Chaco is no longer for sale. The owner has elected to keep her, as one of his kids has claimed her as his horse.

Chaco is a double-registered Rocky Mountain Gaited Horse/Kentucky Mountain Horse mare, 17 years old, certified for both gait and breeding. She stands  15 hands, medium build, and is sound in every respect. She is the classic Rocky Mountain color, chocolate dapple with flaxen mane and tail. She is beautiful!

Chaco has been lightly used her entire life and shows no signs of age.  She has a very nice gait and is expert on the trail.  She handles even the most difficult trails easily and safely.  She is quite courageous and will willingly try things she hasn’t experienced before with just a little urging.  Chaco is affectionate and forms a bond of trust with her owner/trainer, although it takes a bit of handling for that bond to form.

I have spent many hours on Chaco, over the past six months, refreshing her saddle training.  It is evident to me that Chaco had some excellent training in her early years. She is very obedient and responsive to voice and heel cues. She will side-pass, move her fore and hind quarters, and gait on cue.  I can open/close gates from her saddle.  She also longes very well in a round pen without a lead rope. She has a nice space-eating walk, a flat-walk, rack, and excellent canter. She is very responsive to the bit, voice, and leg/heel cues.  Chaco neck reins very well, but can also be guided with leg cues alone. She is enthusiastic on the trail and never needs to be “peddled.”  A prior owner told me she used the Pirelli Natural Horsemanship training methods with Chaco, but I believe that was restricted to ground training. Chaco handles well with spurs (I train with spurs) or without.

Chaco is easy to handle on the ground and is good with her hooves for the farrier. She is easy to saddle and to bridle. She is easy to catch in the corral, once a little trust has been established. She rides well in a trailer and loads and unloads easily. She has ridden double without issue. Chaco is good with other horses, does not kick or bite or cause problems in a group setting.  She is gentle and affectionate with people.

Chaco apparently has little experience with small children, as she tends to shy at them and is easily surprised. On several occasions she has pulled back from a tie when surprised.  When handled regularly, this has not been a problem, however the current owner has several small children  (1-5 years old) and Chaco has shied at them several times, which is why she is for sale.  Chaco has occasionally kicked-up with inexperienced riders, but she has not done that with me.  I suspect she does this out of frustration with the rider, as I have been using her to teach the owner’s family how to handle and ride horses.  In saying this, I will confidently state that she has not actually tried to unload the rider. In fact, recently, she kicked-up and bounced the 12 year-old boy onto her neck, then stopped and allowed him to push himself back into the saddle. She allows a nine year-old boy to lead and brush her and lift and clean her hooves.

I truly enjoy riding Chaco on the trail or in the arena. She is suitable for any rider with a little experience and some confidence in the saddle. As I said, Chaco is very willing and very obedient and she likes to move out quickly. She will try to do what ever is asked of her, which is why the rider should have a little experience. She will try, even if she is not sure what is being asked. I am happy to offer coaching, so that the new owner will understand how Chaco has been trained and what cues she responds to. With some regular riding and handling, this mare forms a bond of trust with the owner and becomes a pleasure to ride and to be around. I have told this owner that it is a mistake to sell this mare at any price, but his concerns about the safety of his small children overrides.

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Registration papers:

Here is a short video about Chaco:

PRICE REDUCED: Chaco is offered for sale at Goshen, Ut for $11,000 with a 15-day trial period.  Please text or email to schedule a showing and test ride. Tony@385-424-9788, tony.henrie@westerntrailrider.com

If Chaco is not sold within the next couple of months, she will be listed on an online equine auction site.

She is currently being advertised for sale on ksl.com classified ads at:

https://classifieds.ksl.com/listing/63800603