We received word this week from our veterinarian about a horse who was in need of a home, due to a long layup needed. His owner was unable to continue to rehab him, so he needed an immediate home.
Titan is a 14 year-old Irish Sport Horse/Hanoverian gelding. He was an eventer in his previous life, although his owner solely rode him in dressage. Titan has a condition called “kissing spine,” which causes pain when worked in more strenuous conditions. He is with us, however, because of severe suspensory issues, which will require an additional six to eight months to heal. During at least the first four to six months, Titan will only be allowed to be hand walked for approximately 15-30 minutes a day. After that time, we will reassess his suspensory tendons to determine his future prognosis. If he is eventually able to be ridden, it will be light work; he will never again be able to be jumped nor expected to perform higher level dressage movements. At best, he will be someone’s beautiful buddy who does some flatwork the arena with some light trail riding.
We picked up Titan from the stable down in San Juan Capistrano. While Elizabeth was dealing with the paperwork with the previous owner, Emily and Megan took him out and walked him around the outside of the arena. He was a very good boy even with two people he did not know, and with several other riding lessons going on around him. When we went to put him into the trailer, however, we had some issues. He walked in easily within the first few minutes, but then decided he didn’t want to stay in, and pulled back, breaking his rope and the leather halter (which is why we transport in leather halters- better to have the horse break one than to get hurt). No real harm done, however, save for the halter- he didn’t try to run away once he was out. We got him back in and he immediately backed out three more times. We finally got him back in, and while he was taking a moment, munching his hay (he *really* likes his hay), we closed the back door. He moved to back out again, but once he felt the barrier, he stopped- luckily he didn’t freak out and seemed resigned to his fate. And to his lunch, which he then proceeded to decimate.
Titan was calm all during the trailer ride home. We traded out his halter before we walked him up and put him into his stall, which he deemed his by rolling around several times. At first he was a little nervous and didn’t want Emily to put any fly wraps or the fly mask on him, but by the time Elizabeth returned from parking the trailer, he seemed settled enough- he was sweet and personable and wouldn’t leave Elizabeth alone while she was in the stall. He seems to be a little pushy, but not overly so, and has an overly docile personality. He had no problem with her putting the fly wraps and mask on- we had to put on a mask with a long extension over the nose as we were concerned that he would get a sunburn as his nose is very bright pink!
Titan greeted his new neighbor Brutus with very little fuss (Brutus greeted him with much more fuss), and Titan was a gentleman to both Aurora and Bear, respectively, while they were turned out in the round pen. Overall, he seems to be a very sweet boy, and we look forward to getting to know him better.
If you would like to help sponsor Titan, please visit our horse sponsorship page for more info –> HERE.
Titan looking at his new home.
Titan in his stall
Titan is an Irish Sport Horse/Hanoverian cross
Titan and Elizabeth