Second chance horses

03/09/2024

Gaz is back on the road! Regularly servicing my area! Adelaide/ Melbourne to NSW and everywhere in between. I found him to have very competitive prices.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/boXEeHhKYZsPuCsd/?mibextid=WC7FNe

02/09/2024

After a very hectic night of beyond wild weather, the worst I have felt since living here anyway! We have come out the other side ok!
Small damage to the stables, lots of fence damage but all an easy fix and lots and lots of general cleanup.
We temporarily lost one horse “quenchy” but found him hiding out the back paddock with the cows unscathed, was rather scary when his three paddock mates were waiting for breakfast in their normal paddock and he was nowhere to be seen! I feared the worst!
The wind isn’t over so we are riding it out for now, horses are all getting today off, I’m not a fair weather rider normally but today is hazardous!
Stay safe everyone!

19/08/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/q3GEMgTkm1w7BiGN/?mibextid=WC7FNe

02/08/2024

SOLD

Unraced, OTT mare.
4yo, 16.3hh

Shae is a beautiful old soul in a young body.
Her trainer said she’s not showing anything close enough to warrant racing her but she absolutely has the temperament that deserves a shot at an off the track career.
So she never even got close to racing, no trials etc, but still qualifies for all OTT events as she was bred and registered to race.
Anyone who’s had anything to do with her only has great words to say about her from her breaker to her riders after breaking her in.

She has zero soundness concerns and has commenced her retraining barefoot with no issues, her farrier said she has fantastic feet.

I can pull her out of the paddock, saddle up and jump on and she’s been foot perfect! No lunge or anything just off you go!
She’s as green as grass being only 4 years old but she’s safe and super trainable!
On occasion can be a little lazy 😂
Doesn’t understand any leg aids yet and can give a tail swish (as shown in the video)
She will continue her education and exposure with me until she sells.
I have taken her out on a few solo trail rides and she only half looks at genuinely scary stuff that all 4yo would look at when out in the bush on their own.

I believe she would make a phenomenal project for someone’s first OTT, or someone looking for a serious future star! But as she’s green you must be a knowledgeable and experienced rider, yes she’s quiet but she’s still a young, green OTT.

I have included a video of her being not ridden for a week, floated to an unfamiliar property and jumped straight on, it’s the good, bad and the ugly!

Any more questions that I haven’t included feel free to message me but this is all the footage/ photos I have at this stage.

https://youtu.be/HYfeWfmfD4A?si=7OiD4Vy-Mk-5Q7S7

2️⃣5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣
Casterton vic (please look this up, and plenty of transportation options)

28/07/2024

SOLD

Char

14yo 16hh Clydie x gelding
Sound and sane
Char has been a trail riding horse most of his life and has been fabulous, he is built to be able to carry anyone while having the added bonus of not being gigantically tall so is still easy to get on. He is like a big arm chair to ride, not strong and has a soft mouth. Having been a trail riding horse he isn’t formally educated on the flat but his transitions are good, he takes correct leads and will work in a bit of a frame in knowledgeable hands.
He has been used as a “mum horse” for the last 5 years and has done a fantastic job, having led pony’s off him, trail ridden many miles with kids belting around him on pony’s, been in large groups and on his own.
Has jumped small jumps without issue.
Done some horse archery and attended pony club and obstacle rally’s with his “mum” rider who can get nervous but is a very competent rider. Char has been the perfect mount for her.
Char is a beautiful ride in the right hands, he can feed off a riders nervous energy and get a little unsettled but doesn’t do anything nasty, just wouldn’t suit a nervous rider, for myself he’s a dream ride, he loves a confident rider with soft hands, he super tolerant and will walk all day but he can scoot off when asking for the next transition if you aren’t relaxed. I genuinely think just about anyone could ride him once they got used to him. Great to ride out in the bush, only looks at things that are genuinely scary and even then he’s reactions are nothing major, if I was to head off on a long trail ride he would without a doubt be my pick of any of my horses available! I have a high opinion of char and want to see him in the best home!

