Sharp Dressed Man, aka "Z", is a 9 year registered Azteca gelding. He is half Andalusian and half Quarter Horse. I purchased him as a 6 year old, he had very few (kick and go) rides on him and had been standing in a pasture for a year. I restarted him on groundwork and light riding, and within a few months we started riding mountain trails all over southern Colorado. I wanted to expand my own training, so I started watching Amelia Newcomb dressage videos and applied that to our riding. Although I'm novice in that discipline, Z adapted quickly and got soft and bendy and is nicely forward. At my friend's urging, I started taking western versatility lessons, so he learned to add true neck reining and western gaits to his repertoire. He opens gates like a pro, (see video of me opening a wire gate on him), leg yields, does haunches and shoulders-in, and has a nice soft back up. His slow trot is amazing, but also has a nice cadenced working trot and pretty lope.

We have ridden some amazingly technical and challenging mountain trails because I have no fear. Being in my 60s, he has had to learn to stand dead still when mounting and dismounting, due to my hips being replaced!

However, I would not recommend Z for novices or intimidated riders. He is very easily ridden by skilled horsemen but needs a rider with confidence. He gets along well with other horses, but does get nervous when ridden alone. He will do what you ask, and I believe with more solo time and good guidance he will be good, I just never had much opportunity to get him out and away from home alone.

Z has been taken camping many times and can be highlined, he hobbles, and wears a crupper on steep trails with no problems. He is used to electric fences. I have also used Z to move cattle, he is willing and not fearful. He goes through rivers and is nimble footed and smooth to ride on any kind of footing.

Z has good feet and legs, and has never been lame. He had his teeth floated in spring and is current on vaccinations and worming, He is an easy keeper on good forage, little grain and no supplements.

I have given Z a new life, and I think if you are looking for a talented horse to continue advancing in perhaps dressage, horsemanship or extreme trail riding you would have a blast with him.

I am getting back to a two horse herd, as I plan to do some extensive camping by myself next year, and my coming 4 yr QH will take up a lot of my training time. Feel free to message me for more information, I am located 60 miles west of CO Springs if you'd like to come out to see Z.

There are lots of videos and SHORTS on You Tube of Z, look under Danita Monness.