- Irish Sports Horse
- Bay
- Gelding
- 5 years
- 16hh / 163cm
- Naturally big paces and a forward way of going
- He is exceptionally good to hack
- He is a pleasure to take out to a show/event
Charlie is approximately 16hh and is a 5 year old registered Irish Sport Horse (Connemara x ISH)
This lovely chap has a very sweet, kind and genuine personality.
Most of his education so far has concentrated on getting him out, making him stronger and fitter, and allowing him to see the world rather than drilling him in the arena. He has been to hunter trials, eventing outings and several clinics. He is now ready for a winter of further schooling and to begin more technical work.
He is a young horse with naturally big paces and a forward way of going, so he has taken a little longer to grow into his frame, coordinate himself and learn to connect properly and he has been allowed the time to do that
He has a super canter and all the scope over a fence to do Cotswold Cup and Badminton Grassroots and potentially progress above that level. He is extremely genuine and brave when jumping and generally does not look at anything.
He has the ability to jump at least 1.10m. He does not unnecessarily overjump smaller fences, but makes very little distinction between a cross-pole and a large square metre parallel. He keeps the same rhythm and finds jumping effortless. His potential is still very much untapped: he has not been pushed or overdone, and we have come nowhere near testing the limit of his ability.
Cross-country, he’s an armchair ride. He maintains a rhythmic, consistent canter and naturally jumps out of his stride, particularly where he has enough space to channel his bigger canter, without getting at all strong.
His flatwork is coming along well. His canter transitions are lovely and he has a big, naturally uphill canter. He has three correct paces and is capable of producing a decent test always with positive comments from the judges. His walk and canter are particularly natural, while the trot continues to improve as he becomes stronger.
Showjumping is currently the greenest element of his education, as he is still learning to contain and organise that big canter within an arena. However, he is genuine and straightforward, shows plenty of scope, jumps from a super steady rhythm, enjoys the job and has no problem with fillers etc
He is a pleasure to take out to a show/event, he does not become hot, silly or overexcited and he behaves consistently both ridden and on the ground. He loads immediately onto either a trailer or lorry and stands wherever he is placed. He is happy to remain tied outside the trailer at competitions and has no separation anxiety. He is comfortable both leaving other horses and being left by them.
He is exceptionally good to hack. He is not naturally spooky and very little concerns him, although, like any young horse, he can occasionally react quickly if something genuinely takes him by surprise. He is excellent in traffic and will confidently pass tractors, buses, lorries, motorbikes and other large or potentially frightening vehicles. When another horse is unsure, Charlie can be put in front and will lead it past. He regularly hacks out on his own
Despite being young himself, he has acted as a nanny for breakers and other young horses. He can also be ridden and led, and horses can be led from him.
He is extremely straightforward to handle. He is good for the farrier, easy to catch and good coming in and out of the field, and he is well accustomed to children, dogs, chickens, cattle, sheep and general farm activity
He is brilliant to lunge and long-rein and is generally very unflappable.
The only area that has required specific work is mounting. When he first arrived, he could be impatient at the mounting block. This has improved considerably, although he can occasionally still be slightly impatient when being mounted by somebody unfamiliar. He has never been nasty, dishonest or tried to take advantage, and nobody has fallen off him because of it.
He is still young and can be wobbly, so he needs a balanced, supportive rider who can help him work through his back and think about where he is putting his feet. He has a very soft mouth and prefers a rider who works from the seat into a soft hand. He does not appreciate being ridden on very short reins or a rider who has to rely on their hands for balance. To that end he would not be suitable for a novice rider at present. He has been ridden by someone less experienced under close supervision and could suit somebody who is still developing, provided they have a strong and experienced support network. Ideally, however, he needs someone balanced and competent who will not become worried by normal young-horse moments. He is still learning himself and would find it difficult to accommodate a rider who is learning at the same time.
Once Charlie knows his rider, he becomes extremely loyal and forms a very strong bond. He is like a best friend and will try his hardest to do whatever is asked of him. He has a happy, cheerful and chirpy personality and is described as everybody’s best friend: affectionate and charming without being rude or intrusive.
Based in Wiltshire. Please call 07478199827 for a chat about him