He needs a patient farrier however his current owner has done a phenomenal job teaching him and he’s pretty fantastic to do his feet now, always been fully shod but currently barefoot and being ridden with no issues. Anyone can easily pick up and clean all four feet out.
Char needs a large float purely because of his size, when I picked him up he self loaded, stood and travelled like a champ in my angle load. I have since put him on my standard straight load float, he loaded like a champ and fit in also, not a lot of room to spare but he was happy enough in there.

Has been great for me to catch since he’s come to me, but owners say every known again he can be a bit cheeky, has been following me around like a puppy dog, can’t keep him away from me.
Been paddock alone and in a heard with no issues.

Char comes with all his gear, including a bates Kimberly swinging fender Valued at $3200 new, his custom made canvas tackroom rug. His bridle and saddle pads.
Owners has a very genuine reason for sale and is selling everything and can possibly provide any amount of gear you may need.

Must be an amazing home, I am selling char and owners other horses on consignment, it’s a very emotional sale and owner wants to remain as distant from the process as possible so isn’t available for long phone conversations etc, I have all the information required and actually personally known these horses since being in current owners care.
Please note char has been out of work for a significant amount of time, has come into work now and had zero issues to jump straight on and go.
Preference would be to sell to a confident experienced horse home.
Vet checks welcomed and encouraged at your own costs

💲1️⃣0️⃣.0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣

Located Casterton SW vic, happy to assist with transport within reason and at your cost.

22/07/2024

MR SENSATION (Q-69057)

Sire: (Q-63994) LJL CLASSICSENSATION
Dam: (Q-45315) JVQ DARE TO COMPARE
Dob: 13/09/2009
Height: 15.3hh (approx, will measure asap)
Price: 4️⃣5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣
Location: Casterton vic

George is here to find his new family, no fault of his own that he is looking, owners are selling their land so all their horses are looking for new homes.
George’s history prior to them purchasing is pretty unknown but he came down from northern NSW.
Since being with his current family he’s just been used as a pleasure horse and for trail riding.
Since he’s arrived with me I have tested out what he knows and I feel somone somewhere has put some buttons on him, he’s rusty but I feel like he does have some formal training. He was used to push out cattle out into the bush for a graze today and it was like he’d definitely done that before, he did it on his own with no issues.
George is easily pulled out of the paddock after significant time off and you can jump on and go, he has not shown me an ounce of anything naughty.
He’s brave and forward but not going to take off on you, he is always listening for what you are going to ask next, yet was happy to stand and relax with the cattle while they ate. Walked through water and jumped some small logs all without any hesitation.
George’s price reflects the fact he’s been out of work and only just coming in, plus he’s in his winter Woolies.
Has a small superficial scar on his back leg.
Currently barefoot with no issues.
Hasn’t been floated much and did hesitate when I picked him up, but wasn’t difficult, current family never floated him, they never had a reason to. He travelled perfectly once on.
Very easy to handle and do everything with. He will remain in full work until his new home is found but his price will climb with his work.

So if you are looking for a horse to ride everyday or once in a blue moon, want to enjoy your ride, live on a farm and want to get the cows in on a horse? Go trail riding with friends? Or do some low level comps? George may be for you!

19/07/2024

I used to break in this line of ponies and they are absolutely exceptional kids pony’s!
Now in the great hands at Menanteau who’s doing a fantastic job with them!

10/07/2024

🙌

"New Home Syndrome"🤓

I am coining this term to bring recognition, respect, and understanding to what happens to horses when they move homes. This situation involves removing them from an environment and set of routines they have become familiar with, and placing them somewhere completely different with new people and different ways of doing things.

Why call it a syndrome?

