If you were me, what would you do?
Friday, September 3rd, 2010
I just got back from college, and I want a horse again, and dream of spending the summer riding.(this would be the third horse I’ve owned in my life so far). In some ways, I know what I want, but I guess if I really knew I wouldn’t be facing this dilemma.
Okay, I have always been hopelessly passionate about the Arabian breed, and find unimaginable pleasure in even just reading about their history and being around them. I work at an Egyptian Arabian breeding farm and not a single one of the broodmares is rideable and the rest are weanlings and yearlings. But I am so fascinated by them that I just love being around them and spending time with them. True, pure Arabs like them are horses like no others I have ever seen. The intuition and spirit just blows me away. Needless to say, I have been dreaming since I was a young teenager of owning a pure Arab with top bloodlines like one of the ones I work with. Mind you, they are all $15K and up in price where I work when they leave as babies, so I never actually figured out how I’d get one, but I dreamed of it anyhow.
My other passion is riding. Not showing or performance or anything, but trail riding, and even arena riding. Most of all, those long bareback canters . . .
My last two horses, due to time and circumstances and one of them being "green", I have not yet gotten to have a horse that wasn’t a project, that I could just jump on and hit the trails. I’ve spent hours and hours on friends’ horses like that though, and often envied them, and wondered why I always end up with the project horses? I know I enjoy it, but . . .
Anyway, so here I am again, with the chance to start fresh with a new horse. I know it has to be an Arabian. No question there (it’s a "me" thing, can’t help it).
So I started looking. Now I have more $ than I’ve ever had previously when buying horses, but it’s still not much. Like $500-$700 at the MOST. But with the current economy I decided I should be able to find something.
So far, what I have found has left me extremely frustrated, confused, and bewildered. I have a knack for finding horses and falling in love with them with no good reason.
The things I have found fall into about 3 categories.
I found a few horses that are run-of-the-mill Arabians, nice and cute but not registered, or if they are registered just not spectacular examples. But for a riding horse, why should I care right? But they are between about 6 and 12 and some are finished and some are green, but for me they would be nice riding horses.
Next group are nice-ish and registered Arab colts and fillies about 4 years old. Some are not broke and a couple are started under saddle, but barely. I actually wanted to start my next horse this spring and ride it this summer, so that would be great and make sense.
Third group is what is throwing me for such a loop. I happened to come across a barely 2 year old filly(turns two end at the of April). She is drop dead gorgeous with her jaw-dropping ancestry and seemingly the entire glory of her Arabian ancestry traced into every chiseled feature on her face. She just captivates me. She is everything I have ever dreamed of, but she is too young to start this summer. Part of me says, "who cares girl!" This is the horse you’ve always wanted! This is your equine soulmate! Just LOOK at her!" But the owner has agreed to sell her to me for $770. She is worth in the thousands, so this is a chance of a lifetime perhaps. This pushing my budget, but sometimes I think I’d do anything to have her.
But if I buy her instead of one of the not-so-nice backyard Arabs, I will spend yet another year riding someone else’s horses, and just playing with and training my own. I was so determined to finally end up with a riding horse. And for once not have a project and have to WAIT and WAIT.
But this will be my only horse, and I plan on this being my only horse until it dies. I wanted to find that special horse . . . the "soulmate". I want to commit, and so I want to get what I actually WANT instead of just something that "works". Something that I love so much that I want to pour every spare minute into.
For those of you who have ever waited on a young horse, or maybe been faced with a similar situation, what did you do?
Will spending more than I can afford to on a horse I (once again) can’t ride be worth it in the end?
How much do you trust your gut? Every sensible thing in me says pass this filly up….she won’t even be 3 till next April!
But then why do I find myself coming back to her in my mind over and over…..wondering how I can get the money….
And those "nice" little Arabs ready to spend the summer trail riding with me….just can’t seem to catch my eye.
Am I not giving them enough of a chance? Am I letting my heart run away with me?
What will it be…..common sense and fun for the summer….. or lifelong dreams and "the gut feeling"?
wow this is long lol..Ok first off..I LOVE arabians too! Ifaced a situation similar to your about 3 years ago. I really wanted a "typie" arabian that had the looks but I wanted one that was unbroke so I could train it my way. I am a christian so I decided to pray about it and I just waited for the horse to find me. Sure I looked around but I didnt make any quick decisions. Then one day My friend called and said she had found a nice young arab for sale and she wanted me to go look with her. So I did..Well it turned out I never even saw the horse I was going there to see. As soon as I got there I saw this pitiful little grey horse and fell in love. It was a little Anglo-arabian who was just rescued from hurricane Katrina. He was skin over bones and I had to have him. He was 2 yo and had been ridden once or twice. I bought him right then and there b/c I knew he needed me. Sure he is not the pure blood arabian I wanted but he is a thousand times better! After working with him for 3 years he is now a champion show jumper and he is the kind of horse you can jump on and go. He will be 6 this year and my 9 yo sister rides him all the time. I say go with your heart! I’ll put some pics on here of him so you can see how much he has changed. He went from being this little horse that was neglected to a champion. I think when its ment to be you will know! I never make quick decisions about buying horses but I just knew and boy was I right! Good luck and I hope you find your soalmate!
here he is a month after I got him
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x269/Brooklyn_McKinney/Newhorse009.jpg
here he is a year ago..
http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x269/Brooklyn_McKinney/summer063.jpg
big difference huh? So maybe the run down ones just need a good home.
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Yes my friends it is Here the Full Version of Smells Like teen Spirit Enjoy i hope
Young group played smells like teen spirit from my fav group Nirwana…. good or not its 4 fun!!!!
Awesome video of my favorite band, Delta Spirit.
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