Stall 13 Horses

AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION NOW BUT TO GO HOME WITH YOU AFTER THE 2026 RRP Makeover 

Datesfreedom ("Dates") is kind, comical, talented, and very ready to start really clicking up the levels of any discipline. Dates is a warhorse who ran 53 times, retired sound, but somehow managed to bounce from the track to a boarding facility and into the auction pipeline within weeks. Stall 13  stepped in and rerouted his post track outlook. 

Since, Dates has successfully trained for eventing and competed in horse trials, as well as jumper and dressage shows. Dates is brave to fences and fancy on the flat. He’s also very smart – which leads to two things: 1) he thinks he is hilarious and is often like the annoying little brother on the ground 2) swing a leg over and he is pure professionalism and 100% try. Paired with the right human, there are no limits for what he can go do.

Sit up, put leg on and he finds it easy to stay round and lightly in contact. In dressage, he has all the ability to turn heads and score well. And to fences – both on xc and in stadium - he’s simply game and ready. The courses he has seen have not always been green-friendly, so he knows how to canter through a flowing brook (thanks GMHA) and how to stay with a rider’s line and slice associated distances into angled direct approaches or wait and bend (Thanks Beyond the Backstretch). He can ride forward or wait, get his change and go.

Early season Starter-level courses:

https://youtu.be/kLk5Txnp4Ro?si=aJx3Rh_0B2hDIAj3

https://youtu.be/kLk5Txnp4Ro?si=BMKv6bRujFJOlh4-

Dates Starter Dressage: https://youtu.be/R5xdxvi8ncc  

Dates has no stall vices, is good in a herd, is good for the farrier (and wears four shoes), good on ties and ground handling, good for the vet, basically, just a damn good egg who has been there and done that at the track and who is now progressively learning how to navigate sport horse land. 

Dates has experience at shows (and is a total gentleman off property) but is still quite green. He needs a rider and a barn who understands that, can provide structure and boundaries, but who also has a good sense of humor. Look, Dates thinks he’s hilarious, part of you needs to too. His comedy is mostly of the goofing around on the ground and then looking at you like there’s no way that could have been innocent little ole me ilk.

Under saddle he has shown no tendency towards vices or reactivity. He’s work oriented, so give him a job, a challenge and teach him the skills to do it well, and he’ll show up every day ready for more. I think dates would excel as an eventer or fox hunter but there’s no reason he can’t also climb the levels in pure dressage or in show jumping or frankly any discipline you want to teach him.

Dates would do well with an intermediate or better, brave, gritty, fun-loving junior, ammie, or pro. This is not the horse for anxious or inexperienced riders, but for those who meet the mark, he’s got all the heart to put towards whatever discipline and whatever goals you have.

Dates is available for adoption through Stall 13, inc and is currently listed at 12,000. Trial info and fees apply. Dates requires an adoption application and contract, but may be resold. Reach out directly or see www.stall13.org for more info 

Henny Early August: https://youtu.be/UJOYyuiF-2Q?si=n5XmSN26CzDVaY2H

Outside ride (first time out) and tiny xc: https://youtu.be/-kO5ur-i0Q0

Hennessy is a total class act. This big, liver chestnut is definitely red, but he is kind, respectful and absolutely loves his human(s). He is also going to turn heads anywhere he goes, both for said class and just how lovely of a horse he is.

Undersaddle, Hennessy is naturally fancy. His carriage is correct and he covers ground beautifully. He’s good in the field, good on the ties, in his stall and all around just that same class act.

Before coming here, Hennessy had a start to his second career with his owner who did a bit of all the things with him. He has been on trails and done some pony club work. That said he’s not a packer. 

He currently goes best in a herm sprenger duo and needs a soft handed, compassionate, confident ride that won’t miss and catch his mouth.

Hennessy does have a few old injuries and known bumps and blemishes. We’re getting him in shoes (he’s currently barefoot) this week and that will likely help a bunch. His knees are not necessarily the prettiest things I have seen, but he has good range of motion and is happy to travel forward with them. This does mean he may do best with a lower level career or a career on the flat.