Well, really it is! A syndrome is a term used to describe a set of symptoms that consistently occur together and can be tied to certain factors such as infections, genetic predispositions, conditions, or environmental influences. It is also used when the exact cause of the symptoms is not fully understood or when it is not connected with a well-defined disease. In this case, "New Home Syndrome" is connected to a horse being placed in a new home where its entire world changes, leading to psychological and physiological impacts. While it might be transient, the ramifications can be significant for both the horse and anyone handling or riding it.

Let me explain...

Think about how good it feels to get home after a busy day. How comfortable your favourite clothes are, how well you sleep in your own bed compared to a strange bed, and how you can really relax at home. This is because home is safe and familiar. At home, the part of you that keeps an eye out for potential danger turns down to a low setting. It does this because home is your safe place (and if it is not, this blog will also explain why a lack of a safe place is detrimental).

Therefore, the first symptom of horses experiencing "New Home Syndrome" is being unsettled, prone to anxiety, or difficult behaviour. If you have owned them before you moved them, you struggle to recognise your horse, feeling as if your horse has been replaced by a frustrating version. If the horse is new to you, you might wonder if you were conned, if the horse was drugged when you rode it, or if you were lied to about the horse's true nature.

A horse with "New Home Syndrome" will be a stressed version of itself, on high alert, with a drastically reduced ability to cope. Horses don't handle change like humans do. If you appreciate the comfort of your own home and how you can relax there, you should be able to understand what the horse is experiencing.

Respecting that horses interpret and process their environments differently from us helps in understanding why your horse is being frustrating and recognising that there is a good chance you were not lied to or that the horse was not drugged.

Horses have survived through evolution by being highly aware of their environments. Change is a significant challenge for them because they notice the slightest differences, not just visually but also through sound, smell, feel, and other senses. Humans generalise and categorise, making it easy for us to navigate familiar environments like shopping centres. Horses do not generalise in the same way; everything new is different to them, and they need proof of safety before they can habituate and feel secure. When their entire world changes, it is deeply stressful.

They struggle to sleep until they feel safe, leading to sleep deprivation and increased difficulty.

But there is more...

Not only do you find comfort in your home environment and your nervous system downregulates, but you also find comfort in routines. Routines are habits, and habits are easy. When a routine changes or something has to be navigated differently, things get difficult. For example, my local supermarket is undergoing renovations. After four years of shopping there, it is extremely frustrating to have to work out where everything is now. Every day it gets moved due to the store being refitted section by section. This annoyance is shared by other shoppers and even the staff.

So, consider the horse. Not only are they confronted with the challenge of figuring out whether they are safe in all aspects of their new home while being sleep deprived, but every single routine and encounter is different. Then, their owner or new owner starts getting critical and concerned because the horse suddenly seems untrained or difficult. The horse they thought they owned or bought is not meeting their expectations, leading to conflict, resistance, explosiveness, hypersensitivity, and frustration.

The horse acts as if it knows little because it is stressed and because the routines and habits it has learned have disappeared. If you are a new human for the horse, you feel, move, and communicate differently from what it is used to. The way you hold the reins, your body movements in the saddle, the position of your leg – every single routine of communication between horse and person is now different. I explain to people that when you get a new horse, you have to imprint yourself and your way of communicating onto the horse. You have to introduce yourself and take the time to spell out your cues so that they get to know you.

Therefore, when you move a horse to a new home or get a new horse, your horse will go through a phase called "New Home Syndrome," and it will be significant for them. Appreciating this helps them get through it because they are incredible and can succeed. The more you understand and help the horse learn it is safe in its new environment and navigate the new routines and habits you introduce, the faster "New Home Syndrome" will pass.
"New Home Syndrome" will be prevalent in a horse’s life until they have learned to trust the safety of the environment (and all that entails) and the humans they meet and interact with. With strategic and understanding approaches, this may take weeks, and their nervous systems will start downgrading their high alert status. However, for some horses, it can take a couple of years to fully feel at ease in their new home.

