SkyLine Mars Bar - Elmo

2000 Registered Paint Gelding 15.3 H

I took a trip to Belleville one snowy day in February to look at a 3 year old gelding and bought a 2 month old paint colt instead. My new purchase arrived at SkyLine Farm about 2 months later and in a word - he was not impressed.

He sulked, he complained, he ran from all enticements and hid out quite alone in the big old hay barn shelter. Human companionship was not for him and neither was he curious or enthused about participating in educational opportunities such as standing while tied or simple training exercises.

But he did seem to be very happy when lounging alone - belly deep in straw in a big box stall. "Where is he anyhow", we’d would ask.   In a moment we’d hear a rustle and see just the tips of his ears and little pointy nose peeking out above the stall door; obviously somewhat annoyed by the disturbance. It was a drop dead cute picture every time and that is how he got his name - Elmo. Over the years we have won Elmo over, to a point.

His eye-catching performance has earned him division championships in dressage and hunter schooling shows with limited outings but his marvellous spirit is continually pushing you to ride the line between brilliance and disaster - if you can find it. We are still working on the student - teacher relationship he and I, and he’s probably right about his contention regarding who really is the teacher when we work together. 

Be good to Elmo and he will teach you that you are not likely to master humility and patience in one lifetime but that luckily he is here to help you along that path. Nonetheless, it’s Elmo’s poetic connection to life on this earth that endears him to us all and despite his mercurial nature he’s a favourite mount of and considered to be very special by many of our students.

Best horse friend - Skippy

Favorite horse treat - anything that comes from a pocket

Best trick - "touch it with your nose".  Backfired only once when he found a porcupine in his pasture.

One more fact -  only horse I have ever known who had to have a face full of quills removed by the vet.

Birthplace - Belleville, Ontario

.