We did just start Hennessy's process of hind end maintenance. He received hock injections in both the TMT and DIT and is feeling WAY better! New video coming soon!

As far as his knees and hocks go, he should do super well with a low level life and have many years of riding left in him. My experience with knees is simply that if you don’t overdo concussion and attend to any needed maintenance, you end up with a hell of a horse for a long while. As such, I’d love to see him land with a knowledgeable fox hunter, dressage or all around home.

Hennessy is available for adoption at 2000 to an appropriate  home.  

William is a lovely, kind Thoroughbred who has a good bit of experience in lesson land. He’s pretty sure that the lesson life is built for horses who are definitely, 100% not him, though. He’s made it clear that he wants a long-term one partner relationship who wants to do a little bit of everything  - but mostly on the flat. (He *can* jump, but would prefer them to be small and not his full time job).

Most recent outside video: https://youtu.be/SALCQgpozZU?si=Yp7jQnZj6vid8quP

William is a little old school. He likes consistency, and wants someone he can trust to be who handles him and swings a leg over regularly. He is brave once he trusts you and happy to hack out etc, he’s one of those can-be-a-little-anxious until his human shows up and then he takes a breath and things seem a whole lot more right with the world.

William settled in here and we went slow with him, putting on the rides and introducing the group turnout. He was initially scared of fly masks of all things, but has gotten far, far better about this. 

In fact, he's so settled in now that he is now in charge of his herd, has a best friend (Zeke), has ample new confidence, and occasionally pulls out a lesson horse trick or two. I find him hilarious and endearing, but he will need a good balance of calm, quiet boundaries, understanding, and "I'm sorry, you still have to do X."

William would love an all around-mostly non-jumping job - he'd be great in second and third flight fox hunting, out on hunter paces and in local dressage or HJ flat classes. He would also be thrilled to stay home and just have a lovely human to hack him around and love on him. But the big things with him are we need someone to prioritize saddle fit and have the skills to listen to their horse. I am not interested in him returning to a lesson barn. 

Here's the backstory: 

William got lucky in his past months, but has had a bit of a rough go previous to that. 

William came off the track and in the past couple years, and bounced around a bit but then found a job as a lesson horse on the flat and over fences. At some point they radiographed his back and found significant kissing spines.

As he no longer wanted to pack kids over fences, the barn's next move was to reach out to a nearby barn who has taken their horses in the past or consider sending him to New Holland Auction if the nearby barn wasn't interested.

A friend who runs said nearby barn stepped in and helped William get here. New Holland would have meant bouncing through the auction circuit and potentially to kill buyers (especially if the status of his back was known). 

I have found backs go one of two ways - they are either painful and hard/ impossible to fix and thus cause pain and problems, or with the right saddle, right fit, and a ride that accommodates, horses with even the gnarliest of backs are able to get stronger and go and do many, many things. William falls into the latter camp. 

He WTC with zero anxiety and no appearance of pain or resistance. With a rider who knows how to get a horse to use their core, he drops into a lovely frame and moves well and comfortably. He will pop over small fences but he's not the biggest fan of jumping and will occasionally stop making me happier to move him to a mostly flat home who might want to do a small fences class here or there or pop over logs on the trails but not work their way up the jumping levels. 

In general, William has just been a super good, easy going kid who needs a confident, soft ride, to help him keep all the confidence he has recovered.

William has no vices (aside being lightly afraid of fly masks???) and is generally a very good egg. He does get attached to a buddy, so he'd be  best suited for group turnout, not just a situation with two horses. He is not one I leave tied or on the crossties alone though as he may sit back and scare himself. He stands great when you're there with him.

William is available for adoption at 2500 to a suitable home with support and a “he can always come back” contract. Please reach out directly for more information about the adoption process. 

