My Horse Max - Part 2 Tricks & Horse Play

Max's second youtube video showing more of his tricks and at liberty horse play.

Max was born in 1998 at a PMU farm in Alberta, Canada. He is half percheron horse, and half paint horse, and is 16.3 hands high. I bought him as a 3 year old in 2001 and he was untouched and scared of both humans and other horses because he had been nearly killed by a stallion and mares when he was a weanling. Max is incredibly smart (taught himself to open door handles, gates etc) and has been the most challenging horse I've ever had the pleasure to work with. He is very skeptical about anything new and it takes him a long time to trust anyone. Max has had some dressage training and he was excellent at it, but he hated it and after only a couple of months decided he wouldn't do it any more. I've done everything else using natural horsemanship methods and he loves that. He loves to play!

Max has been mostly semi-retired since he was 4 years old because he hurt himself out in the pasture and tore the ligaments off the bones in both front legs when he slipped on the ice. This resulted in him having a condition called "ringbone" which is basically arthritis in both front legs. He was only given a 50/50 chance to ever be sound even to walk around the field, and my vets recommended that I put him down but Max has a fighting spirit. He has defied the odds and is currently almost 13 years old, in no pain, and is perfectly sound for light work. I started teaching him groundwork because I could not ride him while he was healing from his injuries and he liked it so much that we continue to take it to new levels.

This video and his first video were filmed when he was 8 years old, and I had put approximately 5000 hours into his training. I hope you enjoy them!

Category:

Pets & Animals

[Lagolop]

4 morons watched this vid based on y our ratings as of July 31, 2011.

Great job you did with this horse! Do you still have him?

[charcoalangel]

@Lagolop thanks! Yes I still have him. He's 13 yrs old this year and still going strong. :)

[Wildlikewind99]

wow beautifull and smart horse but that people whos unlike this video have no souls :(

[charcoalangel]

@Wildlikewind99 Thanks! you can't please everyone unfortunately. That's ok. I'm glad you liked it.

[WildHorseCristy]

I like the color of the horse. I especially like your relaxed style and the horse looks like he is happy, and willing. I can tell by his ears and body language. You are obviously a kind person.

[charcoalangel]

@WildHorseCristy Thanks! :)

[sidselke]

I sat looking very carefully - the horse obvisously is enjoying itself, no stress, only harmony. As a former dressage equestrian, I must say, it is impressive and admirable and not least: beautiful and life affirming! This is the kind of relationship all people should have with their horses! Thanks for sharing!

:-)

[razzledazzle41]

wow your horse is really cute and smart its colour is beautiful :)

[Lagolop]

@Lagolop

Good to hear that. Amazing that anyone could "dislike" this vid. I mean what is there to dislike about it. BTW we are also in Alberta.

[aquamarineruby]

He is beautiful!! Great work with him too :)

[charcoalangel]

@RazSilverpaw Thanks! He's actually half paint and half percheron and is almost totally white now at the grand ol' age of 13... he was 8 when I filmed this so quite a bit darker then. He's a grey pinto/paint.

[MyGirlCajun]

wow and i thought i was cool by somewhat sitting on my knees on my horse last nite... with a saddle... lol