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!