MERLIN

Where do we begin with our sweet little Merlin? We saw him last winter on an online ad; a three year old gelding, looking disheveled with hair like a grizzly bear and a body reminiscent of James Earle Fraser's "End of the Trail" sculpture.  We knew we needed to take a chance on him and see what was hiding under all that mess. A risky endeavor as you never know what they will turn into with a little TLC. We brought him home and went straight to work getting him in tip top shape and let me tell you, he was hiding the CUTEST little figure under all that hair! The first few months we simply focused on getting him plump, fit, and happy, and before we knew it, we had a handsome young gelding peeking out of those scraggly tufts of fuzz! Although he isn't 100% ready to pack true beginners around, he is absolutely one with all the makings and mindset of becoming a great kid and family horse, with very minimal effort. We feel that he has a fantastic foundation and is ready for someone wanting a young gelding to move forward with, without all the hassle of starting a colt. All of the hard work is done, and he is ready to start filling his resume, and before you know it, you will have the perfect kids horse ready for a lifetime of fun! 
As you can see by his dramatic before and after photos, he has come leaps and bounds from where he started, and he has SO much more to offer! From his mile long mane and tail to his big doe eye, he has not been hard to fall in love with! If you are looking for the kindest and quietest little gelding to add to your family, Merlin is DEFINITELY one you should keep an eye on! With his size, age at just 4 years old, and riding ability, Merlin would make a great horse for a confident kid looking to step up from their old faithful. While Merlin is the epitome of an "in your pocket' type of horse (seriously, he will share your breakfast with you if you let him!) he is VERY respectful of your space and doesn't overstep his boundaries. He is a fine tuned little gelding just waiting to impress you!

Since uncovering Merlin's dashing good looks, we have taken the liberty of flaunting him all across the Sandhills. We have used Merlin for everything on the ranch from gathering pastures and moving pairs, to dragging calves to the fire at branding time. He may not be a huge horse, but he is mighty and has a personality and heart of gold! You can saddle him before the sun rises, and hit the pastures to watch the sun come up as you push pairs to the branding pen. Merlin is solid both in a group or off on his own, just the two of you. He has no problem moving nice and slow or picking up the pace if need be.  If trails are more your forte, he is the perfect partner! He is definitely a point and go type horse  that you can enjoy a beverage on and doesn't mind if he is lead horse or floating toward the back of the pack. He is unphased by traffic, other horses, dogs, wildlife, or changes in scenery. We haven't found anything he won't face with confidence and enthusiasm. He is just plum happy to be out and about, almost as if he knows he was given a second chance!

Merlin will cross water, walk over a precarious teeter totter bridge, carry a flag, play with an oversized ball, walk all over a tarp as it blows in the wind and SO much more! You will be hard pressed to find a quieter gelding for his age. He is really figuring out how to be nice and soft in the bridle, listening to your seat and legs in his maneuvers, and has a fantastic lead departure into his right lead. We are still working on consistently catching his left lead, but he is getting better with every ride, as he is naturally more "right handed" in how he travels at the lope. He will sidepass, back, pivot slow and correct, and is really finding a smooth solid stop. There are far too many things to list on this sweet little gelding, but we would love to meet you and let you take him for a spin!

Feel free to reach out with ANY questions or comments. We hope we have done this sweet little gelding justice and we hope his new family will love Merlin as much as we have grown to love him! 
Tess Chytka
308-262-5020
chytkaquarters@gmail.com