Dr. K'eogh is a 13 year old, 16.1+, bay gelding that was given to us by his owner. He was not a graduate of ATR but he is an OTTB, having raced 32 times both on the flat and over fences as a steeplechase horse! He is by Kitten's Joy and out of a Gone West mare and had the breeding and looks to sell for $100,000 as a yearling.

K'eogh loves to jump and while he did jumping and cross country schooling for years, his last owner focused primarily on dressage for the last 5 years. They were taking regular lessons and showing at 1st level and doing 2nd level movements at home and in lessons. Though she made it clear he loves to jump!

We've been riding K'eogh for a couple weeks now and can confirm he has lovely training in dressage and does indeed love to jump! At times he can be a little bit of a push ride on the flat, though his transitions and movements are lovely. Turn him toward a fence though and his ears go up and he is one happy camper. For dressage, we would consider him very safe for most riders that aren't complete beginners and think he could boost someone's confidence in the dressage ring. We also think he would be an incredibly fun partner for one lucky adult amateur looking for their next eventing partner. He's ready to go in either direction.

The reason K'eogh came to us is that many years ago at a boarding facility he developed the habit of bolting through the gate into his field when being turned out. His owner has kept him at home since, and says she saw improvement when a natural horsemanship trainer worked with him, but admitted she couldn't maintain the type of handling he needed to eliminate the behavior. It was a hard decision to give him up, and she loves him dearly, but she didn't feel she could keep him safely.

Upon arrival, our director did daily training sessions with him for the first two weeks. With intentional groundwork and handling she was able to identify potential triggers and work him through it. Now, when turned out to his paddock, he not only *does not* bolt, but actually turns and follows his handler to the gate most days. He has been good for turnout both with our director and manager both and we believe that if he is kept at home (not at a boarding facility with rotating staff/handlers that don't take their time to do things properly), with someone who is intentional with how they handle their horses, who is a student of natural horsemanship, he should do very well.

If you're the right person to continue enforcing the lessons K'eogh is learning at After the Races, we are told he self-loads, ships, and shows with no issues. We can also attest to him having zero issues being caught, led into the barn, cross-tied, tacked up, taken to the ring (alone or with friends). His only issue was at the moment of turnout. We have not used a chain on him and he doesn't need one. He needs a person who is intentional about how they handle their horses, who sees every interaction with a horse as a training opportunity. I guarantee that if you're that person, the bond you will build with K'eogh will be so rewarding as he loves people and is actually very eager to please.

K'eogh's only vice is that he is a mild cribber. We do not put a collar on him for turnout currently, but he will eventually crib in a stall if left in for a while. A dare collar (which will go with him) does eliminate the behavior fully.