Horse of the Month - Maverick

Maverick is our horse of the month!

 

Maverick is a 9 year old grade gelding that came to the Sanctuary as a 3 year old along with Brego. He'd actually been herd mates with Brego and Queen at his previous owner's place. I'd spent more than a year watching Maverick (and Brego) out the kitchen window.

 

He'd been sent to a trainer when he'd just turned 3 years old (or possibly as a late 2 year old). His previous owner used to ride him up and down the driveway but not often. So Maverick did have some training but when he came to the Sanctuary, he spooked me. I'm still getting over that spook after this many years. Silly I know. When he arrived, I wanted to move him to a different pen. After getting him settled in his new pen, I climbed over the fence, and accidently hit him in the head with my foot. When I got to the ground, he threw a hoof at me. I wasn't sure what I was dealing with after that. So when Maverick turned 4, I sent him to a trainer. Maverick came back well trained, although in an arena, you can't get him to go any faster than a trot. But there are worse problems to deal with than trying to get a horse to lope.

 



Maverick is actually a fairly goofy gelding. Not as goofy as Ivan but in his own special way. Maverick is a social butterfly, who always wants to meet new horses and is always willing to start up a conversation even if he doesn't know the horse.

Maverick has his quirks. You have to make sure you have him tied correctly. He has a tendency to play with his lead ropes, or anything within range of his mouth. He's a mouthy horse. Not harmful but he likes to put things in his mouth to figure out what they are and to make noise. I've caught him with his teeth on a fence line going back and forth to make the line bounce (he's not cribbing, just making the fence move).

Maverick a fairly solid trail horse even though I don't do him justice by riding him enough. Maverick is the type that needs a job and wants to keep busy. He'll pick a horse out of the herd and cut him just for the sake of cutting. He's never cut a cow before, but I think he'd enjoy it immensely.

Maverick is best friends with Jim. It's a weird combination, crusty old Jim and curious Maverick. But it's a combination that I can handle. Whatever keeps the horses happy is all that matters to me.

Maverick is most definitely a sorrel diamond in the rough. Most people my overlook a plain sorrel gelding but Maverick has something in his personality that just makes me love him. He's a kid at heart. He's never known the abuse of a bad home. We took him in to avoid him going through an auction. The neighbors had gotten him when he was a yearling, so unless he'd been run through an auction prior to that time, Maverick has never known the cruelties of an auction. Luckily for him, he'll always have a spot at the Sanctuary. If I can ever find time to ride, Maverick will turn in to the Go To horse that others can ride, because he's just that dependable of a gelding.

He's my Sorrel Diamond.