BACKGROUND

Zigi is one of four horses removed in April, 2010 from an abusive owner with a checkered history. 

We believe Zigi was foaled in Canada out of Southern Fanny Bay (a Cleveland Bay mare) by Zao Wu Ki.  (Zigi is not Zintallator, a horse with the same breeding.) It has been difficult to research Zigi’s history because he was never registered for some reason, and no one wants to talk about what happened during the first eight to ten years of his life. 

Zigi was passed around a lot and his training and use are a mystery.  We have uncovered a couple of photos of Zigi fox hunting, and have been told by various people that he was also used for dressage, eventing, and jumping.

Zigi is very high spirited and although he can be gentle and sweet, he will do best with an experienced handler. 

THE ROAD TO RECOVERY

When Zigi first arrived at the shelter, he was underweight and in need of dental care. For the past several years, Zigi had been allowed to roam freely among three other stallions and he bore the marks of several fights.  Zigi was also somewhat depressed and wary of his caretakers, but that’s not abnormal when a horse is moved to a completely new environment.

We ran through our standard routine - vet check, dental float, worming, vaccinations.  We had him gelded and evaluated for rideability. 

His wounds healed, he quickly recovered from his gelding, and today - instead of being an underweight, depressed guy with an unknown future - he is bright, alert, and anxious to find a permanent home.

LOOKING AHEAD

Zigi is incredibly talented and willing.  He’s very curious and full of energy.  He’s beautiful, bold, and well put together, and has a beautiful deer-like jump.  His trot is very smooth but still unbalanced. 

He’s very intelligent and attentive, and loves to play.  He gets bored easily and has some funny habits like dunking his hay in his water bucket - he’ll grab a mouthful of hay and carry it to his bucket where he dunks it in the water and then waits for it to soak while he munches on hay bits that fall to the ground. 

He also likes to play with “jolly balls.”  One morning we looked out to see him leaping straight up in the air to catch the ball he had tossed there by picking it up with his teeth. 

He is  a fabulous hunter/jumper or dressage prospect.and has likely been shown before.  He has been on at least one fox hunt. 

Zigi is definitely a horseman’s horse, not a hobby horse, and is best suited to a good rider who is toned and fit, with time to devote to his training.  He is a horse who wants to please but has his limits.  Although he gets bored easily, work is a real tranquilizer, and he will do well in the show ring. 

Zigi will do best when living onsite (as opposed to boarded away from the owner), in a larger stall, with regular access to a pasture turnout and an arena. 

We are excited about the future for Zigi.  He is available for adoption at a fee appropriate to his breeding and capability.  If you are interested, please let us know. 

Click here to read more of Zigi’s back story, but beware - content may be offensive to some.