More Horse Dreams

Okay, so we have two horses already. One is the pretty boy that you see on the place about me. He is a bay thoroughbred that I adore. My daughters have a chestnut quarter horse. My oldest is totally into showing. ( I thought I would slow her down by telling her that she needed to pay for her open shows. She is now riding horses for other people and making money, and paying for the shows. So much for that plan.) Now my husband wants in on the act. He has been studying horse training (books, videos, clinics everything). He is voracious. Here is the picture of the boy he wants. This boy is 2 years old and halter broke only.



Okay, so I have to admit that he is very pretty. He is a registered quarter horse and can be cross registered paint as well. We have only seen him one other time before I took these pictures. He is owned by an acquaintance and when I mentioned last week we wanted to see him; she said to go on out and have a look. She would try to meet us there. She didn't make it so we went into the field on our own (not usually recommended). However this 2 year old with two pasture mates met us part way and was very polite.

Hubby is feeling his back and checking to see if he will be a good bareback horse. My husband loves riding bareback, but doesn't want a horse like my high withered thoroughbred. I can't imagine why not. Ha Ha.

While checking out the back, he also had him side passing and leading by the fly mask. Now if I didn't know the person selling him very well, I would have thought someone slipped the horse something. He was very compliant, willing and followed us around the field. Is this really a two year old?

And as if to prove to me just how good a boy he is, the horse came up very gently to my youngest daughter. She pet him and moved all around and he just stood; even followed her at a respectful distance.

Okay, alright I am sold. I LOVE the boy too. However can we really afford to board (yes I am one of those poor unfortunate souls that doesn't get to keep her boys close by) yet another horse. Boarding also means that our horses are dry-lotted so we have to feed year round and with hay soaring to over $200 a ton I am not sure we can do it. Yes I am aware that many people have been paying that much for a while now. However in just over three years we have doubled the price. I was only paying $100 a ton delivered three years ago. Now it is $200 if I pick it up.

So those are my thoughts up to earlier tonight. What has changed, you ask? Well, today was the first day of beginners camp. A friend of mine and I hold summer riding camps at her place. We had eleven girls ages 7 to 13 out. It was so much fun to watch them ride and help those that have not ridden very often. It just refreshed my "horse dreams".

Then tonight we had another guest for our Equine Outreach Program. This was the girls third visit and her mom shared with me just how much this is helping her. Now the horse she rode last time was not available to ride; he has injured his leg somehow. So we brought him out and I thought some walking in the round pen would be good for him. He decided to get pushy and when I pushed back he spun and tried to kick me. Now mind you, I have stayed between the horse and the girl so she was safe. I sent her out and had a little corrective experience for the horse. I let him buck all he wanted on the other side away from me. When he came toward me it had to be when I invited and with two eyes, not two feet. When he finally decided that two eyes and beside me was nicer than moving away, I took him out and she hosed his leg. He stood beautifully for that. I took time to explain that he is allowed to get angry that I wouldn't let him do what he wanted but he can not try to hurt me or anyone else. And that once the correction was over I was still going to love him and do what he needed which was hose his leg.

When the mom came back to pick up her child, I explained what had happened (didn't want the girl to go home talking about the bucking horse without the whole story). Turns out that the daughter is having to learn the same lesson. It is ok to get angry but hurting others or threatening to hurt others is not ok. It is amazing how God uses these horses to teach lessons. Before the mom left she wanted to know how much she should pay for the sessions. The outreach program is dedicated to providing these services free of charge. She still wanted to be supportive and gave us our first monetary donation.

So all of this brings me to the thought "maybe I really am suppose to do this ministry even though I am not at all sure how we are going to afford it". Stay tuned for how God is going to supply all our needs in spite of my fears.