Horse Illustrated Magazine

Fabio is, as his name indicates, quite the handsome older gentleman. He has the cutest face (especially his goofy ears) and is very clingy to his human friends. He’ll even pass up grass and time with other horses to hang out with people. Of course, he loves treats, too.

Fabio is kind and civilized on the ground and he has been easy for the farrier and veterinarian to handle. He’s also fine to groom and lead.

He is broke to ride, but he is green and can be inconsistent. Fabio is absolutely not interested in anything but an English saddle, so he will need an adopter willing to ride exclusively in an English saddle. His foster mom has some days that are great rides and very promising. Other days, she sees how much work Fabio still needs to be considered fully “broke to ride.”

Fabio attended a clinic and Fun Show hosted by the rescue in October 2023. He had one-on-one time with the trainer (Mike Hurst) and Mike really liked him. Fabio was able to do the “in-hand” session of the clinic, as well as some of the riding session. But, understandably, he was overstimulated by the crowds and the other horses. In other words, he will need more exposure to these sorts of events before he can be his best self. The good news is that he was always controllable, listened to his handler and was never mean.

His biggest challenge is that his doesn’t like having his ears touched, which includes the process of haltering and bridling. So Fabio will need continued, consistent work to fully realize his potential. With the help of a trainer or mentor, he could be safe for someone intermediate level or better.

Fabio is a character and West Virginia Horse Network hopes that he’ll find someone who appreciates his outgoing and loving personality. He was castrated fairly late in life and can get “distracted” by mares, so while he certainly can be and has been in a mixed herd, he may be at his best in a “gelding only” scenario. He can sometimes be exuberant in turnout, so he will need to be among horses who are up for his antics.

Contact West Virginia Horse Network today about ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week, Fabio!