If ever one was looking for a horse with a heck of a lot of presence and a history of running some of the best steeplechase tracks in Ireland, here's Tuna. 

For nearly all of Tuna's career, he ran over fences. Like a hard knocking, sturdy steeplechaser, he took some falls and recovered to keep running. He raced in the UK and was imported as a 6 year old to run in the USA. And when he retired, he found a fox hunting job. Tuna's future was bright, and thankfully remains so. But like his track history, it hasn't been without its bobbles. 

Right now Tuna is WTC under saddle with plans to go forward to do more in the near future. His gaits are lovely already and clearly will be even more impressive once we get shoes on him and get him stronger and more relaxed. 

First ride back to work at Kivu: https://youtu.be/4BztF8eNq5k?si=bcSbAILj1umHIfHc

That said, Tuna has had a bit of a rough year. Back in the summer of 2025, he had a pasture accident that hairline fractured his right hock and created a chip in his left hind ankle. He went to Cornell for surgery, which was deemed very successful with no limitations. That said, bad luck wan't quite done yet - Upon jumping around later on stall rest, he injured the  collateral ligament in his left hind fetlock and required quite a bit more time off. 

Tuna has since had stall rest from September 2025 to December 2025, small paddock turnout from December 2025 to early March 2026 and regular turnout from then til now. Tuna appears quite sound and we have started him back lightly under saddle. He will get a rescan of the fetlock in the near future and we will continue to progress him into a riding career. 

The expectation is that Tuna will do what he is able, which I think will be plenty. I can see this horse still having a quality non-jumping fox hunting career or lower level jumping life. I probably wouldn't point him at the red numbers but frankly, there are so few people who can ride at that level anyway, I don't worry about that limitation. 

Tuna is kind and a lovely, doofy, sweet gelding, but he is not for the TB-inexperienced. He needs a knowledgable handler and rider currently and would do best with someone who is familiar both with big Thoroughbreds and rehabs. 

Tuna is offered for adoption with a contract at $2500 before the rescan and rads and $3500 after. This cost is a donation to Stall 13 and will go to supporting the other horses involved in the program. 

This OTTB gelding by Hard Spun with Mr. Greeley lines), is seeking an easy going life in a pasture. We’d love to get this deserving guy to a home with lots of grass a few buddies and a caring human. *this would be a no riding no resale home and he would come with a contract stating that and that he can come back to us at any time. 

Tetsu ran 67 times and made more than 260,000 for his connections. Cantering back from that 67th race, he tweaked his suspensory in his front left. But when he arrived for rehab, we found that this brave, stoic horse had run on an ankle with a much longer history of issues. We rehabbed the acute suspensory in a stall, finishing up stall rest early this month. 

The ankle however shows significant arthritis, suspensory apparatus injury, and pastern joint subluxation. 

Ultimately, he is pasture sound and we’d like to keep him happy, healthy and enjoying life until he tells us otherwise. 

Tetsu would be happy to be out 24-7 or stall less than he gets turnout. He does crib and has some stall vices, but he’s happy in a herd and good around others (currently low man in his field) and easy outside. He is currently barefoot, though we expect that we’ll get him in shoes if the ground gets too hard or he gets uncomfortable. 

To get Tetsu to a perfect home, we are waiving all adoption fees, but will check references and require the usual adoption protocol. 

Once we have more information, we'll be able to set a plan for rehab and point him in the right direction.

Rikki should be a familiar face for anyone who knows Aubrey's longer term program at Kivu Sporthorses. 

Rikki returned to Stall13 at the end of April 2026. She has evented through beginner novice and schooled a good bit beyond that. But Rikki has some feet and angles that we need to work out. The vets in the south thought that perhaps she should avoid a jumping life going forward. We're going to have our vets here evaluate the radiographs and her soundness and will have a more complete assessment at that point. 

In the meantime...

