Rufus

8-12 year old part-Arab, grade gelding

Rufus is T's horse.  When we acquired Amyra she was only a yearling, much too young for riding.  T hadn't ridden in years, and wanted a solid, steady trail horse.  We got... Rufus.  He's an indeterminate age, probably between 8 and 12 or so.  There's definitely a lot of Arab (and I think some Morgan) in his background, which in South Dakota knocked his value down quite a lot.  When we got him he was barn sour, not terribly friendly, and he had a nasty sore on one back leg. 

But he was sound, had a sweet face and a kind disposition once he warmed up to his new people and surroundings, and T fell for him right away.

On the road

A couple years later, he's no longer barn sour - herd bound, that's another story....  But he's proved to be a perfect horse for T.  He loves moving cows, tolerates the mistakes a novice rider makes without flicking an ear, and puts up with just about anything with equanimity.  I've quite being surprised when he handles something - like T's duster - with absolutely no fuss whatsoever.  Sunny would freak. 

With Eyore, the tail eater

Rufus is the low horse in the herd pecking order, and his tail hasn't regrown yet from the not-so-kind attentions of Eyore the donkey, a previous pasture-mate.