*headdesk*

Well, we might be getting a pony and donkey from my mom's friend who doesn't want hers anymore because her son lost interest.

I do not want them. And frankly, we can't really afford them right now. That's two more vet bills, two more farrier bills, two more mouths to feed. And our pasture isn't big enough for two more critters. I told my mom that if the friend doesn't want them, she can just sell them. We need more horses like we need a hole in the head. We don't even have anywhere to put them! There's no more room in the barn. And we only have one pasture. We'd have to fence off part of the back yard, but that isn't an option right this minute because the ground is frozen. And they would have no shelter. We would have to buy a run-in shed, and those things aren't cheap. I just don't see how it would work.

I know my mom has always wanted a donkey, but now is just not the right time.

Please, just say no.

Things are not good at the old barn.

I am so glad to be done with that place. I cannot even express how much I do not miss it. And I know it's none of my concern now, but I'm really worried for Christy and Lorena. Management has gone to Hell (what else is new?) even worse than before and apparently, the BO suddenly thinks that Lorena owes her a ton of money for board. Lorena has always worked to pay off board, and payed for all her feed and supplies herself (like I did). That was always the agreement, but now the BO has it in her head that Lorena owes a year's worth of full-price board. Why? That's anyone's guess. Christy told me the two of them got into a huge fight over it and they're not speaking to each other. Poor Christy is stuck in the middle of it. God knows I love Lorena and have all the respect in the world for her, but she does tend to go off on tangents and overstep her bounds. When she gets angry, she doesn't always think straight. Therefor, she says things she shouldn't and doesn't know when to shut up. I don't know how much more the BO will tolerate.

The thing is, Lorena is the most experienced and knowledgable person there. She organizes all the events and shows, she helps everyone out, she gives lessons and trains a little. That barn would fall apart without her. I don't think the BO appreciates it at all, and I can understand why Lorena gets so fed up. I've been there, too.

I've known the BO for almost 6 years. I know how impossible she is. And I honestly think she's suffering from some mental illness. If she had any sense at all, she would have hired Christy or Lorena as the official manager a long time ago so she wouldn't have to manage things herself. She just can't do it herself. It's even more of a shame because there is such a wonderful group of people there. Ever since Cynthia and Mitch left, they've gotten new boarders and for the most part, they're all very nice.

There is one guy who sounds shady, though. Lorena tells me he "trains" his horse with a tree branch. I'm not sure what all that means, but it doesn't sound good. Of course, the BO doesn't mind at all. If she's even aware of it.

Sigh. It's a Hell of a place to board, let me tell you. I feel so bad for them. I wish Christy and Lorena would look for another barn.

I need to ride.

Seriously. I haven't ridden since July. How sad is that?

But lately, riding has become more of a chore than fun. I don't know why. I think I just need to get off my arse and go saddle Vic up.

The perfect hypothetical foal...

It's one of my many goals in life to breed one -and only one- foal. I've been thinking about it for quite some time. Someday, when I have the time, experience, and financial means, I want to breed, raise, and train one foal that I would keep forever. I want to be there when it's born and be able to spend time with it every day, and train it to lead, tie, load, bathe, pony, lift its feet, and expose it to as many experiences as I can before the time comes to ride it.

I don't have any particular breed in mind. It depends on what I plan on doing with the foal. It's going to be a long way down the road, and I might not still be interested in showing by that time. I can see myself just trail riding or maybe going out west and doing those 3-day trail rides in the mountains. That would be sweet.

I know I'll either want an English-type or a gaited horse. Or an English horse that's well broke for trails. Either way, I like my horses tall and husky. I've always thought that a Morgan/ Andalusian cross would be gorgeous.

I would breed this mare (JMF Wild Side from Rafter Bar D Morgans):


To this stallion (Fandango Del Sol from Rothrock Andalusians):


Yep. That would be my dream foal. Someday... hehe.

BTW, if you're ever interested in Andalusians, check out Rothrock. I've met Cara and have seen their stallions in person many times. They are hands-down the best in the business. ;)

Feeling a bit down.

My dad is growing tired of the horses because of the financial strain, which I completely understand. However, it scared the bejeebers out of me the other day when he told me he wants to get rid of Norman. He is not a horse person, and he seems to think that horses are like motorcycles; just sell them or trade them in when you don't want to deal with them anymore.

I feel extremely guilty not being able to take more of the financial load off of my parents, but as of yet, I haven't had any luck finding work. I really do understand where my dad is coming from, but the thought of parting with Norman scares me to death. I hear too many horror stories of horses ending up in bad situations once they're sold. It's even more unsettling because Norman isn't exactly the epitome of a dream horse. He's green broke and needs a serious tune-up. Not many people want a 17 hand project pony. If he had a show record and was really well trained, it would be a different story. I wouldn't worry so much if that was the case. But it's not. Finding out that one of my horses ended up with a negligent or abusive owner would be my worst nightmare.