Rikki is a tall drink of water. She is a stunning, athletic mare who is game to fences and fancy in the tack. She has no stall vices but can be a bit mare-ish in the field when meeting new friends. Rikki is good for the farrier, easy on cross ties, easy to mount and basically a well trained, experienced young horse who needs a bit of a career assessment and new start. 

Rikki's adoption fees are not yet determined. We'll know more once we assess the veterinary records and get shoes on her. 

*Leased* Good god this horse has talent. He has huge swinging gaits, tons of drive, and all the flash you’d ever need. But even with all that talent, his personality might be the more remarkable thing, and thats saying something.

Fig is a total ham through and through. You never have to guess what he’s thinking and he really, really wants all of your attention. No, like all of it. All the time. Good thing he’s insanely cute about the whole thing. He’ll drink your beer (he shares my preference for not fruity IPAs) and harass you until you relent and give him scratches and lots of love. 

Under saddle hes is always good but he’s uncomplicated and quiet if in regular work or… as he feels better and better and isn’t getting ridden regularly-  big, talented and slightly feral. He has at times been my “toss anyone up there” horse. Yesterday, he showed off how much better he was feeling by honing his medium trot but also making sure we tossed a neck strap on to stay with him. His gaits are huge and he will invert and skitter sideways if he’s feeling fresh. He’s never truly naughty but he does like to show off. 

Recent flat school on an “up” day: https://youtu.be/vPA_8JqrmuU?si=EoxzaiVuv6K5lKnH

Fig is still a bit of a rehab. When he came off the track, he was frankly one hell of a mess. More than a year later, we have him fat, happy and en route to sound. He needs strength and potentially hock and hind ankle injections (but I want to get him strong first). He was diagnosed with chronic suspensory issues initially, but at this point with no acute lesions and less inflammation we go back to work. And what does Fig love almost as much as attention? Work.

So what does that mean? Means he’s not your average rehab. It means he’s not the lovely adopter’s horse who wants to have an easy hack out on occasion… maybe hit the trails once in a long while. No. Nopelope. Sorry. I need a rider who wants to put a lot of miles in the saddle but with no agenda. The right person needs ride regularly (like 3+ days a week) and has OTTB experience and a big sense of humor … and maybe bigger beer budget (for both of you). Oh and said rider also needs the seat to laugh through any fresh-day antics he might toss out there and direct him towards the great things that are to come. Don’t have all of that? Please ask me about a different horse. 

Fig is available for the low fours- with a guarantee that as with any Stall 13 horse, no questions asked- he can always come home. 

STALL 13 SUPPORTED HORSE

Fig is available through Stall 13, the New York based non-profit organization (www.stall13.org) that I (AP Graham) spearhead alongside Kivu Sporthorses. Stall 13 Thoroughbreds specializes in challenging-case horses like Fig. Our goal is to help horses like Fig can recover and make it to second careers and have a good life, despite physical setbacks. As such, he comes with lifetime protection and a contract - he’s always welcome back here and we’re always here to help. His carrots go directly back to the program to support avenues for other tough case ottbs and prove the notion that one should always “ride the horse, not the xrays (or ultrasound). Reach out for more information.

former info: Fig is one heck of a ham. This horse has more personality than most boarding barns see in a year. He's handsome, lovable and will shake you down for your treats or your beer. Yes, Fig loves a good libation and will happily steal sips of yours. 

Fig ran hard and earned his retirement. He came to us last year just before Christmas with swollen ankles and a slew of issues. We got him on the right path and he lucked into the lap of a generous ammie who took his rehab on as her project. What we thought was the need for hock injections turned out to be chronic (not acute) suspensory issues. Fig had stall rest, turn out and was slowly brought back to work. 

He just needs more time. He'll winter with us in our usual set up - 12 hours in, 12 hours out being a dingus with his friends. And we'll bring him back to work and see where he is at in late winter / spring. 

Often with ligament and tendon issues, when the issue is not acute, they just need time and more let down than most people want to do. We have time, and we like Fig, so he can hang out and cause a happy ruckus in the barn while we see how sound he will come and what he will need. 

