... but doesnt like it lol<br/> trailer loading<br/> only including this because I havent practiced it yet - but I will say, when I picked him up in WV, he led right up to and loaded into our ramp-load slant trailer just fine<br/>I really had to think hard to come up with struggles for rojo because honestly, hes coming along wonderfully. I dont actually consider anything a true struggle with him, because he accepts the training and suggestions I give him and truly works to improve. Though hes spent a lot of years being able to do whatever he wants, hes very eager to please and works hard to find the right answers.<br/>One thing that Ive noticed about him is that when he truly doesnt want to do something (ie: a new obstacle, etc), if you remain calm and fair but firm with him, he figures out very quickly what hes supposed to do. He seems to be a horse that does need a leader - if its let up to him, he would rather stand around and get pet all day, and not actually work lol. However, once he has the firm boundary in place, hes willing to do whatever it is that youre asking of him ... its almost like he says oops, ok, sorry, didnt mean that.<br/>I am SO excited to continue my journey to the ATFO with Mr Rojo-Gregory... hes the type of horse that I get genuinely excited to work with every day. I just know that he will make someone the most excellent partner in August. Whoever adopts him is going to be one lucky duck!<br/><br/>The Appalachian Trainer Face Off is a one-of-a-kind event that brings together horse trainers from across the country to compete while highlighting adoptable horses and showcasing each trainers skills. The 2026 event is scheduled for August 2022 in Winfield, West Virginia, and selected horses will be offered in an adoption auction on August 22, 2026.<br/><br/>If youre interested in bidding, apply now for the opportunity to bid on horses that fit your riding category. More event details and application information are available here:<br/><br/> https://www.appalachiantrainerfaceoff.com/?fbclid=IwY2xjawQz3bdleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFYZlpwM2tWMlhFYUZpUWc4c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHpyCTydm48xrhETK8e0k3XBmO1JY34yVaueH6OIvE3jCH9nUlEFhG77qJ0fA_aem_rIWjjVGy3lZLcZjnE_PSDw<br/><br/>Horses are typically located in the Appalachian area, but please inquire about a horse's specific location when you apply!<br/><br/>We are looking to adopt to safe homes.<br/><br/>A history of good horsemanship, the ability to provide sufficient care with good vet, farrier and peer references are important. If you are a first-time horse owner, we will require you to board at a facility for the first year while you learn more about care. We encourage everyone to take advantage of riding lessons.<br/><br/>Foal adoptions require previous, established experience with youngsters.<br/><br/>Our adoption process makes sure you get the right horse for you it is a no-fail process for finding the right match.<br/><br/>Apply at https://www.wvhorserescue.org/adopt<br/>PLEASE NOTE: THE INQUIRY FORM ON THIS PAGE IS NOT THE HEART OF PHOENIX ADOPTION APPLICATION<br/><br/>ADOPTION FEES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE IF A HORSE IS IN TRAINING. PLEASE INQUIRE FOR MOST RECENT FEES

PLEASE NOTE: THE INQUIRY FORM ON THIS PAGE IS NOT THE HEART OF PHOENIX ADOPTION APPLICATION

Name: Rojo
Foal Date: 2020?
Breed: Mustang
Color: chestnut
Gender: gelding
Height: 15 HH Est.




starting bid for approved adopters: 1800

Rojo is a 2026 ATFO Diamond Division horse in training with Alison Mattis. Follow his progress at #hopteamrojo. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575000461322

From the trainer 7/6/26

Second Required Post for #HOPteamRojo
I could go on and on and on about how wonderful this guy is and what a joy hes been to bring along.
He is truly a horse that I genuinely look forward to working with each day.
Rojo-Gregory continues to greet every new challenge with a lets give er a shot attitude, occasionally needing some kind reassurance or some confidence from his handler. Who has seen the video of me shooting a bow over his back?
For this required post, I really wanted to showcase how well hes coming alon

PLEASE NOTE: THE INQUIRY FORM ON THIS PAGE IS NOT THE HEART OF PHOENIX ADOPTION APPLICATION

Name: Rojo
Foal Date: 2020?
Breed: Mustang
Color: chestnut
Gender: gelding
Height: 15 HH Est.




starting bid for approved adopters: 1800

Rojo is a 2026 ATFO Diamond Division horse in training with Alison Mattis. Follow his progress at #hopteamrojo. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575000461322

From the trainer 7/6/26

Second Required Post for #HOPteamRojo
I could go on and on and on about how wonderful this guy is and what a joy hes been to bring along.
He is truly a horse that I genuinely look forward to working with each day.
Rojo-Gregory continues to greet every new challenge with a lets give er a shot attitude, occasionally needing some kind reassurance or some confidence from his handler. Who has seen the video of me shooting a bow over his back?
For this required post, I really wanted to showcase how well hes coming along under saddle. Rojo is continuing to learn softness, but makes strides and grows his education daily. His gaits are incredibly comfortable to ride, and hes relatively good at staying consistent without much rider help.
Rojo tends to err on the side of lazy, but has learned that when his rider asks for forward, it does truly mean to go forward. He doesnt put up a protest, and he has a great wh