Buttercup is estimated to be 14 years old, grade, paint mare. She's current on vaccines, feet, chiropractor, and had her teeth done last fall. She stands at 14.2 hands with thick solid legs. Buttercup is light in the bridle, moves off your leg, can open and close a gate, and knows her leads. She will carry a flag, go through obstacles, and loves to play in water. She's the most affectionate horse I own, she loves being scratched, massaged, and snuggled. She's easy to catch, loads in the trailer, great for the farrier, and will basically bridle herself. She has been ridden on the trails and can be looky especially when out alone but settles down once we're away from the barn and moving along. Buttercup has been working as a lesson horse with me for the past two years for my intermediate students. That being said, the lesson life is not for her, she needs her own person. Buttercup is sensitive in nature and doesn't appreciate bouncing hands and kicking legs. She needs someone who is more finesse with their cues than a beginner, but you don't need to be a trainer to ride her either. She would do best with a handy kid working with a trainer or an intermediate/novice who would like to do Trail Trial, English Pleasure/HUS, Ranch Riding, Drill Team, or low level Jumping/Dressage. She can lope through the Barrels and change leads through Poles but she will not make a good Gymkhana/Barrel horse as she gets very amped up when ran at shows and has a difficult time recovering from the adrenaline rush. I don't think she would do well in a speed event type home. Like with all horses, Buttercup does come with some quirks which is why she is not suited for beginners. She can be looky and has an occasional spook which she comes down from very easily. Her spooks are predictable and mostly preventable by keeping her mind busy with work. If you're a nervous rider, she will be a nervous horse. Buttercup's history before coming to me is unknown and she came with a couple habits that I'm sure were created by her orignial owners. She has pulled back but never flipped over. I have pin pointed what triggers the pull back and now work around it and my students are able to safely saddle her up without any pullbacks in the last 9 months. When fearful or pushed to her limit she tends to pop-up or rear. She has never flipped over and is really easy to work out of, and get her feet moving forward again. She just needs someone who's confident enough to put their legs on her and push her forward, definitely not a kid kicking her along. It's really important to me that this special mare finds her person, she's a good girl, she just needs consistency with the right person. She is well loved and a favorite among students, so this ad has been incredibly hard to write. I am in no rush to sell this horse and a good fit is non-negotiable. I am open to a 30 day on-site lease or trial. Absolutely no off-site trials or leases. I'm also open to trades/partial trades.
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