Beau is a 1998 model palomino appendix gelding.  Upon retiring from his former career as a jumper, Beau transitioned to a soft retirement as a lesson horse at New Hope in 2016 and is the only OG still working! A multi-talented guy, Beau is fluent in both English and Western and likes to help everyone from the newest beginner on up to highly skilled riders.  He is content to follow a leader around and is known to occasionally take a nap in the middle of a lesson, making him perfect for taller, balanced riders who still rely on help from the ground.  For riders who ‘speak horse’ well, Beau is always game for a barrel race and his competitive nature comes out for those who ask properly. His big, bouncy trot is a gift to riders who are learning to post, or rise and fall with the movement of the horse’s legs. Beau’s best friend at New Hope is Tommy, except at meal time when Beau prefers to leisurely eat his meal without interruption. Because of wear and tear on his teeth, Beau is a special needs member of our herd.  He gets extra alfalfa watered down and spread throughout the day to make up for the fact that eating hay is HARD when you’re toothless.  Horses are designed to eat almost constantly and need to always have food moving through their systems, so feeding Beau 4 times a day instead of the usual 2 helps address his body’s needs to function optimally.  Beau also suffers from TMJ, just like people! Due to his challenges with eating, Beau’s figure is constantly monitored to make sure that he is getting enough to eat!