Meet Otis

We use our horses a lot in the spring and fall, so I thought it would be nice to introduce them to you. I'll try to get through all of them over the next couple days, one at a time.
Some things we require in our horses is that they are all-day horses. I've never switched horses halfway through a big day, and I've never ran out of horse. We also want them to be smart, fast and strong. A horse doesn't do you any good if,
A) He can't catch the cow
B) He isn't strong enough to stop her or drag her around after you've roped her
C) He's too dumb to catch, or otherwise outsmart the cow, or to maneuver the landscape
My dad provided all of us with good horses so we didn't have any of these issues.

First is Otis. Kyle rides Otis, and is also responsible for his name. Otis is a gelding and is about 8 years old. He is out of the same stud as my horse, and a mare my grandpa rode. You can see her photo in this post.
You can't tell from either photo, but he is a uniquely colored horse. Most call him a bay, but he is almost a blood bay, and a gorgeous color in the summer (my brother would be disgusted that I am talking about his "gorgeous" color). But while I'm on his looks, Otis also has a pretty head, big hip, wide chest, nice straight legs and is an all-around classy looking horse.
Otis is incredibly fast and agile, but "turns like the titanic" as Kyle puts it. He is a smooth horse to ride and has that walk/trot gait that not every horse can master. He is a little bit nervous and gets that from his mother. He and Kyle have to stop and thoroughly check out every new thing in life, then they're fine. He's also smart, and picks up new things fast.
He daydreams a little as he is trailing along behind cows, and so does Kyle, but they come alive if need arises.
They are quite a pair.
There hasn't been a cow that could outrun them yet, and I've personally witnessed he and Kyle run right over the top of a bull. I've also watched Kyle stick his rope under Otis's tail, then almost get bucked off after he pulled it out too quick.
Overall Otis is smart, quick, kind and very athletic. He is polite and the kind of horse just about any experienced rider would get along with great.