Looking

This morning I looked at a couple mares, a Paint and a Quarter Horse. Watched them move a bit; didn't bother to ride them. I knew they were not likely to be what I'm looking for going in, but hey, it never hurts to look!

This afternoon I drove in the other direction to look at a green, mostly Thoroughbred gelding. Given the weather the owner didn't want to haul him anywhere and only had a grassy/wet round pen in which he could walk and trot. He has a sweet personality, but several things about him give me pause.

My husband has warned me not to get something "just because it's a horse." Ha. Not likely. Horses are a considerable investment of money (even "free" ones), time and emotions; I want a partner I can enjoy and grow with for years. I may have to wait awhile, as hard as that is.

Waiting

As soon as I hit "Publish Post" I'm headed out for a brisk walk in the cold fog and then I'll ride Breezy. I have to admit that seeing how big I looked on her in the New Year's Day photo uninspired me, but the desire to preserve riding-muscle memory overrides my lack of inspiration.

Today, I think my friend Laura found a dancing partner after a string of unsuitable horses. I am thrilled for her . . . and trying (not very successfully) to fight feeling sorry for myself. Patience is a virtue that I apparently need, because it is only developed by practicing it! I have spent some time perusing sales sites and exchanging emails on various horses, but am not at liberty to act on any interest I may have (for reasons I am not free to disclose). It's probably just as well. I have a very limited budget and cold feet about spending it. Things are tight enough right now that my "horse money" may need to be available as an emergency fund for something else.

BTW, I've added a link at right to an article I ran across that expresses many of my own thoughts on "Natural Horsemanship." Let's hear it for GOOD horsemanship!

Beware the idle trainer...

...for she WILL find something to train!

With rain predicted for later in the morning, after chores I decided to make Oliver my victim subject of the day. Oliver is a 11-year-old reining-bred Quarter horse given to us by his owner after she decided he was never going to be an athlete. Rick has been his vet since birth, when Oliver got sepsis followed by several other problems; he was nicknamed Oliver from a bad bout of projectile diarrhea that got poop "all over." He's line-bred to Smart Little Lena on top and bottom, and (perhaps because of that) does not have the best mind. Rick thought he might make a good horse for Brian someday, but has realized since that he will never be a kid's horse. (After watching the movie Temple Grandin, it occurred to both of us that he might be autistic!) Still, with Rick's cutting horse getting old and decrepit, we keep Ollie around for Rick's trail horse. That means he rarely gets ridden. Enter the idle trainer - that would be me!

This morning I saddled him up and took him out to lunge some steam off. He had plenty of energy but didn't buck at all, a good sign. But it quickly became apparent that he was lame in the back end. We ended his exercise by leading him around at a walk with Brian on his back.

I turned my attention back to Breezy. Decided to lunge her to help build condition and muscle without my weight, so put on a snug halter and lunge line and took her to the arena. When I clucked to move her out, she kicked out at me and then bolted, head and shoulder thrown into the lunge line so that she had full advantage, ripping the line from my hand (and re-straining my tennis elbow, the little snot). Needless to say, that got her saucy little pony butt worked harder than was my original plan! First I chased her around until stopping and coming to me sounded like a dandy idea to her, then I bridled her and ran the lunge line through one bit ring, over her poll and clipped it to the off-side bit ring (what I did with Ollie, and should have done to start with on Breezy). When I clucked to put her on the circle she tried the bolting trick again, but hit the bit and decided very quickly that she could be a lady. Ponies!!!

Today I was offered the free lease of a five-year-old barely started Warmblood-cross mare if I wanted a project to work on. I've heard through the grapevine that the mare can be a bad actor, so I'm cautious. Can't quit (or take medical leave from) my day job of being Brian's homeschooling mother!

My New Year's tradition

The one thing I try to do every year on New Year's Day - some way, somehow - is get on the back of a horse. With Russell gone, I took Brian's pony Breezy for a spin around the arena this morning, since she is the only one remaining who's been ridden English. I don't know that she was thrilled, but she was pretty good considering my size and the fact that Brian asks little-to-nothing of her in the way of correctness. Since Russell was the only one getting any regular attention, the three remaining equines are in much need of conditioning. Might as well address that as much as possible while I'm waiting to see if there is another dressage partner in my future!

"I could have missed the pain...

...but I'd of had to miss the dance."

Our last dance - Tuesday morning before the rain set in.

The view out my east windows throughout Wednesday.

It was better after the sun set; out of sight, out of mind (or at least a little less ON my mind). Then, last night around choretime, I had something of an epiphany. I have been mourning not only the upcoming loss of my dancing partner, but also the end of the dance. I have really, deep down, been crying over the possibility that I may never have another dressage horse. No other riding I have done has developed the same kind of relationship with a horse, the subtle and nuanced level of communication and understanding. And when you get one with the right mind combined with physical ability, the results are almost magical.

Russell and I have had that kind of relationship for over eight years now. On top of that, he has been the horse to whom I could trust both my safety as a new mother and that of my son, just a toddling tot when Russell first joined us. There's a whole lot of special memories wrapped up in this horse; once-in-a-lifetime memories. (My dad said once, after watching Brian scale up the side of Russell like a mountain climber, "There's not a horse in 20,000 like that.")

God willing, I will be blessed with another dancing partner someday. Russell's dressage days are over, but he can continue to be a trusted babysitter and special memory-maker with his new family, just by being who he is - Special Majesty.