didgery
Oct. 19, 2008, 03:26 PM
Horseless no more!
After a couple of false starts with green/problem/bargain basement horses that I simply couldn't reform, and a period of financial overextension which strained my family and my marriage, I resigned myself to being horseless until my children are older and I am able to return to work full time.
Fast forward a couple of years, to this week - my mom just couldn't stand to see me horseless any longer, as she likes my company on trail rides (and she likes to see me happy). She is buying (and boarding) a gelding, through a local trainer, whom I have known and loved for many months and whom I've been riding for a little while. He'll be on loan to me, though she'll foot the bills.
He's FABULOUS - everything I want in a horse, and then some. He thrives on a couple of rides a week (all my children give me time for) and has an absolutely lovely temperament. He's gorgeous, funny, healthy, sound and classy. He has enough talent, athleticism and experience to be very capable at the level at which I want to compete in the coming years, but is sane enough to demand no more than I can offer right now in terms of time, energy, money, training and so forth. The horse will stay on at his current barn, which is just down the road and very familiar to me (I worked there last winter). I love the place, the trainers, the owner, the boarders . . . . and man, I LOVE this horse.
I feel like a spoiled kid, getting mommy to buy me a horse, but after much deliberation I have decided that my mom really, really wants to do this thing for the right reasons (some of which benefit her as well as me). I am going to resign myself to delighted gratitude and go enjoy this horse.
Money's changing hands on Thursday, but at this point we've come to a verbal agreement, vetting was fantastic, our offer was accepted and it's all green lights. Pictures to follow once everything is signed and sealed!
After a couple of false starts with green/problem/bargain basement horses that I simply couldn't reform, and a period of financial overextension which strained my family and my marriage, I resigned myself to being horseless until my children are older and I am able to return to work full time.
Fast forward a couple of years, to this week - my mom just couldn't stand to see me horseless any longer, as she likes my company on trail rides (and she likes to see me happy). She is buying (and boarding) a gelding, through a local trainer, whom I have known and loved for many months and whom I've been riding for a little while. He'll be on loan to me, though she'll foot the bills.
He's FABULOUS - everything I want in a horse, and then some. He thrives on a couple of rides a week (all my children give me time for) and has an absolutely lovely temperament. He's gorgeous, funny, healthy, sound and classy. He has enough talent, athleticism and experience to be very capable at the level at which I want to compete in the coming years, but is sane enough to demand no more than I can offer right now in terms of time, energy, money, training and so forth. The horse will stay on at his current barn, which is just down the road and very familiar to me (I worked there last winter). I love the place, the trainers, the owner, the boarders . . . . and man, I LOVE this horse.
I feel like a spoiled kid, getting mommy to buy me a horse, but after much deliberation I have decided that my mom really, really wants to do this thing for the right reasons (some of which benefit her as well as me). I am going to resign myself to delighted gratitude and go enjoy this horse.
Money's changing hands on Thursday, but at this point we've come to a verbal agreement, vetting was fantastic, our offer was accepted and it's all green lights. Pictures to follow once everything is signed and sealed!