So, next time you move your horse or acquire a new horse and it starts behaving erratically or being difficult, it is not being "stupid", you might not have been lied to or the horse "drugged" - your horse is just experiencing an episode of understandable "New Home Syndrome." And you can help this.❤

I would be grateful if you could please share, this reality for horses needs to be better appreciated ❤
‼️When I say SHARE that does not mean plagiarise my work…it is seriously not cool to copy and paste these words and make out you have written it yourself‼️

03/07/2024

Due to the costs of hay and everything at the moment I’m having to keep my numbers extremely low which means I’m constantly turning horses away on the daily, I have many owners calling me asking to keep an eye open for experienced horsey homes that may be able to give a home to a horses straight from the trainers.
If you are looking for a straight OTT I might be able to help pointing you in the right direction. I have a few at the moment, one in Adelaide, one in Melbourne and many in between.
There isn’t many photos and no videos and very few details in general, owners haven’t got the means to get all the info you may need so you just have to be aware of that. If you are a great experienced home looking for a straight OTT and won’t waste owners time contact me and I may be able to provide you some details!

06/06/2024

Sadly this is all to real! Cows are having to go without hay to try and get us though the next few months. We came into winter with a huge supply of hay thinking we’d have more than enough, but the rain never came!

All my horses are having multiple hard feeds a day which you can imagine costs a bomb, and when my horses fund their own way and the sale of horses is all but stalled because everyone is in the same boat.

I’m very lucky to have even sourced a some hay for the horses due to an amazing client/ friend but it’s financially breaking for a small business!

02/06/2024

SOLD pending pickup

Stiletto falls
4yo
16.2hh
💲8️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ for quick sale

Dior retired 100% sound, she’s a big athletic mare who is straight OTT and because of this would be best suited to an experienced horsey home.
She is a sane sensible mare with no rubbish in her but only been educated for racing.
She’s best suited to an environment with other horses around having been with horses her whole life.
She floats and ties up well.
If we had to find a fault with her it would be when doing her feet she can pull her front feet away from the farrier.

Dior comes from a stable where horses are phenomenally cared for and want for nothing so she expects that to continue in her OTT career.

She’s priced for a quick easy sale as the trainer hasn’t got a paddock to turn her out in.
Sold as is

Located near Casterton vic

Contact her trainer via the link below (Jessie)

https://www.facebook.com/ArdochRacing?mibextid=LQQJ4d

30/05/2024

“Onemore Dance”
Aka Emma Eileen

Rehoming directly for trainer
Located at “fyans creek, Victoria”

From the trainer Doug
“6yo, 15.2hh, dark bay. Sound with no vices. Sweet mare who is a very reliable ride. Suit most disciplines or be a very good pleasure ride.”

💲5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣

17/05/2024

Sadly yep… we are in the thick of it! I have never experienced it being this dry before. I have sadly had to start saying no to taking on horses and selling some I would have loved to have hung onto longer. We have our fingers and toes crossed for rain but still nothing on the horizon 😓

💧 Usually emerald and fertile, southwest Victoria is now drier than the Nullarbor after an arid autumn. See how rainfall figures compare against Victoria’s Western District >>> bit.ly/44LSkr7

20/04/2024

Looking for a lead line pony? Don’t want to bend down to hang onto your kid on the naughty shetty? How about you buy a cheap OTT instead 😂 beautiful Elmo is only $1000 this price does not reflect his value it reflects the current market and our even lower current water levels ☹️ yes he’s green under saddle but he’s safe and handsome 🥹 if you are willing to teach him to ropes I’m sure he will reward you over and over again!

19/04/2024

Elmo rulz
16hh solid built gelding
Dob 29/09/2013
Spelled and ready to go.

