Beautiful Paso Fino Gelding

Phoenix (C H Sombrero) is a 13 year old, registered Paso Fino with excellent bloodlines. He is a very refined, elegant horse with a lovely petite build, excellent conformation, and a smooth as butter gait. His coloring and markings are absolutely stunning-- he has a dorsal stripe and zebra stripes on his legs, and his frosted hair is gorgeous! While looking for a horse for my mom, I responded to an ad about Phoenix in October 2020, and went to see him. I was shocked to see an emaciated, shaggy rack of bones-- not the beautiful horse I had seen pictures of! We purchased him anyway, hoping that we would be able to put weight and training back on him, and at any rate at least take him out of the neglectful situation he was in. After about 5 months of helping him get his weight up, healing his hoofs (they were in terrible shape when we purchased him), doing lots of groundwork and lounging, and getting his teeth and vet work UTD, he filled out very nicely and we were able to begin riding him. He definitely had some kinks to work out in the beginning! I have training experience and am a riding lesson instructor, so I had the necessary skills to handle a firecracker, and put a lot of work into Phoenix to get him where he is. He has been such a fast learner, and I believe he still has the potential to go even farther -- he's a smart guy! I want to be very up front about this fella's pros and cons. Pros: -Phoenix is a fantastic trail horse! He enjoys trail riding, and can ride out alone or with buddies. He has a lovely gait, and is an incredibly comfortable ride. He lounges and rides in the ring as well very nicely. -He is INCREDIBLY responsive. You will never need spurs, and absolutely NEVER need rough hands. He does awesome in a hackamore, and can also be ridden with a bit (I have used a gentle snaffle for him, he does not need a severe bit.) He has been ridden with both English and Western saddles. -Phoenix is a super smart guy. I think he would do really well with trick training and liberty training if that's something you were interested in. -Phoenix gets along well with our other horses and is currently the lowest on the totem pole! -Phoenix is barefoot, and his hooves are in excellent condition now. He uses ScootBoots on him when he is ridden on the trail for extra protection. The ScootBoots would go with him at purchase. Cons: -Phoenix needs an experienced horseman. He is not a beginner's mount. In general, I do not think that this breed is for beginners. He is hot, and needs a rider who not only enjoys riding hot horses, but can regulate them well. Phoenix has come SUCH a long way, and he needs someone who's willing to keep helping him grow. -He was all over the place with his gait when I first started riding him, and paced a lot instead of gaiting. I have worked with him quite a bit on that front, but he ideally needs an owner who is familiar with gaited horses (and preferably is familiar with and values the Paso Fino breed and gait) who can bring him further with his gait. -Phoenix is very herd bound. He is fine riding out by himself, but if he's in a field or paddock and everyone is taken out except him, he gets very nervous and upset. That can make catching him and handling him on the ground in situations like that difficult, hence why he needs an experienced horseman who is comfortable and capable in situations like that. Phoenix would be very happy surrounded by several horse buddies. I have poured a lot of time, love, energy, and training into this little guy, so it's very important to me that he goes to someone who values his potential, breed, quirky personality, and capabilities as much as I do, and has the skills to work with him. Serious inquiries only! I will be adding more photos and videos to his ad soon.