Thursday Morning Feed from Fleeceworks: QH Trapped in a TB Body

This OTTB has serious cowhorse instincts.

Check out this video of a free-thinking cow horse — who also happens to be an OTTB — taking his job into his own hands!

Dale Simanton, the head trainer at Gate to Great, an OTTB retraining facility in South Dakota, has had Jaded Lover in training since the beginning of the year. JL raced his last race on Sept. 23, 2014, but what has stood out most to Dale about the 7-year-old gelding has nothing to do with speed. Rather, he noticed that the horse had a natural instinct for herding cattle. In fact, he’s described as even having an obsession with them!

From the Gate to Great Facebook page:

“All winter, Dale has noticed that JL wasn’t just interested in cattle, he was obsessed with them. Not in the least afraid, he seemed to find them the most fascinating creatures in existence. And so we simply could not help ourselves this morning … we turned him loose with them … and what a show he put on! A true natural cow horse if there ever was one! (And have you ever seen a horse having so much fun?)

It’s definitely a spectacle you won’t want to miss. Check it out:

The fact that he was still on the track just months ago makes his independent thinking all the more impressive. It just goes to say what kind of intelligence this horse possesses! We’ll be keeping an eye out for him at the 2015 Thoroughbred Makeover, where OTTBs with nine months of training or less will compete in up to 10 disciplines for a projected $100,000 in cash and prizes. This year’s event takes place Oct. 23-25 at the Kentucky Horse Park.

You can check out more about Gate to Great/Horse Creek Thoroughbreds on their website or Facebook page. It’s always so great to see people working with these ex-racehorses to find out what they want to do in their next careers. Clearly, Jaded Lover already knows exactly what he wants to do!

Whether you’re cutting cattle, out for a drive, or working on your reining patterns, Fleeceworks has just the pad for you. Their Sheepskin Western Pad with Eco-Felt keeps your horse’s back cool while offering comfort and support for a hard day’s work. The pad is made from 100% Merino wool and is designed so your Navajo blanket can be used over it to achieve your custom look.

Check out Fleeceworks’ Western offerings and much more by clicking the banner below!