Fig is available for adoption at 2500 with a contract. There is no guarantee that this horse will jump in the future or be a first flight fox hunter. But we're pretty certain there's enough soundness for a quality low-level career in there. 

Placed

Update 1/26/2026

Wine has found his next long-term home! And better yet, he'll be (hopefully) heading to the Makeover to take on Ranch and Trail or Freestyle. We'll be rooting for him the whole way and sharing his progress as he goes! YAY, Wine!!!!

...

Track -> sale into his second career as a trail horse --> kill buyer and pen -> bailed by the community;  quarantining and rehabbing with Stall 13 at Kivu.

Update 1/6/2026 Wine is now back in the main barn and has had his first post track ride! He's fantastic in turnout, kind and friendly in the barn and was a total gentleman for his first ride. Stay tuned for more images, video and updates!

Update 12/21/25: Wine has been doing great in quarantine. He's packing on the pounds and has stayed healthy throughout! Huzzah! The shed with the attached round pen has done well, despite the bloody cold and he's been happy and toasty despite the NY chill. 

The great thing is that Wine gets to come back to the Kivu barn (a walk that will take all of two minutes) on Christmas Eve. I am super excited to introduce him to the herd and let him have friends and a more normal (less feral) life. Here's to your next chapter, wine. Cheers. 

Stay tuned for more information here. 

Update 12/2/25 Wine Responsibly is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday Dec. 3 and head into our quarantine stall and paddock. It will be a long month for all of us, but keep an eye out for his updates! 

Wine Responsibly last ran at Finger Lakes on November 11th, placing 6th in his claiming race. His season was over, he was done running, and it was time for him to be listed for sale to a non-racing home. His owner received calls and sold him to a woman who stated that she was a "forever home" for Wine with a daughter who trail rides. Within a week, Wine Responsibly had been traded to a kill buyer. *He has thankfully not been through a  kill pen sale.*

The Finger Lakes and broader racing community rallied to bail him out and figure out next steps. And it seemed that there were ample options for this son of Vino Rosso. Unfortunately, all these options fell through, and by last night, Wine Responsibly needed somewhere to go ... and quickly.

The community had already raised the cost of his bail, so we covered his shipping and started scheming about how to quarantine a horse in the NY cold. We have a plan, a freight of supplies headed our way, and clear purpose: Get Wine Responsibly safe, keep him warm and healthy, and ride out the quarantine period away from all other horses and forms of cross contamination.

Wine has been doing great in his custom-built (quickly) quarantine run in. He has plenty of shavings and straw to stay warm and out of the wind, and enough foot of electrical cord to reach his heated bucket. He's been happy and healthy since arrival (huzzah!) though, he's making it clear that he's ready for friends and has had enough of the solitary life. 

We're hopeful that Wine can re-enter the regular barn after 21 days of quarantine, making his barn appearance a Christmas celebration.

Wine's road is not done when his quarantine is. We'll need to X-ray his knees and evaluate his soundness to start. Donations are very helpful at this stage to help him get the diagnostics needed to make a plan for a healthy, productive future. 

Wine will be available for adoption once we get him going and know the extent of his needs.

Placed! Gen is ready to find his human and hit the trails or bee bop around as a low level all around mount. 

Walk trot-inside (Big horse, tiny arena = no canter inside right now, see outside video for that): https://youtu.be/nywGpko23RY?si=EKPEc6dl68l7B5mg

Mounting from a tractor, hacking and some canter outside: https://youtu.be/_fm03iv7hNQ?si=Jbl36b2oOvugDMCN

Gen is wildly uncomplicated but he is still a big moving, HUGE young thoroughbred. He’s brave and has not displayed any anxiety under saddle. I’d rather see him end up in a home where he’s not expected to be a packer at 5 and on the other side of the spectrum, not asked to jump a ton. He has a great brain and willing, kind demeanor but he will still need the rider knowledge and training to learn whatever job it is you point him at. 

