Things are coming together.

I am using a company by the name of Pumula Horse Carriers to transport my new horse. The owner of the company was very quick to respond to any questions I had, as opposed to some of the other transportation companies which took longer than I wished.

I just called Ignat at the farm, and he told me he would take care of the hay, coggins, and halter/lead rope needed to transport the horse. I emailed Cynthia yesterday but have yet to hear back. I am interested in what Rinka's current diet is, and if I can have some of his grain to help him slowly get switched to ours. Mom said they were only eating oats, but I was so lovestruck I didn't pay attention to what the horses were eating!

So now I am sitting and waiting through what will be a painfully long and difficult week. I probably won't sleep at all Friday. Sunday there is a show at our barn, and I will be excited to take Rinka out and how him off...I mean desensitize him to the show.

I can't describe how happy I am right now!

Getting more excited, less nervous!

A big thanks to Elaine for allowing me to come on and board at HLS. I am so thankful I don't have to scramble around and get the fence ready up the road. I can just unload and go. The whole "searching" process didn't take much time. I hate to be the person that buys the first horse they look at. But when I saw him I knew I had to have him!

In Love

So this is Rinka. He is a 2 year old, almost 16hh Thoroughbred. He came right up to me from the field, and was very complacent (as complacent as 2 year old can be). I have put a deposit on him, and am arranging his shipment later this week. Unsure if his barn name will stay Rinka.

Now there is lots of scrambling to get ready for his arrival. To be honest I wasn't ready to make a decision so soon, but he is so cute and sweet, I knew I couldn't pass him up. Now I'm getting the fence ready and looking at all of my options.

I'm not throwing an official welcome party yet, nor have I posted this blog on my facebook yet, because I want to make sure everything is final before I start spreading the news.

I couldn't be any more excited or nervous!

Dillema #1

I am faced with my first dilemma.

Mare vs. Gelding

I have only owned, and mostly ridden geldings. Mares and I have never gotten along. Really, besides being able to breed, are there really any GOOD qualities of a mare?

Besides that, if I get a mare, she can live ride across the parking lot at the same barn, and in the event that I need to go out of town, or can't come one evening, there will always be someone there to feed her. However, if I get a gelding, I will have to board elsewhere.

I have gotten the 'okay' to board at the little field down the road from HLS. Board is cheap, although I will need to re-do the fence. Barbed wire fencing is a NO GO for me. The poor gelding would be alone in his field, and would get little interaction with other horses, aside from me taking him down the road for a visit. The grass however, is very luscious, and he would be easily kept fat and happy. I have already gotten in touch with my Dad, who will either help me, or have his friend help me re-do the fence in the event that I do get a gelding.

Now I'm looking at fencing options. Regular post board, or electric, or both, or something completely different.

It's a GO!

After creating this blog several weeks ago with the intentions of starting my search for a new horse, things never seemed to fall into place well enough for me to say, "I'm officially horse shopping." But, I'm officially horse shopping! If you're reading this, I hope that I may be entertaining enough to keep you around in my search for my next equine partner. Once I find that partner, the blog's not over! I will continue to document the training of my new friend. This should prove to be entertaining since I am mostly interested in purchasing at OTTB.

Why am I looking for a new horse when I already own one? I'm bored. Very bored. I love my horse to death, and Lord knows he keeps things interesting, but the simple fact of the matter is that he does not have the brain, nor the athleticism to jump. While I feel like an immature whiny brat for wanting a new horse because mine can't jump, I have come to the conclusion that I am only interested in what is best for all parties involved in this situation. Let me give you a little background...

It all started with of course, the inevitable bite by the horse bug. That, and being fortunate at the time to have a Dad that was dating a woman with a horse named CiCi. Since he was much too young, and after a an almost fatal accident, much too dangerous for me to ride, I took lessons on some older, kinder, horses. Swinger and Rumors were patient souls that winter of 2001. That following spring, my Mom took an interest in my equine hobby addiction, and we stumbled upon a big barn behind my horse, Hunter Lane Stables. The Wilsons have been kind enough to feed my addiction ever since. I have ridden everything from small ponies to big warmbloods at HLS, have leased a super slow QH, and been dumped by a super fast TB. Actually, falling became somewhat of my specialty (I lost count after 60....yes, seriously). Fast forward to 2005, I was looking for my own horse, when a little Arabian named Prince was given to me. "Prince" didn't seem to fit his personality so he became "Izz," and I began my journey in training my first off-the-track horse. Combine speed, with hormones from being gelded late, with the flighty Arab brain, and you have your ideal first horse. I hope you can sense the sarcasm.

Ever since then, I have been trying to teach my horse that it's okay to jump, that he will surely live to see another day. He is convinced otherwise, and after 5 years I think I am giving up. Don't get me wrong, he is great at other things. He can gallop really fast, buck, spook, throw his head up in the air, and don't forget eating...he is GREAT at eating. Okay, so he'd be a great first level dressage horse with a little bit of training, and we've been cleaning up in the Hunter Pleasure classes, but I have been doing those things with him for 5 years. I'm BORED.

I got the OKAY to board a mare at HLS. So of course this week I'm going to look at a gelding.

But look how CUTE he is:

http://canterusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4151:rinka-dinka-doo&catid=50:delaware-park-trainer-listings

And now I'm off to a long, long day at work. I am working four 10-hour shifts so I can have Friday off to go look at that little guy!