Extra extra, read all about it — Artie Shaw is available for adoption as a riding horse! There was a time, not all that long ago, when we wrote riding out of Artie’s future. His first experiences with the saddle were so dramatic that we felt the time and effort it would take to get him comfortable, not to mention the risk involved for those humans on the ground, seemed to outweigh the potential gain of making him a riding horse. But then a situation arose that alleviated us of having to make a choice, for Artie found a home as a companion horse.
Artie’s return to SAFE a year later was unexpected, but not unwelcome. It gave us another chance to check in with him, and what we found was that Artie was ready for a second try.
So now, going on 4 years after his arrival as a wild stallion, Artie is ready to go to his forever home as a riding horse.
Now for the details: Artie was only started at the tail end of 2022, so he is still considered green, and will need an adopter who is comfortable with putting more miles on a horse and helping support him through new experiences. Artie is also more woah than go at this point, so would do best with a rider who can keep him lively and moving to prevent him from dulling out. However, Artie has so far felt very safe to his riders – he is not spooky, and handles new environments like a champ. He’s spent some time riding in the outdoor arena recently, and even amidst geese honking and the energy of other horses working nearby, Artie kept his cool. Really, not much seems to bother him these days.
The same is true on the ground. Artie is a complete and total puppy dog to handle (his nickname amongst staff and volunteers is, in fact, ‘puppy,’ because of his gentle disposition) and has really transformed into a model horse citizen. He is safe for nearly anyone to halter, lead, groom, and blanket, and he is a horse who I feel confident introducing non-horse people to because of his gentle energy and kind disposition. He does very well in a herd, and tends to get along with all types due to his tendency to stay out of trouble. He is currently good buddies with Otto, and the two play for hours each day. But despite his friendships, he is not herd bound.
Artie is a truly special horse, and we’re so excited to start showing him off to adopters.
