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I bought Dutch last year and he's not what I was looking for. I found what I was really looking for and now I need to find Dutch someone who's looking for him :)
Pros:
He's friendly and sweet. He's the first one to come see what I'm doing and the last one to get bored and walk away.
He's got tons of personality.
He's healthy and sound with great bone and feet.
He's well broke, responsive, and handy.
He's super cute with amazing hair!
Cons:
He's herd sour.
He needs lots of time. If you're looking for a handy, well broke project, he's right up your alley.
He gets amorous with my 26 year old mare.
He just feels a little sketchy all the time.
I spent $24k on Dutch because he was sold to me as "an old pro at riding out alone and is always 100% gentle and safe." They basically sold him as a kids horse. They just flat out lied. I really hate that about the horse industry. So I'll tell you the good, bad, and ugly.
In the year we've had him, he's never hurt anyone or any of my horses. We haven't ridden him since October, but over last summer we rode him 2-3 times per week. He really is gentle at heart. But he's not the gentle, bomb proof horse I was looking for. If you take him out of the corral alone he gets very anxious, dancing and pawing at the hitch rail. And under saddle it takes about 20 minutes every time to feel like he relaxes and settles in - even when riding with other horses. And he acts like he's proud cut. We had him tested and he's not. But he pushes my geriatric herd around and has tried to mount my mares a few times. My horses are really passive and old, so I think he'd find himself at the bottom real quick with assertive horses. But I have a pregnant mare, and I don't want him around a foal.
So that's the dirt on him.
I really think if I was still 25, I'd love him. But I'm over 50 now and I don't want a challenge or a project anymore. He is NOT for beginners. I'd recommend experienced riders only. But he's not bronc-y, and he's not a runaway. We just never got past that "first spring ride" feeling with him. I think he'd be fantastic for a guest ranch (I was a wrangler for 15 years). He's got the energy for hours of riding and he does much better with other horses. We took him to the Colorado Rockies and he did fantastic - even held off a huge dog while the rest of us passed.
The greener pics are from last summer. The winter-ish pics are from 3/9/25 - out of shape, dirty & unbathed with plenty of winter hair and a full gypsy beard. LOL
He does really want to be your best friend. I think he'll make someone a fantastic horse some day, with A LOT of consistency and work. I just don't want to put it into him. If you are an experienced rider just looking for a fun project, he may just be your heart horse!
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