From Search to Saddle - Bringing Home Maverick
- ridesawayblog
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
By Kayla Ross
We’ve been talking about adding a second horse for about a year now - something that can be enjoyed on the trail, in the arena, and by the rest of our family who want to get in the saddle and see what all of the hype is about.
At first, it started by joining all of the western horse sales groups for Ontario on Facebook since this seems to have more quality then searching sites like Kijiji. Then getting into contact with people who are well known for their quality horses like Michaela Bowen Performance Horses (we bought Major from her, and that turned out well!), North Bound Ranch co. who go out to Alberta and search for quality horses and bring them back here to train and sell, Jason Irwin (Northstar Ranch), and Kelly Fremlin owner of Sunset Ranch in Echo Bay.
My dad and I sat down in March and created a list of what we were looking for and kept our eyes open to see which horses fit our needs.
ISO example:
QH, Paint, Appy
Preferably gelding
14.3hh-16hh
Budget
6-12 years in age
Good temperament, will be used on trails and arena work.
We had lots of people reach out with different options - some weren’t at all what we were looking for, and some caught our eyes. If it seemed like something that may be a fit we asked for photos, videos, and always had our list of basic questions ready:
Knowledge under saddle?
Knowledge on the ground?
History/registered/grade?
Personality quirks?
See if they are a fit for what you want and what your goals are as a rider?
Previous injuries? Lameness?
How they are in cross ties/in a stall?
Barefoot or shoes?
Live outside 24/7?
Can be turned out in a mixed herd?
No buck/rear/ bolt behaviour?1
No cribbing?
Any other vices you’ve noticed?
How they are for farrier/vet? And when they last had their teeth/vaccines/feet done?
Reason for selling?
How do they trailer?
Have they been off property for anything?
One day we were scrolling the Western Horses in Ontario Facebook group and there was a super cute red roan gelding that fit all of our needs and wants until we saw his size …Stocky but only 14.1hh… so we kept scrolling. The next day my dad and I found ourselves talking about this red roan and something nagged at us to message them and get some info - we kept reminding each other of the cutters, ropers, and certain cow horse disciplines and how this is a normal size for them and they never look like giants in the saddle - not sure if we were trying to convince ourselves or each other since there seemed to be something special about this horse.
I went to Jager Ranch where he was boarded and felt a connection to the place right away. It reminded me of our barn with the hustle and bustle of kids falling in love with horses bouncing around in the saddle, dogs running around, machinery being used, and happy/healthy horses enjoying their herds.
When checking out a horse we like to see them being caught to make sure they don’t run away, groomed and feet being done to see how they tie and get a true idea of how they would be for farrier, tacked up to see their physical comfort level and temperament, and then ground mount or at the block to make sure they can stand nicely. Next I watched and took videos of the horse doing transitions both upwards and downwards, small circles, poles, and any lateral movements they know! My biggest takeaway from watching him was his ground manners and personality exceeded our expectations and he had a nice start to all of his maneuvers that we can finish! It’s always fun when you can teach your horse stuff to gain that partnership and trust. Other things we make sure to check are their ears - hopefully they let you touch them, if they are fine its a good indicator they will be easier to bridle and they haven't had ear mites, their teeth - this is a good indicator or age and overall health, and ensure they have four solid/well shaped feet.
And now we are the proud owner of a 14.1hh stocky 8 year old quarter horse gelding - Maverick. We can’t wait to take you on the future adventures of Major and Maverick with some camping trips planned for the fall!
Looking for a horse? Here are some quality/reputable options:
https://www.facebook.com/p/Michaela-Bowen-Performance-Horses-100057639151700/ (Where we got Major!!)
And if you're in the Kitchener area and want to join a friendly barn we were very impressed with the coaches, facilities, and horses at Jager Ranch - where we got Maverick!
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