08/12/2026
Sold to Texas!
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐ค
๐๐๐๐ | ๐๐.๐ | ๐๐๐๐ | ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐
Some horses come through your program and leave an impression. Others become part of its story. Turtle is one of those horses. ๐ข
In 2021, I hand-selected Turtle for my program because I knew exactly what he was the moment I swung a leg over him: an old soul, a ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐, and the kind of horse that makes everyone around him feel a little more confident. His name suits him perfectly. Turtle takes his time, thinks things through, and never seems to see a reason to hurry. He is ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐๐ฒ, ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐๐, and kindโthe kind of horse you can trust to show up the same way, every single time.
Turtle is the epitome of a ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ก ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐ . He is thick-boned, substantial, and built with the kind of substance you want in a horse that has spent a lifetime going to work. He possesses an exceptionally quiet brain and the work ethic to go about his job with poise and purpose. His rรฉsumรฉ speaks for itself: ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐, ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ก ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐, ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐.
He spent time on a ๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐๐ฑ๐ข๐๐จ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ก, where he became accustomed to rugged country, ranch chores, ๐๐จ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐, ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ญ, and even helping ๐ฌ๐๐๐ค ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฌ. In his younger years, he was also a little boyโs horse and trusted compadreโthe kind of horse that quietly earns a place in a familyโs memories.
On the ground, Turtle has impeccable manners. Under saddle, he is ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐, ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐๐ฒ. He has a ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ -๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐, punchy neck rein, good stop and back, picks up his leads, works a gate, and possesses all the practical qualities you want in a true working ranch horse. More importantly, he is forgiving and kind. He has been ridden by kids, safely carried older riders, and is equally comfortable and handy underneath an experienced rider.
He will ride alone or in a group, through water, over bridges, across rough terrain, and through whatever obstacles the trail happens to offer. He does not care if he falls to the back of the pack, but he is perfectly willing to step up and lead when asked. He is never in a hurry, but he will move out when you ask him to.
He is also an exceptional babysitter horse for younger or greener horses. His confidence simply does not waver, and he has the experience to quietly teach another horse that there is nothing to be worried about.
Turtle has always been the horse we reach for when guests come to town. He is the first one pulled out of the paddock because we know he will take care of whoever is sitting on his back. He rides in traffic and has remained quiet and sensible even when a train came blaring by. Very little seems to bother him. He simply goes about his business and does his job like the seasoned horse he is.
And that is perhaps Turtleโs greatest quality: ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ฅ๐. Ride him once a week or once a month, and he comes out the same horse. He has no buck, rear, bite, kick, bolt, buddy-sour, or gate-sour tendencies. He loads, stands quietly in the cross ties, is easy to catch, and genuinely enjoys the simple thingsโcookies, shoulder scratches, and a good grooming session. He is even learning to smile for treats.
Turtle has recently returned to our program after five years with the same owner, and his story is the reason this particular sale means so much to me.
He originally sold from my program in 2021, finding a wonderful home with a repeat client within just 12 hours of being listed. For the years that followed, he was exactly what we had always known him to be: a reliable recreational trail, pleasure, and check-fence ranch horse for an older gentleman. He was loved, trusted, and simply continued being the same good old Turtle everyone knew.
Sadly, his owner is now facing terminal cancer. When we were notified of his circumstances, we immediately asked that Turtle be allowed to return to our program so we could find him another forever home. He has been back with us for approximately 45โ60 days, and we have been taking care of everything necessary to get this old gentleman feeling his best again. His feet, Coggins, chiropractic care, teeth, and routine maintenance are all current.
At ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฅ๐, Turtle is entering his senior years, and I want to be exceptionally transparent about what that means for his next home. His recent dental examination revealed an aging mouth with very limited back teeth. Because of this, he is no longer able to properly masticate a round bale of coastal hay and will require an alfalfa-based diet along with soaked senior feed.
When he returned to us, he had not been ridden in well over a yearโpossibly closer to twoโdue to his ownerโs declining health. Understandably, he had some freshness to work through when we first started bringing him back into a program and did a little frogging around on the lunge line. But the moment we stepped into the stirrup, Turtle was honest. He has continued to be honest, willing, and dependable as we have gradually brought him back into shape.
Because he is currently in full-time work with us and rebuilding his fitness, he has also been maintained on daily Equioxx. For someone purchasing him for occasional light riding, this may not be necessary, but it is currently part of his program while he is being conditioned. He is pigeon-toed conformationally as well, which does not hinder his work or performance.
At 18, Turtle is no antique. He still has plenty of good years ahead of him with someone who understands the needs of a senior horse and is willing to give him the care he deserves. Aside from his dietary requirements due to his aging teeth, he has no other known health or soundness issues.
I am not looking for someone who simply wants a cheap trail horse. I am looking for someone who understands the value of a seasoned, well-broke, gelding that has had over a ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ก ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ.
He deserves a home where he can spend the rest of his life being exactly what he has always beenโa ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ง๐๐ซ, ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ก ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง.
For that reason, I have a strong preference for a lifelong equestrian who understands senior horses and is prepared to give Turtle the quality of life he deserves. I could especially see him being a wonderful fit for an older gentleman or lady looking for a trustworthy, seasoned partner to enjoy trails, ranch life, and the simple pleasures of owning a good horse.
I will require the next owner to keep me updated on Turtle throughout his life. And should the day ever come when he needs to retire, Turtle will always have a home here.
I never want to see a horse passed from home to home or end up at a sale simply because he has grown older. He has earned better than that. He has taken care of countless riders through my program, carried an older gentleman faithfully for years, and proven time and time again that he is the kind of horse people hope to find but rarely do.
There is something special about a horse who has spent a lifetime being the dependable oneโthe horse everyone reaches for, the horse you trust with your guests, your kids, your greener horses, and your family. Horses with this kind of rรฉsumรฉ, temperament, experience, and heart are ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ฐ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐จ๐ฅ๐.
For those who would like to truly get to know Turtle before making the trip, I have a collection of videos from 2021, when he was originally in my program, as well as current videos from his return to us available to view on my website. Being able to watch him then and now gives prospective buyers a unique opportunity to see the consistency in this horseโhis way of going, his temperament, and the same dependable Turtle that we have always known and loved.
Turtle is AQHA registered, although he is selling grade because his registration papers were lost during a divorce. His exact birthdate and breeding are known; I simply do not have the original papers in hand.
He is currently located in Terrell, Texas. We would love to see him remain local, if possible, but nationwide shipping can be arranged for the right home.
Turtle is not looking for just another owner. He is looking for his ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง.
๐๐จ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ, ๐๐๐ฑ๐๐ฌ | ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฐ๐ข๐๐
https://www.lbequine.net/tux
