Charming and personable gelding

After much consideration, we have decided to let our friend Mistral find a new person. He is looking for someone who wants to go out in the forest and have fun, without competition ambitions or high performance demands. Preferably someone who is also interested in groundwork, as he can sometimes test boundaries by pinning his ears back and looking angry. Therefore, it requires someone with some experience who dares to be clear and confident in their leadership. He is good at long-reining, while lunging is a bit more challenging. Mistral needs a stable, responsive, and experienced person with good patience, who values the relationship and the joy of working together. Mistral is an Appaloosa cross, approximately 15.0hh (154cm) at the withers, born in 2006. Mentally, however, he is significantly younger – more like around 5 years old – and he is a horse with a big personality and wonderful humor who has a lot left to give. He likes to be involved and preferably be the center of attention. We have basically only ridden him out, which he loves. In the arena, he easily loses interest and can become sluggish, even though he is good at dressage. He finds poles a bit uncomfortable. He has not been ridden for a while currently, as he can be difficult to ride out alone. Some days it works well, other days he simply refuses to move forward. It has worked to dismount and lead him a bit, but since we usually ride alone and lack company, this has unfortunately led to us losing motivation. He has never done anything naughty, but rather tests by stopping, backing up, or refusing to move forward. No issues riding out in the company of either a horse friend or someone on the ground. I believe he may have been ridden with a Western riding focus at some point in his life, so someone with that interest would likely be a good fit too! He is unfortunately difficult to load. According to previous owners, sedation was needed for transport. We have trained him for loading on and off, and currently he gets on the trailer with some persuasion, but panics when the back ramp needs to be put on. We don't know how he is to drive. He is good to shoe but goes barefoot due to previous lost shoes, which works excellently. Boots are used for riding. Regularly vaccinated and teeth checked. Currently lives out in a herd but would do just as well in a stall with access to a good pasture and pasture mates. No known injury history. There is much more to tell about this individual. The reason we are seeking a new arrangement is that we can no longer offer the activation and time he needs. We are open to a loan before purchase. The absolute most important thing for us is that he ends up with a person who can give him the attention, security, and continuity he deserves. We kindly request inquiries from individuals without sufficient horse experience, knowledge, and understanding. Mistral is not suitable for beginners or riding school activities.