Elmo is a very easy horse to have around, he has no vices and is blemish free, he’s a good solid gelding who would look fantastic when he’s builds up, he’s currently in very light work due to me being time poor.
He’s just starting to understand how to work in a frame, has correct leads, can lean on you in the canter but for an experienced rider he listens to your seat.
Has popped over a few cross rails and is point and shoot but I don’t think this is where his future lies but I could be wrong 🤷‍♀️
Super easy to catch, tie, float and handle in general, has been handled by very novice handlers.
Best suited to an experienced rider to get the best from him.
He has not had any outings yet, is getting a ride a week at most and due to this I have reduced his price for quick sale 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣.

Located Casterton Vic

Video is straight out of the paddock after at least 3 weeks off on full feed. And I have left the good, bad and ugly.

https://youtu.be/88675GXgy4g?si=np6HoL5Z0oQNyj1W

19/04/2024

This 🙌👏 I do work a horse when they first arrive here just because of the huge unknown, but I always worm after the first frost and pull the last of those pesky bot eggs off (side note make sure you remove your bot eggs somewhere the horses won’t pick them up off the ground)

Autumn worming - waiting for the first frost (mid April to June) and what wormer to use

The aim of modern worming practices is to reduce the number of times a year we worm our horses and only worming when required based on the evidence supplied by carrying out FEC (egg count) tests. However, ALL horses should be wormed at LEAST once a year (regardless of FEC results) and that "mandatory" worming time is after the first frost of autumn (mid April to June).
Why? because worming after the first frost of autumn means that adult bot flies have been killed by the frost and there is no chance of reinfection. Tapeworm larvae have moved into the correct part of your horses stomach, encysted small strongyles have emerged from their cysts (triggered by the cool weather) and are all susceptible to wormers. FECC advises not to wait till the end of winter to conduct this treatment as the larvae/eggs of bots and tapeworms may have already passed from your horse into the environment and you have missed your chance to break their lifecycle.
Not all wormers are suitable for the autumn worming. FECC advises that your wormer should have the active chemicals (ingredients) of Moxidectin and Praziquantel).
**Tomorrows FECC post will discuss which wormers to use and some general pointers about picking suitable wormers**

03/04/2024

Onyx…. lovely standardbred gelding looking for a loving home.
He has been ridden in the past but not much or for a long time, would need someone experienced to put him back under saddle. He’s recently been put back into harness and proved to be hassle free and could easily be turned into a pleasure driving horse.
His name is onyx and he’s 14yo we think, roughly 15.3hh. Was easy to float and catch.
He did recently go to a new home and was bossy towards the other horses but when I had him he was bottom of the pecking order and is the same where he currently is now back with his trainer.
Free to good home but welcome to go back to his trainer in mount gambier if circumstances change.
He really is a sweetheart, would love to see him getting some love.
Located mount Gambier

19/03/2024

Beautiful mare! So many benefits of buying a horse from the reset program! If you’re wanting a fantastic horse but might not have the huge budget this could be a great opportunity!

18/03/2024

! Sold!

!!!The horse I wish I had as a kid!!!

Meet Patchy! Ironic I know 😂
Patchy is with me to be sold on behalf of his real mum, sadly she’s an older lady who’s health is declining and is on a pension so her best option was to find someone who could offer a better home then she could. He was extremely spoilt in his previous home and much loved, he didn’t do much riding but the few rides in the years she had him she said he was fantastic for her.
Prior to her owning him I don’t have much info at all except his age and the fact he came from Victoria 🤷‍♀️

He’s 15.1hh unofficially measured.
I was told he was 13yo and have no reasons to doubt that.
Breed unknown.
He hasn’t been ridden for over a year and I just saddled up and went without major issue, he was tight when being girthed up but didn’t do anything at all when I hopped on.
He can to this day still be mildly tight when doing the girth up but he’s been ridden very sporadically at the moment and seems to get better when ridden more often.

He’s forward but still soft, he’s not a plodder but wouldn’t take off on you either, I feel like he hasn’t had much formal education on the flat but is a super fast learner and with some consistency would do a beautiful little dressage test. I think a month of flat work and this horse would be worth twice what I’m advertising him for! I just can’t be consistent enough yet.