Recent schooling: https://youtu.be/PUZEObv_YhI?si=ugk6ddlp6F0-44ED

Good for the vet, the farrier… good in a stall and out in a field of geldings. Good on the cross ties…Just plain good across the board. He does need at least front shoes.  

Generation had a productive race career, retired sound and then began training for his second job as a fox hunter. There were big dreams for this guy- the huntsman’s horse. He trained well, ticked all the boxes, and was full speed to a career he would have loved. 

A basic chip removal set off a reaction of bone growth in his right front fetlock. He has osteophytes and bone spurs making it visually bigger but also job limiting. Cornell is pretty sure the heavy demands of a job at the top of the hunt are more than he needs right now (aka jumping should be limited) but he is still absolutely ridable and able to do lower level things. As such he is what we call “serviceable sound.” I would not point him at a show life or a circle-driven dressage career, but there is a lot of miles left in those legs and that ankle. 

Could he hunt occasionally without jumping? Oh absolutely. Could he do some hunter paces and trail ride? Yep. Could he be a family horse for a good riding group of folks? Sure. Is he a “husband horse”? … maybe… guess that depends on the quality of husband (riding that is). 

We’re happy to share radiographs and reports and discuss findings. Nope, this one won’t “pass” a vetting but there’s ample corners of the horse world where he’ll still have a place. 

STALL 13 SUPPORTED HORSE

Gen is available through Stall 13, a New York based non-profit organization (www.stall13.org)that specializes in challenging case horses like himself. Our goal is to show that horses like Gen can recover and make it to a new career despite their known challenges and have a good life. As such, he comes with lifetime protection and a contract - he’s always welcome back here and we’re always here to help. His carrots go directly back to the program to support avenues for other “challenging case” horses and prove the notion that one should always “ride the horse, not the xrays.”

Gen is offered at 2500 to a  home who understands his maintenance needs and limits. His purchase price is a donation to Stall 13 and goes directly to caring for the other horses in the program. Trial fees and processes explained above. 

PLACED! 

Sews is a huge, elegant goof ball who has three lovely gaits and a jump with clear, pretty knees. He feels great and has made it very clear that he is ready for a job! What job does Sews need? He could succeed at pretty much anything – eventing, dressage, fox hunting, jumpers, and even hunters for his daisy cutter movement. 

Right now though, he’s a happy, goofy, endearing kiddo who wants a human to do all the things with him. His adoption fee is ✌️🥕🥕🥕 until the end of the year (negotiable to a perfect home). 

Recent flat school: https://youtu.be/xqK6UBD8N7I?si=tvKtO8B_IiyRmqzj

Sews has experience running starter in Georgia and schooling BN elements with a junior. He came back, put weight back on and is legging back up. He’s brave and fun and just a general goof. He hacks the property with my working students and schools well both with them and me, though he is far from being a packer.

Sews has a weak hind end that stems from the bottom up- he needs proper shoes and pads, and does require hock / stifle maintenance annually. I keep him on high doses of vitamin E and that seems to keep him in shape for riding. And at tgis point, he needs regular work and hills as well as poles and small trot jumps.

I’d love to see him go to an all around home. Are there any deserving pony clubbers out there who need a nice horse on a budget? He’ll need group turnout but also a stall for his feet to dry out. He is a red Thoroughbred afterall, and they do kind of melt in the elements. 

more info : Sews absolutely needs a herd… and he needs to have someone in that herd who can keep him in line. He's not mean at all, just can be the annoying little brother type.

Under saddle he is pretty uncomplicated and has ridden and competed for the last three months by a capable junior, and has been in my program a couple days a before and after. He is successfully and “fancily” showing off his flat work and happily popping over small fences (to increase as he keeps coming along).

Sews came through my program in Georgia last year and was with me from Christmas to March of 2023. In that time he gained a solid foundation and was coming along well.

