Rusty is a 16YO Heritage Stockhorse who was a competent athlete in his youth with a junior rider, but now he's a bit out of practice. He still has a cracking jump, has all the fancy dressage buttons, can open gates, jump logs, and be ridden bareback down the trail, but he's a little fat and unfit, and he needs a supportive rider who doesn't have an Olympic five-year plan but also wants to be active and have some fun. He has blossomed in a couple of months of reasonably consistent work and I see no reason he can't go back to EvA80/SJ95/Prelim or Novice dressage with his next owner (he has all the laterals and a nice walk to canter in there....so maybe even Elementary?).

The key to him is variety and a steady hand on the leadrope. Rusty has a few quirks (outlined in full below), but he's sound, cheap to feed, easy to do 97% of things with, and, perhaps most importantly, wants to spend time with you and bond. Please let me know if Rusty could be the right fit for you. He's a little small for me and I have giant eventers to focus on.

Videos at request. Price negotiable to the right home, or I'll swap for a giant Anglo Arab aged 12 or under.

The long version

Registered Heritage Stockhorse CAESAR MARLEY is looking for a new home where variety is the spicy of life. 'Rusty' is, as his name suggests, a bit rusty on everything, but in his youth, he competed up to 80cm eventing, 95cm showjumping, and Prelim dressage with a capable junior rider. Over the past few years, he hasn't done a whole lot due to following owners' time restraints and ability. Thus, he is a bit rusty on a lot of things, but he wants to be out there doing stuff again.

The "good":

- Rusty has a lot of buttons. He can work in a frame and has shown me shoulder-in and travers, half-pass, leg yielding at the canter, walk pirouettes, counter canter, walk to canter etc. Physical fitness is his main limiting factor right now but he improves with every ride. He can be a little hard mouthed but not strong, and I ride him in a snaffle.

- Rusty can still really jump, makes a beautiful shape, and as his confidence grows, he is becoming pretty point and shoot. In the pictures I have included, the tyre jump is 90-95cm and the rail with tyres attached is about the same, plus he is jumping up a reasonable slope. At his first outing with me, he was extremely keen and didn't touch a rail (we only did 50/60cm at it was his first course in years).

- Rusty is easy to lunge and free lunges beautifully in a roundpen. He is getting the hang of playing at liberty and is eager to please. I have hopped on him bareback a couple of times and he has been a superstar.

- Rusty happily walks on the buckle down the road, ponies other horses, and has accompanied breakers for their first rides up the hills without fuss, including navigating some quite tricky terrain. He doesn't massively appreciate you texting and riding, but is otherwise well behaved and will stand there on a loose rein while you waste ten minutes chatting.

- Rusty is good to catch, rug, wash, clip, hardtie, saddle, groom, trim his rock hard stockhorse feet, and pretty cheap to feed as well. Most days he meets me at the gate and his ground manners are improving all the time.

- Rusty is not the most patient horse, but is getting better at opening and closing gates. He is used to dogs, farm machinery, cows, trains, plastic bags, horses flying around paddocks etc.

- Like all good stockhorses, Rusty is going to live forever and isn't showing any signs of slowing down. I think he could get back to jumping similar heights if in consistent work and appropriately cared for, or he could pivot to doing working equitation and the like. He finds dressage pretty boring so I would prefer he go to a home where that is a sometimes activity.

The "bad":

- Rusty has headshakers. It is largely mitigated by a nose net or flyveil that goes over the nose, and has been something he has had for a long time. I find him pretty manageable.

- Rusty will likely require the occasional bodywork/chiro/sports massage session as he will pigroot when feeling uncomfortable. In the last couple of months of more consistent work and bodywork, he has vastly improved on this, but I still give the warning.

- Rusty takes a lot of confidence from his rider. I would not sell him as bombproof but he is getting braver all the time. He can be forgiving of some balance issues, but not a complete beginner.

- Rusty is not fond of my straight load float, however the trick to get him on doesn't take long and he travels well alone or with a friend.

The "ugly":

- Rusty has a large splint on his near fore cannon. It is old and doesn't appear to bother him particularly much, but it is there.

- I have been told Rusty has the itch. He hasn't itched while with me and they did manage to get his tail and mane to grow out while he was living in Wyong valley, which is much more humid and coastal.

- Rusty had some 'riggy' behaviour when he arrived. Of the three riggy horses I own, he is the easiest to manage. I only paddock him with geldings or alone while letting him share the fenceline with mixed horses, and he is perfectly polite and respectful of fences. His new owner just needs to ensure they set firm boundaries and be consistent.

- At some point in Rusty's recent past, he was completely isolated from other horses for several months and thus can get a bit anxious if he doesn't have friends nearby. He is happy spending time with you or sharing a fence with at least one other horse. When I take him somewhere, I hardtie him and he respects that.

Other than the aforementioned pigrooting, Rusty does not kick, bite, bolt, rear, windsuck, weave, or fencewalk. He paws occasionally when unsure at a new place but doesn't dig a hole. Rusty does not appear to have any other health issues than the ones described. He is up to date with feet, worming, tetanus & strangles vaccination, and dental work.

Rusty is not ready to tow leadlines around or just do straight dressage, he craves variety and someone who is going to bond with him. He is a fun little horse who suits a capable handler of any age who doesn't an Olympic five year plan. This ad is as honest as possible in his best interests.

Videos available to genuinely interested parties and I am getting more all the time, main photo taken 15/8/26. Please text/email/Whatsapp (same number). Price subject to go up with work. Will swap for a big Anglo Arab(!).

Insurance

from $47 / month