Derringer

A CLASSY DERRINGER — SMALL PACKAGE, BIG TALENT, ZERO NONSENSE… Derringer is the little horse that rides like he’s auditioning for the head trainer position, not the warm-up pen. He’s 8 years of experience standing At 13.2 hands, he’s the perfect height for those of us who are done rock-climbing into the saddle, but still expect a horse that is correct, broke, seasoned, and truly useful. He is not a “make-do” size — he is the full-performance model, conveniently closer to the ground. I rarely, if ever, use the word bombproof — but after everything I’ve thrown at him, everything he has seen, everything he has stepped over, under, and through, I can confidently say he is as close to bombproof and unflappable as you’ll ever meet. He is, without hesitation, the most calm, steady-brained, and unrattled horse I’ve ever handled. He is suitable for both adults and kids, and if you want your child to have the best shot at becoming a real, confident, capable rider, this is the horse that will actually teach, not terrify. Good horses make good riders — Derringer builds them. He has the looks that stop conversations: deep bay, a wide bald face, two eyeliner-perfect blue eyes, and high white socks that say “yes, take another picture, I know.” He’s show-quality, video-approved, and impossible to duplicate. He isn’t just pretty — he is distinct, memorable, and rare. Derringer rides like a little reiner with a day-job — soft in the face, travels collected, moves off leg with ease, has a true stop and a clean turnaround, and lopes beautiful, pretty, correct circles in the arena like he’s been practicing for judges who won’t blink. He has been used for real ranch work — gathering, sorting, doctoring, and branding — and he has also been started heeling. He’s naturally cowy, positions himself right, and has a good, honest stop ready for someone to continue him in the roping if desired. Outside the arena, he handles everything from rocks, hills, mud and brush to water, bridges, flags, tarps, pool noodles, and wildlife — yes, even the kind that jumps out and makes seasoned horses invent new dance moves. Derringer just blinks, sighs, and keeps traveling like someone promised him hay at the end of the trail. And because you asked — yes, you can crawl on him, stand on him, hang off him, drag from him, climb around him, and he genuinely could not care less. He’s more patient than a ranch wife waiting in the truck while someone says “one more” at the branding pen. He is just as polite to live with as he is to ride: ties, clips, loads, bathes, stands for the farrier, hauls quiet, settles in new places, stalls or pastures with no drama, and stays easy on feed. Vet and farrier care is up-to-date. They don’t build them like this often. Derringer is the definition of what everyone looks for, yet almost no one gets the chance to own. He is truly unique, genuinely beautiful, and unquestionably one-of-a-kind. You can look at fifty horses or five hundred — you won’t match him.Come see him for yourself and you will fall in love just like we all have with this special boy. He is one that is hard for us to let go of.
Location: Paicines, California
Owner: Dina -Longhorn Ranch
Phone: 831-537-1915
Shipping: Nationwide, professional haulers available
Vet & Farrier: Current, correct, and consistently maintained