Gimme Shelter Horse Pool 2018 Thank you to all of our trainers participating in this year s Gimme Shelter event. We are excited to have you! Below please find the pool of horses that will be available at the draw. All horses will be going through basic ground work and trailer loading with our volunteers before the draw date. They will also have a physical exam by our veterinarian and be cleared to begin training under saddle. They will be vaccinated, de-wormed, teeth checked/floated and trimmed before the draw date of April 7, 2018 and have their travel papers. Pictures of the horses were taken in early March, 2018. The descriptions are also from March, so please assume all of the horses will progress by the time of the draw date. All trainers are welcome to make an appointment with Michele (505.577.2193) to see the challenge horses prior to the draw date. The horses will have a rating of 1-10. Dull horses 1-4 and sensitive/reactive horses 6-10. We are looking forward to seeing you at THS for the draw on Saturday April 7 at 9 a.m. sharp. Please come prepared to trailer your challenge horse home, including halter and lead rope.
Bria - 4 year old, sorrel & white pinto mare - 14 hh Bria has developed a great deal since last year, both mentally and physically. She is a much more confident horse and requires very light cues, the softer the cue the quieter she responds. Using subtle cues, I rate Bria a 5-6, but can at times still be a 7. Garth, 3 year old, grulla gelding - 14 hh Garth can still have his playful days. He has had a lot of handling and catches on quickly. He is a willing and curious partner. Because of his 3-year-old playfulness,i rate him a 5-6 on most days, but can have days that he is a 7.
Hopi, 6 year old, sorrel mare - 15+hh Hopi is another one that has matured mentally and physically over the past year. She is ready for and willing to do a job. She is smart and wants to please, especially once she gets to know you. I rate Hopi at a 5. Jackson, 3 year old, bay gelding - 14.3 hh Jackson has had some joint issues with growing too fast. He will not be able to be pushed hard physically or be fed any hot feed, including alfalfa, so he will require straight grass hay. He is another playful youngster that will require good boundaries as he can be nippy. I would rate Jackson a 6-7. (HE MAY BE HELD BACK THIS YEAR.)
Kai, 5 year old, perlino mare - 14hh This mare was partially halter trained upon arrival and has progressed nicely in a short time. In the beginning she would let out a jump, kick and a buck during sending exercises. She is a fast learner and has decided to be a good student and a willing partner. I would rate Kai at a 5-6 and could be a solid 5 by the draw date. Kimi, 5 year old, perlino mare - 14.hh Kimi came in with about the same amount of halter training as Kai. She is very smart and willing and seems to enjoy class time. I would say she is of the two a bit quieter, but both have come along so quickly. I rate Kimi a 5.
Marcela, 5 year old, appaloosa mare - 14.1 hh She is very cute, stout and willing to learn. She is a kind mare that has an overall good disposition. I would rate Marcela at a 5. Reno, 3 year old, black gelding - 14.1 hh Reno came in as a stallion. He can be a bit pushy when in with other geldings, but does very well being in his own pen next to mares or geldings. Reno is smart, but can be a little on the dull side requiring a firmer request. Once he knows you mean business and that you will follow through, he becomes a very willing partner. Reno gets a 4 rating.
Salsa, 6 year old, bay & white pinto mare - 13.3 hh She is a very cute, and nicely put together mare, who came in untouchable and has made great progress. She is very smart, a quick mover with an occasional stubborn streak in her. She has never shown any aggression even under pressure and learns quickly. She can still get a bit flighty at times, but less frequently with every class. I rate Salsa a 6, at times a 7. Twiggy, 5 year old, bay QH-type mare - 14.1 hh She has more maturity and substance to her this year. She will require regular trimming on her front hooves as she does toe in and this gets worse the longer her hooves are. She has not been lame, but may require a bit slower start and our vet suggests booting her up when being worked. Twiggy knows her groundwork and is more on the dull side. I put Twiggy as a 3-4.
Libby, 11 year old, red roan & white pinto mare - 14.1+ hh Libby has good substance and shows some good breeding. She came in untouchable and remains leery of new people. She has recently started approaching the fence for attention when tours go by. She can be a bit harder to catch until she knows you, but has shown improvement over time. Win her over and she will try hard for you. She is overcoming her trust issues and trying to please. If she does get upset, she does recover quickly and can continue the lesson. At this point I would rate Libby a 7-8 and I expect this to improve by the draw date. Lina, 12 year old, black & white pinto mare - 15 hh Lina shows good breeding. Lina came in with Libby, but was a bit more trusting from the beginning. She now will allow volunteers to groom her even when loose in her pen. She still has moments of being fearful, but now recovers quickly. She is not aggressive and wants to be a trusting horse. Another one to win over and she will be a willing partner. I rate Lina a 7-8 and I expect this to improve by the draw date.
Madalynn, 7 year old, sorrel mare - 14.2 hh She has beautiful movement. She came in untouchable and is progressing through our program. If Madalynn doesn't understand what you are asking of her and feels trapped, she has pinned her ears in a threatening manner. If you can show her a different way and avoid the battle, she will come around nicely. She will require firm, but respectful training. I rate Madalynn a 7-8 that could escalate to a 9. Rosa, 7 year old, gray mare - 14.3 hh She is a mare with good substance. She came in feral and was not easy to convince that people are okay. She has done better with one handler and has made tremendous progress in this area. Rosa is now tolerating a different person approaching and taking the lead rope to work with her. She will require patient and consistent training. I think once she trusts you and saddle work begins, she will improve a lot faster with riding. I give Rosa a 7-8 rating, but I feel she could slip backwards in the wrong hands.