He shipped to Washington to a very knowledgeable rider, and didn’t quite work out in the situation. To no fault of anyone’s he just needed a set of other geldings to play with. Alone in a paddock next to a pony, Sews just got himself in more and more trouble. His owner did everything under the sun – she treated for ulcers, worked him on the ground, and xrayed his back – he does have kissing spine, which he does not palpate to. *I'm happy to share more insights here as I do not believe that this is a limiting factor for him. 

Unsure how to go forward, she kindly shipped him back across the country.

Sews has hung out with my geldings and found his feet and herd. He was schooling Starter and BN fences here before heading to Georgia to a friend who provided him XC experience while we thawed and dried out. Sews did dressage lessons, xc schools, CTs and HTs at Starter with his junior before shipping back up here. He would love a doting human with a good sense of humor and at least an intermediate or above riding level. 

Requirements:

-  Shoes (he has tender feet)

-  A herd of geldings

-  A rider & trainer with intermediate or better skills in the saddle and solid abilities to maintain boundaries

-Correct saddle fit 

Sews' adoption fee is 2k but is open to negotiation to the perfect home. Adoptions can be resold.

FOUND A HOME!!!! 

This horse might have a head (and a knee) that only a mother can love, but everyone who sits on him sure raves about the ride. He rides more like what folks call a “classic WB ride” than how annoying stereotypes paint the TB. He is far from sensitive, but remains a lovely forward ride with swinging, consistent gaits, and he is happy to have you use your aids a bit louder than some of the rest of mine will tolerate.

Great in the warmup, great in the competition arena and lovely on trails. This is seriously just one well-started, versatile big kid with a season full of miles. Good for vet and farrier, hauls well, stalls ok but prefers outside, and has minimal maintenance despite his X-rays. 

What more could you want for low f o u r s?

Spin is a RRP Makeover 2025 graduate finishing in the top 1/3 of the dressage entries despite a test interrupted by the fox hunt division (hunt ran by as our walk began, clearly taking any hopes of a walk of any form with it). The judges loved his trot work awarding 8s. he’s ready to begin training first level movements. 

Major Spin is a huge horse who has all the presence, movement, and smarts to go right on up the levels in dressage. He’s only 16.3 but is wide barreled and carries himself like he’s 17.2. He also has one of those classic “good brains” that means he could pack around at the Intro or Training levels quite happily. While I think he’d love and succeed at a dressage life, I would put money on his ability to fox hunt and to look damn good while doing so as well.

Makeover Dressage: https://youtu.be/BHjCgG65Lf0?si=VPSXzLyLR-Jt-gra

T3- August: https://youtu.be/ov5BEnisig0?si=ADsjeoiaqhoLy3r6

T2 - June : https://youtu.be/g5LVBAo7nA8?si=hNDJeRuhulF3zuOH

Outside hack at home April: https://youtu.be/SJWb9yIt-8E?si=9VtPb4th0dhSot6e

Spin is probably the only true rescue in my barn. I don’t use that word lightly. He’s a huge, smart, lump-headed goober who needs a job that accommodates a pretty special knee. Otherwise, I’d be eventing this horse up through the ULs.

Spin’s life on the track was not always easy and he fell into some less-than-optimal hands, who ignored what should have been treated. Slab fracture, chip, and arthritis. Spin became Stall 13’s* flagship horse and yet, after we rested him for a few months, he is SOUND and hard at work perfecting his dressage. Do we have rads to share? Absolutely! Hell, we printed them on a sweatshirt (not kidding).

As such we have not been jumping him. I’d recommend a mostly-non jumping career for the longevity of the joint.

Spin would be appropriate for a good riding amateur to bring along, but in the right program he’d also be able to handle green-bean humans. Spin has confidently and carefully carried my nervous friends, helped to reinstall confidence in Thoroughbreds and handled trials and lessons and rides by all of my working students with ease.

He's not a total packer... yet… and you still have to have and uphold boundaries, but Spin is proving to be an exceedingly versatile horse who just needs a job and a person or two who think the world of him.