Also, he's been tossed around between homes quite a bit. We bought him at 18 months old, and he'd already had 2 owners before that. I would hate to do that to him again. My dad doesn't think it makes any difference to him, but I beg to differ.

I'm scouring the internet and every bulletin board in town for a working student position with a good trainer. I'm hoping against hope to get an apprenticeship under a dressage trainer where I could bring one of the horses with me. That would at least make it a little easier on my parents. If I found something like that, I would bring Norman and leave Victor with my mother, at least in the beginning. It would make more sense to bring Norman because he needs the training and experience, and because Victor would be easier for my mother to take care of.

It's kind of aggravating though, because my parents want me to find a job and go to college (and I agree with them there), but at the same time, they're smothering me and doing whatever they can to keep me at home. I think they're afraid I'm going to take off and never come back. Which is ridiculous. I cannot stay at home forever. I need to do what I have to do to make sure my horses are cared for and find a job.

On a lighter note, my mother has apparently met a trainer that could help me get a therapeutic riding instructor certification. I would have to start out volunteering, but that's fine with me. I'm all for it.

I don't know what I'm going to do with the little bugger.

My mom loves her horse, but she can't handle him worth a crap. He can be a little obnoxious, seeing as he's young and still slightly colt-ish. But it's ridiculous when it comes to my mom treating him like a delicate little kitten. Drives me nuts. Norman is a horse. A fairly gargantuan one. You won't hurt his feelings if you give him a spanking when he deserves it.

We've only ridden together once since we moved, and the horses both did fairly well. Except Norman kept dragging my mother into the tall grass on the side of the trail, and mom doesn't have the heart to be firm and correct him. She's stuck in the "passenger" frame of mind. She also keeps anticipating him doing something naughty, even when he's being good. That fall off of another horse years back didn't do anything for her confidence. I want to go out and work with Musclehead sometime today, but it's been too beastly hot the last couple of weeks.

My goal is to be able to load the horses up and go on trail rides with our friends from the barn and not have any hassle. Victor's pretty good about it. He's a very good traveler. And Norman's getting better and better about loading. I'm just worried about him behaving once we're on the trail. I really need to put some miles on him. But it would work a lot better to have another horse ride with us and keep him calm, and my mom can't ride Victor unless she gets over this ridiculous nervousness.

We've been talking about possibly getting a third horse sometime down the road. If we do, it'll be a 12-15 year old Walker or Foxtrotter. But that won't be for a while, if it happens. I would rather spend the time and money getting Norman more trained before we bring another horse into the picture. And who knows? Once Norman is better behaved, we might not even want another one.

I've been asked why we don't just sell Norman and get another horse. Well, because 1] with the market the way it is, we would take a hit money-wise, especially since we paid way too much for him in the first place 2] because he isn't very marketable the way he is at the moment, and I would be scared to death of him ending up in a bad situation and 3] most importantly, because I made a commitment to this horse and I have no intention of walking away. When I buy an animal, I keep it forever. We've had him since he was 18 months old, and he was my first horse. I can't even picture seeing a different horse in his stall.

He's also a really pretty lawn ornament. ;]

How important is your relationship?

For me, the connection between horse and rider is everything. If I don't click with my horse, it isn't even worth having one because it takes all the enjoyment right out of it. I suppose there are a million people who would dispute that, and they wouldn't necessarily be wrong. I think it boils down to why you have horses in the first place.

To some people, mainly avid competitors, horses are a means to an end. They need horses to compete in the sports they enjoy, and that's as far as it goes. They don't need to "get along with" their horse in order to love equestrian activities. I'm not saying they mistreat their animals- far from it. But they have little to no emotional attachment to them. It's a business relationship, so to speak.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have the people who covet their horses' affection above anything else. To Hell with the glory of being a successful competitor or winning a case full of rosettes if it's done with a horse that you don't connect with. It doesn't matter how athletic or well trained the horse is if your personalities clash, it's just not fun.

And I'm sure there are gray areas in between the two.

I would fall under the second category. I value my horses not because they're expensive investments, but because they're my companions. If my horses aren't happy and we don't enjoy each other's company, what's the point of having them? I don't want a horse that I feel detached from, or one that wants nothing to do with me. Again, what would be the point?

My old BO offered to let me show Harley, her Quarter Horse, but I turned it down. I don't really like that horse and he doesn't care for me, either. Granted, he's much more docile and easier to ride than Victor. But he's not my Victor. It wouldn't have meant anything. And it has nothing to do with familiarity, because I've know Harley a lot longer than I've known Victor.

And it doesn't necessarily have to be your own horse that you click with. Reba and I were two peas in a pod. =)

So tell me, do you value a purely athletic and successful horse, or one that is more of a good friend? Or are you somewhere in between?