To jump he’s very straightforward and bold, never stopped even at our sketchy logs! I haven’t shown him showjumps yet as where he’s located we don’t have access to any, I can’t see it being an issue.

He seems to be vice free, I have floated him with zero issues on straight and angle load, alone and with company.
He’s the kind of horse in the paddock who just wants to be in your pocket, but pull out a halter and he will walk away, he’s very smart 😂

Great fun to go bush bashing on, he goes anywhere and jumps anything!
I don’t know what he’s like to take to comps or even off property except for bush riding. But this is something I will get around to eventually if he doesn’t sell prior.

He has fantastic feet, barefoot and walks across rocks like they aren’t even there! He has a few cosmetic scars but nothing ugly. Just had his teeth done and they were very sharp, he does toss his head a little when pressure goes on but I think now this will improve once he realises his teeth aren’t painful anymore.

In my opinion I think he’s be suited to a confident and experienced rider and they will have a lot of fun! Me as the kid I was would have killed for a horse like this!

Located Casterton SW vic
6️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ this price will increase with his work but it’s his current price as of 18/03/24
Call Grace 0488416669 or even better text

27/02/2024

I have a lovely standardbred gelding here looking for a loving home, he came as a travel companion for a horse I’m selling on consignment, he’s going to head back to his trainer unless we can find him a loving home, he’s been here a few days and been an absolute pleasure to have around.
He has been ridden in the past but not much or for a long time, would need someone experienced to put him under saddle.
His name is onyx and he’s 14yo we think, roughly 15.3hh. Was easy to float and catch.
Free to good home but welcome to go back to his trainer in mount gambier if circumstances change.
He really is a sweetheart, would love to see him getting some love.
Located Casterton.

09/02/2024

Sold

Von De Lune

Dee
7yo
15.3hh (solid built)
Mare
💲3kneg
Located Casterton SW VIC (please look this up before contacting, transport does come here)

Dee is a top quality mare, an above average OTT, she is sound and vice free and all in all an absolute pleasure to have around.
She’s a great doer and has great feet and currently bare foot.
Dee is early in her education but a very smart and quick learner, no dirt in her at all, however is still learning so best suited to someone capable of teaching her the ropes or under experienced guidance in a controlled environment.

She has a great natural jump and I believe could easily go up to the high levels in the right hands, will be competitive against the clock.
She is also more than flash enough to be a show hack, she has turned many heads already just from being in my paddock.
She is yet to have an outing however was taken to a clinic and just left in a yard over night and was no dramas (wasn’t in the clinic just went for the outing).

She self loads onto my 3hal and my 2HSl however may hesitate the first time on a new float, and can move around a bit during the trip but no scrambling or anything like that, my last float trip she didn’t move a muscle.

Mild wind sucker, only caught doing it once in the whole time she’s been here.

Vet checks more than welcome, I cannot provide any more footage at this stage.
This footage was taken today and was straight out of the paddock after quite a while off, all the ugly bits left in for you to see. ☺️

Give me a call for serious inquiries
0488416669

https://youtu.be/7iU7Ka5LDOA?si=5z2G1hMvTMgeO0Bo

09/02/2024

Guilty 🫣

05/02/2024

It’s hard work being Bruno… still resting from his short and disappointing racing career 😂

13/01/2024

Happy to announce that both “goodness Gracie” and “Zag” have both landed great new homes with people who have the ability to progress their retraining. Zag is pending pickup but Luna has already left and commenced her education in her new home.

We have one more available for a bargain price who’s only early on in her retraining and will benefit an experienced rider to continue her reeducation journey, she will be listed asap.

I will then begin to advertise the more educated horses, so feel free to message me with what you are looking for and I can let you know if I have one hiding in the paddock that might suit what you are after!

Grace

08/01/2024