A bit more backstory:

Spin’s issue was his knee. Various vets have looked at the knee since we radiographed it and can assume that he may have slab fractured, continued to run on it, chipped, and developed arthritis both on the front side and rear sides of the joint. 

Compounding the problems, another reputable rehomer had recently seen Spin sitting in icepacks and getting continuously cold hosed on the knee before heading to the race paddock to run on it. Most track trainers are decent folks. I can't say the same of his former owner.

The track vets went so far as to donate radiographs of the knee. Suffice to say, the knee isn’t pretty and was not a candidate for surgery. But the trainer didn’t want to give him away, he “had a buyer in New Jersey” who wanted him… maybe to keep racing, maybe to retire (I find that dubious), who knows? So I did what was financially irresponsible at the time and ponied up the funds and got him out of there.

A year and two months later, Spin trotted down the center line at the Retired Racehorse Project's Thoroughbred Makeover, finishing in the top third in a huge class. 

Spin is available for $2500 negotiable to a perfect home. 

FOUND A HOME

Gibbs is a lovely moving, sweet, talkative dude. He loves people and prefers to have a job and friends. If you like talkative horses, he’ll nicker / chuff sweetly at you all day long just to draw in more attention. Gibbs is WTC for an intermediate rider with a good trainer / barn manager who knows how to handle sensitive-footed OTTBs. 

Gibbs is good to have a full life of riding and companionship, but he requires a few extras: his own stall and a good farrier (and limited turnout). Look, I’m a huge fan of getting these horses outside as much as possible. That said, his feet really just can’t currently handle it the wet-dry cycle of turnout. He can turnout but smaller, dry spaces would be preferred. He cannot go barefoot and just be in boots – that’s a fine stop gap if he loses a shoe, but this kid is tender and needs all the bottom-up help he can get. 

Gibbs would be a lovely pasture pet, or very low level dressage mount or just a good all around kiddo. He has not spent much time jumping and gets quite nervous outside of arenas, so I wouldn’t recommend him for a trail home unless said adopter knows how to work with green and anxious types. Inside the arena or the near-field, he is lovely, kind and has super movement under saddle. 

His issues to know about: 

-  Feet: Needs a quality farrier and at least front shoes at all times

-  Limbs: Has a well-healed lesion of his superficial digital flexor tendon (LF at 30%) *Is currently sound on the leg

-  Back: Is slightly roach-backed. This has no impact on his riding ability

The backstory: 

Gibbs has been in and out of my program since 2023. This war horse with 72 starts had a kind eye and deserved a serious letdown and great restart to match him with the right home. That said, Gibb’s retirement has not gone entirely as planned. 

To briefly summarize: 

In September of 2023, Gibbs made it to my farm (Kivu Sporthorses & Training – then located in McDonough, GA) and on his third day of turnout, cantered around my field while I watched and put a 30% lesion in his left front superficial flexor tendon. I brainstormed what to do and ultimately my vets and I came up with a plan that donated him to a lovely local rescue where they could provide his care. Gibbs stayed at Southern Star Animal Rescue and received all the care he needed including Renovo treatment and shockwave for seven months. After he passed his final ultrasound scan with flying colors, Gibbs returned to me to be restarted. After a few months, I managed to rehome him to a set of good riding, kind folks and the story should have happily ended there. 

However, Gibbs’ feet don’t hold up to full time turnout and he needs individual feeding away from other horses. He had dropped weight and was less than sound (due to his feet, not the rehabbed leg). They kindly shipped him back to me, and we started over. Gibbs has been back with me in New York since September and has packed on the pounds (and the hair- he’s a fuzzy yak!) and his feet have been challenging, but are getting better.  I have hopped on him a few times since he has come home but mostly have been letting him pack on the pounds and start to feel better across his whole body.

 The kiddo feels fantastic currently and is ready for a job!

**PLACED IN A FANTASTIC HOME**