Horse Illustrated Magazine

Welcome to Horse Illustrated’s weekly installment of the Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week, offered in partnership with the ASPCA’s Right Horse program. This week’s adoptable horse is TJ! Check back weekly for a new featured horse so you can find your Right Horse.

Adoptable Horse: TJ, a 6-year-old, 16.3hh Thoroughbred gelding
Organization: CANTER Michigan, Dexter, Mich.

Get to Know Adoptable Horse TJ

Touchdown Jesus “TJ”is gorgeous 6-year-old hunk that shows promise as a competitive agility partner or a therapy horse. He is looking for his perfect partner to continue his training for a new adventure.

Ground Manners: TJ is sweet, very kind, and aims to please. He can be handled by just about anyone. In fact, he was doing agility lessons with a 9-year-old this past summer. Don’t let his 16.3 hand size fool you, this gelding will move at your pace.

Lifestyle: TJ lives outside 24/7 and does well in the winter so long as he has shelter and a blanket, but he has been stalled in the past. He gets along with mares and geldings, and is currently the horse in charge in his field of three. He’s not dominant in the field at all, just a bit passive aggressive, and generally he seems to subscribe to the “sharing is caring” vibe which makes it easy to introduce horses to him. He ties, crossties, and is working on ground tying. TJ likes to be scratched and brushed—mostly by soft brushes, though. He is good for the farrier but does need some accommodations with his feet. He currently lives in Scoot Boots with pads on the front, barefoot in the back, and is thriving with this setup. To maintain his body condition, he is on GutX which has made a huge difference in his weight gain and overall health and well-being.

Personality: TJ is a wise old soul. This gentle giant is as sweet as can be. He is wary but brave in his agility sessions, and he has a sensitivity that could make him well-suited as a partner in the wellness industry.

Suitability: TJ came to CANTER on August 14, 2022 with a slab fracture that required rehab. Veterinary prognosis remains unfavorable for return to athletic performance due to the extensive damage to the articular cartilage and osseous proliferation present. He will require long-term maintenance of the right middle carpal joint. PLEASE NOTE: Due to the extent of his injuries, he is only offered to a non-riding home.

CANTER has focused the majority of their time with him doing liberty work, and he has been excelling in his agility training. As part of his training, TJ has also been exposed to wheelchairs, walkers, and canes to see how he might do with people who might have physical disabilities, and he shows promise for equine coaching or therapy work. TJ has been competing with the International Agility Club since September 2023. He competes in their Walk Only division and has advanced to First Level in December 2023 where he received a second place with a score of 94/100. When encountering obstacles that he isn’t sure of, he stops and looks, but then will give it a try! His favorite obstacle is the curtain and he seems to like how it feels as he walks through it.

TJ and his buddy Bachelor would make great equine facilitated learning (EFL) or equine facilitated psychotherapy (EFP) horses within the wellness industry. They do very well together as a unit and their trainer could see them tuning in and participating in wellness sessions safely and with a great impact.

TJ’s Stats

Foal Date: April 6, 2018
RRP Eligible: No
Microchipped: Yes

TJ’s Race History

Total Starts: 19
Total Earnings: $50,608
Last Race: June 13, 2022

Adoption Information

Potential adopters must complete an adoption application and be approved by CANTER Michigan prior to viewing and/or adopting a horse. Please review their adoption process and complete an application here. There is no cost or obligation, and approval applies to all horses in the CANTER Michigan program. Please note that completing an application is not a guarantee of approval. CANTER Michigan recommends a PPE. All reasonable offers considered for qualified adopters.

ASPCA Right Horse

ASPCA Right Horse is the online adoption platform of The Right Horse Initiative, a collection of equine industry and welfare professionals and advocates working together to improve the lives of horses in transition. A program of the ASPCA, their goal is to massively increase horse adoption in the United States. To find more adoptable horses and foster horses, visit www.myrighthorse.org. To learn more about The Right Horse, a program of the ASPCA, visit www.aspcarighthorse.org.