I’m not new to horse ownership, but this is kind of a new and bewildering experience for me. :lol:
My wonderful Anglo-Trakehner mare passed away a few months ago. I’d owned her for 11 years, she was 21, sound right up until the end, but I opted to euthanize rather than put her through colic surgery when ultrasound showed an abdominal mass.
I still have her daughter, who (due to a bone cyst in her stifle) is on permanent pasture patrol duty keeping the coyotes away from my sheep, and a small hairy pony with Cushing’s, but no riding horse. It’s weird.
Previously I’ve owned an assortment of green and/or quirky horses. Most of which seemed to just sort of fall into my lap.
I’ve spent the last few years having very slow unambitious rides around the farm, though. Most of the time I was riding alone, texting my husband before I mounted and after I was done, and although my mare was hot and had a few quirks of her own, I knew her so well that I was very comfortable with that arrangement.
But between my solo rides and some chronic joint pain of my own, I’m coming to terms with the fact that my next horse will probably be boring. Okay, okay, maybe not boring, but quiet and safe. It feels a little bit like giving up, but I realize that it’s the logical choice to make.
Because I’m cheap, it will probably also be old and ugly, with a scrub tail and a head like a mailbox, but that part I’m very okay with.
And it looks like I’m actually going to have to go shopping. Although I keep closing my eyes and hoping, no new horses (suitable or otherwise) have appeared in my pasture.
Now, it’s not that I’m opposed to buying an appropriate mount, but I’m not eagerly anticipating wading through the bog of nutty sellers, flippers, and horses which may be underweight, lame, in ill-fitting tack, or plain old misrepresented.
Not being in a rush is serving me well thus far, at least. I keep looking at horse ads, and there has been a whole lot of “nope” going on. Might have one to look at on Monday, though, and I’m kind of nervous and feeling very out of my element.
I’m not sure I really have a question, since I’ve been around enough to know most of the basics. I wouldn’t mind a refresher, or suggestions to shore up my list of questions, but I think at least in part I’m just tired of talking to myself about this. My husband isn’t at all into horses, and my friends keep remembering how much work I put into my previous horses and suggesting things that I just don’t think I want to brave all by myself in an open field. :eek:
So, some actual person needs to say something vaguely relevant before I start leaving myself crayon-written notes around the farm. :lol:
