Coriander: AQHA spokeshorse?

Coriander constantly impresses me with how cool he can be in new situations...

The stable next door moved their regular Friday night rides indoors last week due to the cold and impending darkness. Something I was actually hoping for since the show next Sunday will probably be held in the indoor. We've wandered through the indoor once before but we've never actually worked in there, and there weren't other horses running around, so I wanted him to get some experience before we were getting judged on it. So there we were, in the indoor with the stereo pounding and four mares for company, one of which was in heat while two more were just being grouchy, spooky and rushy.

How was my boy? Excellent. He was a bit of a tourist: he had to get a look at everything, he didn't like when the mares cantered past him, and he was a little troubled by the sound of sand spraying against the metal walls. But even when he wasn't comfortable about something all he did was stop his feet. He didn't fuss, spook or otherwise throw any kind of fit. When chat time started up, he was perfectly happy to stand around with the girls. I dropped the reins, he cocked a leg, and we just chilled. I couldn't have asked for anything better from him.

Everybody seemed pretty taken with him. Not surprising, since everyone who meets him is impressed by him: his handsome face, his calm demeanor, his overall presence seems to draw people to him. I always seem to get asked, "he's a quarter horse?"

I did a google search about quarter horse traits and found this:
"Quarter Horses are quick over short distances, sure footed and agile. They make comfortable mounts for trail riding and are dependable for all day farm work. The compact muscular silhouette of the foundation type Quarter Horse is unmistakable. With its calm, gentle and steady demeanor they are the ideal family horse or horse for the beginner rider. They tend to be ‘easy keepers’ living well off of good pasture or hay."

Yup, that seems to fit my boy. Though I'd only put a beginner on him under close supervision, I can see him being very frustrated with a beginner and just refusing to move. He's never bucked without a reason and only in three situations: when a horse inside the ring started cantering and I told him he had to keep walking (2 months under saddle), when a horse outside the ring started throwing a fit (the day after the previous bucking fit), and just recently when he started bucking at the canter (My stirrups were uneven since my broken ankle was too stiff to bend, when he started bucking I noticed that my ankle had regained a lot of flexibility- thus making me unbalanced. I evened out my stirrups and he hasn't bucked since.). He spooks at stuff, but never bolts and doesn't spook with company. But even with the spooking I feel perfectly safe riding him out on trails alone. In general, he's pretty great.

Hey AQHA, do you need a spokeshorse? I've got a good one for ya.