Assuming there are horse forums of some type that you might post to? He's beautiful!

gorgeous horse!! what about putting something on facebook? seems like the "place to be" these days. good luck in your search!

He is all over Facebook, in fact, that is how I found him. I went to Louisiana to get him...and now he lives in Texas. I was told he was an Amish horse but he has very poor manners, and whoever owned him last must not have done much with him. He is about 12 years old, so you would think he has done something but he doesn't act like it. I bought him mainly because I felt sorry for him....thinking he needed a good home if he had been an Amish horse because they are pretty hard on their horses, but if he had been an Amish horse, he would have better manners. I have a fortune in vet bills in him and he has gained about 300 lb since I brought him home. He throws a fit if you try to saddle him. I did see him ridden in a video but I wasn't planning on buying him at the time, and they took the video down. I just remembered that he didn't like the bit and looked like the guy riding him was rough on his mouth. I didn't try to saddle him until about a week ago, and he jumped about four feet off the ground. So, we are working through that. I think I can get him out of most of his bad behaviors...and if not, I will still keep him. I bought him to save him, and I won't let him go back to a kill pen. I believe he came through more than one auction. One possibly in Tennessee. At the time they had this horse, a man had brought them 25 gaited horses....some were really nice horses that had been shown. Truly sad that people will care so little about their horses that they don't care where they end up.

Here he is the day after I brought him home. He was thin and you can look at his face and see how sick he was. Plus he had dermatitis from poor nutrition and his hair fell out in huge patches. He was a mess.

I remember when you posted this before, Marilyn. What a change, 300 lbs.! I had to smile at that, it's so much. He looks sleek, relaxed and happy--an impressive animal. Lucky boy. I enjoy hearing about your progress with him and know you will continue with that. No telling how much he has been through, but you know it has not been good. Is he ok with being brushed and handled, the feet, etc.? If I were your neighbor, I'd come over and give him a good brushing (not that he looks like he needs it). Sorry there has been so much expense.

Did you give him a name?

Yes, his name is Bane. That was his name that they either assigned him at the kill pen or maybe it was his name when he came in....like on his coggins papers which is a certificate that every horse that is hauled somewhere has to have. Since it is an unusual name, I tend to think it was his name to begin with. He is gentle to handle in a lot of ways, but he is so big that if he doesn't want to do something, he just doesn't do it. Like back up. Or even go forward easily. He is spoiled in a lot of ways, but he also is afraid of being saddled. Then his demeanor changes from just not wanting to do something, to real fear. He loves attention...like being petted, brushed, fed treats....but whether or not I will be able to ride him, I don't know. Actually, he does need brushing in that first picture. :)

I know you've spent a lot of money already, but I would bring in a Therapeutic Massage Expert and have them examine your horse's back. It's possible your horse is experiencing pain in his back and that's is why you see such a negative response to a saddle.

Also, the video you saw of someone riding him.........was that at the kill pen? It's not that uncommon for some people to drug a horse in order to make him look good under saddle......so one shouldn't assume a horse can be ridden based on a video.

Check out this video for more info on bits, etc......I found it very interesting.

Thank you for taking on this horse, I have no information to add, but agree with you that if he had been an Amish horse, he would have some manners. They wouldn't tolerate a horse with no manners, since they rely on their horses for so much.

Look on Netposse to make sure he wasn't stolen. Also post on horse forums for gaited horses, and in states he may have been in.

I agree with annztoo. Our rescue dog was extremely afraid to walk and it turned out she had a broken tibia femur. Once it mended, she couldn't STOP walking.

You've really worked miracles with him. Congratulations!

Wow I remember when you got him too, the difference a few months and a lot of loving care makes is amazing. He's gorgeous.

Marilyn, did you try contacting the American Paint Horse Association? They may have some way of using his markings to identify him. He may have been registered at one time.

I haven't, Beth, but I will see. Yes, he was ridden in the kill pen, but I doubt they drugged him. There were 300 horses there and a lot of them better suited than he was. I realize horse traders drug them sometimes, Annztoo, but I don't think they would bother with that because they didn't have to sell him to an individual....because they have a ready market in shipping them. I didn't put a saddle on him. I started to saddle him because I was riding my other horse and was just going to see how he did. He flipped out when he saw it. I didn't get it on his back. I know how important the right fit of the saddle is, and if I ended up riding him, if he can be ridden by me....I am an old woman and I am not going to risk ending up in a nursing home to ride him...I will buy a gaited horse saddle for him. I am really picky about bits as well....I ride my other horse with a bitless bridle, which isn't like a hackamore, but a wide nose band that criss crosses under her chin. I wanted to try a bitless bridle and before I spent the money on it, I bought the nose band on ebay. It attaches to her regular head stall. She hated a bit when I got her, so I switched to this and it has been perfect for her. She is no longer hard to bridle and pays better attention because she isn't concentrating on the bit.

When I bought him, riding him was secondary. I bought him to give him a home. Like I said, when I went to get him in Louisiana, there were many horses there that would have suited me a lot better. But I had spoken for him. I didn't have to take him but if I hadn't, he would have been shipped. I have a very good Quarter Hose that I ride. I also have two more horses and a mule that I don't ride, besides Bane.